Shotgun ammo for home defense, what do you use?

[Sylvain]

I made another thread about home defense shotguns with a poll to know in what condition you keep it (chamber empty or not, safety on or off).
Thanks to all of you who took that poll.

I wanted to make another one to know what ammo you keep in that same home defense shotgun.

This poll is harder to do since I cant list all kind of shotgun ammo but that should just give a general idea of the type of ammo you are using.
If you have more than one type of ammo in your gun you can select more than one answer.

If you use some special stuff not listed in the poll options you can leave a post to let us know what stuff you use.

 

[randyb]

Either #1 buck or #00 buck. Remington, winchester or federal is fine.

 

[cosermann]

See here:

Shotgun Home Defense Ammunition, .357 SIG -- A Solution in Search of a Problem?

 

[snapping turtle]

I use #4 buck.

 

[gunman41mag]

00 BUCK for me

 

[shooter521]

Federal LE133 00 (8-pellet reduced recoil 00 buck w/ FLITE-CONTROL wad)

 

[cosermann]

Close enough related to this thread (and just too cool not to) that I'd thought I'd post this slow motion video of 12 ga. 00 buck hitting gel at 10 ft.

http://www.brassfetcher.com/High%20Speed%20Video/12%20gauge%20Remington%203%20inch%20magnum%2000%20buckshot.wmv

And 20 ga #4 buck:

http://www.brassfetcher.com/High Speed Video/20ga No Mans Land Number 4 buckshot.wmv

I just occurred to me the OP never specified a gauge. Gauge makes a difference in terms of what I choose.

 

[Colt556]

#4 Buck with a slug or two near the end of the mag tube.

 

[Armed-N-Ready]

There is only one choice.

PDX-1

 

[k688]

00 buck, three shells in the tube and eight on weapon. Should be more than plenty.

 

[NickL45]

I keep 00 Buck in the magazine tube and a buttstock carrier with 4 more buckshot and 1 slug

 

[jblomenberg16]

12ga 00 buck. 4 in the tube, and 5 on the stock. I do keep it unloaded out of safety concern for my 3 year old.

At night I also keep a loaded pistol on the night stand, so I am "prepared" for a sudden intruder.

I've played around with a variety of 2 3/4" and 3" loads as well as some reduced recoil. The federal reduced recoil are pretty nice. Right now I have this loaded in the gun:

Winchester Military Grade Ammunition 12 Gauge 2-3/4" Buffered 00 Buckshot 9 Pellets Box of 5 - MidwayUSA

 

[Dogman]

Federal LE133 00 (8-pellet reduced recoil 00 buck w/ FLITE-CONTROL wad)

This ^^^^.

 

[Bushido Devil Dog]

Dragon's Breath!

Smoke 'em if you got 'em!!



(from 4:20)

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP4FjODPDFA[/ame]

 

[bw210]

Hornady TAP low recoil 2 3/4 "00" @ 1100 fps with low flash propellant.

Hornady : Law Enforcement | Products | 12 GA TAP® REDUCED RECOIL™ 00 BUCK

 

[Royal-1]

#4 Buckshot.

We all know that even a 22 can kill right, well how about (28) 22 size holes with every trigger pull.

#00 is good but for me and several others, having only ~9 pellets Well... Maybe I'm not so sure I'm that great of a shot under the stress of the moment.

 

[jeremy]

I use a Modified Dutch Load Technique.

The first two rounds to chamber are 00 Buck then the rest of the rounds are Slugs.
IF, I do not drop the threat with 2 rounds of 00 then I need something with more smack. Which is what the Slugs can do, and do it well by the way...

 

[g00n24]

I have S&B 00 buckshot loaded in the tube and the side saddle loaded with federal 00-flight control. I used to keep the tube loaded with #4 shot because of living in an apartment and not wanting too much penetration. But after seeing how it spreads at the furthest distance I could shoot from across my apartment I decided to just keep with 00-buck.
The S&B patterns well with its 12 pellets but isn't so tight that I have to be super accurate with it if I had to shoot all the way across my apartment. Then if for some reason I had to fight at some kind of distance out to 25 yds or so I have the Federal flight control which patterns super tight.