Shotguns offer a lot of versatility in the ammo they will fire, giving you plenty of options when it comes to what exactly you’re going to send down range.
In the home defense community, though, there’s an ongoing debate about whether buckshot or slugs are the ideal round for a home defense shotgun. In this article, we’ll take a look at both and let you decide.
Slugs for Home Defense
The best part about slugs for home defense is their sheer devastation. Slugs will go straight through walls, body armor, and light cover like it’sw warm butter. Slugs also remain accurate at longer ranges than buckshot, but for home defense applications the extra range isn’t normally needed.
The one drawback of using slugs for home defense is the same as their main advantage – the fact that they’ll go through anything. Overpenetration is a real concern when you have neighbors or loved ones in other rooms of the house, and the fact that slugs will punch right through walls becomes a real concern.
Unless you live alone away from neighbors or your walls are made of cinder blocks, slugs may not be the best home defense option. Still, it’s a good idea to keep a box around anyway for special circumstances.
Advantages of Buckshot
Buckshot offers some spread, meaning that you have a small degree of leeway in your aiming. It is also plenty devastating, being equivalent to upwards of eight small round bullets flying towards the bad guy.
Overpenetration isn’t a concern with buckshot, but by the same token it isn’t going to pierce through body armor or most light cover. It also has a range limited to about fifty yards depending on the gun, ammo, and choke that you use.
Still, for close range, home defense situations where an intruder isn’t likely to have a Kevlar vest or much cover to hide behind, buckshot is the premiere load for a home defense shotgun.
~ Firearm Daily
