What could possibly be more effective that a shotgun blast at short range?
Let’s take a look at what to feed the home defending shotgun.
For a home intruder, nothing can be more terrifying than the sight of a double-barreled shotgun leveled at them. How about the sound of a pump-action shotgun racking a shell into the chamber for a sound deterrent? Both will make any criminal think twice about their bad life choices.
Sheer intimidation won’t always solve your big problem. What do you load your shotgun against these home-invading foes?
Birdshot is a favorite of many home defenders. From close range, the blast of these lightweight small lead pellets hit like a solid fist. Out at a distance farther the story is not the same. Some old time shooters call shotguns “scatterguns” for good reason. The many shot projectiles fan out quickly the farther away the target is.
Birdshot has excellent track record for up-close-and-personal damage with minimal penetration to household walls. If the distance is somewhat far, you’d better think bigger, such as the smaller-sized buckshot loads. So an up close birdshot is a worthwhile choice but at a distance might sting instead of drop an intruder.
The useful shot size chart shows a size comparison of how these projectiles stack up against each other. You can use any of these sizes in a pinch, but personally nothing smaller than No. 6 for close range would be a solid choice.
Remember, as distances and any obstructions you might encounter get larger, you should increase the size of your projectiles. Light weight shot looses energy quicker than heavier sized shot or buckshot. Save the largest sizes for shooting through cover or barricades. Remember those larger projectiles will keep going and walls may not hold them. In more rural areas, loads of 00 buckshot will get almost any job done. Once again though watch for the chance of over penetration issues.
What about shotgun slugs? Unless you’re living in big bear country or have to shoot through heavy barricades, save shotgun slugs for big-game hunting. A 1,000-pound bear knocking down your cabin door takes more to stop than a home invader. Better have a heavy hitting shotgun slug for that hungry bruin.
In the modern age of drone dangers a shotgun can also be your best option for taking down a serious problem. In summary, better get out that ‘ole scattergun. You might just be glad in the future you did!
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