What is a good round for home defense 20 gauge gun?
- Thread starter shave/brush
- Start date
simon1
Self Ignored by Vista
I don't know how I missed this,
You and I think alike on many things. I actually do have a 28" vented barrel with a modified in front. I'm not a big bird hunter, have hunted Dove, Quail, and Pheasant here in Oklahoma. Have never tried the 'way up there birds' like Duck and Geese.
- Thread starter
- #104
I agree those do look interesting. I'm ready to buy that 6 shot.
simon1
Self Ignored by Vista
I was waffling between those two on which I'd get, but I think the 6 shot with the bit shorter barrel is what I'd get.
Do it. (I get enabling points).
Shotguns are easy to customize. Here's an old Winchester 12 gauge I have.
One round of reduced recoil 00 Buck at 7 yards. The Winchester has a cylinder bore barrel and not an improved cylinder, but it does fine. The reduced recoil rounds make a difference.
- Thread starter
- #106
I was waffling between those two on which I'd get, but I think the 6 shot with the bit shorter barrel is what I'd get.
Do it. (I get enabling points).
Shotguns are easy to customize. Here's an old Winchester 12 gauge I have.
One round of reduced recoil 00 Buck at 7 yards. The Winchester has a cylinder bore barrel and not an improved cylinder, but it does fine. The reduced recoil rounds make a difference.
That is one cool looking gun. You're going to have be buying all kinds of guns. Then my wife will shoot me with one. Ha!
I do not know much about shotguns or guns in general but had to google to see if you could get those flechette/dart rounds from BF4 the computer game . And you can! In the US at least but not all states it seems. Would definitely have these rounds at least just to try on the range if I lived in the US and a legal state.
. And you can! In the US at least but not all states it seems. Would definitely have these rounds at least just to try on the range if I lived in the US and a legal state.
Not a great round for home defense...unless you enjoy being the focus of at least a huge civil action.
I don't know how I missed this,
You and I think alike on many things. I actually do have a 28" vented barrel with a modified in front. I'm not a big bird hunter, have hunted Dove, Quail, and Pheasant here in Oklahoma. Have never tried the 'way up there birds' like Duck and Geese.
Not a waterfowl hunter myself. Not a fan of being cold and wet, with a cold wet dog, to shoot half dozen or dozen birds. I take off work for opening day of dove season though, except last year. There just weren't any birds around. I rarely hunt with a 12 anymore. I'm a lot more likely to take one of my 16 gauges.
I’ve been a 20ga fan for home defense for quite some time now. I use #1 buckshot. It’ll go through walls, which is great because I know my house well, and if “they” are hiding behind one... but the thing is, it’s not going through two sets of walls. Especially exterior walls. So my neighbors are good to go.
The fact that the 20’s frame is that much smaller than a 12’s is what sold me with my house having narrow hallways.
Over the years I have tested the 20 over and over with various types of ammo. I feel very confident with it in the house using buck. On the side saddle I keep 6 slugs. I am very confident with those out to 100 with the useless(ish) bead sights. Which is all I need for where I live now.
The thing is pretty darn versatile around the house! I don’t mind a 20 in the trunk either - if I’m in the city. But I’ve moved to either a 30-30 or a .223 for the car. There’s a lot of open spaces with no where to hide here in the Midwest.
Peace!
The fact that the 20’s frame is that much smaller than a 12’s is what sold me with my house having narrow hallways.
Over the years I have tested the 20 over and over with various types of ammo. I feel very confident with it in the house using buck. On the side saddle I keep 6 slugs. I am very confident with those out to 100 with the useless(ish) bead sights. Which is all I need for where I live now.
The thing is pretty darn versatile around the house! I don’t mind a 20 in the trunk either - if I’m in the city. But I’ve moved to either a 30-30 or a .223 for the car. There’s a lot of open spaces with no where to hide here in the Midwest.
Peace!
That’s a real issue at my house too!
simon1
Self Ignored by Vista
Oh yes...quail hunting. Dad and I used to go quail hunting over a pair of Dad's English Pointers at my uncle's ranch in N.E. Oklahoma. We'd flush coveys of 25 birds or more.
Here's the Ithaca Model 37 20 ga. Dad got me in the late '60s when I was a kid for quail hunting.
@shave/brush sorry for the thread derail...couldn't help it.
And Dad's old Belgium Browning Sweet Sixteen made in the '50s. I've seen him knock down a bunch of birds with that, and I've knocked down a few with it when I inherited it.
“Nails” are perfectly legal in combat and still in use. I shot them in Iraq.
The mil also has and have used beehive (canister/grapeshot) tank and artillery rounds. I watched a tank shred a car and the two dudes that hopped out of it to RPG the tank on kill tv (UAV feed in the TOC (Tactical Operations Center).
I have almost 5 decades of shotgun experience (mostly hunting).
12, 16 20, pick your preference. All are fine for self defense.
Next, what is allowed where you shoot (slugs or max shot size). What you can practice with could help you to pick your self defense loads.
If your wife and children are going to use the arm, make sure that the dimensions and weight are ok for all of them.
Loads, I may be the first to suggest this, low recoil slugs are my preference.
A pump can be short stoked. I like my autos, I used a pump for a long time. My pump broke once, parts fell out of the bottom. My auto has been 100 percent after a short break in period.
I think you cannot go wrong if the gun fits all users, and if all users practice. My top recommendations are 1. Do not overthink this, many of the trade offs are not overly important. 2. Practice. 3. If using an auto, test for function, your shells have to have enough power to cycle the action.
Best wishes, putting on my asbestos underwear
12, 16 20, pick your preference. All are fine for self defense.
Next, what is allowed where you shoot (slugs or max shot size). What you can practice with could help you to pick your self defense loads.
If your wife and children are going to use the arm, make sure that the dimensions and weight are ok for all of them.
Loads, I may be the first to suggest this, low recoil slugs are my preference.
A pump can be short stoked. I like my autos, I used a pump for a long time. My pump broke once, parts fell out of the bottom. My auto has been 100 percent after a short break in period.
I think you cannot go wrong if the gun fits all users, and if all users practice. My top recommendations are 1. Do not overthink this, many of the trade offs are not overly important. 2. Practice. 3. If using an auto, test for function, your shells have to have enough power to cycle the action.
Best wishes, putting on my asbestos underwear
simon1
Self Ignored by Vista
Best wishes, putting on my asbestos underwear
Good thing you put your fireproof panties on...I've never had, or seen, a pump shotgun fail. Semi-autos I have. Semi-autos are ammunition sensitive, pumps aren't. Some pumps can be slamfired, which can be a good thing if you know about it.
What kind of pump did you have that came apart in your hands? Just wondering. No offense, 50 years of experience deserves respect.
Last edited:
Winchester 1200 broke on me. It has a plate attached to the bolt. The plate peened itself into developing some slop, which eventually sheared off the attachment screw. This took a lot of use to occur. I think the design flaw was too little tolerance in the screw hole.
Indeed autos are sensitive to the ammo having enough power, and pumps are not. I think pumps are sensitive to user error (practice is important). I have come to prefer my Browning A5. However, the two are not in the same price class.
I do suggest not overthinking this. Original poster should be confident that most of the trade offs are not critical for self defense. Perhaps the most important things are 1. Gun fit, can everyone use it, 2. Quality. 3. Practice
Indeed autos are sensitive to the ammo having enough power, and pumps are not. I think pumps are sensitive to user error (practice is important). I have come to prefer my Browning A5. However, the two are not in the same price class.
I do suggest not overthinking this. Original poster should be confident that most of the trade offs are not critical for self defense. Perhaps the most important things are 1. Gun fit, can everyone use it, 2. Quality. 3. Practice
To clarify, the 1200 saw more use in 12 or so years that I hunted with it than a home defence gun would likely ever see. I still like the gun, but I choose the A5 when I venture afield.
Question: Are low velocity buckshot effective?
I choose low velocity slugs for defense because I believe they would be effective, and was not sure about low velocity buck.
Recoil level can be a big deal for people.
Question: Are low velocity buckshot effective?
I choose low velocity slugs for defense because I believe they would be effective, and was not sure about low velocity buck.
Recoil level can be a big deal for people.
The slide bridge screw is a known issue with the 1200 and in most cases only manifests after thousands of rounds
have been fired. I own both a Win 1200 and a Sears Ted Williams model 200 (which is essentially a Win 1200) and have not had any issues with either, yet. The issue was addressed with the Win 1300 I believe.
Personally I wouldn't let one pump shotgun with a known issue turn me away from all pump shotguns.
I had a 1200 that was wonderful. Had choke tubes and a smooth bore slug barrel. I purchased it in 1984 as my first gun from sears for 210 dollars. I had saved up for 4 years. It was nice, but I loved my dads Wingmaster so much that I traded it at a pawn shop even up for a really old wingmaster. The 1200 was more complicated to clean as I remember. The fit and finish was not really comparable to the more expensive wingmaster, but the functionality was flawless for the few thousand rounds I used it for before trading it. I wish I still had it too.....
