I’ve been reliably informed by government officials at the highest level that shotguns are the best guns for home defense. That may not be entirely true, but shotguns do have a long history of serving as effective and reliable home defense guns (assuming you don’t go popping off random shots in the night with no regard for where those rounds land). Suppose you go with a scattergun for your nightstand weapon; what’s the best shotgun ammo for home defense? After all, there’s a lot to choose from.
Shotguns have proven themselves in civilian, military, and law enforcement capacities for ages. They can be devastatingly effective with less risk of collateral damage than rifles, and they’re subject to fewer state restrictions so more Americans can own them. But to get the most out of your defensive shotgun, you’ll need to keep it topped off with appropriate shotshells.
What Kind of Shotgun Do I Need?
Before we get into the weeds on the best shotgun ammo for home defense, what’s the best shotgun for home defense? Tactical shotguns are more desirable than other types of shotguns because they have features like adjustable stocks, shorter barrels, and larger-capacity magazine tubes, making them more suited for defense for the same reasons they’re better suited for offense.
Many also have mounting solutions for things like lights, shell holders, and red dot optics.
That said, hunting shotguns can certainly be effective in a home defense role. They’re generally less maneuverable due to their long barrels and hold fewer shells (especially if you left a plug in the tube), but they can still fire defensive ammunition and some allow you to take advantage of magnum loads, as well — if that’s a route you want to travel.
The most versatile and most popular gauge for tactical shotguns is the 12 gauge, so that gets the most attention from ammunition manufacturers when it comes to specialized defensive ammo.
When it comes to more basic buckshot loads like Winchester Super-X, you can find options spanning various gauges and shell lengths. A 20 gauge will do the job just fine, but while the best .410 defensive ammunition has its merits, a .410 should not be your first choice for home defense.
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Birdshot vs. Buckshot vs. Slugs
Shotgun shells fire projectiles that are measured in gauge (except for the .410) and shot size rather than caliber and grains. The smaller the shot size, the bigger the projectile. Naturally, shot count decreases as shot size increases.
On the small end of what’s commercially available and commonly used is #9 shot, which measures 0.08 inches in diameter. Birdshot continues to #1, then B, BB, BBB, T, and F, which is 0.22 inches in diameter. Buckshot ranges from #4 (which is not the same as #4 birdshot) at 0.24 inches to 000 (pronounced “triple aught”) at 0.36 inches. The best-known size is, of course, 00 Buck (double aught). If a shell carries one projectile that’s as wide as the shotgun’s bore, that’s a slug.
Birdshot
Are you under threat of hostile clay pigeons? Do you fear that a vengeful mallard will launch an attack on your family? If so, birdshot is for you.
Advocates of birdshot for home defense point to its ability to send hundreds of scalding-hot pellets into an intruder’s skin. Critics argue that birdshot might be a good way to deter someone from ripping off your TV, but it’s inadequate if that person is armed and actually poses a threat to your safety.
So who’s right? Birdshot reduces the risk of overpenetration but may fail to achieve the FBI’s recommended penetration standards on gelatin. If you live in an apartment building, minimizing overpenetration is a good thing. Otherwise, you might want to step up to #4 buckshot or switch to a pistol or pistol-caliber carbine (PCC).
Buckshot
Aside from sounding totally badass, buckshot is typically the best shotgun ammunition for home defense. Like birdshot, buckshot uses multiple projectiles to create a pattern of impacts on the target. A 2.75-inch shell might contain 28 pellets of #4 buckshot or eight pellets of 00 buckshot — the bigger the shot, the fewer pellets can fit in the hull.
Buckshot interacts with barrels similarly to birdshot, so it’s important to select an appropriate choke and pattern your shotgun to find compatible defensive ammunition. A nice, tight pattern will give you maximum effects on target while minimizing errant pellets and unintended consequences. If you wouldn’t spray .22 rounds through your drywall, you shouldn’t accept stray pellets, either.
But let’s dispel a common myth right now. You most certainly DO HAVE TO AIM a shotgun. Anyone who says otherwise — don’t listen to them about anything. At close distances, any shotgun will produce a dense pattern about the size of your fist. Is that bigger than a 9mm bullet? Yeah. Is it so big you just have to point the muzzle in the general direction of an assailant? No, no it’s not.
Slugs
In addition to shot pellets, shotguns are capable of firing a single projectile, either a rifled slug or sabot slug. Rifled slugs can be fired from a rifled or smooth bore; sabot slugs require a rifled bore. Both carry massive amounts of energy and have devastating terminal effects.
While shotgun slugs are more accurate than buckshot at longer ranges, there’s a good chance they actually pack too much power for your home defense needs. The risk of overpenetration is extremely high. Even if you hit your target, there’s a high probability the slug is going to continue on through interior and exterior walls — and anything else it encounters along the way.
Slugs can be an appropriate home-defense choice, but you need to understand the associated risks. If you live in a rural area with lots of land and minimal risk of collateral damage, go right ahead.
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Shotgun Ammo for Home Defense: Is Bigger Really Better?
Depending on which shotgun you own, you may have the option to use shells of varying lengths interchangeably. With longer hulls comes more propellant, projectiles, or both. Before you run out to buy the biggest shells you can stuff into your shotgun, get to know the pros and cons of each.
These descriptions are for 12-gauge ammunition since that’s what most people use.
1 3/4-Inch Shorty or Mini Shells
Mini shells that measure less than 2 3/4 inches are fun to shoot, but they’re not a suitable option for home defense. Even if they offer the power you’re looking for, they don’t cycle well in most pump-action shotguns without modifications and don’t produce enough gas to run a gas-operated semi-auto shotgun.
That said, defensive loads like Federal’s Force X2 have plenty of ass for most home defense situations with easily managed recoil — after all, a 2 3/4 shell designed to kill a deer at 50 yards is technically going to be overpowered for hallway and across-the-room distances where most defensive shootings occur.
And now that there’s a host of Mossberg 590S models on the market built to cycle short 1.75-inch shells (as well as 2 3/4 and 3-inch without mods), it’s a viable option for some. The issue, especially in 00 Buck, will always be low pellet count.
2 3/4-Inch Shells
This is the sweet spot for defensive shotgun loads. A 2 3/4-inch shell with buckshot or a slug is adequate for stopping a home intruder and opens up room in your tube for more rounds.
This length works well in break-action, pump-action, and semi auto shotguns, and you can find all kinds of loads from various manufacturers. Unless you have a specific reason to look elsewhere, this is where you should be shopping.
3-Inch Magnum Shells
Check your shotgun to see if it can fire 3-inch shells — many can. (FYI, if you didn’t know, a shotgun with a 3-inch chamber can also handle shorter 2 3/4 shells — that goes for break guns, pumps, and semi-autos, too.)
The main reason to pick 3-inch shells is their effective range. If you live in an open area where you might have to defend yourself from armed attackers outdoors, 3-inch shells will give you some extra standoff distance. At this point, you’re starting to push the limits of shotguns and might want to look for a PCC, carbine, or rifle.
Remember that when you increase shell length, the length of the mag tube stays the stays the same. That means you’ll have fewer shells at your disposal. Typically, you’re better off with more ammunition than a little extra punch. Plus, recoil is a major factor here because 3-inch magnum loads can kick the hell out of you and minimize your ability for fast follow-up shots if necessary.
3 1/2-Inch Magnum Shells
Unless you have a turkey gun from at least a decade ago, 3 1/2-inch magnum ammunition probably isn’t even an option for you.
These days, these long boys are typically used for geese for the extra pellet volume (typically with BB or BBB shot). They were the darling of turkey hunters for a good while because of the extra distance they provided, but the introduction of Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) loads has all but made 3 1/2-inch loads extinct in the turkey woods, with many hunters grateful to be rid of the hefty recoil.
Will a 3 1/2-inch shell loaded with 15 pellets of 00 buck instantly neutralize a threat? Of course, but the recoil will also feel like a haymaker from Mike Tyson. Seriously, these things kick hard, and that’s bad because you need to train with your defensive firearms, and you will NOT want to train with 3 1/2-inch loads. Bigger is not always better.
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Best Shotgun Ammo for Home Defense Options
Federal Premium Force X2
Gauge: 12-gauge
Shell length: 2 3/4-inch
Shot size: 00 buckshot
Pellet count: 9
Muzzle velocity: 1,245 fps
Price: $26.99 (box of 10)
We have to give credit where it’s due; Federal found a way to make 00 buckshot — the ultimate home defense shotgun load — even better. Federal Premium Force X2 uses lead buckshot that’s copper-plated and scored so it cracks in half upon impact, creating twice the number of wound channels. It’s a reduced-recoil load so even though you’re delivering more energy than standard buckshot, you’ll absorb less recoil and make quicker follow-up shots.
This isn’t just a good home defense load, it’s the best shotgun ammo for home defense out there — as long as you pit it against two-legged intruders. The segmenting buckshot increases terminal ballistics and reduces the risk of overpenetration, but that makes it less than ideal for heavy predator species like bears. If you’re concerned about large animals with thick hides and bones like baseball bats, stick with solid buckshot or slugs.
Hornady Critical Defense
Gauge: 12-gauge
Shell length: 2 3/4-inch
Shot size: 00 buckshot
Pellet count: 8
Muzzle velocity: 1,600 fps
Price: $17.99 (box of 10)
If you’d rather rely on conventional buckshot for home defense, Hornady Critical Defense is the obvious choice. Each 2 3/4-inch shell sends eight pieces of 00 buckshot down your barrel at a speedy 1,600 fps. That’s a punishing package, but fewer pellets should translate to reduced recoil. Hornady’s Versatite wad helps keep the pattern tight, so you get maximum terminal effects with minimal risk of sending a stray buckshot pellet past your target.
As with any 00 buckshot ammunition, it’s possible that Hornady Critical Defense is too much of a good thing. This ammunition is more than capable of blowing through interior and exterior walls so it’s not the best choice for people who live in apartments or crowded homes.
Winchester Super X
Gauge: 12 gauge
Shell length: 2 3/4 or 3-inch
Shot size: 00 buckshot
Pellet count: 9 or 15
Muzzle velocity: 1,210 fps or 1,325
Price: $8.99 (box of 5)
Winchester Super X isn’t marketed as home defense ammunition but that doesn’t mean it’s not cut out for the job. This sub-brand of shotshells uses a lead alloy that prevents pellets from deforming in the barrel so they should arrive at their target in optimal form. Super X is also reasonably priced and it comes in a bunch of gauges and shell lengths. This is a 3-inch shell, which means you get 15 pieces of 00 buckshot instead of eight or nine and a respectable muzzle velocity of 1,210 fps.
If you’re set on using something longer than 2-3/4-inch shells, this is a great option. Just make sure that your shotgun is chambered for 3-inch shells and get ready to manage extra recoil. This isn’t a replacement for ammunition like Federal Premium Force X2, Hornady Critical Defense, or Winchester PDX1, but it is an accessible product that can pull double-duty as a defensive load and a hunting load.
Winchester PDX1 Defender
Gauge: 12-gauge
Shell length: 2 3/4 inch
Shot size: 1 oz. slug
Pellet count: 1
Muzzle velocity: 1,600 fps
Price: $19.99 (box of 10)
Slugs have a place in the world of defensive ammunition, particularly in engagements that occur at longer ranges. This variant of Winchester PDX1 Defender will send a one-ounce slug out of your shotgun at 1,600 fps.
That’s going to cause instant and catastrophic effects for any threat on the receiving end, including Kodiak bears in your kitchen. As plenty of hunters can attest, it’s also accurate to about 75 yards which is about double what you can expect from buckshot.
Just remember that causing maximum destruction isn’t always optimal. What’s behind your target? Can you realistically manage the punishing recoil of a 12-gauge slug under pressure? Be aware that while you’re wrestling your shotgun back on target, the slug you’ve just fired is continuing on through your target, an interior wall, the next room, and possibly an exterior wall.
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Federal Power Shok
Gauge: 12-gauge
Shell length: 2 3/4 inch
Shot size: #4 buckshot
Pellet count: 27
Muzzle velocity: 1,325
Price: $8.99 (box of 5)
This variety of Federal Power Shok is a perfect example of why proper ammunition selection involves more than a spec sheet. If you live in close proximity to family members or neighbors, #4 buckshot can deliver adequate stopping power while reducing the risk of harming someone on the other side of your target due to overpenetration. It’s a viable option for specific situations like living in an apartment building. Plus, Federal Power Shok is widely available (and relatively inexpensive).
This ammunition (and #4 buckshot in general) has two problems. The first is power. It can penetrate deep enough to reach an intruder’s vitals but not much farther. Throw a heavy coat or barrier into the equation, and your odds of success start to drop. The second is pattern size. At 7 yards, your pellets will cover a six-inch area. At 15 yards, you need to be concerned about strays.
Winchester PDX1 Defender
Caliber: .410
Shell length: 2 1/2 inch
Shot size: Combination
Pellet count: 3 discs, 12 BBs
Muzzle velocity: 750
Price: $17.99 (box of 10)
Thanks to nifty little guns like the Taurus Judge and Henry X Model, there are some people who rely on a .410 for home defense simply because that’s all they have. If you’re in that camp, Winchester PDX1 Defender is your best bet. Each shell holds three discs and 12 BBs to combine the power of buckshot with the spread of smaller pellets.
While this is a solid choice for .410 defensive ammunition, it doesn’t come anywhere close to what you’d get from a larger-bore shotgun firing either 00 buckshot or BB shot. Not only are there fewer projectiles, but they also leave the muzzle at a paltry 750 fps, meaning you’re better off with a pistol that fires good-old .45 ACP. If this .410 home defense ammo is what stands between you and a threat to your life, shot placement is going to be important.
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