I just bought my woman a .410 SxS shotgun. The barrel is 19 1/4 inches. I figured this would make a pretty sweet house gun for her since she's super small. What would be better in a household defense situation: slug or buckshot? I'm also wondering who makes the most deadly round for this type of use?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cheeze,

at close range, and if you hit what you are aiming at a .410 will work fine.

That said, i'd rather have a 12ga

A slug is the equivalent of a 41 mag. I would give her some #4 or 6 shot.

For a primarily indoor home defense shotgun in any gauge I'd use #4 buckshot.

What does "your woman" think of the whole deal?

Is she familiar with the weapon and is she willing to actually use it if her life is in danger?

If she is willing to practice with it a bit and get comfortable I'd encourage her to move up to 20 gauge, but a .410 bore at in-house ranges should be fine.

Last Thursday evening, under the lights of a trapshooting range, I put on a demonstraion for a group of 100 kids (ages 8-16) attending an NRA Youth Shooting Camp.

My target was a gallon plastic water jug filled with red coloring, hanging 4' off the ground. My shotgun was a Remington 870 28" modified choke 12 gauge. My ammo was #1 buckshot (16 pellets). Distance was 15'.

The 16 pellets made minced meat out of the plastic jug and the water spray looked like fourth of July fireworks. The kids thought it was amazing and the adults couldn't believe their eyes.

At any rate, the next day I worked with many kids while they were trap shooting. Many girls, ages 12-14, were shooting 12 and 20 gauge shotguns. With a little encouragement and practice, I suspect your wife could easily handle a 20 gauge. Little more power and a few more pellets.

Dan

She likes it and is excited to practice. Don't worry, she'll practice a lot before she keeps it bedside. For now, this shotgun is going to be her house gun. Please don't tell me that a 20ga or a 12ga would be better. Of course those would "stop" better, who doesn't know that? There are many facets to this issue including size and availability. This is her first and as she learns she'll grow out of it, but for now, please help me with my initial question of ballistics for the .410ga shotty.

Slugs and buck for sure. Birdshot is for birds. If she likes this gun and is comfortable with it and stays excited about shooting it, stick with it. You want to keep her interested in shooting, not dreading it.

IIRC, there are buckshot loads for the .410, but they only have three pellets each.

Though I'd prefer that over slugs for the situation you describe.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot3.htm

I think I'd have gone for a pistol caliber carbine, either semi auto or lever action.

I think I'd probably go with slugs, since there's not a whole lot of buckshot available in a .410 shell.

I have one of these in .410: http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Shotguns/tamer.asp



and I shoot Russian Steel cased slugs I've gotten from Sportsmans Guide.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/zoom/zoompop.asp?i=11370...=&nv=&c=&adid=320656

For HD I use my P228 but my SP2022 may start rotating duty very soon.

It's not 12ga but it wouldn't tickle.

I don't shoot .410 but if I did I would try these for home defence. 5 00 pellets in each shell
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/AMM875-5.html

Guys I have been shooting skeet for almost forty years now and spent, I can't tell you how many hours loading shells on Ponsness Warren loaders and I would say that while not my first choice to defend my home don't think that a .410 is too little gun for the job. The average skeet load in .410 is 1/2 ounce of #8 shot at 1200 FPS.

So lets see a 1 oz load from a 12 ga. weighs 437.5 grains. So we are looking at 219 approx. grains of lead moving about 1200 FPS from the .410. Believe me a .410 will break /"smoke" a clay target just as well as a 12 Ga. will it's just that the 12 ga load weighs an ounce or perhaps a 1 1/8 oz. Still the velocity is the same. Now field loads in .410 are commonly 3/4 oz. Yeah we are getting up there now.

I know some are going to think, "Well yeah but the shot string will be approx 40" long." Yes at 25 yards (the average distance to the average skeet target when it is hit by the shot pattern). But frankly I don't think that is going to be the case from one end of the hallway in your house to the front door. In either case we don't have to be concerened about patteren spread at that distance

I sure wouldn't want any part of that. Believe me the BG while not launched back through the door like in the movies will clearly have most of the fight taken out of him in very short order. And even the heavy winter coat will be simply shredded. I wouldn't want to be wearing that coat.

Just my thought,slugs and large buck like OO have a hard kick to the shooter.
I would suggest something in the line of #4 if you can find them.They cause lots of leaks if you got to shoot a burglar
. 410 shells are kinda hard to find and the selection is usually sparse.

I used to have a 410 coach gun with 18" barrels and right barrel full choke, left barrel modified. Winchester magnum #4 Buckshot was the best pattern in either barrel I ever tried, about 36" spread at 30yds, nice pattern about 12" in diameter at 15 steps, recoil is not too bad for a small person shooting from the hip or shoulder.