The trusty 12-gauge shotgun is one of the most popular tools to use to protect your home most self-defense scenarios take place in close quarters and happen quickly odds are you aren't going to have much time to think in a home invasion any shooting you do will likely be instinctive.

Modern advancements in ammunition design have produced some exciting shotgun loads specifically engineered for effective home defense and these high performance loads really deliver before we get into specific ammo recommendations let's take a quick look at the basic types of shotgun ammo.

Birdshot birdshot produces insufficient penetration against humans to cause reliable incapacitating wounds and can be reflected by light intermediate barriers it's primarily an ammunition type for hunting birds and varmints hence the name.

Although birdshot is tiny compared to buckshot each shotshell contains hundreds of tiny projectiles their small size keeps them from packing the same punch as heavier shot load if birdshot has any advantage in home defense it is the minimal penetration it achieves through household walls wall penetration is an important.

Consideration in home defense especially if you have kids sleeping in the next room buckshot of the three most common types of shotgun ammunition buckshot offers the best balance between wounding power penetration and effective range.

Often used to harvest whitetail box in areas that restrict rifle hunting buckshot is devastating when used at close range on these thin skinned animals if a load is lethal on whitetails logic follows it'll also be effective on dangerous humans buckshot pellets are significantly.

Larger than birdshot the larger size of buckshot means increased kinetic energy and deeper penetration size penetration and energy all make buckshot more lethal than birdshot most people arming themselves against violent criminals prefer lethality even law enforcement officers typically.

Choose the buckshop for close encounters with dangerous human beings slugs a shotgun slug contains a single metal projectile these massive projectiles are heavy penetrate deeply and deliver serious internal damage they're also more accurate than buckshot or birdshot for long distance shooting.

Both deer hunters and police officers switch to slugs when shooting long-range targets on top of their increased range shotgun slugs also deliver deep penetration this is another reason police officers may switch to tactical slugs when engaging dangerous criminals their penetrative qualities make them perfect.

For gunfights that take place in or around vehicles a standard slug can punch right through a car door without breaking a sweat although the size and weight of a shotgun slug make it more powerful and deadly they aren't usually recommended for home defense a slug is going to plow through a lot of.

Stuff before it stops this includes drywall wall studs doors furniture and bodies a slug can smash through an exterior wall and still have enough kinetic energy to kill someone on the other side shooting a slug inside your home could potentially put the whole neighborhood in danger.

When it comes to shotgun ammunition for home defense there are good options and there are better options here is my list of the best 12 gauge ammo for home defense these are shells that are reliable and will serve as a great deterrent from any scatter gun during a home invasion hornady critical defense double lot.

Buckshot we're going to start things off with shells made specifically for home defense you may already be familiar with critical defense since the ammo line is extremely popular for concealed handguns this is a double lot round with eight buck pellets in two and three quarter inch shotgun shells.

With a muzzle velocity of 1600 fps you're looking at some serious stopping power from almost any 12-gauge shotgun the only downside is the price you're looking at nearly two dollars around or 18.99 for a box of 10 expensive but reliable when you need it most winchester pdx1 defender.

Engineered to maximum terminal ballistics winchester defender shot shell ammunition provides maximum stopping power for the ultimate performance in personal defense the 12 gauge winchester pdx-1 12 defender ammunition features a distinctive black hole black oxide high base head and three pellets of grex.

Buffered double lot plated buckshot nested on top of a one ounce rifle slug the result is the ideal type patterning personal defense load designed to compensate for aiming errors that commonly occur when inexperienced shooters are under duress this combination load makes it possible to miss the target with the slug but still.

Impact with one of the double opt pellets like most shotgun slugs the segmented pdx1 defender punches through barriers with little effort however once the projectile hits a softer target the slug breaks into three separate pieces this maximizes internal damage but also.

Eliminates the threat of over penetration this makes these segmented slugs much safer to use on a home invader standing in your front hallway federal premium personal defense you'll find that many law enforcement agencies around the country trust federal premium for their shotgun ammo.

And they offer several different varieties of their personal defense line of shock shells in both 12 gauge and 410 bore handgun loads the two and three quarter inch 12 gauge loads deliver up to nine pellets of copper plated lead double up buck at the target at 1145 fps.

They also sell a variant called flight control that delivers even tighter patterns for anyone who demands accuracy fiocchi extrema arrow slugs if you're looking for the knock down power of a slug in your self-defense rounds the fioki is a solid choice these two and three-quarter inch shells allow you to fit more in the magazine.

Tube these shells hold a one ounce rifle slug with what fioke calls an aero wad the company says this helps stabilize the slug in flight these slugs have a blistering 1560 foot per second muzzle velocity so they're going to offer more than enough stopping power for most defensive.

Scenarios where you have the space and don't need to worry about where your rounds are going remington express magnum double-aught buck ammo shortages are a fact of life and when other rounds are not available these remington shot shells usually are these are magnum three-inch deer loads.

Pushing about 1225 feet per second in velocity there's nothing fancy about these shells they're designed for close range stopping power and that's what they deliver in a simple and reliable no frills package winchester super x.

The great thing about this load is that it can be found almost everywhere ammo is sold and it is usually always available or more is on the way even during shortages again this is a game bird round but it's a simple option for making an intruder think twice about their life decisions.

Consider a one ounce load of six seven and a half or nine shot winchester says the muzzle velocity is just under 1 300 fps which is probably going to dissuade 99 of attackers you can get super x for around 34 cents around making it a great budget conscious option fiocchi defense dynamics double hot buck.

We already mentioned fiocchi's defensive slug they also make a quality low recoil double up buckshot round specifically for defense purposes each shell packs nine pellets of nickel-plated lead shot going 1150 feet per second these are two and three-quarter inch.

Shelves and the price point is good considering the type of ammo being sold here in the end regardless of the ammunition type you choose you can't neglect shot placement aiming contrary to popular belief is still necessary with a shotgun to achieve reliable hits.

The spread pattern of a shotgun depends on numerous factors including the range type of shotgun shot size specific ammunition whether your gun has a choke or what type of choke you're using if we missed your favorite 12 gauge defensive ammo please let us know in the comments below.

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