Home defense ammo

[200Apples]

Riveting tale, good chap

.
Say, my good man... if you'd like to NOT use deadly force, then, don't pick up the shotgun. If you're going to use a firearm to stop a threat, then be prepared to kill to defend you and yours.

There are less-lethal (is that anything like "less-pregnant"?) options. Baseball bat, pepper spray, a 5000-lumens light, etc...

Only! when you are being attacked, in fear! for your life and acting in self-defense can you produce a firearm and use it. Even then, even when it's a "clean" shoot, there'll be civil action against you, more than likely. Lotta law-yerz lookin' for work, you know.

[ParadigmShift]

I wish I had taken video, but I'm currently using Federal #1 Buckshot (15 pellet load) and alternate with Federal 00 Buck. The #1 is supposedly the best for anti-personnel according to ballistic testing. Can't tell you if that's true, but when I took it to the range, produced pretty impressive pattern at 25yds and I cycled it fast in Benelli M4 -- It's low recoil, so was able to stay on target easily too.

[Ronin2]

I recommend high base 12ga # 4 heavy bird.

[stix213]

Using LTL rounds increases the chance of survival of the bad guy, which increases the chance of the bad guy filing a lawsuit.

[TANK1135]

Ok I understand what has been said but if the intruder would be rushing at me or my family with a weapon then I would yes I would shoot to stop the attack. My intent is not to kill or maim but if it came to it then it is something I will do to defend my family from a threat.

If he is hopped up on meth or something and he is rushing you those rubber bullets may not stop him from harming you or your family.

[TANK1135]

Yeah I hear you but something is better then nothing ain't no one going want to get hit whether its bird shot or buck shot....

Just rack it then and they will cower in fear LOL.If I was to get shot with something, I would want to be shot with bird shot at 25 or 30 feet then buckshot.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

I recommend high base 12ga # 4 heavy bird.

Only if you are being attacked by turkeys. IF you are choosing to use a firearm for self defense, you have already reached the point where you have decided to use deadly force. Because that is what a firearm is. You do not use LTL ammo. You do not use bird shot. You use a round that is effective enough to end the threat to your life, or somebody else's. If you don't feel that deadly force is warranted, don't use a gun in the first place.

As the others have noted, buckshot is available online. Get some. Enough so that you can take it to the range and pattern it in your shotgun at different distances. I like #1 buck simply because per ounce, it has the most frontal surface area of all the buckshot loads out there. Plain old lead will work just fine. No need for copper plating, or nickel, or anything else like that. You want the lead to deform when it hits, so it dumps all of it's kinetic energy in the target. This also reduces the danger of the pellets going through multiple walls. If you can't find #1 buck, 00 will be just fine. The standard 9 pellet loads available everywhere have been ending confrontations for over 150 years. You don't need reduced or tactical or any other expensive sales gimmicks. Both Remington and Winchester make plain lead buckshot loads for cheap. You can probably even find some of the current military standard 00 buckshot loads in plain brown paper boxes. It costs a bit more than the commercial stuff, and isn't really any better. But if it makes you feel more confident, go for it.

If you are really struggling to find buckshot, you can always go hit Ballistic Products Inc. and get the supplies to roll your own. Add a buckshot mold in your favorite flavor, and you can turn out customized buckshot loads for under $15/100.

-Mb

[sirgiles]

Yeah I hear you but something is better then nothing ain't no one going want to get hit whether its bird shot or buck shot....

I think you need to rethink this.
let's ask a person pumped with pcp, what he will do if faced with a shotgun.if this guy is holding a 6" knife and charging you, he would probably win. there are studies done on this and you can actually search for the video on youtube.

[Volksgrenadier]

May I respectfully suggest first due diligence on the law. Next, an examination of what ammunition choice is industry "best practice" for self defense that most closely reflects your needs/situation. Practice. Refine. Repeat.
Just interwebs $0.02.

[Bazerkly]

I agree with the other posting... You only shoot to kill or don't shoot! Also something I learned from the George Zimmerman case is never call 911.....

[Arson]

I love these

http://www.firequest.com/G12-021.html

[Chevy57fan]

Shooting someone is the last thing I'd ever want to do. But if me or my family is threatened where that level of force is necessary, I'm not going to worry about the bad guy and will use 00 or maybe 04 buck from the get go. I'm not going with anything that just maybe will work. The whole point would be to stop the threat immediately.

[radgokart]

Whatever you do, keep the box of HD ammo with about 5 rounds stored away. In case you ever needed to use it, you would be able to use that in your defense against an arrogant DA arguing that you used some imaginary "cop killer" super deadlier than thou ammo.

[drdarrin@sbcglobal.net]

I agree with the other posting... You only shoot to kill or don't shoot! Also something I learned from the George Zimmerman case is never call 911.....

Wrong. You shoot to stop the threat, not to kill. It's not just semantics.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

Whatever you do, keep the box of HD ammo with about 5 rounds stored away. In case you ever needed to use it, you would be able to use that in your defense against an arrogant DA arguing that you used some imaginary "cop killer" super deadlier than thou ammo.

Huh? I am not sure I see your reasoning here. Aside from the imaginary DA that everybody online thinks is going to go after them for their choice of ammunition, what is your idea about keeping the box and 5 rounds? Apart from using them to shoot the DA, which is hardly advisable, what purpose do they serve? If they have a dead bad guy, they likely have recovered cases and possibly the bullets. What good does it do you on top of that to have the extras still in the box? I am not trying to be cute here, I am genuinely curious.

-Mb