What is your shotgun pellet preference for self defense?

Wouldn't the only real choice for any true OB'er be a .410 Judge?

I think I want a spreader round. Self defense in the home is close range. Shotgun shells need a little range to open up, otherwise bird shot is like a slug...

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I think I want a spreader round. Self defense in the home is close range. Shotgun shells need a little range to open up, otherwise bird shot is like a slug...

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well, wick.. you fall under what i refer to as the, Larry Theory, my dad and i's good buddy and retired 35+ year Va game biologist who insists that shooting someone with .04 buckshot is,"like blasting someone with 17 .22 bullets!!1 And you can't tell me that is less effective in a home defense situation than .00 buchsot.."



this theory has been debated between us over a campfire while drinking beer many of times


And as much as i hate to give to the ol' boy, he is sorta right..

Without knowing the armor status of the target, I like birdshot, #4 to #6, for an inside situation where overpenetration of walls (neighbors in an apartment, kids in their rooms) is a paramount risk.

I know there are very smart people that are adamantly opposed to this philosophy. However, I like it as the first round, at least, for this reason:

First round in the middle of the night ought to wake up everybody, neighbors, etc. Hopefully, everyone hits the deck. Also, I'm more likely to be firing a reaction shot the first round in a gunfight. It ought to be my least accurate.

As the fight progresses, I might have 00, 000 or even slug later in the cylinder. Why? Because the others didn't work, and we might be exchanging fire from cover at that point - so I will want a round of increasing lethality and penetration as the fight wears on.

Maybe I'm overthinking it...

Right now I think I have 3.5" Hevishot blend (5,6,and 7)in mine.

The Skittles. Modebinately the Skittles.

What Ace said. My first round is a #4. After that it is 4 rounds of OO buckshot.

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As the fight progresses, I might have 00, 000 or even slug later in the cylinder. Why? Because the others didn't work, and we might be exchanging fire from cover at that point - so I will want a round of increasing lethality and penetration as the fight wears on.

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i'm just loaded with .00 and slugs on my ammo vest/belt for penetration

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The Firearms Tactical Institute reports:

"Number 1 buck is the smallest diameter shot that reliably and consistently penetrates more than 12 inches of standard ordnance gelatin when fired at typical shotgun engagement distances. A standard 2 ¾-inch 12 gauge shotshell contains 16 pellets of #1 buck. The total combined cross sectional area of the 16 pellets is 1.13 square inches. Compared to the total combined cross sectional area of the nine pellets in a standard #00 (double-aught) buck shotshell (0.77 square inches), the # 1 buck shotshell has the capacity to produce over 30 percent more potentially effective wound trauma. In all shotshell loads, number 1 buckshot produces more potentially effective wound trauma than either #00 or #000 buck. In addition, number 1 buck is less likely to over-penetrate and exit an attacker's body."

Generally available candidates include:
•Remington Express Buckshot 12B1 (1250 fps, 16 pellets #1 Buck).
•Remington Express Buckshot 12B0 (1275 fps, 12 pellets #0 Buck).
•Winchester Super-X XB121 (1250 fps, 16 pellets #1 Buck).

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