Best HD load?

[Checkman]

I own a 870 12 guage with an 18" barrel. It's an old police shotgun that I purchased from a local small town department. It's in excellent shape and perfect for HD, but I find myself in a quandry. I live in town and I've been told that the best round for my situation is No. 4, but there are others who tell me to go with 00. They correctly point out that the local police department uses 00 and slugs with no worry of overpenetration so if it's good enough for them it will work for me.

Our house was built in 47 and the walls are solid , plaster and lathe , no drywall. So is the overpenetration factor a worry for me? I recall reading that the LAPD issued No. 4 to their officers and were happy with it's performance until the North Hollywood Bank Robbery when they went to slugs and 00 buck.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Mark Tyson]

Do you live in a densely populated area? There's always a possibility of rounds going through a window.

I use 00 buck. I don't think there's a terrible chance of overpenetration. You can't just keep worrying about "what ifs" or you'll never get around to pulling the trigger. Some precautions make sense, but some conjecture is just useless worry. Firing a gun in a house at a hostile person is a dangerous business any way you look at it.

 

[TrapperReady]

Checkman - Personally, for a HD scenario, I would feel quite comfortable with no. 4 buck... 00 is very popular as well. For inside-the-home use I would not use slugs, although having a couple in a Sidesaddle is SOP for lots of folks.

Also (and others may disagree), I would not get hung up on the LAPD reaction to the North Hollywood Bank Robbery with respect to HD scenarios. If I was picking a platform for defending against that kind of threat, I'd probably start with .338 Lapua and work up from there (preferring something belt-fed and tripod-mounted). I understand the idea of planning for the worst case scenario, but that has to be tempered by practicality.

 

[foghornl]

Checkman:

There will be several vastly more experienced shotgunners than me who will stop by here shortly and chat with you on this subject. However, this is what works for me...

In my Maverick 88 by Mossberg, Remmy's 3" Mag #4 Buckshot gives me the best patterns with the short (18-1/2") combat barrel. For slugs, the PMC brand of standard (2-3/4", 1OZ) rifled variety is most accurate.

Buy a 5 round box or 2 of whatever you have available locally, and give them the pattern test. When you find what works in YOUR shotty, buy a bunch.

Sort of like finding the "best" ammo for your .22LR autoloader....

 

[El Tejon]

Anyway to recreate the wall of your home? Know any contractors?

Go shoot "your house" and find out what works. Remember your lab coat--for science!

 

[Mike Irwin]

I use No. 4 buck, with 5 rounds of 00 buck in a buttstock carrier.

With No. 4, you get 27 pellets, around double the payload weight, and considerably more overall energy over a load of 9 00 buck pellets.

At typical household differences, the smaller pellet size isn't going to mean a darned thing.

 

[Al Thompson]

We did a bunch of kicking this subject around on TFL. No clear conclusions, but some things tended to shine through. Out to about 5 yards or so, all shotguns loads tend to hit as a solid mass. Individual pellet size dosen't matter. Past that and the smaller sized shot loses effectiveness very quickly. This is good for apartment dwellers and people like me who are in crowded neighborhoods.

Have you plotted your home and determined your maximum engagement distances? I have - my longest shot is 18 yards, but is in line with my neighbor. No buckshot as a first up load for me in that shotgun.

The other end off my house faces a state forest. That's my #1 buck engagement zone.

HTH

 

[Dave McCracken]

Measure the longest possible shot distance possible in your domicile, add one yard for GPs, and pattern some loads at that distance.

Even the lighter stuff will do the job inside. At close range, you're shooting a 73 caliber carbine using a giant Glaser Safety Slug. A shotgun approaches 100% one shot stops. Hit the target, stop the target.

Id see if a trap or field load will hit inside the shot wad at your longest distance possible. If so, you've a soft kicking but highly effective stopper there,

If not, go to at least #4 buck, And regardless of your inside choices, test and select an outside load for Comunity Defense. We ARE the Militia, after all.

What works for me, and YMMV, is....

A field load of 8s first up in my HD 870, backed by 00. This is the Estate R/R buck, a tight and soft kicking but effective load. More 00 is in the Side Saddle, and two slugs. These are nigh useless for HD and may be counter productive. I keep them because the action may move outside, and just because.

The other "Serious" 870 here is used to invest in venison futures during deer season. Out of season it serves as backup to the first. It is loaded with all 00.

HTH....

 

[Mike Irwin]

"Measure the longest possible shot distance possible in your domicile, add one yard for GPs, and pattern some loads at that distance."

Done and done.

At 30 feet all 27 pellets from a load of Remington 2 3/4" No. 4 buck are well within the kill zone, and haven't spread a whole lot farther than the 12 pellets of S&B 2 3/4" 00 buck out of my S&W 3000.

 

[Checkman]

Thanks for the tips. I found some time to get out to the range today and also paced off the distance around my house. I have a max engangement distance of 25 yards in my front yard. Inside of my house I'm looking at no more then ten feet. I think I'll keep No. 4 loaded in the Remington for immediate action, but I will keep some 00 buck and slugs on hand as well. I also have a Sig 220 and a Colt Detective in my nightstand. I know they aren't shotguns, but they beat rocks and scissors.

 

[Arkady]

I was using 00 Buckshot, and i still keep a good bit of it around (it's effective, and it's cheaper than any other size) but it doesnt pattern quite as well in my gun as #1 Buckshot does, so that's what i keep in the gun.

The first round if a 2 3/4 inch #4 buckshot, and the next five are 3 inch magnum #1 buckshot. Yes, i load up a magazine like that and shoot it off every time i go to the range, just to make sure i don't find any unpleasent surprises if i have to use it. Next to the gun i keep a 5 round shell cuff (fits over my forearm) with 3 rounds of buckshot and 2 slugs.

I think any shot size of #4 buckshot or larger is going to be fine for your purposes, so it all boils down to whichever load patterns best in your shotgun. You might even want to consider using a reduced recoil round--if you're lucky, the slower pellets will only penetrate 9 walls instead of 10. Yeah, i'm an optomist.

 

[keederdag]

I build custom homes for a living; 00 buck; #4 buck, go though insulation and two 1/2" sheets of gypsum drywall in a standard 2X4 interior sound wall, at 15-20 yrds out of a cly. ckoked 12 guage.

 

[Shane]

Right now, I'm using the Federal Personal Defense 12 gauge load, that features 1.25 ounces of #2 BIRDSHOT. I figure at typical indoor ranges of 7 yards, bird shot will do plenty of damage. Does anyone agree? Or am I using too soft of a load?

 

[Dave McCracken]

At 7 yards, yes. At distances where the shot separates from the wad and spreads, maybe.