Right now I have my mossberg 500 with 2 3/4"  00 buckshot the classic made by federal would a better choice be the 3" classic buckshot that has 15 OO pellets 15 sure beats 9 in my opinion would my gun hold 1 less round with the longer shell?

1.   Mossberg 500 with a little laser pointer built in for effect and some cheap assed bird chot that will definately hurt the hell out of someone.

2.   SigSauer P225 next to the bed. (I have no kids to hide it from)

3.   (2) Ferocious chocolate labs who will lick to death any intruders.  This by far would be the worst.  

4.  A couple of other guns... Not really for home defense though. More for a little long-range touchey feeley stuff.

I seem to recal that # 4 shot gives over 25 nice pellets in a load that's great for house or urban use.  Good patterns and little shoot-through.

Unless you're hunting turkeys, 3" magnum buckshot loads is overkill IMO, and yes your shotgun will hold one less shell. Stick with your Federal or even a reduced "tactical" load, whichever you can hold the tightest pattern with.

I have my 590 loaded -
  Chamber empty    
The sound of a pump action shotgun may be enough to scare the hell out of an intruder
  First 2 rounds to be chambered 2 3/4" #8
at close indoor ranges the small shot will pattern like a softball and do serious damage plus the little pellets lose energy quick and will be less likely to go through many layers of drywall like buck shot will.
  Last 5 rounds 3" 00 buck  
If two 12 gauge rounds didn't solve the problem then it is time bust out the big shit.
  You just have to be careful with 00 buck b/c each of those pellets has a lot of energy and can go through several walls. The last thing you want to happen when you are defending your home is to hit somebody that is still in bed.

Make damn sure you have a tac on your shotgun if it is a defensive gun. If you have ever tried to carry somebody (like a kid) to a safer location or do a lot of small actions it can be very dificult with a fullsize shotgun full of ammo. I would also suggest that you put a side sadle on your gun and carry a few different types of ammo. Maybe a couple slugs and a few bean bag rounds. These are obviously on oposite end of the spectrum, but could come in handy. If you do this make sure and mark the rounds clearly, like writting on them with white out or some thing else that will let you reconise the two different round quickly in a high stress situation.

Kinda long but just my $.02

since this gun is mostly for home defense I don't think I would ever really need slugs with a  small house and all.

I don't recommend less than lethal bean bag rounds for home defense. For one, there's a liability issue and bean bags can be lethal. If you shoot someone with a bean bag you're basically saying the situation did not warrant lethal force. If a bean bag kills someone or puts an eye out (and bean bags fired by local cops have killed and put a eye out in the last year), you could be charged or found liable. If you're going to use lethal force, use it, and leave less than lethal rounds to the cops, who are trained to use them.

i will add to the above. if you are in a clear "shoot the basterd situtation" like he is in your house, and has a gun, and you decide to shoot, you must kill him.

***************************not a lawyer, so if you dont like what i say, i dont give a shit, and dont bitch me out, and if you kill someone in your house, dont tell them i told you too************************************


if you kill him, and he had a weapon, you will proly avoid legal trouble, but will likley be talkin to civil court by his family. they will give a sob story, and hopfully, he has a record, and its over. you have at least an OK chance of getting off with just legal fees.

if you take of a limb, or leave the guy shittin in a bag, he will get up on the stand and give some big sob story about how he ended up in your house while in a drunken haze, and some far right extrmemist (you) blew out a portion of his colon. now you get to pay for this assholes medical bills and pain and suffering.

centermass #4 or bigger is the safest way to go

If I had my own country there would be a rule, if you break into someones house you deserve anything you get, if someone breaks into your house thats a direct threat I don't give a shit if they got a weapon I still considered it a violent threat to my safety.

Don't you mean "Pay for this assholes inability to USE his asshole?"

I use #9 for in the house defense. With over 500 pellets coming out if you hit an intruder in the mid body there won't be anything left but backbone.The good thing too is you don't have to weorry about shooting through the wall.
CAPITALIST

3" is crap, unless you are hunting waterfoul.  I had a friend that loaded his gun with only 3".  Thought he was big and bad and teh extra 1/4" made him a man.  I challenged him to rapid fire a couple of rounds into a sillouette.  Let me just say that follow up shots were...slow.  Way to much recoil, I would rather have the extra round.  

00B is a classic defense round.  Although for in the house I would at least start off with something alittle smaller.  Penetration through walls becomes a concern with 00B.  

4B are my first two rounds, followed by 6 rounds of 00B

Agree with the others, stick to 2-3/4 shells, just because they make roman candles doesn't mean you need them for humans...

What about the new Aguilla mini shells avail in shot or slug? Anyone try them yet? A shot gun with a 7-8 capacity will hold about 10 minis.  

I finally got off my a$$ and loaded  my Winchester defender 1300 with mini shells to see what it would hold. I was surprised. It took 11+1 of the mini shells. That's some 12ga firepower for home defense. I need to get these to the range to see how well they work.

I have a Winchester defender 1300 too, Its the pistol grip short barrel. Slugs and buckshot is what I have in  it. Also have a laser attached, heat guard and foregrip. Its mean.....

I finally got off my a$$ and loaded my Winchester defender 1300 with mini shells to see what it would hold. I was surprised. It took 11+1 of the mini shells.

Im gonna have to get me some of those.