“A single round of buckshot to the torso almost always results in an immediate change of behavior.” Now that’s a quote I can get behind! Love it! 😂

Can we all please give Lucky Gunner some kind of award for the work they do? The info is unbiased, clear, concise, and relevant.

This is a GREAT series on buckshot and shotguns. You've effectively compressed 5 years of shotgun experience into these videos. *Well done, thank you.*

12:15 "a round of buckshot to the torso almost always results in a change of behavior" If by "behavior" you mean "the persistence of life" and by "change" you mean specifically "the cessation of" then yes.

Excellent information. I have first hand experience using Rio buckshot on a home intruder many years ago, it performed very good at the distance I had to shoot ( about 25 ft) the entire load hit the intruder high in the upper chest and shoulder on his right side and he went down fast and was out of the fight without another shot being fired. The guy survived the wound but was crippled permanently and later died in prison from another inmate assaulting him.

You've taught me so much about shotgun ammunition in two videos. Thank you for mentioning the 9th pellet flyer

Paul Harrell recently referred to your 9th pellet flier and, in addition to complimenting you, agreed with you on the oddity of this phenomenon.

"A single round of buckshot to the torso almost always results in an immediate change of behavior." Truer words were never spoken.

How this channel isn’t over 1M yet is mind boggling - some of the best, most well presented content out there.

It’s called TERMINAL RESPONSIBILITY! They used to teach it at a remedial level. Not so much anymore but it’s nice to see you teaching it.

Darn, had to watch this twice. Been shooting for 50 years, and LG taught me more about shotgun ammo than I knew. Thank you, Lucky G........!

"A single round of buckshot to the torso, almost always results in an immediate change of behavior." Lol, amen.

"a single round of buckshot to the torso almost always results in a change of behavior' might be the best sentence in both episodes. A target dropping to the ground while his 2 or 3 hommies defecate themselves is certainly a change in behavior.

I was in the military for over 22 years and we used a 9 pellet buckshot now it's good to know that the 8 pellet is better thank you for teaching us something many of us did not know.

Shotguns. Most useful firearm ever made. Hunt anything that runs or flies with the variety if ammo available.

I think that slugs are good for boars and bears, but not for many of us when it comes to home defense. Thanks for these videos, I appreciate your discretion and knowledge. May God bless you, sir, and watch over you and your family.

I use 00 Buck but in a pinch, such as no buckshot available due to an ammo shortage, #4 Turkey load will seriously mess an attacker up within the confines of a home as well. I used to work for the local S.O. as the shift SGT in their jail. Our training Lt, who is also certified by the state to teach pistol, rifle and shotgun courses, showed me some autopsy pictures of a guy who broke into the wrong house at 3:30 am a few counties over. Homeowner had an 18" barrel model 500 loaded with #4 Winchester Turkey loads instead of buckshot because this was during the middle of the big ammo shortage a few years back and finding buckshot in our area was about as easy as finding .22 lr was for the rest of the country. First shot hit the guy in the upper right arm. Wasn't much of it left other than the pieces of skin keeping the rest from falling to the ground. Second, round hit the guy center mass which immediately resulted in his involuntary compliance to the homeowners wishes to stop firing a .22 revolver at him. Both shots were from approximately 20 ft and at that distance the #4 turkey load was nothing short of devastating. It is also of note that the perp had enough meth and other drugs going through his system to give a large horse superpowers. Which explains why he was able to ignore the destruction of his right arm and keep firing.

Absolutely the best video I've seen on the topic. Outstanding job at presenting pertinent information that almost anyone with or without firearms training can comprehend. I love the no nonsense, cut straight to the chase approach on your presentation. Great job and thank you for this top notch content.

Added to my list of keeper quotes: "A single round of buckshot to the torso almost always results in an immediate change of behavior. " Thanks for that!

love the versatility of a shotgun. nice to have the ability to switch from buckshot to a slug for a longer shot

"One shot of 00 Buck will likely cause a change of behavior.." 😆 love it!! I'm gonna write that one down!

Another good video Sir! I think you are the first person to actually talk about the "quirks" of buckshot (it's response to chokes, the 9th pellet flier, and the difference between buffered and unbuffered shot) on KZfaq. I've seen a fair amount of stuff about Birdshot but not Buckshot.

I subbed right after you guys put out the OG Beretta 1301 content and have been impressed at your quality videos ever since. I'm one of the few members of my department that still carry both a shotgun and patrol rifle on duty and absolutely love to shoot shotgun. I truly believe that aside from taking a course, the best shotgun training is to browse the KZfaq's for a bootleg "Art Of The Dynamic Shotgun" and get a handful of dummy shells. Another often overlooked advantage to me is the ability to administrative reload without losing the ammo already loaded. A pistol or typical modern rifle require you to drop the box magazine to insert a new one.

An ounce and an eighth or ounce and a quarter at 1,200 FPS or thereabouts puts a lot more energy into the BG than a 230 gr.45 ACP round. To top it off, a shoulder fired weapon is easier to operate under stress at close quarters. That’s not to say you shouldn’t keep your handgun close by if you are proficient with it, but a load of buckshot properly placed is more likely to bring the confrontation to an end. As always, good information. Thank you!

To add to your rifle/carbine vs shotgun notes: In the aftermath of a self-defense shooting, having used grandpappy's 12ga pump instead of a big scary black rifle might win you some sympathy points in a jury trial if you live in a place where your freedom might come down to that.

Neutralizing the threat 8 - 00 Buck at a time. Thank you Chris for sharing.

I am a new shotgun owner, which I bought with the purpose of farming protection and hunting. I am happy to find this channel as I am learning so much.My shotgun is the Turkey made Armalegant pump action. Still familiarizing with it though.

To paraphrase James Yeager "shotgun fights usually don't last very long".

I like to call that 9th flyer the "crazy ivan" though thats mainly talking about boxes of russian steel case ammo, each box comes with a single crazy ivan flyer round.

I can tell you that from my experience, with my shotgun, the Flight Control ammo patterns slightly best with Improved Cylinder(.720), instead of Cylinder(.730). I think this slight restriction keeps the shot cup inline with my point of aim a little better, without stripping it, which would happen with too much choke restriction. As for standard buckshot loads... My shotty patterns the best using an Improved Modified(.705), but a Full(.700) comes in close second. #4 buckshot patterns best using a .680, or a .690 choke. You provided some excellent info in these 2 videos, regarding buckshot. Maybe you dispelled a few "myths". Love your channel.

Federal Premium was the most consistent of all we tested. Since our armed encounters tended to be at distance tight, consistent patterns served us best. However, for urban environments pattern spread can be very beneficial, especially if an assailant is moving. If a really tight pattern is desired then one should choose a rifled slug.

"the greatest potential to end the fight quickly" And that, my friends, is the American way. We don't always follow it, but we're usually at least aware of it.

Great channel. Today's topic was probably one of my favorites. I use a shockwave in 20 gauge... Sleeps in bed with me... Various other calibers stashed between my bedroom and the front door. 👍

I really liked this series. I have quite a lot of experience with handgun and riffle but know next to nothing about shotguns. I learned a lot and wanted to thank you 👍

For a guy that looks like a craft brewer from Portland, Oregon, Chris really knows his way around firearms. Great tutorials.

Flight control is when I keep the wings straight and level....opps, wrong channel.

Great information to know especially about 9 vs 8 buckshot pellets and effects. Thanks for sharing this!

So glad I found this channel. With so many "first time" buyers equipping shotguns for home defense due to the peaceful protests, without any experience with shooting shotguns, I hope they find this video. I really like that you cover both ammunition types and chokes. I am curious what your thoughts are on the Olin Mfr "military" 9-pellet 00 rounds as compared to those covered in the 2 videos. The discussion about chokes likely saved me some cash; which I'll gladly pay forward at your web store.

Solid, logical explanations and reasoning as usual. Thank you, glad I found this channel

I have an NFA registered Benelli Super Nova Tactical with a 14.5in barrel. I use Honady Low Recoil Tap in it with good results. At 45 feet, it patterns just over 5-1/4 inches. I also chronograph that load out of the shorter barrel. It leaves the barrel at 933 fps.

I understand the main objective is to "Stop the threat" and not necessarily to kill. However, I believe it may depend on the local laws of where you live. The survival of a physical threat in your home may become a financial threat in the courtroom.

Great video and channel. It's always interesting for people outside the US to see how having drywall as construction material comes into play. Here in Perú, for instance, you go from shanties made of cardboard or reed mats to brick when you leave all but the most destitute of poverty.

This was one of the most informative buckshot videos I've ever seen, thank you! Had no idea how useful shot cups were up until now

I like that even though you have 700+ hours of training, you remain humble and encourage viewers to question. I would venture to guess that 95% of the people watching this content have less than 25 hours of actual training.

I’ve had weird experiences with federal flight control, i always pick out different ammo to pattern to see how I like different loads for home defense and federal flight control 9 pellet 00buck doesn’t pattern that well in my gun, it always gives 2 flyers (Usually within an inch of each other) 5” away from the single hole where the wad and 7 pellets went through at 8yards (longest possible shot in my house) however I’ve heard of people getting single holes on paper at up to 15 yards. My new defensive load is federal 2 3/4” 12pellet 00buck because it consistently put all pellets with in a 5” circle at 8 yards and if I’m going to have the same spread then might as well go with the extra pellets with more evenly spread pellets throughout the pattern. Just goes to show that you always need to pattern your own gun My shotgun is cyl bore 18.5” rem 870

As always, the information is presented in a concise, logical, and easy to understand matter. Great job Chris.

I bought a Mossberg Shock Wave for a near blind friend. It patterned as well or better than longer barreled/choked guns. Due to her visual impairement, I had to find the load with the most spread. That was Winchester military load overruns with 9 pellets. Rio 00 was a close second. Wow be into whoever tries to break into her house.

Sorry, Chris - I should have also mentioned that I love your channel. You are very professional and I always find something useful in your teaching. Keep up the great work.

000 When it absolutely, positively, has to go down right now. And you are out of slugs.

I seem to remember someone doing a demonstration with shotguns at various distances. When the pellets didn't spread at all before hitting the target, they seemed to penetrate completely and be more of a danger of over-penetration. I think I'd prefer a spread of about three inches when my pellets hit the target. Inside a home, I don't think I need anything special to get that spread. The Federal low recoil loads with the FlyteControl wads are nice rounds though. If I can get them cheaply enough, I like them.

"when a person is exposed to a single round of buckshot it almost always results in an immediate change in behavior" ! LOL

i don't usually post comments but i watch and read virtually all your stuff( couldnt think of a better word , no offense intended. ). very professional, and informative. thanks guys. keep up the good work.

Paul Harrell brought me here.

Interesting how the 9 pellet buck is more likely to have a 'flier' pellet than 8 pellet buck. Thank you for making these videos for us.

I have come up with a method of making my own special double ought (00) buckshot that when shot out of a 12 gauge shotgun with a cylinder bore every pellet is almost equidistant from each other when shot at 60 feet and the spread is almost always a 5-6 inch spread. At 100 ft. shooting the same load the spread stays equidistant from each pellet and the spread has opened up to just 8-10 inches every shot. I never buy any commercial buckshot any more and I also make my own slugs that are as good or better than anything you can find being sold today. I came by this method quite a few years ago after one of my Uncles showed me how he did it. It is a combination of some of what he did and an extra little thing that I added. I also have a method of taking off the shelf bird shot of any manufacturer and converting any shotshell with any shot size and turning cheap ammo into slugs that perform just as well or maybe even a little better than expensive slug ammunition you buy 5 at a time. I am thinking about trying to patent this method. I believe it would radically change the way shotguns are used.

This Guy knows what he is talking about It . very clean explanation no mumbling like many others straight to the point well done .

"Unconscious competence." I like that term!

Why not just use regular bird shot for in the house? Close range should keep it pretty tight and if one gets loose it wouldn’t have much energy once it hits a wall or something. Serious question.

I see the wide spread shot as double edged sword. The shot pattern may not be tight but you have a greater chance of hitting the target. In a stressful scenario, your aim will likely diminish. Like you said, even 1 pellet can kill. Now, if we're talking hunting or a scenario where it involves distance, then the obvious answer are the tighter loads.

You need to do this same video with 2 3/4 #4 Buckshot using an improved choke. As an average in the US you will be facing 2.5 people in your home during a crime. The nice thing about a shotgun is that you can put a torso hit on a felon then move on to your next customer quickly without much risk of them returning fire. If you have a good chance that felons could be lined up in a fatal funnel like a breezeway or hallway wile entering your home, 00 buck might be the better choice. You will find that #4 buck fits much better in a 12 ga. shot cup than 00 buck and is absolutely devastating inside a home. Nice video!

"Immediate change of behavior". Perfect.

First time seeing this Chanel and subscribed first minute I love the talk

Watch Paul Harrell and his demonstrations set up to mimic walls in a home on this topic. I think he concluded #4 buckshot (12 gauge) or #3 buckshot (20 gauge) were good choices to devastate close targets but not overpenetrate and kill your neighbors. Personally I think even BB shot (hunting geese) would be devastating close up and really protect your neighbors.

Once again, Ithank you for your comprehensive review. Your information is clearly and completely stated without hesitation. Again, thank you!

Absolutely fantastic video. I can’t believe I only just found this channel. Instant subscribe. 👍🏼

That little guy? I wouldn't worry about that little guy.

The excellence in this video just compliments Part 1. Thanks again for the very in depth yet easy to understand info. 😁👍👍

Please do a competitive video , like this one, for #4 Buckshot. I've used #4 Buck for Personal Home Defense for 40+ years now, because the FBI used to prefer #4s for their Feild Agents Entry Teams.

I love my shotty, so much fun, so intense, definitely going to get the nod if the SHTF at the house

I wouldn't mind seeing some testing on slugs. Particularly the higher velocity, softer lead, foster slugs. In my experiences when shooting slugs like Remington Sluggers, they seem to fragment fast & dump their energy pretty fast as well. That might not keep harmful projectiles from penetration interior walls inside your home but I couldn't imagine much leaving the outer walls of your home & reaching anything outside, including neighbors homes. If you live alone or your position in house has any relevance to the direction of your intended shots, this could def be a possibility. Weather you plan on using a shotgun, carbine or pistol, you most likely wouldn't be shooting any of them in a direction that could be unsafe to those others living/ sleeping in your home. No matter the weapon, we should always be target aware & conscious of what is behind it, right? So bc of their predictability & effectiveness, maybe slug tests? Just a thought... 🤔 Thanks for the awesome content guys 👍 and keep it up!

I really enjoyed this dual video series. Very informative and you have changed my mind-set on tight patterns vs wider patterns. Thanks.

This is by far one of the best channels for honest gun talk that doesn't drag politics into it

"9th pellet flier" reminds me of my morning squat on the throne. Good info though!

Anyone ever shot a 12ga in a house with no ear protection?? Hello can you hear me?

Outstanding video, as well as part 1. I feel a 12 gauge is by long and far the best home defense weapon of choice for not all but most homeowners, and you've explained why far more informative than I ever could have.

I think that was the best explanation of why a shotgun is great for home defense that I've ever heard and I've watched tons of videos on the subject. I could use any of the weapons described in this video for home defense but I use a shotgun. It just seemed like the best choice intuitively but it makes much more sense logically based on this video. Thank you!

"If you want a tight pattern without having to buy specialty ammo, you should instead get expensive custom gunsmithing."

I always enjoy your presentations and learn from them too. Favorite is still the .32 caliber family video. Thx.

Luckygunner, Hickok .45, and Paul Harrel are the only gun channels I can watch with my wife

From the 1st time I’ve watched chris he’s always been very straight forward and level headed in his direction the way he presents all the info about guns,,,,😊😊😊

Got my trusty 24 inches Maverick 88 loaded and ready in my bedroom corner. Firts one is 00, the following are Slugs... That's the way i see it. 🖖🏻🇫🇷😎🇫🇷🤪🇫🇷🖖🏻

I prefer "Dragon's Breath " and a fire extinguisher!

Late to the party here, but I did this for a living for 26 years. The Flight control wad from Hornady or Federal has taken buckshot loads to another level. No need for a custom Vang Comp conversion to any shotgun with this ammo. I bought thousands of rounds of this for duty use. Don't know if Federal still makes the LE127 load which is a high velocity load that would work in our older Benelli M-1 Super 90 guns. For a pump gun, the LE 132 low recoil is fine. Hornady made a deal with Federal many years ago to use the patented Federal Flite Control wad. I had this confirmed by a Federal L/E rep years ago. Looks like Hornady still has the deal. These loads run perfectly through a cylinder or IC choke. Prior to the Federal Flite Control wad, the normal calculation with buckshot loads was 1" of pattern dispersion to per yard of distance. Flite Control changed all of this . At 30 yards, the Flite Control wad, the pattern would stay within a 9" pie plate. If your distances are not farther than 50", regular buckshot will work well. Over that, get the FC wad loads.

One thing to think about with the military (5.56) having to use multiple rounds too end a threat is the ammunition they are limited to. Thankfully we are not and that ammunition we have access to is better in every way for CQC/home defense.

I learned a lot the last 2 videos. Thanks

i love me shottys so much i have four 😎🤷🏽‍♂️, i need to buy a all wood stock. that mossberg 590a1 retro looks pretty sick

under war conditions they have to use fmj. for self dense over here we can use expanding bullets which is more effective than punching pencil holes through the target. handgun carbines with defense rounds - hydroshok, corbon, critical defense

Very good points, and I currently own two high-quality 12-gauge pump shotguns. However, my Colt M4 with green-tip ammo is what I prefer for all my self-defense needs with a long gun, be they in my home, vehicle, or community.

I was really impressed when I patterned my Mossberg 500 SP with the Federal flight control...at 25 good paces, I had to walk up and do a double look, basically a fist sized hole. I thought I missed...my practice Spartans were at 8". But still the Spartans would do well within my abode too...but yeah, love the boomstick

2:04 those looke exactly like HDPE pellets. I'm in plastic manufacturing, we use them for purging the machines of materials in between runs. The stuff is cheap for our use, but makes perfect sense for someone like Remington that is buying gaylords of the stuff at a time.

Great video! Home defense and self-defense shootings are often a wee bit different than police shootings in that the predator, like most predators in any species, usually is not willing to invest much time in an attack that is going sideways. While buckshot doesn't always immediately "stop" someone willing to shoot it out with the police (different mindset than a predator as the predator is then being preyed upon), shooting an intruder or assailant is much more likely to cause them to decide to go elsewhere forthwith. Certainly this isn't 100%, so having more rounds ready to go is essential and prudent, but generally, once the lead starts flying, most predators decide to break off and flee. If the fall dead on your front lawn or are caught later in the local ER, either way, you and your family are safe. Once again, I'm a huge fan of the Federal Flite-Control wads and thanks for this and all your videos!

One more thing...... the sound of the blast is very scary! Nothing like a solid BOOM 💥 inside any home or closed in dwelling!!

I would most definitely be using lucky gunner for all my ammo needs if I didn’t live in California. 😫

Gel test the #4 Buck!

Few years back the Feds did a comparative study of defensive shotgun loads and concluded that the best load, in their results, was to use nickel-plated #4 buck, like you can still get from Fiocchi in a 27-pellet, 2-3/4" load going 1325 fps. Jus' sayin.

Hi Chris. Just wanted to complement you on these 2 videos. As a guy with many more hours of shotgun training than the 100 you have been exposed to, I have to say I agree with everything you said. There's a lot of YT videos out there and most propagate a number of well known and not so well known shotgun myths. It's nice to see someone properly articulate the reasons why in the right hands a shotgun is the superior choice for HD.

Having been a competitive skeet shoot many years ago I reloaded thousands of rounds that included hand loading a variety non-skeet loads, some with buckshot loads. One of my favorites was a .410 with four #00 Buck loaded in a full cup plastic wad. It's a tight pattern because they're lined up. Four 33 caliber balls at 1,200 fps is very formidable. Using a 2x4 for testing proved it very impressive. 4 holes in & one big hole out, similar to 8 holes from a 12ga. The recoil difference between a .410 and 12ga is night and day, especially for smaller framed women. For a light gun with a light load and a light kick it has a heavy impact and plenty of stopping power.

Be aware that the cheap rounds like the S&B will mushroom when loaded for a lont time in a mag tube. It will cause malfunctions in just about any gun. Never had that issue with Federal Flight Control.

Best gun guy on KZfaq. Thoughtful, mature, and evidence-based.

Single round to the torso = immediate change in behavior...GOLDEN!! ✊️✊️✊️