#4 buckshot for home defense?

[BAC]

I've got close neighbors and am afraid that 00 buck would go right through the walls and into the next house if I ever had to shoot my shotgun for home defense.

Would I be better off with bird shot or #4 buck?  It seems to me the #4 would be the best of both worlds (24 fairly large pellets but less penetration).  Thoughts?

[tombogan03884]

Seems like a good idea, if it were an apt #4 might sill be to much, but house to house wit space between it should be safe.

[Timothy]

I'm still loaded up with 7-1/2 birdshot.  I'm currently residing in a mobile home with paper thin walls but 20 feet or more between homes. 

This was at 25 yards and it didn't seem to slow the #4 down a bit.  That's a bit troubling...

Your call!

[BBJohnnyT]

I have #4 buck loaded in my defensive 870.  00 buck is plain too much for the average tract home, especially if you have others in the home or close neighbors.  For the distances inside a basic tract home, bird shot is still devastating as hell.  That said, my 870 has a reload saddle filled with 00 buck and a couple of slugs, just in case.

[BAC]

What's the largest birdshot you can get, then?  You can tell I'm really familiar with shotguns and hunting, right?

I suppose the Garand would be overkill.  I'm not Clint Eastwood, after all.

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

I found #6 on sale at the LGS

[jaybet]

If you're REALLY worried about collateral damage, how about trap loads? I think they're 7-8 shot and they're low brass.... probably (Most likely) wouldn't penetrate an exterior wall.  BUT... you run the risk of just pissing the bad guy off.

[Jrlobo]

Any difference with a 16 or 20 gauge. Less powder, fewer pellets...less penetration? After all, it's the bang and the blood that deters, especially on the face! Third shot is a slug for drug crazed Islamic terrorists.

[Solus]

What's the largest birdshot you can get, then?  You can tell I'm really familiar with shotguns and hunting, right?

I suppose the Garand would be overkill.  I'm not Clint Eastwood, after all.

In case you don't know, BAC...being unfamiliar with shotguns, the bigger the birdshot number, the smaller the shot is.

Similar to shotgun gauges....as the gauge gets bigger, the bore diameter gets smaller.

I know how it works for the gauge but don't know if the birdshot is similar.

The gauge of a shotgun is the number of bore sized lead balls you can make from 1 pound of lead.

So for 12 gauge you can make 12 lead balls;  for 20 gauge you get 20 lead balls.

The bigger the bore, the fewer balls.

[BAC]

Found this: