Shotgun vs Rifle for HD?

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[AR-15] Recoil is virtually non-existant while a shotgun with slugs or buckshot has recoil in the 300 magnum range. Birdshot has no place in a self defense gun. I often see people reccomend a shotgun to a beginner, but they would never reccomend a 300 magnum to a beginning hunter because of recoil.

Good point. Something I definitely need to consider.
 
For home defense I have come up with a battery of weapons that suit my concerns.

1-Powerful revolver, minimum .357 mag or 1911 45 ACP cocked and locked.

2-870 Remington 20" riot gun, rifle sights and 7 shot extension magazine. 2 3/4" baby mag # 1 buckshot (20 .30Cal pellets)

3-CAR-15 with 20 or 30 rd magazine. Prefered load is Winchester 64 gr power point for good expansion and penetration.

So the solution to your problem is to get both long guns!

If you have to live in an anti gun state, one of the lever action carbines would work well, 30-30, 357, 41 mag or 44 mag.

Short double barreled 12ga also works in these areas also.

The reason I did not opt for any of the high capacity autos is two fold.

1-Power of individual cartridges. In the home protection will be extremely close, I want the most powerful handgun I can control in this situation not numbers of shots.
2-I need to keep it simple for the wife and children to operate.

Good luck and get guns you like to shoot and get good with all of them. Then pray you never need them.
 
The traditional default advice is "shotgun".

I, however, am a heretic.

I say "autoloading carbine, either pistol caliber or .223", UNLESS one is already happy, comfortable and experienced with shotguns, OR one is proficient and current in handgun.

Carbines are hard to miss with, even for n00bs, and aren't intimidating to the recoil averse and slight of frame.
 
I agree with the heretic position espoused by our moderator. Carbine first, pistol second, shotgun if you're already used to it. I like the versatility of the shotgun a lot, but I don't even have one that I would choose to fight with. Just my hunting double.

I only differ if there are small children: Pistol first, if the shooter has small children to corral in an emergency.
 
I reccomend a shotgun, for three reasons:

-It's truly devastating at the close ranges found in a HD situation.

-It's less likely to over-penetrate and hurt others either inside your home, or next door.

-It's what every "soccer mom, average joe" thinks of for a home defense gun. If you actually have to use it and be judged by a DA or a jury you want it to be a shotgun, not a military style "assault rifle".
 
Hmmm...

Seeing that I have 3 rifles that can be used for home defense and no shotguns that would fit the bill, I guess I would have to go with rifle (my only shotgun is a loooong barrel Model 12 in full choke).
 
Even an old double barrelled shotgun with the right load can discharge 32 large metal projectiles into the air in a tenth of a second.
This is the same as a SMG on full auto.

Why would you want a rifle:confused:
 
I've done most of my training with my AR15's and somewhat with pistols. Those are the likely choices for me for those reasons alone.
 
Even an old double barrelled shotgun with the right load can discharge 32 large metal projectiles into the air in a tenth of a second.
This is the same as a SMG on full auto.

Why would you want a rifle

Because all 32 are going the same direction.

I'd rather have 30 choices.
 
See the green bar at the top of this page? Click on search. This has been gone over many, many, many, times.
 
Berretta CX4 accurate and capable of devistating damage. A carbine is best if there are other family members in the house. I think a pistol carbine is ideal since it is less likely to over penetrate since I use .40 cal jacketed hollow points. To ease target accuisition id recomend a tactical flashlight & laser combo and some sort of forward grip for rapid manuverability. If a BG is standing near a family members door id rather not be sending 00 buckshot and use of slugs seems like a gurantee for over penetration. However for an economical load a 12 gauge is great especailly if you live in farm country but if in an apartment complex id recomend a pistol or carbine with hollow points.
 
This thread may have played before, but it's still an interesting topic.

I personally keep a shotgun with shells most available for HD although
I have a wide choice. Penetration is a concern. My home is brick but has
plenty of windows at center of mass level.
 
Lots of opinions, here. Some good reasoning mixed in.

"Rifles are the queen of defensive firearms". Jeff Cooper said something to that effect, and I believe it is true, for the following reasons...

1) PENETRATION
The purpose of a firearm is to PENETRATE. Rifles in mil chamberings have as good or much better penetration performance than shotguns, and rifles feature a wider selection of projectile type/use capability.

Indoor overpenetration is not miraculously affected by use of a shotgun, as indoor structures tend toward concealment rather than cover when using a full-powered long gun. If there's a certain danger of overpenetration and a friendly in the area, you probably shouldn't shoot at that angle. Choose appropriate ammo for your surroundings and TEST that ammo/weapon combo with material representative of your surroundings.


2) SHOT PLACEMENT
If you have PENETRATION but can't place those shots, your plan of action is significantly compromised. SHOT PLACEMENT is everything in a hostile encounter.

A shotgun is plenty lethal in short-range and even some open area, mid-range defense scenarios. However, a rifle offers something a shotgun can't: PRECISION AND DISCRIMINATION at ALL defensive ranges.

With a shotgun, if your subject is using cover (whether it's deer or a perp), you're relying a lot more on chance rather than cartridge performance. With a rifle and dedication to proficiency, you're capable of dealing with a much wider range of scenarios including distance, barriers and precision. Use your imagination; in the home, in your vehicle, in your neighborhood, etc.

3) AMMUNITION
Decent defensive shotgun ammo is as- or more-expensive than comparable military-quality rifle rounds. In a really crappy world situation, a chambering in a military caliber makes more sense than a limited-range, limited-availability chambering such as 12ga.

4) TRAINING
Even though we really enjoy firearms, most of us have busy life schedules and very limited time for weapons training. With limited time I want to train with an all-around firearm rather than a weapon that has its own restrictions. For most of us, that means a sidearm (CHL) and/or rifle.


SUMMARY
Is the shotgun a worthless piece of junk? No, I'm not saying that. It has its place. My patrol vehicle has shotgun and rifle at the ready. I will gladly use either over my sidearm. However, given the choice of long guns, I will choose the rifle 100% of the time, with the shotgun available as a backup or special use tool.

The rifle gives me penetration, precision, ammo availability and the best bang for my training buck/time. Everything else is play at best and failure to prepare at worst.


-josh
 
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