Any of the chokes... at less than 7 yards... with 00 Buck... Will do the job. I used to keep a modified choke in my shotguns for home defense with two rounds of #4 followed by three rounds of 00 Buck. With 00 Buckshot... devastating, especially at four yards... which would be a self defense killing zone in the house.

 

I would keep an IC or Cylinder choke in case you wanted to shoot a slug or two in the mix.

 

Use slugs. Don’t choke! You can patch the holes in your house later.

 

I've always used cylinder bore 12 gauge shotguns for HD. They shoot a tight enough group at bed-room to hallway distances or across the living-room distances for me. YMMV. tom. :cowboy:

 

Well done Chief and interesting. My two shotguns are open choke. I'm not using either now, when I did they were loaded with 4 Buck. My son keeps his state issued 870 loaded with slugs, he says one a few that favor slugs over buck.

 

When a detective in Bronx Robbery, I carried an Ithaca 37 loaded with slugs. I liked the ability to reach out.

13" barrel, open rifle sights. The little "slingy" on the operating handle is to keep an excited copper's fingers away from the muzzle when firing the gun!!

 

I would keep an IC or Cylinder choke in case you wanted to shoot a slug or two in the mix.

So you can duck behind cover and swap chokes and ammo? :rofl: I actually have a family member who swapped buckshot to slugs during a gunfight and killed a guy with a slug, but I'm think changing choke tubes might have been going a little too far.

 

I meant keep the choke that is in it IC or Cylinder. It will shoot everything including slugs.

 

The U.S. military experimented with various choke/ball combinations during the Vietnam excitement. They were looking for a way to use multi-projectile rounds for each round fired.

The Army was able to put together a set-up of a certain choke diameter as well as either 00 or 000 buck (forget now which size, think the larger size). The pellets were hard and really round (not like the stuff you buy with "normal" buckshot loads, all bumpy and stuff). With this combination they were getting credibly tight patterns out to 60 yards!!

Don't know why this idea was never pursued.

 

The US military also teaches the OFFENSIVE use of weapons.
Claim "personal defense" against a threat 60 yards away?
Good luck to you.....

 

So I guess the use of an AR or M4 is also not a good idea? After all, the military also teaches the “offensive” use of weapons. Despite your comment, some people like the shotgun as a defensive weapon and a small pattern out to 60 yards IS a desirable thing. Means a smaller, tighter pattern at closer distances.

 

I use Federal #1 Buck with the Flight Control Wad, a cylinder choke (no choke) is best. Any added choke opens the pattern up.

At 7yds the above Buck loads look like a slug hole.

The Flight Control Wad is a deep cup (kind of looks like a steel waterfowl shot cup) that holds the shot close together for quite a while into the flight.

 

No but tight pattern at 60 means a tighter pattern at closer distances. That is what Chief was referring to, not that he was advocating HD at 60 yards. But nice to know that amount of accuracy is there if you needed it for coyotes or other "varmints". Also less collateral damage due to not impacting the intended target. Kind of like using a 10mm for self defense. Might not need that much horsepower, but nice to know it's there. That tight a pattern also makes the shotgun a more versatile weapon able to be used at times where "spread" might not be desirable.

 

Opinions? Boy, do I got 'em!
Haven't shot any big game or assailants, but am geared for that desperate need.

I pattern my shotguns to find the best, least expensive load for the shooting I hope I'll never do.

I want the time honored and revered devastation of buckshot within 11 yards for the longest shot I might expect to fire inside my home. If for some reason I must shoot beyond that distance with a shotgun, I've bought Federal FliteControl #1 buck.

OP: Yes, the load DOES make a difference

 

There is always that guy that brings in the "hard to defend at grater than x yd" to discussion that is focused on technical characteristics.
In Michigan in zone III we are limited to shotgun for deer.
I used either an Ithaca or a Savage pump shotgun.
Ithaca 12 ga featherweight 28 in mod choke had bead sight and was good with foster slug out to about 45 yd.
Savage 67 20 ga 3 in full choke was good too.
I did not have rifle sights on them and actually prefer bead sight for a shotgun with standard shotgun stock.

 

Federal flightcontrol are designed to keep shot in the cup to about 10yds. Open choke.

Hornadys Versatite is identical..

Anything more restrictive than Modified will blow the pattern to hell.

I shoot them. But for inside the home I like a granule buffering 3 piece wad/hull. Federal or Winchester. They open up at barrel exit. Its still pretty tight at contact to 7 yards. Opening up much more passing 10to25. Plus with a 3 piece shot cup and buffering granules you can choke up if you want.

 

I use Federal #1 Buck with the Flight Control Wad, a cylinder choke (no choke) is best. Any added choke opens the pattern up.

At 7yds the above Buck loads look like a slug hole.

The Flight Control Wad is a deep cup (kind of looks like a steel waterfowl shot cup) that holds the shot close together for quite a while into the flight.

I want some of that and can't find it anywhere.

 

I think the last time I got some was through SGAmmo. I bought 2 cases, so I am basically set for life. I developed a simulator load mainly for my wife to practice. It uses International Clays with the same shot weight of #1 Buck and a WAA12 was with Remington STS hulls and W209 primers. It doesn’t pattern nearly as tightly but we mainly are just doing familiarization type work.

SGA I think has a notify function, if you are patient, it will show up.

 

At typical home defense ranges of 7 yards or less, choke isn't going to make any significant difference. I don't know how to find it, but about 30 or 40 years ago the NRA did a barrel sawing experiment.

They started with a single shot full choke with about a 30 or 36 inch barrel. They started sawing off about a half inch at a time, till they got past the choke. Range was short, I can't remember exactly but about 10 yards or less. (They did file the paperwork, then destroyed the gun.)

They would pattern after each amputation. Once they got past the choke they started sawing off 4 inches or so of barrel at a time and patterning. They kept sawing until they got to about 4 inches or so of barrel left.

Net result, There was little pattern difference between full choke and cylinder bore until the gun got real short. Short like under 6 or 8 inches. That 'washtub pattern' didn't appear until the barrel was just over shot shell length.

I'm sure shot load would be more significant than choke.

 

[QUOTE="Caver 60:
......I'm sure shot load would be more significant than choke.[/QUOTE]

I always find such experiments interesting. Almost invariably those conducting them discover that what they "knew" prior to the testing turns out to be not quite so.