Tactically speaking shotguns and home protection
By Dave Bates
For the Observer-Reporter
In the self-defense world, so much print is given to the AR-15 platform or the latest, greatest, auto 9mm that we almost forget the tried and true. The utilitarian. The scattergun.
Few weapons do an all around job of self-protection better than a shotgun. Sadly, in law enforcement circles, I have seen the shotgun discarded to the weapons rack in favor of the 30-round magazine 5.56 caliber. Younger officers seem to like the point-and-shoot simplicity of a red-dot optic riding atop a rifle rig. And why not? It’s sexy. It’s cool. It’s tacticool. But is it a one-stop shopping affair? It is said in gunning circles that one fights one’s way to the rifle, first, last and always. I really can’t disagree. I rather fancy the notion that when the human waste material comes in contact with the rotating oscillator I’d want to be in possession of a rifle if the other poor sucker is holding a handgun. Just about always.
But for instances of home protection, close-quarters combat, repelling a numerically superior force, and overall firepower, I wouldn’t hesitate to grab a shotgun and I’d not feel under-gunned. They are short, wieldy and smooth in the correctly trained hands. From years of bird hunting, a shotgun just points naturally for me. If I can hit a moving target at speed and distance then connecting with a stationary object should prove a bit less challenging. Moving about the interior of a residence, maybe needing to talk on a cellphone to 911, possibly in need of a flashlight, the shotty excels. Taking a door off hinges or waxing a lock assembly; you got it. Shotgun. Breaking glass. Ditto. Disabling a vehicle with a single round through the nose end (radiator). Shotgun one more time. Guess Bank robbers or home invaders wearing body armor? I will attest that the best medicine could very well be a shotgun slug, center mass, certainly capable of taking the assailant off their feet. Not to appear gruesome, but without body armor, think train meets cow on railroad tracks. The one-ounce slug out of a 12-gauge is the train, indeed. One of the most awesome projectiles that can be lobbed at a bad guy.
When it comes to picking your poison as to action type, it is personal preference. A slide action or pump is often the layman’s choice because it offers multiple rounds in one loading. They are also quite reliable. Several different types of rounds can be incorporated in the same load out; slug, buckshot and birdshot all in the same magazine. More modernistic fans of the scattergun might steer towards the auto-loader. Because of my experience bird hunting with double-barreled shotguns, personal preference is a side-by-side double-barreled coach gun.
While action type is purely a matter of personal choice and training, notice that I included “training.” If you plan to arm yourself with a shotgun, then practice with a shotgun. And practice with the type of ammunition you plan to shoot. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. The key to any weapons platform is training. Some folks have the idea that a shotgun in their hands means automatic hits on target because the pattern spread is so big. This is wishful thinking and couldn’t be further from the truth. In actuality, for the first few feet out of the muzzle of a cylinder-choked shotgun the pattern opens roughly less than one inch per foot of travel in distance. It is substantially less at muzzle range and opens a bit more as distance increases. This means at five to eight feet, the birdshot pattern of a shotgun is a lot smaller in diameter than one might imagine. It is not an exact science because it depends on myriad factors such as choke, barrel length, round type, distance, etc. I recall a few years back a rather moronic statement from a president, who shall go nameless, telling American homeowners why they didn’t need an AR-15 for home defense. In essence, he said that all you need for home defense is a double-barrel shotgun. Just hang it out the back door and fire a couple of blasts. No more problems. This could not be further from the truth. Can you say liability?
So what do we put down the pipe? Different applications call for different medicine. Birdshot loads can be a great solution for someone concerned with shooting through interior walls where the safety of others are a concern. It is no less deadly than other types of loads. The rate of penetration for birdshot is substantially less than that of buckshot or slugs but it will penetrate and can cause substantial damage.
While we’re on the subject, what is buckshot? “Double aught” or 00 12-gauge buckshot is a standard load of eight or nine .33-caliber pellets or balls that travel in a cluster and spread out with distance. Their effect is devastating. Any single pellet can be deadly or can cause significant damage. Multiple hits are a force multiplier. A slug is a single (roughly one ounce) projectile. It hits with great force, like a mini-cannonball.
In capable, trained hands, the home defense shotgun can perform amazing tasks. It is not, however, a magic wand for someone who does not understand its limitations.
Dave Bates writes a weekly outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter. He can be reached at alphaomegashootingsolutions@gmail.com