00 Buck for home protection. Good idea?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 00 Buck for home protection. Good idea?

Posted: 8/23/2001 7:51:58 AM EDT

I hope so, because I already bought it. [:|]

Posted: 8/23/2001 7:54:48 AM EDT

[#1]

Nothing wrong with that!

Posted: 8/23/2001 7:56:09 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
I hope so, because I already bought it. [:|]

View Quote

That's what I use!

Posted: 8/23/2001 7:56:58 AM EDT

[#3]

Do you live in an apartment? Do you live with other people? Are the interior walls of your home drywall?

Think about what happens if you MISS with one or more pellets. A 00 buck pellet is, what, .35 caliber? How many walls will that penetrate?

I kinda lean towards 1-1/8 oz #2 shot myself.

Posted: 8/23/2001 7:59:53 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Do you live in an apartment? Do you live with other people? Are the interior walls of your home drywall?

Think about what happens if you MISS with one or more pellets. A 00 buck pellet is, what, .35 caliber? .

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I remember reading somewhere its .30 - as in a .308 or 30-06.

NOT the best choice for home defense, IMO.

I STILL think the BEST home defense firearm is a handgun.

Posted: 8/23/2001 8:09:21 AM EDT

[#5]

In the confines of the normal home, the benefits of shotgun patterning are greatly diminished.
Pattern your smoothbore at the longest distance found in your house. Most likely 20-25 feet. Result: still-concentrated cluster of shot; not really a pattern yet due to insufficient distance for the shot to spread.
Given the choice, I'd take the handgun, fed with ammo CAREFULLY selected to suit the environment in which the pistol might be used.

Posted: 8/23/2001 8:12:40 AM EDT

[#6]

Ok, 00 buck is 0.33", 000 buck is 0.36", 0 buck is 0.32". #2 shot is 0.15".

See [url]http://www.thesportingchef.com/hunt/shotsizes.htm[/url] for more information.

Posted: 8/23/2001 8:13:53 AM EDT

[#7]

I prefer #6...or even #8 bird shot to 00 Buck. I don't like the going thru walls thing either. I use 2 3/4 or 3" #6.
Lots of pellets...coming out of Cly. bore is a deadly combo.
My .02

Posted: 8/23/2001 8:17:09 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
In the confines of the normal home, the benefits of shotgun patterning are greatly diminished.
Pattern your smoothbore at the longest distance found in your house. Most likely 20-25 feet. Result: still-concentrated cluster of shot; not really a pattern yet due to insufficient distance for the shot to spread.
Given the choice, I'd take the handgun, fed with ammo CAREFULLY selected to suit the environment in which the pistol might be used.

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Shotguns have the advantage of being [i]very[/i] effective stoppers, but the disadvantage of being unwieldy in close-quarters. A single hit by a shotgun will be much more effective than a single hit by a handgun. However, I agree that a handgun is a better defensive weapon in a house given your caveat of ammo choice.

Posted: 8/23/2001 8:30:04 AM EDT

[#9]

Bird shot, unless you have a really large house, then the short range of bird shot is just as bad as buck shot. a bellyfull of birdshot and the realization that this is not a sheep house.... gets most of those cowards to to a premature defication. But it is just a spackle and a paint and nobody knows what happened.

Posted: 8/23/2001 8:30:13 AM EDT

[#10]

KBaker, agreed.

Posted: 8/23/2001 8:36:20 AM EDT

[#11]

I keep a handgun next to my bed for the instant when "I hear the glass break", and a shotgun in the corner, loaded with Federal Premium OO.

Yeah, it will penetrate walls, but I use it for a couple of reasons.
I have a Vang-Comp barrel, so it patterns very cleanly, not to mention an optical sight to keep my entire pattern on target, as opposed to a bead, where you are effectivley "throwing" your pattern. I don't really have to worry about strays. If I miss with the entire load, well, it will penetrate the walls , but so will a handgun, so that argument dosn't work.
Also, I can run through my house at a full sprint with my shotgun, and havn't had a problem "handling" it, so if you aren't very coordinated, it probably isn't for you.

12ga is the best for home defense IMO, so far ahead of it's competitors, there really isn't a debate.

Posted: 8/23/2001 8:39:20 AM EDT

[#12]

Now for serious social work, #4 buck, or OOO also work. my old mentor used to swear by a double barrel, I saw him lay down fire faster and longer than one could with a pump or auto

Posted: 8/23/2001 8:41:41 AM EDT

[#13]

Frangible pistol rounds will not over-penetrate walls, and rival any round in tissue destructiveness at close range (such as indoors in a home).
I question the utility of sprinting indoors in the dark with a loaded shotgun. Stipulating that for the moment, seem it would be hard to use optical sights and manipulate action while doing so. Doing same with pistol is no problem.

Posted: 8/23/2001 8:50:43 AM EDT

[#14]

I shot a 3-Gun match last week where one stage required 00 Buck and the best 3 hits were scored. I patterned at 25 yds on an IPSC target. Mod choke had 4 hits in the A zone, Imp Mod had 5 hits, and Full had 6 hits. All groups had 2 flyers. The full choke pettern was about 1" high and 4" wide. Knowing this I would use the most open choke possible for home defense.

Posted: 8/23/2001 8:54:21 AM EDT

[#15]

My uncle keeps a his home defense shot gun loaded with deer slugs, and birdshot alternating.

[rail]

Posted: 8/23/2001 9:26:19 AM EDT

[#16]

It can be good depending on your layout. 00 will punch some drywall so if you have a split floor plan and kids down the hall it's no good. If you live by yourself and are not in an apartment, it's OK.
Birdshot is the way to go inside. At 7 yards it only opens up to about softball size so it's a hell of a weapon but you do have to aim.
Winchester makes a frangible 223 load that could be good in your 15. Other people may make one too.
I use 00 but all my bedrooms are on one end of the house and I have a right handed shot down the hall. I could not fire if someone was in the dorway of my bedroom because of a child's bedroom.
I would have to let them take a few more steps or hope they run when they see me so I can catch them in the hallway.

Posted: 8/23/2001 9:37:17 AM EDT

[#17]

I load the magazine like so,

1st shot: bird shot
2nd shot: Buck
3rd shot: Buck
4th shot: Slug
5th shot: Slug
6th shot: Buck
7th shot: Buck
8th shot: Buck

I figure if I'm firing more than 5 shots, it's time to spread out again, 'cause something's fucked.

Posted: 8/23/2001 9:37:28 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
I hope so, because I already bought it. [:|]

View Quote

OO buck is fine for home defense. Keep in mind these pellets are rather big (0.33") and have a lot of penetration capability, about the same as some pistol rounds.

Posted: 8/23/2001 9:39:24 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
I load the magazine like so,

1st shot: bird shot
2nd shot: Buck
3rd shot: Buck
4th shot: Slug
5th shot: Slug
6th shot: Buck
7th shot: Buck
8th shot: Buck

I figure if I'm firing more than 5 shots, it's time to spread out again, 'cause something's fucked.

View Quote

I like rounds 4 and 5... WHOOO HOOOO!

If you you need more than 8 you just met GODZILLA.

Posted: 8/23/2001 10:18:01 AM EDT

[#20]

I DO, in fact, live in an apartment. So, I basically spent $70 for 200 rounds I can't really even use! [:(]

So, what would I use it for then?

I guess I'll have to pick up some more appropriate loads for an apartment. Place your suggestions below for an apartment dweller:

Or should I just use the 124 gr. 9mm Golden Sabers?

Posted: 8/23/2001 10:29:00 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
I DO, in fact, live in an apartment. So, I basically spent $70 for 200 rounds I can't really even use! [:(]

So, what would I use it for then?

I guess I'll have to pick up some more appropriate loads for an apartment. Place your suggestions below for an apartment dweller:

Or should I just use the 124 gr. 9mm Golden Sabers?

View Quote

In an apartment your longest shot shouldn't be over 21 FEET (7 yards). I'd use a good high-base dove & quail load, like 1-1/8 oz. of #7. At 7 yards the "pattern" will be about 6" in diameter out of a short barrel with a cylinder bore. I guarantee that will ruin a bad-guy's day, and it won't overpenetrate the walls, or at least whatever gets through the other side won't have much "oomph" left.

Go to the range and abuse your shoulder. 00 Buck is FUN!

Posted: 8/23/2001 10:56:25 AM EDT

[#22]

Most people already answered the question but I'll add my two cents because I thought, read and studied this one out for some time. I called a couple of police depts. and even did some crude home testing.
Go with the birdshot 6,7,8. 8 if you're really worried about penetrating drywall. It will still destroy a panel but loses most of it's velocity going into it/ some getting through it, and is no longer lethal. 6 penetrates deeper and has more chance to inflict damage after going through drywall. I use 7 or 8, Shoot a panel at 10 feet, you won't be worried about home intruders anymore- trust me.

Posted: 8/23/2001 11:19:27 AM EDT

[#23]

Anyone want to buy some 00 buck shot?!

[8)]

Posted: 8/23/2001 11:24:16 AM EDT

[#24]

If your appartment building has block firewalls then penetration will not be a problem...

9mm pistol penetration will be just as bad, if not worse than 00 buck

Posted: 8/23/2001 11:29:15 AM EDT

[#25]

Collateral damage is an acceptable price to pay.

Posted: 8/23/2001 11:40:36 AM EDT

[#26]

I use the 00, 1 1/8 ounce slug combo too.

When I did some research on this subject a while back, the overall opinion was to use #4 Buck shot or less for indoor/home defense purposes. It has very lethal close range properties with little wall penetration.

Posted: 8/23/2001 2:23:06 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
I prefer #6...or even #8 bird shot to 00 Buck. I don't like the going thru walls thing either. I use 2 3/4 or 3" #6.
Lots of pellets...coming out of Cly. bore is a deadly combo.
My .02

View Quote

My thoughts exactly. And at Home defense ranges, would be VERY effective.

Posted: 8/24/2001 5:03:02 PM EDT

[#28]

I considered this when I lived in an apartment, also. I decided that I hated my neighbors and that a stray round taking them out (despite the lawsuits) would not be so bad--like killing two birds with one stone.

Mind you, if someone was breaking in, it was probably my damn neighbor to begin with!

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 00 Buck for home protection. Good idea?

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