If you gotta make a house breaker eat lead, what's better, deer slug or 00 buckshot?

Question

The title says it all.

To the last answer so far, I used to keep a pistol (a .45). But I read about some self defense shootings with pistols that ended up with a wounded suspect. I would prefer that the suspect end up in pieces rather than just wounded. So I switched to a 12ga shotgun (18.5" Winchester 1300). Now I just need to optimize my ammunition choice. Thanks for the answers so far!

Answer 1

Doesn't matter both are going to mess him the f up

Answer 2

You should have both but primarily 00 buckshot. Slugs have a lot of energy but tend to be a freight train that is hard to stop. They have really good penetration above and beyond what is needed for self defense. The advantage a slug has over buckshot is when shooting at distances over 25 yds, against hardened targets or when making "precise shots" where errant shot might injure someone you care about. So load up with buckshot and have some slugs "available".

The spread on buckshot works out to approximately 1" per yard after 5' from the muzzle of expansion. So 15 yards would give you a roughly 14" pattern from an improved cylinder choke. Since the average room is 15 feet that would give you about a 3" pattern. Not quite the aim and spray some say.

What makes the 12 gauge an effective weapon is the simultaneous multiple impacts. Even though each lead ball of 00 is roughly a 32acp, nine of them hitting all at once is fairly potent.

Unfortunately any bullet that penetrates deeply enough into a human will easily defeat an interior wall made of plasterboard or drywall. Birdshot (8's, 7 1/2's even 6's) tend to make shallow wounds that look nasty but are not guaranteed to stop an attacker. Remember they are designed to kill animals that have feathers and weigh ounces, not a human made of leathery skin and bone and weights of 250 lbs or more.

So Buckshot, 00 or #4. 00 has better penetration but less pellets ( about 9 .33 caliber pellets in a standard 2 3/4" shell) and an effective range of 20 yds (or less depending on your shotgun and how good it groups.) #4 buck has more pellets (27.24 caliber pellets in a standard 2 3/4" shell) but less penetration and about a 15 yard effective range. Both have a maximum range of up to 750 yards. (The distance a single unobstructed pellet could travel.)

Also NEVER put a gun under your pillow. Tragic accidents have happened because people have slept with a gun under their pillow and shot themselves through the head while sleeping or just as they are waking up.

Answer 3

If you intend to use for short range ( inside the house) I'd suggest number 4 buck shot. The pellets are .22 caliber and if I remember correctly there are 47 pellets. ( not number 4 shot but 4 buckshot)

This will be good for multiple pellet hits up to probably 30 yards or further. The smaller buckshot wont over penetrate into a neighbor house. If the bad guy is close, it will be just as devastating as a slug.

I'd also suggest white tape around the end of the barrel so you can have a better idea of where it is pointing in the dark or low light. If the intruder is not whacked out on something, the mere act of racking a shell into the chamber should at least get his attention. The main drawback for a shot gun is the tight room to work with in small areas. If there is a struggle for the gun, best use it as a dandy club cause you wont want the bad guy to get ahold of it.

Answer 4

some of the people have no idea what they are talking about
Never ever use bird shot for a home intrusion type situation if your worried about overpenetration they have slugs that only penetrate about 6'' in ballistic gelatin and 00 buck is way better, way better!!!! than #6 shot #6 shot will get you killed about the only thing it will do is blind someone and even if they eat lead from 1 foot away the wound will not be sufficiently deep to incapacitate the target it will just make a really nasty surface wound

However... to answer your question I'd mix it up first 1-2 rounds would be 00 buck the rest would be slugs

Answer 5

[kidding] If you use the buckshot, the shot will spread to a 48" wide pattern at 3 yards, so you'll really kill him good if your aim is bad. [/kidding off]

Seriously though, it all comes down to recoil management and follow up shots. I personally don't think there's much more devastating than a 1oz slug hitting flesh. Buckshot is also punishing, but the shot does not carry through objects like that slug will. That's why people like using it for home defense, since it won't carry through walls.

Personally though....if I'm shooting to kill, I'm going to hit my target. I won't be shooting where others may be hurt or injured. In that scenario, I just won't shoot.

EDITED TO ADD:
Pistols are SIDE ARMS. They were never designed to be a primary weapon that you'd want to utilize in a shoot situation. Rifles and shotguns, through the longer sight radius and better stabilization through putting the gun to your shoulder are the BEST gun to use for defense.

In a situation where you can have a long arm, you should utilize it. In a situation where a pistol is the only option, that's when it should be deployed, not when there are better options available.

Additionally, its disturbing that some of you think that using a buck shot means you have to rely less on your aiming abilities. Even more bothering is someone mentioned using #4 shot!

Answer 6

Buckshot is better for home defense. It can be pointed and shot where a slug needs aimed and could miss. The higher numbers work too, like #6-8 because they will hold a pattern at a close distance which is what it will be in a house. It also wont be as deadly to nieghbors or other people in the house.

Answer 7

Stop to consider your situation.
What you are describing to me is you have an intruder in side the house.
That is close proximity combat.
I would say in the Buck shot gives you a better survivability rate, due to the fact you could miss with a slug.

Let me tell you what I use and why.
I have a 12 gauge pump with an 18 ½ inch barrel.
The first round in the chamber is a No 6 shot the next round up is a No 6 after that it all buck shot.
The No 6 shot are as deadly across the room as the buck shot to an intruder, all the while not as dangerous to the person, child or the people living next door.

The No 6 greatly reduces the chances of friendly casualties because it looses energy quickly and wont blow through paneling, sheet rock or doors as would buck shot or slugs.

The buck shot as the last rounds is if the fight goes out side my house I then get the extended range of the buck shot.

To buck shot used in side a house where others live is a poor idea.
If you live alone and the house next door is out of range, use what ever makes you feel safe.

But buck shot wont kill the intruder any deader then No 6 if we are talking the distance across a room (even a large room at that).

Inside the house you don’t need over penetration to be a concern, there for I rule slugs out completely.

Remember you are held responsible for all collateral damage to bystanders and their property.
You shoot a intruder and kill him and a brand new sports car out on the curb, your paying for the over kill.

Always be ready to defend your self but don’t endanger innocent bystanders in the next room or next apartment or house.


D58


Hunting with Rifle, Pistol, Muzzle loader and Bow for over 3 decades.
Reloading Rifle, Pistol and shotgun for over 3 decades.

Answer 8

Unless you can always assure yourself that the room behind him is clear, neither.
Both buck & slug will carry lethal punch through a plasterboard partition.
A trap or skeet load on the other hand will deliver a lethal punch at 'indoor situation` ranges but will be almost completely stopped by the wall. At those ranges the pattern doesn't spread more than an inch or three so an ounce of lead @ 1200FPS+ is still effective.
You can load the magazine one round short, and have buck or slugs available in a carrier fixed to the stock, (Uncle Mike makes em), for longer range situations which can be expected to develop a bit more slowly.

Answer 9

Buckshot is the best. There is no time to aim, you will have adrenaline racing through your body so it's point and shoot. The Winchester 1300 is an excelent choice, because the recoil it will allready start to cycle the next round, and you finishing that cycle is almost automatic. And believe me you don't want to be the bad guy and here a pumpgun cycle in the dark.

Answer 10

If you are going with a long gun rather than a handgun, stay in one place, don't try to clear the house.

Entering a room gunbarrel first is just inviting an intruder to grab your gun and disarm you.

My preference is for a short barreled revolver in .357 magnum or .44 S&W SPL.

I hope you didn't swallow that "48" spread in 3 yards" crap. In the average home, shot will hardly spread bigger than the palm of your hand in an across the room shot. Test it out on a target at 15' sometimes.

For a pump shotgun, I suggest #1 buckshot, as it will give less penetration of walls and will be safer for the rest of your family.

Regardless of the shotgun load chosen, you need to point it in the right direction and repeat as needed.


Doc

Answer 11

00 buckshot would be the best, less kick back and all you got to do is shot in the general area of the perpetrator and your bound to hit them (not saying you got a bad shot). With a slug you got twice or three times the kick back and if you had to shot multiple time it will start to hurt, but you can shot through a wood or cinder block wall with a slug (you shouldn't shot where you can't see)