shotguns, ammunition, defenseI would like to use my 12 gauge shotgun (pump action) for home defense.
What types of ammo are there for shotguns (AA, buckshot, birdshot, LG, SSG) and what is the difference between them.
Which one should I use for home defense?
The best shotgun rounds for defense are buckshot. Slugs are hugely powerful, but generally used when a rifle would be a better option and for some reason is not allowed. Situations like hunting in states that don’t allow rifles, or police officers that are only allowed shotguns in their cruisers.
As for which buckshot is best for defense, police and military have generally settled on 00 or #1 buckshot. These offer the greatest ability to incapacitate a target. As was talked about in another question regarding over-penetration, the worse you make something at penetrating walls, the worse you will make it at penetrating your actual target. Federal has designed a new #1 buckshot specifically for use in “law enforcement”: Federal #1 buckshot, 15 pellet, 1100 fps “Flight Control” load (LE132-1B). When fired out of a generic 18” 870P, into bare gel, all 15 of the 30 caliber plated pellets penetrated in the 14-18 inch range. Patterning at 25 yards still has all of the pellets in the chest of a target.
(Just as most self defense loads are marketed as “LE” loads, this one is no different. While certainly law enforcement will make use of it and may have brought about its development, it is not restricted to them for purchase by any law. Marketing it as an LE round is exactly that: marketing.)
For reference when you see all these numbers and possibly letters, below is a table for reference of buckshot pellet sizes.
Shot Pellet Diameter
000 or LG ("triple-aught") 9.1 mm (.36")
00 ("double-aught") 8.4 mm (.33")
0 or SG("one-aught") 8.1 mm (.32")
SSG 7.9 mm (.31")
1 7.6 mm (.30")
2 6.9 mm (.27")
3 6.4 mm (.25")
4 6.1 mm (.24")
Birdshot is in no way considered a self-defense loading. Wounds on large targets from birdshot are relatively shallow and superficial. They do very little true damage, and do not penetrate.
Personally, I would use either buckshot or slugs, just because of the stopping power. As far as manufacturer is concerned, anything I’ve bought from a local ‘superstore’ has performed very well.
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