Slugs or buckshot for home defense?

[Big Paulie]

I have never heard of anyone expressing any concern over whether a high base 12 gauge load of number 4 bird shot (a 1 and 1/4 ounce duck load) will kill a man at twenty feet.  To satisfy any doubts you may have, my advice is to buy a piece of 3/4 inch plywood, put a coat over it,  take it out to the range, and shoot it at 20 feet with the duckload.  I think that this will put to rest any questions that you may have. If the intruder is not instantly dead, then he will be lying on the floor, gushing, and wishing he were dead.

Best Regards,

Big Paulie

[S.S.]

I agree completely, A 410 will kill a person easily at reasonable range.
But the point that I was trying to make in an earlier post was that
the penetrating power of the lighter shot may not be adequate.
An intruder will almost certainly attempt to take cover also when
confronted. Say he jumps behind a piece of furniature, That light
birdshot is not going to do the job. I know this is a rather simplistic
example, But I was shot by an excited kid on a dove field several years ago when a bird swooped low on the field. The range was about 35 yards.
He peppered me all over my right side but not a single pellet penetrated the skin. All I was wearing was a long sleeve T shirt and jeans.
The light #8 shot had lost most of it's velocity in that short distance.
(Thank God!)  had that been #4 Shot I might have been in trouble!

[Lawdog]

S.Sumner,

I know this is a rather simplistic example, But I was shot by an  excited kid on a dove field several years ago when a bird swooped low on the field. The range was about 35 yards.  He peppered me all over my right side but not a single pellet penetrated the skin. All I was wearing was a long sleeve T shirt and jeans.  The light #8 shot had lost most of it's velocity in that short distance.  (Thank God!) had that been #4 Shot I might have been in trouble!

Same thing happened to me when I was 15 while Dove hunting.  I was shot by the local Baptist preacher.  He was using a 16 ga. loaded with high base #6 shot and only a few pellets(43 removed by the Dr., still carrying a couple in my back that the Dr. missed) got past the T-shirt is was wearing.  Two things I am thankful for is one, that he wasn’t using magnum loads and two, that my back was to him when he shot.  Thank you I’ll keep 00 buck in my home defense shotguns.  Lawdog