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Best for home defense

Never been much of an either/or type of guy; so when the question is buck or ball, my answer is both...
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Centurion and Nobel Sport both make it; seems to satisfy all the requirements for incapacitation. I also keep various kinds of 00 and slugs around for the 930; I don't even own any birdshot or any buck smaller than 00.

On the nightstand I keep a Judge Magnum with Federal 3" Handgun rounds in it; 5 copper-plated 000 pellets in each one.
 
Wow

Wonder at what speed those would chrono. Definitely sounds impressive.
775 fps out of a 3" barrel. Each ball is .36 caliber and weighs 63 grains; so the total payload is 315 grains, which at that speed is like being hit with 2 158 grain .38 specials simultaneously... except that the additional payoff is 5 separate wound channels the same diameter as a .38, .357, or 9 mm.

Federal really engineered it well; spread is only 2-4 inches all the way up to about 30 feet, which is about as far as any legit SD engagement is going to take place... rip off a whole cylinder and that's 25 000 balls impacting your target.

 
Wow

Wonder at what speed those would chrono. Definitely sounds impressive.

The #1 buck and 65 caliber ball chronos at 1,300 fps.

I also like the Centurion or Herter's (Cabelas) two (2) stacked 65 caliber balls. Chronos at 1,200 fps.

Meets the requirements for penetration, decapitation, and/or limb removal. NOT recommended for apartments.
 
The #1 buck and 65 caliber ball chronos at 1,300 fps.

I also like the Centurion or Herter's (Cabelas) two (2) stacked 65 caliber balls. Chronos at 1,200 fps.

Meets the requirements for penetration, decapitation, and/or limb removal. NOT recommended for apartments.
I think he was asking about the Judge loads; but I'm glad you posted the numbers for the Centurion... very impressive stuff; some pretty good vids showing patterns on Youtube.

And I agree, definitely not for those folks with penetration and neighbor concerns.
 
Depending on how many people in your home, and where you live urban/rural. I would suggest buckshot, anything from 4 buck to 00 buck. Slugs have to much penetration. As a young, stupid, teenager in rural Indiana, I wanted to see how much a 20 guage slug would penetrate. So I fired a slug into our very large wooden barn. That slug went through 4 wooden walls and lodged in the fifth wall, I went and dug it out. This was an old barn, with very hard wood, not cheap pine. And no there was no one in the barn I checked before firing. The walls on todays homes are sheet rock, so a slug could end up in your neighbors home. Sure am glad my dad and mom didn't see that, cause I would gotten hell for it.
 
Depending on how many people in your home, and where you live urban/rural. I would suggest buckshot, anything from 4 buck to 00 buck. Slugs have to much penetration. As a young, stupid, teenager in rural Indiana, I wanted to see how much a 20 guage slug would penetrate. So I fired a slug into our very large wooden barn. That slug went through 4 wooden walls and lodged in the fifth wall, I went and dug it out. This was an old barn, with very hard wood, not cheap pine. And no there was no one in the barn I checked before firing. The walls on todays homes are sheet rock, so a slug could end up in your neighbors home. Sure am glad my dad and mom didn't see that, cause I would gotten hell for it.

yeah they go, we used to find abandon cars in the woods and just shoot them up , travel trailers , whatever. 12ga slugs will go stem to stern on most any motor home, travel trailer including the cheesy furniture and tables.
pretty regularly shoot a pickup through the tailgate, through the bed, into the cab, through the seat well into the dash
 
Just to toss my 2 cents in without reading the whole thread...

I run Hornady Critical Defense 00 Buck in my 590. All the shells I've run through my 590 are 100% reliable, it's hard to screw up a shotgun shell. But, I trust Hornady with a higher quality, more consistent and super reliable shell. I love how it groups with the Versa-Tite wad, I prefer buckshot to stick together. I choose this round over a slug because it's cheaper than a quality slug (less than half the price) and will spread energy out more than a slug. I don't expect to ever shoot it in my house, it's more likely I'll need it outside against a critter so by the time it spreads, it will give me higher chances of hitting the target. Because the energy is spread across 8 pellets, each projectile receives less energy and thus won't penetrate as far as a slug would. The name of the game when it comes to defensive ammo is penetration to vital organs but the worst thing is over-penetration. It's not about going through the target and hitting something on the other side, it's about energy loss. If the projectile goes through the target, you've only expended a fraction of the energy as vital damage on the target. Ideally you want the projectile to penetrate and stop, expending all of it's energy IN the target. Because of this, I save my slugs for target shooting and larger critters, i.e. woods defense against bear and similar critters.
 
. . . I run Hornady Critical Defense 00 Buck in my 590. All the shells I've run through my 590 are 100% reliable, it's hard to screw up a shotgun shell. But, I trust Hornady with a higher quality, more consistent and super reliable shell . . .

On my last range day I shot Remingtons, Winchesters, Fiocchi, all 16 Ga. with #7 or #8 lead shot. I wasn't impressed with the power, and this gun is sawed off (no chokes) so the pattern is huge at 30ft. Like 2ft dia.

ALSO, I had a Remington FTF due to a dud primer. I pressed the primer out and cooked it off with a torch. Never even fizzled.

Anyhow, I bought some Federal high brass #4 lead shot. I intend this gun for home defense, and I don't like the idea of buck shot, but I'm thinking #4 isn't really big enough.

It's tough to find others in 16 Ga. though. Just 4, 6, 7, & 8 so far, locally. I'll have to break down and order out.
 
Birdshot doesn't get the penetration.

would be worse than road rash, but won't hit vitals unless you're close enough to give them powder burns when you pull the trigger.
 
I'm pretty impressed with the Federal high brass 3 inch steel BB. it seems to be a good happy medium for HD, at least in my book.
 
Well I did find 16 Ga shells with #2 and with #1, online, but no 0 or 00.

Also 4/5 oz slugs are available.

I may start custom loading just for this.
 
Birdshot doesn't get the penetration.

would be worse than road rash, but won't hit vitals unless you're close enough to give them powder burns when you pull the trigger.

With no chokes, it's like shooting rocksalt. Shit just goes everywhere.
 
@Spanky what kind of distance are you shooting the Hornady? How much are you paying for the Critical Defense? I've been seeing the Federal TruBall for about $4.49 for 5, but the cost doesn't address over penetration. What kind of critters do you think you may have to shoot? There are some loads from Federal with FliteControl that may give you more pellets but in a #1 buck.

I personally have no interest in anything any smaller than #4 buck to trust my life to. Steel is the lightest of shotgun loads. I have no idea what the gel penetration is up close, but I've looked at it for varmints (which I understand is totally different) and it looses energy very fast to the point it doesn't have enough energy for even a cat at 30 to 35 yards. Ok, maybe a cat. Smaller lead shot gets worse.

To test the steel shot, get a couple phone books and stack them together tight and against a target at whatever distance you made need to take a shot. Shoot them and see where the pellets start and end in the books.
 


To test the steel shot, get a couple phone books and stack them together tight and against a target at whatever distance you made need to take a shot. Shoot them and see where the pellets start and end in the books.

I will have to give that a try. I just know it destroys a 5gal. steel can at 20 yds., Beings were talking about Home Defense, I would think that would get the job done, but maybe not.
 
On it's own the phone books don't tell much, but if you can try a couple other loads the same way you'll have a comparison.

You say HD, and I'm thinkin 7 to 10 yards, at 20 I don't see the steel having enough energy. I think there are better alternatives but I'll see if I can find the tests I had seen before in gel. The steel is designed to stop ducks and geese though so 3" of penetration at 30 yards is still acceptable. Who knows, at really close distance, it could be effective, but to me it's a looming question mark.
 
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