Why a shotgun?

[Lester Polfus]

If I am shooting a 12 ga slug, I want the larger surface area and mass of a full caliber slug, not the smaller size and weaker construction of the typical sabot slug.

If you have to hunt with a shotgun the sabots are legit, they basically give you a muzzle loading rifle equivalent at distance, not a bad thing, but it's not a real rifle in reach or long range capability.

At shorter ranges full bore slugs give more smack on target IMHO, for want of a better term. People argue the differences between 9mm and .40 in service pistols all day long (which is stupid), I'll submit that the difference between a .50cal bullet and a .72 cal bullet at the same speed is actually significant.

Thank you gentlemen.

[UNK]

I have read but have no actual experience with internet statements that rifled slug barrels especially with scopes are good past 100 yards.

What are you thinking as far as "long range" in home defense?

[Wheeler]

I have read but have no actual experience with internet statements that rifled slug barrels especially with scopes are good past 100 yards.

They are indeed. Are you planning to engage at those ranges?

[Lester Polfus]

I have read but have no actual experience with internet statements that rifled slug barrels especially with scopes are good past 100 yards.

In a hunting context, this has some truthiness. Different gun/barrel/load/scope combinations will give you different results of course. If you can get 2 to 3 MOA out of a rifle shotgun barrel, you are doing pretty good. That, coupled with a pretty rainbow-like trajectory is a real limitation. With my Mossberg 500, equipped with a rifled slug barrel cut to 19" and a Burris 1.5 to 6 scope, I'd be comfortable on deer sized game out to 150 yards, under the right conditions.

There are, of course, enthusiasts who go really badoinkers over this stuff, and creat slug guns that are much more accurate.

From a defensive standpoint, while it's not entirely impossible that it might be reasonable and prudent at some point to take a shot at 100 yards or farther, it's not something I spend much time on.

[GJM]

The main advantage of the shotgun is the variety of loads available (slug, buck, shot, less lethal). Once you go to a rifled barrel, you might as well just get a rifle, which is typically far better functioning as a rifle than a shotgun.

[Lester Polfus]

The main advantage of the shotgun is the variety of loads available (slug, buck, shot, less lethal). Once you go to a rifled barrel, you might as well just get a rifle, which is typically far better functioning as a rifle than a shotgun.

This. Unless for some reason you are hunting an area that will allow shotgun slugs, but not center fire rifles. There's a particular logic to those rules that makes sense when fish and game officials are sitting around a conference table.

This whole defensive shotgun vs. semi-auto rifle thing is a discussion all gun related fora seem determined to have from time to time.

I think AR-15's are cool, and was heavily invested in a couple prior to the Great Divorce Gun Sell Off. No Ar-15's have made their way back into the inventory since then. I find that they occupy a very particular niche: they are a great long gun for shooting people. It isn't legal to hunt deer with a .223 in my state, so essentially I would be spending $1K dollars for a gun that would spend the vast majority in a safe, waiting for a situation where I need to use it to shoot somebody. I would also need to make the time to train with that particular platform, which would be unique among all my other guns.

My Mossberg shotguns can be used to hunt rabbits, doves, bandtails, grouse, Black Bear, deer, and Elk, by varying which barrel I screw onto it, and the load. They also make excellent home defense tools. So these guns are earning their keep, by getting used on a regular basis. I shoot these guns a fair amount so my gun handling skills with them stay pretty sharp.

So far I've resisted the temptation to pick up another AR-15, despite how freakin' cool they are. For the whole shotgun vs AR thing to matter I would have to 1) Get in a shooting 2) get in a shooting where I have an opportunity to deploy a long gun and 3) get in a shooting, with a long gun, where the advantages of the AR-15 over a shotgun are a deciding factor in the outcome of the fight.

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Thats pretty much the conclusion I had reached before I asked. I was just looking for confirmation.

The main advantage of the shotgun is the variety of loads available (slug, buck, shot, less lethal). Once you go to a rifled barrel, you might as well just get a rifle, which is typically far better functioning as a rifle than a shotgun.

[ssb]

That is a job where I still like old school non plated buckshot.

Plain lead #1 or #4 buck gets through less building materials than pistol bullets and such.

An ND that I was unfortunate enough to witness up close yielded those same (surprising to me) results.

Load was a 2 3/4" Winchester no. 1 buck (16 pellet, lead -- same stuff I use). The shot entered an apartment wall which faced outside to the porch. Distance was about 3 yards. There is wood siding on the outside of that wall, which the load penetrated. Most of the pellets embedded themselves about a quarter of an inch into the siding on the opposite wall of the porch, approx. 4 yards away. Unfortunately, some pellets were unaccounted for. We legitimately have no idea where they went, and didn't find them when patching the holes. They didn't appear to end up in the parking lot/strike any cars, or any people.

The shotgun going off indoors was also much less loud than I expected.

[UNK]

I've always taken it for granted that a shotgun was a necessary part of a home defense plan. However doing research online I began to question the necessity of having a home defense shotgun. Dollar for dollar spent, when comparing an Autoloader Shotgun to an AR it seemed I would be better served with an AR. I plan on not engaging at any range the same as I plan on not having to use home or car insurance.

They are indeed. Are you planning to engage at those ranges?