20 guage or 7.69 for home defense?

[Stand_Watie]

In a rural setting. You have a five round autoloading full length 20 guage shotgun as well as a 10 rd sks side by side on your gun rack and you are deciding which to choose.

Which gun and what type of ammo?

 

[MrTuffPaws]

#3 buck for the 20ga. If you need more that than, you can always have the SKS loaded as well.

 

[Mulliga]

Interesting question

As far as cartridge power goes, just from anecdotal evidence and informal tests like http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot22.htm & http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot16.htm , it looks like both will penetrate enough to be relied upon for defense (you must use buckshot in the 20 gauge, however). The 7.62x39 is more versatile - (maybe) better barrier penetration and certainly more range. I've never used 20 gauge slugs, but I doubt they can perform as consistently as a rifle round.

Handling and ergonomics are a tossup. The average 20 gauge autoloader will be fairly unwieldy with a 26" hunting barrel, but then again, the average SKS handles like a broom. Reloading with both seems like a tossup - standard shotgun reload vs. stripper clips. Recoil is about equivalent, I think, with the 20 gauge being a bit easier to get hits with.

Indoors, tie. Outdoors, SKS hands-down. I'd go for Wolf 7.62x39 JSPs.

 

[arcticap]

20 gauge

I've shot plates with several guys who use a .20 gauge autoloader and they have always shot very fast & extremely reliably. Plus, they can usually be outfitted with an extended magazine if you wanted to increase its capacity.
All my shotgun deer have been taken with 20 gauge slugs without any problems, so slug terminal performance shouldn't really be an issue.
Available youth gun barrels can be relatively short as well.
Being able to chose from many different slugs or sizes of buckshot or shot payloads is just another added benefit.
You can even attach a blinding light onto the end of it!

 

[TallPine]

Depends on whether you have a coyote bothering your sheep, or a porcupine up in one of your pine trees.

SKS for the first one, 20 gauge for the second

 

[Technosavant]

Well, if you are going to feed 7.69 into an SKS, I'd take the 20 gauge. I don't think the SKS would work.

Seriously, I would go with the 20 gauge. Less chance of overpenetrating; that 7.62x39 is likely to punch through several walls and keep on going.

 

[High Planes Drifter]

A friend and I were debating this some time ago. He couldnt understand why I would pick my carbine AR over my 12ga. I told him I dont have a pistol grip on my shottie and it is more difficult to cover while rounding a corner or passing thru a doorway with it.
A bit of advice before you decide: I suggest to try using each of the 2 guns in a "mock" scenario to clear your home. See which one you are more comfortable with. As trivial as this sounds, you'll find it is extremely difficult to do with a weapon without a pistol grip. It changes the dynamics of how you hold the weapon. If you have a pistol grip on the 20ga. , I'd pick it over the SKS. If not, I'd suggest getting a tactical stock with a pistol grip and a 16" barrell for your 20ga. if you are serious about fitting the gun into hd role.

 

[benEzra]

+1 on what High Planes Drifter said. I'd personally lean towards the rifle unless the shotgun had a full-length pistol grip stock (not a pistol grip only), but fitted with a decent stock I'd take the shotgun since legally fitting an SKS with a pistol grip stock is difficult.

If you were asking 20-gauge vs. a civvie AK lookalike/20 round mag, I'd definitely say the AK, but in the situation you describe it'd depend on the the particular shotgun for me.

 

[imas]

I noticed the Box of Truth 20ga analysis last night. Let me say that I respect them and what they do but I would like to see them go over the 20ga again. They need to try shooting multiple slugs of different kinds. Many a deer are taken with 20ga slugs and I would prefer them to a handgun just about any day.

Now I would prefer a 7.62 in general but for close range and when over penetration is a concern I'd pick the 20ga.

I can't begin to imagine why buckshot would penetrate in that test. All I can say is that it was probably a fluke and on any normal day the round should have penetrated much more than that. It is possible that the slug tumbled and hit sideways causing it to stop dead in its tracks. There are a number of factors that could cause this. Not that there's anything wrong with buck shot that would work great too.

 

[RyanM]

I can't begin to imagine why buckshot would penetrate in that test. All I can say is that it was probably a fluke and on any normal day the round should have penetrated much more than that. It is possible that the slug tumbled and hit sideways causing it to stop dead in its tracks. There are a number of factors that could cause this. Not that there's anything wrong with buck shot that would work great too.

Slugs are hollow based, so they're a lot like a badminton birdie. It's hard to make them go sideways. And even if the slug did, given how short those things are, going sideways would make the slug penetrate deeper.

Definitely not a fluke. Check out Remington's Buckhammer Challenge. The "leading competitor's" 12 gauge 3" magnum slug penetrated 4" (yes, four inches) at 25 yards, and the 20 gauge one went only 8". All of the other brand slugs they tested fragmented at 25 yards, and the 20 gauge and 2 3/4" 12 gauge slugs fragmented at 100 yards, too!

All slugs are not made equal. Some will self-destruct on impact. If I were using slugs for defense, I'd shoot them through water first...

http://www.tacticalworks.ca/ballistics_shotgun.html Here's some good shotgun data.

 

[LAK]

The rifle.

I would keep it loaded with a hunting load featuring a good softpoint bullet that feeds reliably and shoots with acceptable accuracy in your gun. I would also maintain a good supply of ball ammo using similar criteria.

As effective as shotguns can be, a rifle is more versatile and has better range.

-----------------------------------------

http://ussliberty.org
http://ssunitedstates.org

 

[AStone]

Trade in both for a 12 ga w/ 00.

 

[Michael Courtney]

Personally, I keep a short barreled 20 gauge for home defense, but it's a reliable pump action.

Given the two choices you mention, I'll use the one which has proven more reliable.

Michael Courtney

 

[mbt2001]

Rural living requires a little bit more sensability in choosing firearms. In an urban setting you are worried about firepower and about over penetration. So Handguns and shotguns make great companions.

In a rural setting you are called to do a little more thinking. You could run into a wild dog, rabid animal, a gang of thugs and the police are not as close as they would be in an urban setting. I think that the choice of firearms should reflect that. I would want to keep an SKS or 30-30 close at hand as well as a shotgun.

For the record, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a 20 gauge with buck shot. That would stop the intruder, but it isn't any good for shots over 50 yards and would have questionable performance out past 30. Whereas an SKS could easily and accurately strike targets with authority out to 100 yards without any scopes or other fancy devices. At 200, it requires a little more markmanship and the gun + round combination can take out targets past 300.

Anyway, if I lived on a farm or ranch, I would have a loaded shot gun and carbine and handgun close to me. The rest would be locked in the safe. In my urban setting I just have one handgun close and everything else locked in the safe.

 

[imas]

I do know that my 12ga Winchester Platinum Tip Sabot Slugs are serious penetrators. I wouldn't have any doubts with those.

Box of Truth did have a very favorable test of the 12ga slug. I'd really like to see them test several types of slugs some time.

Once again, the 12 Gauge Slug amazes us. It was devastating! Penetration was 5 jugs or almost 30 inches. That is equivalent to almost 15 inches of penetration of flesh.