I'd go with a larger diameter birdshot, like TTT for the first round, second & third rounds would be buckshot just to let the intruder know I'm serious.

Before my children came along, I kept a Rem 870 12 gauge with an 18.5 inch barrel available, and the four 2-3/4 inch 00 Buck cartridges were in the magazine. In my opinion, any issue that requires an armed response requires adequate and decisive firepower.

I think when it comes down to it either will get the job done. As long as you have a couple shots to fire it should take down an intruder. Has anyone tried the Hornady TAP ammo, they have a 12 ga load that is for situations like this but I have no experience with it

From koolpics57 Consider this, just the forceful working of a shotguns action to chamber a round is like the ultimate attention getter and evacuation drill you can ring.(especially a pumpgun)

When i took my concealed carry class, the instructor told us that if we ever found ourselves in a situation where we had to shoot someone, to make sure he is down for the count (with one shot, of course). I'd stick with the buck.

OK, check this out. Some poor fella just killed a guy he THOUGHT was stealing his mama's palm trees down here in south texas (www.themonitor.com), with a shotgun loaded with buckshot. Now they've got him for murder, and though castle laws are TOUGH in Texas, this guy is in serious trouble. I'm a former Marine grunt with a family ranch to look after, and I believe in escalation of force (even if it's REALLY, really rapid escalation). If that poor fella had had two loads of birdshot loaded first, he coulda gotten his point across without killing anybody. But when there's a nutjob INSIDE your house, whatever will do the job without any blue-on-blue. SITUATION ALWAYS DICTATES. I keep a couple birdshot shells in and the rest buckshot, although I do not believe in shooting to disable.

Although #4 Buckshot is the #1 choice for Law Enforcement, you must remember what’s beyond the target. You are liable from the squeeze of the trigger to the final resting point of that projectile/projectiles and hope nobody slips and falls on it.

Pass on the buckshot, go with a 1 oz. slug. One hit, no chance of spread, and definately will put something down.

In my own guns I run 2 slugs, 1 #4 Buckshot, and the rest are slugs. The buckshot is incase I see some rather large item that I can't get on the fly with the slug.

Hopefully looking down the barrel of a 12 gauge will be enough to get an intruder to back down. If not i would go with bird shot, lower penetration because your kid may be on the other side of that wall.

I think I will stick to the 000 buck I kept in mine. My thinking is that a person more or less is about the size of a deer or larger, and there is no why that I would take birdshoot deer hunting. The other points is that it is illegal to hunt that sized animal with birdshot, it would be only hurt the deer. Therefore I believe that birdshot would only hurt an intruder and not put him down. My life is worth more to me than an intruders, so the less shots I need the better.

If you choose not to use a buckshot load at least use #4 shot or bigger.

Bird shot or buck shot doesn't matter. At the 10 yards or less you have in your house, Pattern is about the same, both are going through your drywall, and shots to the vitals are going to keep them down. If you live in the city or have really close neighbors you'll be lucky if a slugs not inside your neighbor's house. People keep comparing load results to game animals and it doesn't apply. They are tougher and stronger than we are.

#4 Buck...Might be difficult to find, but it will do the job!

Have you ever seen what a 12ga 2 ¾” with 1¼ oz #8 does to a car door? ENOUGH SAID!

At fighting ranges this, to me, is splitting hairs. I have #4 birdshot in my Mossberg 500 and Winchester 1300 (both 12 ga and both combat shotguns). I do not in the least feel that any booger man will walk away if hit solid inside my house. Now if I have to shoot past 10-15 yards, that means the fight is outside.....things have really gone south!

Now I was an infantry grunt who spent 14 months in the Sunni Triangle in Iraq and can testify to the effectiveness of 00 buck (all we had). I can also testify that Hollywood has it all wrong, you can miss with these things across the room. It doesn't blow someone through a window, even at ranges when you can "grab their belt". But a solid hit at normal (10-15 yards) ranges, it stops them in their tracks.