.410 or 20g for personal defense

[oldman]

Mossberg 500 cal .410 19" cyl or mod barrel FEDERAL 109grs slug for 8-10" or WINCHESTER 109grs slug for 8-10" for home defense or the buckshot loads for home defense are they good loads. My thought was the same as I had on my caliber .38 special 158gr SWHP the FEDERAL load was harder than the WINCHESTER load and REMINGTON was the softes load. Mossberg 500 20 gauge 19" modified barrel 3BUCK, 00BUCK, 4BUCK or BUCKHAMMER low recoil load are any these loads good for home defense.

[bernieb90]

20ga with proper loads is far more effective than any .410 can ever be. I would go look for a good #1 Buckshot load in 20ga like NML with 10 pellets of #1 shot.

http://www.custombuckshot.com/product.html

http://www.brassfetcher.com/20%20Gau...0%20pellet.pdf

This looks like the most effective currently available 20ga load.

[Old_Painless]

See here: http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot22.htm

[shua713]

I personally would go for a 12 gauge, but out of the options it would definatley be the 20.

[Pork Chop]

I personally would go for a 12 gauge, but out of the options it would definatley be the 20.

This. 20ga would be my minimum.

[Altair]

Of the two, 20ga no doubt.

I actually think the 20ga has alot of untapped potential. You will have a hard time finding good loads and a decent tactical shotgun as the market seems small and there aren't many offerings when compared to 12ga but I think a 20ga tactical shotgun makes alot of sense for smaller shooters. The guns are smaller and lighter and they have more managable recoil while still delivering good close quarter performance.

[Ed L.]

This is an unusual initial question by a new poster on a board dedicated to M4s & ARs; but I would agree with the other posters in that a 20 gauge is the minimum.

[bernieb90]

This is an unusual initial question by a new poster on a board dedicated to M4s & ARs; but I would agree with the other posters in that a 20 gauge is the minimum.

I don't see it that way. This a terminal ballistics section dealing with all defensive firearms, pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Shotgun ammunition has been discussed many times even by Dr. Roberts.

See here: http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot22.htm

I would be a bit wary of #3 buckshot. I know that often times we see tests indicating #4 buck as meeting 12" penetration minimum standards, but in the real world with heavy clothing, and sometimes intermediate objects it seems to be a marginal performer. #1 buckshot has been found to have the optimal balance of penetration, and wounding potential in 12ga, and I don't see why it would be different in 20ga. I just wish Federal would come out with a Flitecontrol 20ga load using hardened #1 buck. In the mean time it looks like NML has some interesting 20ga loads that seem to be a step in the right direction. I have never used them so I can't speak to the quality of the ammunition.