Personally I run Fed 1oz slugs.
I prefer slugs in any platform, slugs work from "right here" to "out yonder a bit" - slugs don't seem to scatter at distances either...
The reality is - each person has different needs and each gun has its druthers for tasks and expected ranges. You have to visit Mr. Pattern Board.
Disclaimer - THR ,Staff, Mods -and whatever else I'm supposed to type -to say they don't advocate or take respsonsiblity for the following.
Once upon a time[tm] We did not have screw in chokes, we were not required to use non-toxic shot for waterfowl. Most folks had one shotgun, and they used for everything - quail to deer. If you bought a 26" bbl , it was either fixed choked skeet or IC, a 28 " was Mod, and 30" was full.
We didn't have all the loadings we see today, one simply patterned the gun to find what load did what at what range. One could buy individual shells out of the coffee can or waxed milk carton.
Chilled shot (soft shot) had less antimony, so it opened up. Hard shot ( more antimony) deformed less. If the loading had 'buffer' that too protected the shot from deformation and tighter/ better patterns.
So we "stacked" the loads, meaning we chambered the chilled shot load, and if we missed the quail, the next shell had hard shot for tighter patterns at that distance.
Some of us still stack loads, even using hard shot only...payload , dr wt equiv, shot sizes...etc.
Then folks starting reloading.
See the waterfowl loads had bigger shot , T,BB, and 2 -also had grex buffering in the Winchester loads.
What has this got to do with Defense you are wondering?
WE made our own "defense" loads to fit our guns, for tasks.
Now a 1 1/2 oz load of Super X Magnun # 2 copper plated shot -will get your attention as a shooter if your gun does not fit, or you don't use proper form.
Now...take them copper plated #2s out, and the grex buffering , reload using 452AA powder to match a 2 3/4 dr equiv 1 1/8 load, and you had one helluva low recoil defensive loading.
We didn't know about low recoil, sheesh, another missed opportunity by me it seems...
We did this for 20 ga, 28 ga and .410 as well. We might be defending the henhouse, the garbage cans, or the office, one room we rented from a boarding house, to farmhouses. We never knew the size of the critter, we KNEW the pattern and ranges of loads. WE also tested on game, and shot dirt for penetration.
I made loads using T, and BB for 28 ga that shot so soft on the shoulder, but felled ducks, geese, and even big raccoons at distances.
In 20 ga, well I was not a long distance waterfowler, but in backing folks up have felled ducks at tree top level with these reloaded, bigger shot sizes and grex buffered loads.
2 3/4" shells btw. Never owned a gun with chamber any bigger that 2 3/4" except for .410, until a few yrs ago and have yet to fire a 3" shell thru it.
Folks back then didn't have a lot of choices, no internet, and money was tight. A reloader allowed one to shoot quality loads for his gun and tasks - loads he could not buy locally - maybe not even offered commercially.
Couple of folks get a 5 # bag of shot of different flavors - share, tweak loads and knew what to buy for future uses.
I stole a lot of pellets, slugs and buffer out of factory shells to learn and make loads. When I came accross Fiochhi nickel plated shot, or Win Copper plated shot in various sizes...and grex buffer, I was in high cotton. I had some sources and they knew I was looking for stuff for trial and testing.
As I shared with someone this morning - I used a lot of Malto-Meal, Grits, and flour to use as buffering too.
We learned to shoot correctly. We learned to handle long bbls, we took steps to protect the home in all sorts of ways. The firearm was just another tool in the toolbox.
I went to slugs and prefer for a reason for ME.
Not that I did not have some nickel plated Fiocchi's in 00 buck, or offerings from Fed or Win.
I also had some homebrews, in all 4 gauges. I know what a homebrew in 28 ga will do, quite a few others do as well, this is what I made up for a specific purpose, and yes it works.
My contention has always been to be able to secure a load locally if need - that has already been tested and patterened. One might finds themselves in a situation where being able to buy 'right now' is important. I also want to know what my second and third choices are if caught in a situation and I'm standing in small town gas station and have to make a choice.
There is something to 2 3/4 and 3 dr eq loadings with different payloads and wads. Folks that came up with Target loads knew/ know something - and amazing what tweaking the payload will do.
The old Pigeon load - is another one to learn from.
Steve