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Posted: 4/13/2015 1:45:55 PM EDT
| Which choke are you guys using for home defense? |
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Choke selection will likely make little difference in a true "home defense" shotgun. A good rule of thumb is to expect ~1" of spread for every yard (3') of travel. The effect of choke (or lack thereof) would be seen at longer distance as the pattern starts to develop. The open cylinder bore offering a faster spreading pattern has been to goto choice for combat shotguns for more than 100 years and is typically what you will find offered on a factory 18" barrel or a cut-down barrel intended for defensive use (cyl. or maybe IC). However, in more recent years, conventional wisdom has shifted to the desirability of tighter patterns for defensive purposes placing more pellets into the center of mass an minimizing the hazard from pellets missing the target entirely. So, we have an almost incongruent combination of open cyl. barrels (designed to offer increased pattern size at shorter ranges) and shotgun loads utilizing features like Federal's "Flight-Control" wad to keep the pattern tight.
In short, don't worry about it too much. Your far greater concern should be hitting what you are aiming at. Don't just buy a gun, load it with shells and assume that you are good to go. Contrary to the myth, you can miss with a shotgun even at typical home defense distances. |
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It's not just choke. For buckshot, the wad/shot cup design is critical.
This is Federal Flight Control 9 pellet 00B from my 22" Remington 1100 fixed improved choke barrel with rifle sights, at 15 yards, which is probably maximum indoor home defense range. 
Same shotgun, same barrel and choke, standard Remington 15 pellet #1 buck at the same 15 yards. 
Same shotgun, same barrel and choke, Federal Flight Control 9 pellet 00B at a full 50 yards, if HD should involve a longer shot if intruder commences engagement at longer distance or continues after initial retreat. All 9 pellets are in approximately 11"x11". 
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No choke
Winchester 1oz HP Slugs From all home engagement distances in my home.  image by BillyDoubleU, on Flickr
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