From: gt4458c@prism.gatech.edu (John Stephens Cronin)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Shotgun ammo sequence.
Date: 6 Nov 92 01:58:17 GMT
Organization: Common Container Liberation Front


In article <1992Nov5.133744.2960@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> evore@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Eric J Vore) writes:
#
#     As these discussions of armed encounters are common on the net, similarly,
#you may find it the topic of conversation when a bunch of gun enthusiasts get 
#together to shoot.  My topic revolves around a debate I have been participating
#in for years now; in defending your home with a shotgun, is there any "best" 
                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#combination or sequence of ammo which would be optimal?
#
#     2. #8, #6, #4, BB, 00 buck, 000 buck, slug.  The idea is to apply the 
#least amount of force necessary (yes, catching any of these would be terrible) 
#to at least try to preserve life, and you could cycle through rounds if the 
#situation escalted too quickly.

I read somewhere (I think it was an article by a guy named Chuck Taylor)
that inside 22 feet (over 90% of armed encounters take place inside this
range) it really doesn't matter what you load (except for slugs, which
we will get to in a minute).  Since the shot will almost never spread
more than 4-6 inches even out of an 18 inch cylinder bore barrel, you
get a fairly concentrated amount of lead at the point of impact.  There
are, to be sure, minor differences.  All of this assumes an unarmored
target.  I have tried mild 12 gauge 2-3/4 inch #8 field loads, and I have
to admit against plywood up to about 1 inch thick, they make a very large
(about 4 inches or so) ragged hole from a Rem 870 with 20 inch or so
barrel at about 20 feet.  I would probably go with #2 or BB, maybe even
#4 buckshot, but I would avoid anything bigger for reasons I'll discuss
in the next section.

#     3. 00 buck, 00 buck, 00 buck, etc..  A series of very nasty loads designed
#to stop the intruder, since you would never fire a gun at a person otherwise.
#     4. slug, slug, slug, etc..  If you could get the shots off accuratly, this
#would stop even quicker than idea 3.
#
How close do you live to your neighbors?  00 buck has enough penetration
potential and enough projectiles to make it a concern, but in reality it
is no worsed than a low powered pistol.  Slugs, on the other hand, are
of great concern.  Would your neighbors appreciate the large caliber holes
that you might make in them or their dwellings?  I am certain the attorneys
they would certainly retain would appreciate it.  I am also certain you
would feel pretty bad about shooting a neighbor (especially a kid) while
defending your home.  I have an M1 Garand but I don't even keep it loaded
anymore, I have a pistol, which is first choice, and an SKS, which is for
a situation that seems to require something a bit more serious than a pistol.
While the SKS (loaded with softpoints) is a penetration hazard, it is
certainly not nearly as bad as 12 gauge slug or .30-06.

However, having said all this, I must admit that there is a chance that
someone invading a home might have on body armor.  Most body armor will
stop even 00 buck with little problem (probably even Level IIa will do
this, and this is the lowest spec armor typically sold - stops many .357
magnum loads, and as each 00 buck pellet is about .380, you make the call).
Most body armor will NOT stop 12 guage slug (takes Level III, or lower
levels with special inserts).  So I would load a shotgun with the first
several (3-5) rounds as some sort of shot, and the last few (1-3) as slugs,
just in case.  I would hope that even with body armor, the first few shots
should keep them busy (don't have to aim for the body, you know) and the
las few would do the job almost no matter where they hit (including next
door, in the neighbor's bedroom).

#     There are, of course, an infinite number of combinations, but these seem 
#to be what I hear the most.  Does anyone out there have any other ideas?
#
#E. Vore...


-- 
John Cronin	Internet: gt4458c@prism.gatech.edu	Phone: (404) 876-1419
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Live each day as if it's your last.  One day you'll be right.  -- me
Lighten up, you're gonna die whether you have fun or not.      -- me again