lol he said"in these crazy times" in 2014 who's watching in 2020

6 1/2 years later we are really living in the crazy times. Thanks for the video.

Intelligent, well thought out presentation with no Rambo BS. Thank you.

As a surgical nurse this brings up a lot of memories and emotions of being called in for gun shot trauma. Anyway you slice it a shotgun wound is hard to fix. Birdshot to the face was less lethal than a chest shot. And a person on drugs such as angel dust can keep coming even with a head shot. Be resolute in pulling the trigger

this is a good video ! i am a shot gunner I LIKE EM ! i don't care which round you put in a 12 gauge, from a # 8 to a slug. YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE ON THE RECEIVING END OF IT.

"In these crazy times"... he had no idea.

When this video was made, we had faith that our police and elected officials had our backs. Now it would appear that Home Defense is up to the home owners themselves. We're on our own.

I just hope we're not saying the same thing about "these crazy times" another seven years from now.

This vid gets an upvote for Roy's epic moustache alone.

2013: Buckshot or birdshot 2020: Bidet or toilet paper

“After that the guns Jamaican. Buckshot, buckshot, buckshot.” -Dave Chapelle

Give yourself more time to react to home invasions: 1 reinforce doors with 3 in screws to the stud. This will give you at least 30 seconds. Most doors have small 1" screws anchored to pine easily breached by 1 or 2 kicks or a strong shoulder. 2 rehearse what your response will be if someone is trying to break in. 3 know how to use your weapon of choice. 4 install security cameras with line crossing notification. 5 Install security lighting around perimeter of home. 6 NEVER tell anybody about any valuables in your home.

Anyone should be able to purchase a firearm to protect their family. Its your choice. That's freedom.

On the home invasion point, as a 24 year veteran cop, I have to say the number of thugs who might break in is something you can't count on. Most night burglaries are one-man jobs, based on my own experience investigating them. Some daytime invasions are multiple criminals, but then again, some are single assailants. It's nice to setup choke points and back-stops and such, but the reality of a fight is it rarely goes as planned.

Do all that you can do to make certain your intruder never has the ability to be someone else's intruder.

I have a friend who served as a Marine; he told me they preferred bird shot while he was serving abroad. They can be held accountable for deaths that were not targets. In close quarter operations.

My kid's rooms are both on the other end of the house. If an intruder came in through the front door or back door I would most likely have to encounter him between myself and my kid's rooms. My shotgun is loaded with 1 1/4oz loads of #4 birdshot with no choke. Thanks for the vid. I was still on the fence about my decision but this confirmed it. I'd rather a slight risk of being shot by an intruder after he takes a load of birdshot to the chest than risk hitting my own kids in the exchange.

Up here in Canada we have very restricted laws, and no stand your ground laws. Regardless, Shotguns are not as restricted as hand guns and even some rifles. Keep fighting for your gun rights down south in the US, your govenment will try to take them away, my government is always regulating. Regardless of no stand your ground laws in Canada, if I find someone in my house I will defend myself and my family. Bird shot is my preference as I am in a residential neighborhood with 2 other people in the house. Regardless of the load, a 12gauge shotgun is a deterent for anyone in their right state of mind.

I don't think an intruder is picky as to buckshot or birdshot. Each time you rack the slide for the follow-up shots, he's not sure if it's lights-out.

When you said crazy times, thought it was 2020 video. Great info in a well put video!

This was great Roy, thanks. Got Remington as a gift-1st gun. Excited and nervous.

Ok people if birdshot is ineffective for home defence then why is it, here in South Dakota, at least one person is killed every year from being shot while out pheasent hunting? Most from a greater distance then across your living room. Unless your using a single shot you can quickly put a second round into some one. If he has friends they will most likely run after the first round.

Thank you sir,, you made it so simple and clear,, also I like the way you keep the family safety first!!! That's what home defense is all about!! Stop the attacker and keep the family safe,, not on pulling the attackers guts out and penetrating your little boys wall and hurting him,, thank you for your knowledge,, God bless you sir!!🇺🇸

#4 buck shot is a good compromise

I sleep well with #4 shot.

This was a very good video and answered my questions about what I should be using in my weapon. I had questioned the effectiveness of birdshot thinking that buckshot would be the best way to go, however, after seeing the video I am fine with the birdshot I have. Thank you.

Thank you very much sir. I got four kids, a wife, and a mother in law in the house, and this subject has been on my mind

Roy great video. Great explanation. No fillers. Right to the point. Excellent presentatio you are a natursl on camera.

What if you wake and hear your child screaming? Are you going to stay in your barricaded position? Nope, you'll run to the fight, and likely encounter a bad guy or bad guys in unpredictable ways. You honestly can't predict how or where the fight is going to occur. For urban areas (apartments, houses close to each other, homes full of family members) I would use birdshot. Perhaps, as one person said, a load of buck after the first couple might make sense.

Either one will definitely make the intruder very unhappy.

Excellent and timely advice. Most residents wouldn't have a clue!

Thanks Roy, I just bought my first shotgun and these are the very questions I had

Your visual aid and presentation was, OUTSTANDING! Thank you for posting this.

It's it just me or does the birdshot look like someone's worst nightmare

Just got my first shotgun a few days ago, ata etro. We got birdshot and I'm very glad we did. Thanks for the demonstration.

Thank you for this video, it gave me so much clarity. I purchased the number 6 before watching this video, but I see you using the number 8. But it can't be too much of a difference.

From 93-95, i worked in a large gun shop. Looking at a shotshell table, i came up with the idea for a 12 ga hone defense load, with 1.5 oz of #2shot. That would be approx 135 .15 cal pellets. At close range, a dense pattern would be effective, and the overpenetration concern would be reduced. Apparently someone at Federal was thinking similarly, because months later they came out with a 1.25 oz load in their home defense line (no doubt to keep the recoil down a bit). From what i see, #4 buck is a good option. It penetrates a bit less, u get fairly good patterns, and 3x as many pellets (27) as a standard 00 load. Many LE agencies use it, incl LAPD and LASO, and they do not complain of a lack of stopping power. Being heavily urbanized, they have legit concerns about overpenetration. Another good option is Federal's "tactical" #1 buck, 15 pellet load with the Flitecontrol wad. It throws very tight patterns (less worry about stray pellets), and the pellets are only slightly smaller than 00, about .30 cal. I guess they stack more efficiently in a shell, with less wasted space. At my urhing a few years ago, the agency i used to work for switched to the 00 version, and patterns tightened noticeably from open bored guns. I am a long time AHG reader. I like Roy and his crew a lot, and i respect his opinion. Also, a bit of choke helps. The IC choke tube for my 20" 870 gives good buck patterns out to 25 yds or better, and great accuracy with Foster style slugs (and rifle sights). Just thought i would share some info based on my experiences. Hope it helps. STAY SAFE!!

Thanks I live in an apt so I guess bird shots is the way to go

I greatly appreciate the information. I had always felt that in a home defense situation, everything you say is correct.

Eye-opening, thanks for the video, it gives us something to think about. Always necessary to tailor your firearm/ammo to your individual situation.

This is just lovely. I've always been of the mind that 6 shot would be good for home defense. With birdshot you will easily penetrate skin. The bbs may stop on bone, but, the damage to muscle tissue and bleeding alone is strong. If you hit them in the face with birdshot, they may not die. Depending on range the bbs may not be strong enough to penetrate the skull. I dont really know, but, if you assume that they just aren't, there is still this - more bbs ripping through the skin is more chances to hit blood vessels close to the surface. Multiple small mass impacts with the same velocity and total mass as a single or a few large mass impacts theoretically deposits the same kinetic payload, so knockback power remains close. Also if one of those many bbs hits them in the eye, they're blind in that eye and it may be able to pass through the thin bone at the back of the eye. In the body, you have a lot more chances to hit a lot more things than with buckshot. Buckshot is fine imo, but I think 00 is a bit much. 4 shot sounds like a nice enough balance between the two. I would take 6 shot any day in a 20 and 4 in a 12. You got a shotgun, they have a little spread. You wanna use that to your advantage as much as possible. And yeah the overpen issue is why even a 9mm fmj is kinda a problem, even though I still consider a glock 19 9mm to be the quintessential all around daily carry personal defense weapon. A 20 gauge with 6 shot doesn't have that problem, but carrying around is more of a hassle.

I like #4 buck for close range defense really you get more pellets than '00' but they are larger than birdshot and will be more effective.

Excellent, sane, information, thank you Roy!

Thanks! I was unsure of what ammo to buy for home defense purposes and this video really helped a lot :)

When I lived in my apartment I kept the first load with a home defense 1oz slug the rest was 71/2 bird load. I had 00 buck on the side rail. The idea was if I had to barricade myself and fire the first shot I would be fairly accurate and if I needed follow up shots in pursuit bird would do. Now i live in a house I have 00 buck in the tube and 00 buck on the side rail

I'm betting most over-the-counter defensive shotguns today may have an improved cylinder perhaps? And, indeed, through any sporting shotgun with some barrel length and choke, most birdshot loads would be covered by your hand at 5 to ten yards. Which means, however, you'd need to aim carefully. I'm thinking the spread of our test sample may make better sense in the home. Thanks for your comments, Roy Huntington

EXCELLENT video!! Very well done. I. Changing the first 2 rounds to birdshot. Thank you!!!

Thanks for this video. It definitely help me understand what could work best in a particular situation.

I would like to thank you for your service. I talk about the 4 general types of a home invasion and have studied the anatomy of the home invasion not related to drugs for the past 6 years. When i talk about choke points the most common comeback is that plans go out the window during a fluid event. This comment has always confused me because the opposite is not having a plan. Work your plan and change when warranted.

#6 shot in 12 gauge is perfect for home defense. Or hunting squirrel and rabbit. Just saying.

Thanks for your insightful assessment. I’m buying the Mossburg 590 for home defense and wondered what load to use. Bird shot is the answer for me.

Great video Roy, thanks for the info and for sharing

#4 Buck is a perfect compromise. Much less of a chance of over penetration while still providing ample penetration at home defense ranges.

Informative and well done. Give us the facts without all the personal opinions. I like the common sense advice of study, test, train. I always like the advice “ Find what works best for you”.

Very well thought out and put together. Thank you.

Simple yet incredibly effective video that surmises what is effective for what situation VIA short video

and then after that, gun's Jamaican

I have several guns around the house for my family to protect themselves. Several are shotguns, two are pistol shotguns. The are loaded with #4 shot. The “Duck load” keeps a good pattern and does some damage. I was concerned that when afraid their accuracy would be off. I believe in shotguns and ultra bright flashlights for home defense! Great vid! Thanks

Very informative information. Thank you for this video. I had some questions about this lately.

Thank you! I was just thinking about this and ran into your video.

Great video. I keep 7.5 for my house for the very reason described I. This video

If you have ever seen a post mortem x-ray of a chest cavity from 12 gauge # 4 ( not 4 buck ) it tells the tale. Pretty much all the center mass organs looked like Swiss cheese and most of the projectiles were captured. I know a lot of people who run the first 3 rounds as birdshot followed by 00 buck.

I'm glad you brought this up. You're right! A lot of people don't know this.

Excellent information and comparison, thanks for the advice👍

In my cop days, I worked a shooting in which a daughter, whose drunk dad was beating her mother, shoot him at about 8 yards with #8 birdshot and literally blew his arm off at the shoulder and he bled out on the way to the hospital. Now note it was a modified choke, but one could not have asked for anything more effective. My home gun is loaded with left over #6 turkey loads.

#4 Buckshot is a good balance between effectiveness and not getting over penetration. Paul Harrell has a good presentation on the topic titled Home Defense: Penetration Through Walls.

This video is very much appreciated! Thank you!

This was extremely helpful. Thank you!

I don’t care what nobody say you can use 7 or 8 shot bird/target shells in a 12gauge. Anything within 15ft that person is dead.

Thanks for sharing. I have both shells and I never even thought about the over penetration. I think the next couple of boxes will be bird shot. If you can there is always a warning shot. I never thought so many people would panic like this. I was a sport diver for 20 years, and I kill for food only. I even take spiders outside. Thanks for sharing.

hello! there.! I know this is an older video but I would like to thank you for the type of ammo to us for home defense. i have close neighbors and i wouldn't wanna put them in harms way.

Shotgun is great for home defense in short barrel set ups. Thanks again for the information supplied.

Huntington is a good name for a gun enthusiast.

I have blown a 4 inch thick mesquite log completely in half from around 3 yards with one 12 gauge birdshot blast. That would definitely take somone's leg off and they would bleed to death fast, no joke.

Thanks for a great video that is clearly explained and to the point in an efficient amount of time. Sometimes that's needed too.

Well Done Roy...very informative, Thank you Sir

I live in an apartment, so over-penetration would be a serious problem. I'll go with birdshot if I need to use my shotgun against a home invasion. I have obtained a Tokarev TX3 pump shotgun for home defense, and I have it loaded with #4 bird, with a full choke installed. I am quite confident that it will do the job against any perp foolish enough to break in, and I am not worried about taking out any of the neighbors. (And yes, I also have some buck and slug rounds in the event that the waste product impacts the air-moving machine.)

That "rat hole wound" is where the wadding punched the paper.

Nicely done Roy.

Finally, a voice of sanity! PH and this gentleman here, should be the brand ambassador of "responsible 2A guy" .

Excellent video and I just tried this on 3/4 plywood and bird shot did so much damage to a very large area and that sealed it for me bird shot is the best for home defense at close range.

Based on testing i have seen and pattern testing i have done, plus 20 years in LE, i would say #2 birdshot is a reasonable birdshot option. Pellet size is .15", and pelket count is about 90 to the oz. So a 1-1/4 oz load is about 112 pellets. At 1300-ish fps, that should be effective. My personal choice is #4 buck, but in a higher density living situation i would seriously consider #2 bird. A lot of people advocate turkey loads, most often #4. However, recoil can be heavy and i still think the shot size is a tad small. YMMV. At any rate, i would suggest using hunting loads (a full payload weight) rather than light target loads like the #8. STAY SAFE!

Great video! He answered my questions.

thank you that was extremely informative and helped me to make a better desition on which ammo to by for defending my home

My preference is the #4 birdshot. I have no concerns about using this load in my home. It can and will stop a bad person.

Anyone from Dave Chappelle?

You had me at your mustache sir. Informative video! Thank you

Thanks Roy this is been really helpful.

I always wonder how someone can say, "well, bird shot and buckshot are essentially the same, same wound, same stopping power/penetration on the bad guy, awe..i'm the boss listen to me" then on the same breath say that bird shot won't go through walls but buckshot will and then travel some distance and kill your neighbors. These all seem to be some pretty magical claims to me.

another 2 options are #4birdshot steel the kind used for waterfoul, a little bigger than #8 with a slightly higher penitration ability, or #4buck shot smaller pellets somewhat less penitration ability than 00buckshot, and more pellets, shot guns are very versital, pattern your shotgun with different loads and see what best fits your situation.

You are right on of the difference between the two I've been a shot Gunner for over 50 years. All these years shooting a shot guns and many rifels I've just brought my frist Hand gun at 62years old doing very well at it God bless

Very fine video, you do a nice job. I once read Teddy Roosevelt used 12 gauge shot shells to take larger game in Africa. He opened up the top of the cartridges, and poured paraffin over the shot. At close range it held the shot together long enough to be, more or less a solid mass. Supposed to have been very lethal.

In all fairness just hearing that infamous racking of the pump sends probably 90% running 8% stand there like a deer in headlights and the other 2% either round is sufficient at close range.

2020: hold my beer

Just saw a video of a man shot with bird shot and walks away with minor injuries so I decided to sell all my birdshot and buy buckshot. Thanks for the video

E x c e l l e n t ! Just what I was looking for! Thank you, Sir

to the naysayers , no human alive , drugged up or not could withstand being shot near center mass with a load of birdshot at reasonable home defense distances . say within 20 ft . it would literally blow them backwards . if not fatal very quickly the follow up shot would be . and dont think a blast to the face or head area wouldnt end things asap . they would be done for .

I typically use Federal #6 Game Load in my home’s self-defense 12 gauge. I have seen what they can do to larger game birds, such as turkey, grouse and pheasant. At close range their effectiveness is, in my opinion, more than up to the task of home defense-without too much over penetration.

WOW .................!!!! Thank you VERY much!!!! That was short and sweet - right to the point! I appreciated that. I **Will** experiment like you said, but you were VERY informative with this video! 😉😉😉😉

Thanks Roy For good information