*Ka-CHUNK* Show
The sound alone of racking your shotgun’s slide should send intruders running, but what if it doesn’t…  What if you actually had to shoot it? You’d want something that stops the bad guys. We’ll go over the best shotgun ammo for your home/apartment plus what to use for regular target practice. Complete with ballistics gel tests and even recommendations for different gauges. *Update*: Ammo has been steadily coming back since 2020 but ever since the Ukrainian and Russian war we’re seeing a lot more ammo purchases. Here’s what is in stock:
Table of Contents Loading... Why The Shotgun?“Oh, just get a shotgun with 00 buck.” That’s probably what you’ve heard when you ask anyone about the best home defense gun and load. They’re probably right though…the shotgun is the OG of the three things you want in a defensive gun:
But you still got to choose the correct round otherwise you’ll end up with a pissed-off bad guy. Don’t have a shotgun yet? Check out our Top 5 Home Defense Tactical Shotguns first. What Makes a Good Defensive Round?In our other defensive round reviews (9mm, .45 ACP, .40 S&W, 5.56/.223), we show examples of how the FBI conducts ballistics gel tests to test loads.
However, there’s not as much good data for shotgun loads so we will have to make do with what we’ve got. Review of Shotgun LoadsBefore we do…let’s quickly review the three main types of shotgun loads. For a more in-depth guide, check out our Shotgun Terms article. BirdshotWhat’s birdshot, you ask? Think of it as lots of little BBs spreading out so you can hit birds/clays. The larger the number in front of the shot (eg. #9 shot), the smaller but more plentiful the BBs. Also, understand that the shotgun is not a magical death machine where you simply aim into a room and get everyone. Below is the pattern of 7.5 birdshot at 10-yards. BuckshotMuch larger BBs than birdshot, the most plentiful buckshot round is 00 buck (“double-aught buck”). It has eight to nine pellets, each roughly 8.4mm in diameter. You don’t want to get hit by any of those…let alone nine. Again, larger numbers of buckshot (such as #1 or #4) have increasingly smaller pellets. While more 0’s get bigger. This type is made for hunting and self-defense. Buckshot requires pretty good aim. Check out standard 00 buck at 10-yards. SlugsThis type of shotgun ammo consists of one big piece of metal, usually around 1 ounce. It’s great for well-aimed shots and has decent distance as well. I’ve had to ring steel at 120-yards for some competitions and although it’s hard…it’s doable with slugs. To learn more about shotgun ammo and patterning, check out the video below. Best Shotgun Birdshot AmmoGreat for hunting and shooting at clays but not the best for home defense. If you read around, you’ll likely see some people suggest #4 birdshot if you’re afraid of thin walls and adjacent family/neighbors. But let’s take a look at the ballistics gel data I got from TTAG (who got it from a now-defunct page.) You can see it differs from the FBI protocol so we’ll have to adjust.
You can see the #8 birdshot does not penetrate the recommended 12 to 18-inches…even without clothes in front. #4 birdshot (which is much bigger) fares only slightly better. What about #2 birdshot? Better…but just at the lower cusp of what is deemed acceptable…and still without clothing. Looks like it will leave some pretty terrible wounds but it’s not guaranteed to stop the baddie. Especially if they are bundled up. Birdshot for Target Shooting
Best Shotgun Buckshot AmmoLet’s take a look at #4 buckshot. It looks pretty good…with what looks like 14.5-inches penetration — what we would deem the minimum acceptable load. It’s nowhere near the ammo selection of 00 buck. How about if we go with #1 buckshot? The #1 buck exhibited an average of 16-inches penetration and the testers needed another block to catch all of the 16-pellets of .30 caliber lead death. However, not that many choices when compared to 00. Now how about the tried and true 00 buckshot? This not-that-great picture shows what is an average of 20-inches penetration. Given the lack of clothing in front of the gel, we can guesstimate that it likely will fall towards the upper end of the 12 to 18-inches penetration sweet spot. Good stuff! We go even more in-depth with over-penetration in our drywall study. Now onto our recommendations… #4 BuckshotGo with the trusted names of Federal Vital-Shok and Federal Power Shok. Not the best or many choices, but the minimum of what we would consider as a good shotgun defensive round. Maybe consider if you have really thin walls in your apartment. 6 at Lucky Gunner Prices accurate at time of writing Prices accurate at time of writing
#1 BuckshotI’d go with the Winchester Super-X. The next step up and maybe the Goldilocks round (just the right amount of penetration). 6 at Brownells Prices accurate at time of writing Prices accurate at time of writing
00 BuckshotLots more choices here that directly cater to self-defense. I like the Federal Tactical LE with Flight Control if you have the aim or the other Federal brands for a more standard 00. A personal favorite and what I use is the Winchester Military version. Lots of oomph though! 5 at Lucky Gunner Prices accurate at time of writing Prices accurate at time of writing
Low Recoil BuckshotMight be a great balance between power and recoil. I haven’t tried these out but there are great reviews for both Remington, Fiocchi, and Rio. 7 at Lucky Gunner Prices accurate at time of writing Prices accurate at time of writing
What’s your take on buckshot for self-defense loads? Readers' RatingsYour Rating?Best Buckshot Ammo for Target PracticeIdeally, you’ll practice with what you might have to use at home. But it does add up. I like Wolf 00 for everything affordable. Best Slugs for Home DefenseDefinitely, overkill unless you have perfect aim and no neighbors for some distance. Yup, you read that right…it’s around 27-inches of penetration. Great for hunting/protection against bigger critters…but not of the two-footed humankind. Federal Vital-Shok, 2-3/4″ Rifled SlugA classic of the ages and ready to stop any threat you put it up against. 6 at Lucky Gunner Prices accurate at time of writing Prices accurate at time of writing
Winchester Super-X, 2-3/4″ Rifled SlugNormally a cheaper option, but still reliable and accurate. 9 at Lucky Gunner Prices accurate at time of writing Prices accurate at time of writing
Fiocchi, 12-Gauge 2-3/4″ Slug (Low Recoil)If you need something with a little less shoulder mashing kick, this is for you! 16 at Lucky Gunner Prices accurate at time of writing Prices accurate at time of writing
Shotgun Ammo for Other GaugesUp til now, we’ve focused on the 12-gauge, which is by far the most popular. I’m not super familiar with the other gauges so I’m following the recommendations of Internet Armory. .410-GaugeWeak caliber…even with slugs. Avoid for self-defense. 20-GaugeGreat for smaller stature people. The smaller 20 gauge delivers 70% of the lead with a 40-50% reduction in recoil when compared to 12 ga. #3 Buck is recommended. 10-GaugeLols, you can probably go with anything for this “canon.” ConclusionThere you have it…our recommendations for the best shotgun ammo for home defense and target shooting. So try a bunch of them out and see what shoots and patterns best in YOUR shotgun. For more on choosing the right shotgun ammo, check out the Brownells Daily Defense video below. What did you end up liking the best? Let us know in the comments! And check out our other shotgun articles:
Are slugs or buckshot better for home defense?There is always the risk when taking close range shots with buckshot that the individual pellets will over penetrate. However, buckshot pellets lose their kinetic energy considerably faster than slugs, making it the better overall choice for self-defense.
Is #1 buckshot good for home defense?1 buckshot loads seem attractive for home defense. Penetration is adequate, and they are less offensive as far as recoil goes. A word of caution, however: If the offender is heavily garbed or if the shotgun may be used for defense against big cats, 00 buckshot may be the better choice.
What size buckshot is best for home defense?2.75-inches: These are the most popular shells and are a good compromise of both load and recoil. 2.75-inch shells are the most common choice for home defense and tactical use. Almost all shotguns have 2.75-inch shells.
Is a 12 gauge shotgun good for home protection?If you should need to protect you or your family, the great virtue of the 12 gauge shotgun is its terminal performance. When loaded with 2 ¾-inch slugs, 00 or No. 1 buckshot the 12 gauge is brutally effective at short range, such as is encountered in a typical indoor defensive shooting scenario.
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Best shotgun shell for home defense
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