*Ka-CHUNK*
The sound alone of racking your shotgun’s slide should send intruders running, but what if it doesn’t…
What if you actually had to shoot it?
You’d want something that stops the bad guys.
We’ll go over the best shotgun ammo for your home/apartment plus what to use for regular target practice.
Complete with ballistics gel tests and even recommendations for different gauges.
Then end it with some helpful info on why the shotgun and more details of specific types of shotgun ammo.
Summary of Our Top Picks
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Best 00 Buck for Range UseWinchester 12ga Super-X 00 Buck
Most affordable 12ga 00 buckshot currently that's consistent and hard-hitting.
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Editor's Pick 12ga 00 BuckshotFederal 12ga 00 Buckshot Power-Shok
Fantastic round in the Hydra-Shok lineup.
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Also Great 12ga 00 BuckHornady 12ga Critical Defense 00 Buck
Another great option for a 12ga home defensive round.
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Editor's Pick: 12ga #4 BuckshotFederal 12ga #4 Buckshot Hydra-Shok
Our go-to pick if you choose to go the #4 buckshot route.
Table of Contents
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Best Shotgun Buckshot Ammo
“Oh, just get a 12ga shotgun with 00 buck.”
That’s probably what you’ve heard when you ask anyone about the best home defense gun and load.
These time-tested nine .38 caliber balls of lead really do their job.
But let’s take a look at the ballistics gel data I got from TTAG (who got it from a now-defunct page.)
This not-that-great picture shows what is an average of 20-inches penetration. Given the lack of clothing in front of the gel, we can guesstimate that it likely will fall towards the upper end of the 12 to 18-inches penetration sweet spot.
Good stuff…now onto some of our favorites.
Winchester 12ga Super-X 00 Buckshot
For range shooting or protection on a budget I like the Winchester Super-X line.
Its 1325 ft/s velocity gives it enough to cycle any modern semi-auto shotgun.
And all the Super-X rounds I’ve shot have gone boom when needed.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Federal 12ga 00 Buckshot Hydra-Shok
Another great round in the line of Federal’s Hydra-Shok series…I’ve been carrying their 9mm variant for years.
When you want some primo defensive rounds…I choose Hydra-Shok.
The special “Triple Plus” wads provide better shot alignment and groupings. Standard 1325 ft/sec muzzle velocity.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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What’s your take on the 00 buck Hydra-Shok?
Hornady 12ga 00 Buckshot Critical Defense
Another tried-and-true brand is Hornady’s Critical Defense which ups the muzzle velocity to 1600 ft/s for extra oomph and cycling in semi-autos.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Winchester 12ga 00 Buckshot Military
These mil-spec rounds look great with their OD green hulls and high base black anodized head.
I’ve shot a lot of these with 100% reliability and I swear it’s higher velocity than the stated 1325 ft/s.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Federal 12ga #4 Buckshot Hydra-Shok
If you read around, you’ll likely see some people suggest 12 gauge #4 buckshot if you’re afraid of thin walls and adjacent family/neighbors.
Think 27 pellets of a smaller diameter…
It looks pretty good…with what looks like 14.5-inches penetration — what we would deem the minimum acceptable load.
It’s nowhere near the ammo selection of 00 buck.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Winchester 20ga #3 Buckshot Defense
We’re going down in terms of shotgun barrel diameter with 20 gauge (yup it’s opposite and weird).
Probably the smallest you’ll want to go. And with that smaller gauge the ammo selection drops as well.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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For more range and defensive 20ga rounds check out Palmetto State Armory.
Best Shotgun Birdshot Ammo
Great for hunting and shooting at clays but not the best for home defense.
You can see the #8 birdshot does not penetrate the recommended 12 to 18-inches…even without clothes in front.
#4 birdshot (which is much bigger) fares only slightly better.
So let’s focus on range shooting rounds…
Federal 12ga Top Gun Birdshot
One of my go-tos for bulk birdshot shooting…
1200 ft/sec muzzle velocity which works with most higher-quality semis or broken in more budget options.
I usually go for #8 or #7.5 birdshot size.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Nobel Sport 12ga #8 Birdshot
Currently the most affordable and available on the market. 1200 ft/s so it might not work in all semi-autos.
I’ve shot other Nobel branded shotgun rounds and they’ve all been fine.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Best Shotgun Slugs
A slug is a 1 oz piece of solid lead…usually rifled for better spin and accuracy.
Definitely, overkill unless you have perfect aim and no neighbors for some distance.
Yup, you read that right…it’s around 27-inches of penetration. Great for hunting/protection against bigger critters…but not of the two-footed humankind.
Federal Vital-Shok Rifled Slug
A classic of the ages and ready to stop any threat you put it up against.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Winchester 12ga 1 oz Rifled Slug
Normally a cheaper option, but still reliable and accurate.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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What Makes a Good Defensive Round?
In our other defensive round reviews (9mm, .45 ACP, .40 S&W, 5.56/.223), we show examples of how the FBI conducts ballistics gel tests to test loads.
- 10 feet away to simulate average defensive gun use distance
- Addition of clothing (you can see on the left side there are four layers for a “worst case”)
- 12-18 inches of penetration (ideal to actually hit vital organs and some leeway for bigger people or in case the intruder has limbs in front of their torso)
However, there’s not as much good data for shotgun loads so we will have to make do with what we’ve got.
Review of Shotgun Loads
Before we do…let’s quickly review the three main types of shotgun loads. For a more in-depth guide, check out our Shotgun Terms article.
Birdshot
What’s birdshot, you ask?
Think of it as lots of little BBs spreading out so you can hit birds/clays.
The larger the number in front of the shot (eg. #9 shot), the smaller but more plentiful the BBs.
Also, understand that the shotgun is not a magical death machine where you simply aim into a room and get everyone. Below is the pattern of 7.5 birdshot at 10-yards.
Buckshot
Much larger BBs than birdshot, the most plentiful buckshot round is 00 buck (“double-aught buck”). It has eight to nine pellets, each roughly 8.4mm in diameter.
You don’t want to get hit by any of those…let alone nine.
Again, larger numbers of buckshot (such as #1 or #4) have increasingly smaller pellets. While more 0’s get bigger.
This type is made for hunting and self-defense.
Buckshot requires pretty good aim. Check out standard 00 buck at 10-yards.
Slugs
This type of shotgun ammo consists of one big piece of metal, usually around 1 ounce.
It’s great for well-aimed shots and has decent distance as well.
I’ve had to ring steel at 120-yards for some competitions and although it’s hard…it’s doable with slugs.
Shotgun Ammo for Other Gauges
Up til now, we’ve focused on the 12-gauge, which is by far the most popular. I’m not super familiar with the other gauges so I’m following the recommendations of Internet Armory.
.410-Gauge
Weak caliber…even with slugs. Avoid for self-defense.
20-Gauge
Great for smaller stature people. The smaller 20 gauge delivers 70% of the lead with a 40-50% reduction in recoil when compared to 12 ga.
10-Gauge
Lols, you can probably go with anything for this “canon.”
Final Thoughts
There you have it…our recommendations for the best shotgun ammo for home defense and target shooting.
So try a bunch of them out and see what shoots and patterns best in YOUR shotgun.
There’s also a lot more types at our favorite stores that have a good selection of shotgun ammo:
What did you end up liking the best? Let us know in the comments! And check out our other shotgun articles:
72 Leave a Reply
Good article! You should add a category for 12-gauge “reduced recoil” (pump guns only?).
One of the best IF not the best article I've read on this subject.
Thank you, looking at a shotgun that handles 3", not sure how that compares to 2-3/4", assume either would work.
3” gives quite a kick. For home defense my shotgun holds more 2 3/4.
Well done. Thank you.
Disappointed that the only penetration you discussed was related to the Bad Guy. Don't misunderstand; an excellent article as far as it goes, but no mention of penetration through typical sheet rock walls; relevant to those with families (people in other rooms) or apartment dwellers (neighbors just on the other side). Thanks for what you did, though! Good testing and comparative results, rarely found elsewhere for shotguns.
It's a separate article with a link to it in the buckshot discussion, specifically the number 4 buckshot section.
"*Ka-CHUNK*
The sound alone of racking your shotgun’s slide should send intruders running…"
Did Joe Biden write that?
:)
Anyway, I've used a shot gun around 15 times (that I can recall) in my personal and professional life against bad guys. I've only had two bad guys run away when the *Ka-CHUNK* happened. Some of them just surrendered when the shotgun was pointed at them, some of them stood there defiant to the end challenging me to shoot them (the end being when they were finally taken down and cuffed or in a couple of cases shot), and some of them charged me - but out of all those I only had two actually run away when they heard the *Ka-CHUNK*.
Bad guys today are not like bad guys 30 - 40 years ago when bad guys cared what *Ka-CHUNK* meant because it had a good chance of being followed by pewpew (see what I did there :) ) if they hung around. Bad guys have always been somewhat stupid, but most of today's bad guys one is likely to encounter are completely stupid and full of false bravado plus there is an increased number that really deep down want to die anyway.
When the *Ka-CHUNK* happens and the bad guy just stands there and flips you off or says "fu3k you" you know its going to get difficult so be ready to enact plan B.
I personally know of two cases where racking the slide sent intruders running for a clean pair of underwear. No shooting necessary is the only good outcome--stealth ninja SEAL Ranger Jedi Recon tactical bullshit aside. You aren't John Wick, and you aren't shooting it out with an army of Kamikaze assassins.
“Weak caliber…even with slugs. Avoid for self-defense.”
So the .410 is too wimpy? I beg to differ. A 10 minute search found a number of .410 slug options. The weakest has a 1/4 ounce slug at a reported 1330 fps. That’s to say, a 109 grain slug with 428 ft.lbs. of energy. That’s the weakest load I saw. Another load has a half ounce slug at 1410 fps with 962 ft.lbs. That exceeds .41 magnum factory 210 grain revolver stats, and nobody discounts the .41 magnum as being too weak for self defense.
I watched a YouTube video awhile back on the .410 that is eye opening. Search YouTube
Is a .410 Adequate for Home Defense? Testing the Henry Axe .410
The buckshot will do the job I’d think.
Also best to have a lower rail spotlight which illuminates the target. I have a 4 1/2" Monstrum that is very comfortable as a foregrip on my ATI 12GA. There were postgrips also. If it's lit it's hit.
"The sound alone of racking your shotgun’s slide should send intruders running, …"
I can't think of anything said about guns that's that stupid but still gets recited so often. First of all, you're deliberately walking into what might turn out to be a gunfight with an empty slot in your magazine tube. Second, you're alerting the bad guy that you're on your way and telling him which way you'll be coming from. So if he also has a gun and/or intends fighting it out, you've just given him all the information he needs to lay an ambush you. And lastly, eventually everything mechanical breaks. There's even an engineering term for it, "MTBF." If I walk into a fight with a round already chambered, there's a better chance I'll get off at least that one shot -- which might be enough to end the fight -- than if I had to rely on the pump action cycling correctly once more.
It's not worth risking your life by saddling yourself with all those disadvantages just so you can score "cool points" by causing your shotgun to make an intimidating (but harmless) sound.
I can think of something close to being that stupid.....fearing a pump action shotgun mechanism will fail and using that as a reason to keep a round chambered. Seems like YOU'RE the one living in the movies. Just how many instances of intrusions do you think consist of an armed and highly trained criminal with a specific intention of killing you? And if you claim to be the target of such an invasion you can be pretty sure you'll be outnumbered and outgunned. Scareface-type assaults aside, the vast majority of intrusions consist of a burglar who thinks no one is home or maybe is someone planning an assault of a female. While you should be ready to engage and pull the trigger and not rely on a sound to scare someone off - it often will in most common non-theatrical encounters. Remember, your goal (and the law) is survival in a situation where harm is imminent - not shooting just because someone is in your home. See how you fare in court if you kill someone who was only pocketing a cell phone and some jewelry. So in your possible fantasy-driven, Death-Wish style scenario, you may be right and you'll pop the ninja-style attacker first. But in most cases, the goal is NOT to engage unless there's no other choice. Nowadays you'll end up in prison but at least you'll be able to tell everyone around "the yard" that you got him first, right? By the way, how many responsible gun owners do you think would grab a poorly maintained pump shotgun on the brink of suddenly failing when they fear someone is in their home? Most gun owners I know use and maintain their guns in top condition which almost guarantees reliability.
GREAT RESPONSE MAN I COULDNT HAVE SAID THAT BETTER MYSELF! the goal is to not engage but to maintain safety for both individuals if that means talking to the guy through the wall like hey! You there! I hear you! I'm gunna pump you full of meat and then lead! If you don't put down my jewelery! (Thief) proceeds to bend over "oops looks like I've dropped some!" Wtf? Now what kinda situation is this! Noooo!
FACTS. Give this man a beer. It is now 2023, the POTUS is Biden. You're damn right you better have a life threatening situation to kill someone especially with a firearm.
Racking the gun will give your position away so not good.
I get your point 100% but........ .. I live in 2 different environments. Wilderness for about 275 days of the year and in an apartment attached to my friends house when I'm in the city. In the woods especially when I'm still on trails and their is a good chance people will be through. If I hear something walking outside the tent I like to rack that 12ga because that tells me if I I come out shooting or not. If it's a person I don't care if they have never seen a real shotgun they will know what that sound is and you will hear feet beating ground hauling ass. If it's 4 legged it won't run because it doesn't know what that is.
When I'm in my apartment I also keep it loaded but not chambered so if someone breaks in I can rack that slide and hopefully it will send them off and I don't have to shoot them because that's alot alot alot of time and money spent in court. Plus I don't want them to start shooting and hitti.g someone or something I care about. Plus depending 9m the state alot of cops will ask if you let them know to get out because you are armed. Can't think of any better way than to rack the pump. Also most home.invasuon criminals aren't the most trained individuals and are hopped up on dope so that rack won't give away where you are. But I also have tiny tiny tiny home nanny spy cameras basically so I can see what's around or if someone has been around.
EXACTLY!!! In addition to everything you said, racking the slide means you are equipped with one less round than your weapon can hold.
Unless you are highly trained, a pump is far less reliable in a fight than a quality semi-auto. The stress of fighting intruders in your home could easily cause a person to short-stroke a pump, "forget" to cycle the action or be physically incapable of cycling the action due to stress or injury. By "highly trained", I mean Special Operations soldiers, SWAT members, etc.
This is why all my shotguns are Remington 1100's, Mossberg 930's and a Benelli M4.
Looking for an AR 410,upper receiver.
Can you point me to the right direction?
Good luck in court if you use buckshot for home defense since it overpenetrates like crazy
Can you link me to a case where a person was penalized for using buckshot in a home defense shooting?
Concerned with slug over penetration for home defense? Look at the Brenneke Tactical Home Defense Slug (low recoil). Also check out the Winchester Segmented Slug. Both are great for home defense and limit the concern for over penetration.
I agree. The funny thing is that the article I read immediately before this one explained that racking the slide only gives away your presence and position, eliminating a significant advantage over an intruder... aka "I'm awake, know you are here and am located at the sound of the racking slide".
Ideally, the only intruder that will ever hear a slide rack is the OTHER intruder.
Also, unless you are highly trained to be effective in high-stress situations, such as a home invasion, get a semi-auto. I would rather take the chances on a quality semi-auto having a FTF than rely on my ability to cycle a pump without delay or a short-stroke. By "highly trained", I mean military special operators/combat vets or police SWAT. Civilians are not trained for these kind of encounters.
Oops, replied to the wrong post. Sorry about that.
I will usually agree with the different writers at Pew Pew, occasionally enjoying and even learning a thing or two from their articles. But WHY do these people who think of themselves as "gun experts" keep telling their readers that the sound of a pump shotgun will scare off the bad guys ? Should you be facing amateurs, that "sound" might work in your favor. But should I be a "really bad guy" intent on robbing or doing you harm, that "sound" just told me where to aim and shoot. That shotgun that is being used for home defense MUST have a round chambered at all times [and the 'safety' on.] Otherwise that home defense shotgun is worthless. Not convinced ? Then ask yourself why you would want to reveal your position in the home to the bad guy(s)? Why would you want to confront the bad guy(s) with an unloaded weapon ? Any assault, armed or unarmed, against you and your loved ones must be met with an action that guarantees you will be the victor. Still not convinced? Which will stop the bad guy's attack ? Sound waves or a load of double aught (00) buckshot ?
I agree. The funny thing is that the article I read immediately before this one explained that racking the slide only gives away your presence and position, eliminating a significant advantage over an intruder... aka "I'm awake, know you are here and am located at the sound of the racking slide". Ideally, the only intruder that will ever hear a slide rack is the OTHER intruder. Also, unless you are highly trained to be effective in high-stress situations, such as a home invasion, get a semi-auto. I would rather take the chances on a quality semi-auto having a FTF than rely on my ability to cycle a pump without delay or a short-stroke. By "highly trained", I mean military special operators/combat vets or police SWAT. Civilians are not trained for these kind of encounters.
You have to get in the habit of immediately racking the slide after you pull the trigger. It should not be like the video. Shot (pause) rack. It is instant. shotrack.
I'm not so sure 12 gauge slugs are always inappropriate for self defense or home defense against human attackers. That 27" figure was probably from Brenneke slugs, which are cast of a hard lead alloy to resist deformation and are always outliers. The common one-ounce "Foster" style 12 gauge slugs are normally swaged from dead-soft pure lead. They typically pancake out to 1" or more diameter and often penetrate less than 15" of ballistic gelatin--less than #00 buckshot does.
A blunt .70-caliber one-ounce hunk of lead traveling at Mach 1.5 seems to take the starch out of whitetail deer that might run half a mile with their heart and lungs blasted to shreds by a shot from a high-powered rifle. I think it might put a hurting on bad guys too.
I can't disagree with you, however Brenneke does make a Tactical Home Defense Slug (low recoil) for less penetration concerns. Winchester also has a Segmenting Slug that does not over penetrate.
Disappointed not to see any reference to Brenneke Tactical Home Defense (slug) and Federal Premium Personal Defense product (buckshot). Both available in 12 gauge and 20 gauge. These are two reputable, well known manufacturers offering product specific to this article. Omitted because they might not fit your opinions?
Agree with you about the Brenneke THD slug. Also, Hornady Critical Defense 00 Buck is good too.
Hornady Critical Defense
After years of research and consideration, I'll go with a magnum load of number 1 Buckshot any day!
Very informative, but I have decided on #4 buckshot for home defense.
I have pistols, rifles and shotguns but if I find an intruder in my house I'd get more satisfaction using my baseball bat to his gizzards so I have someone to insult and make a believer out of while I'm waiting for the cops to arrive. Also the thought of looking at someone with either bird shot or buck shot all in their face and getting blood on my rug grosses me out. *I can drop and disarm anyone with my bat. I'll save the howitzers for taking down big game or in defense against possible attacks from a crazed group of radicals or whatever else pops up. Yes I keep them safely locked and loaded.
I agree. I don't want things ruined in my house or continuous answers to the police.
To each his own. I personally prefer not to bring a baseball bat to a gun fight.
I gotta say, dismissing 410 bore as too weak is almost like saying that a 38 special is non-lethal. Is it the best? That depends on the shooter and what THEY shoot best. I assure you any home defense shotgun in 410 loaded with 000 buck is more than adequate to stop a threat. Those five pellets at 15 feet are devastating, so don't kid yourself and don't dissuade people who are recoil averse from using this very effective equipment. Very misleading comment.
Several revolvers have, in recent years, allowed .410 shotgun shells to be fired from them (Taurus Judge and others I can't remember). Although I hear terrible things about most of those revolvers, few dispute the effectiveness of a .410 shell being fired from those revolvers for defensive purposes, particularly relative to smaller pistol calibers. But when it comes to firing the same thing from an actual shotgun with a much longer barrel and with likely greater accuracy due to being fired from the shoulder, suddenly .410 becomes something to avoid? I couldn't agree with you more that, for a smaller, lighter, or more frail person, being confident with their .410 would be better than them being afraid of their own 12 gauge.
#6 shot from a 12G to the face or body at 10-20 feet will take out a person... give me a break keyboard worriers
Getting hit by any load would suck but the article is about the most effective loads. #6 could work if that is all you have. If you have a plan for home defense, why not use what is going to stack the odds in your favor? Buck shot will be a better load. No debate.
Poop face!