Shotgun Ammo for Self Defense -- Remember Birdshot is for Birds

If you search the internet for the question: “Is birdshot effective for stopping an attacker?” you will literally find hundreds of articles and dozens of YouTube videos debating the answer to this question. Some, like the July 2024 USCCA video imply that birdshot is effective under certain circumstances as a home defense round and perhaps it is. However, the problem that always arises: “Will your circumstances match those being discussed?”

I prefer to use a round that will likely be effective in a home defense role regardless of distance and circumstances. That round is . . . wait for it . . . Buckshot. Preferably the Federal 00 Buckshot with a FliteControl® wad.

A little background discussion is appropriate. There are two main types of shot for a shotgun: birdshot and buckshot.

Birdshot: is tiny shot that comes in a variety of numbered sizes with the higher the number indicating the smaller the shot. Birdshot is for birds and too small for anti-personnel and home defense purposes although many people who do not know what they are talking about will recommend it.

Buckshot: Are larger (and therefore heavier) shot intended for deer sized game and anti-personnel use. Buckshot designations use an archaic numbering system that essentially must be memorized. The zero or “0” is pronounced “ought” so 00 buckshot is pronounced “double ought buck.” The others are pronounced as you might expect; for example, #4 is simply “number four buck.” At .24 caliber, number four buckshot is quite small and too light to reliably penetrate. For home defense purposes in a 12 gauge, the best choices are 0, 00, or 000 buck. For home defense purposes in a 20 gauge #1 or #2 buckshot is the best choice although #3 can be used as well.

A standard 12 gauge 00 buckshot shell has 8-12 pellets in it, with 9 pellets being the most common. A full power 00 buckshot shell has a muzzle velocity of about 1300 fps while the muzzle velocity of reduced recoil loads is typically between 1100-1150 fps.

Remember--BIRDSHOT IS FOR BIRDS. In the video linked below (click on picture) a store owner fires his shotgun at a burglar when the burglar threatens him (the store owner) with unlawful deadly force. The store owner has loaded his shotgun with birdshot. The store owner’s shot hits the burglar in the abdomen, but the shot does not stop him. In response, the burglar fires five rounds from a 9mm pistol; fortunately, the store owner is not hit.

Burglar Firing at Store Owner After He was Hit with Birdshot

Pictures of the front door area after the shooting show a number of hits from birdshot pellets which implies that many pellets missed the burglar, flying past him to impact the door. My rudimentary measure* of the distance from the store owner to the burglar is approximately twenty-nine feet when the store owner fired. A cylinder bore shotgun would normally pattern approximate nineteen inches at this distance so either the store owner did not achieve a center hit or my distance measurement is not accurate.

Regardless, the burglar escaped the store and continued to be a threat to other innocents until he surrendered to police. News reports indicate that the burglar was apparently unfamiliar with his surroundings and fractured his hip while trying to flee the area.

 

Bryan Surrendering to Police -- Notice he has changed clothes

 

Would buckshot have been more effective? A solid abdominal hit from a 00 buckshot load is likely to be very effective. The pattern of typical 00 buckshot loads at ten yards generally puts all pellets within a ten or so inch circle.** However, just like any other weapon, you must aim the shotgun and hit the target. A miss with a buckshot load is no more effective than a miss with any other weapon. Would Dylan Bryan have continued to shoot at the store owner if the store owner’s shot had missed? Impossible to know.

For more information on using a shotgun for home defense, please see the 2025 update to my Home Defense Shotgun Manual 

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*I based this best guess measurement on the width of the oscillating fan which is likely eighteen inches wide and the antique wall clock which is likely 8-1/2 inches wide.

** For more information on patterning a shotgun load see: https://www.sensibleselfdefenseblog.com/2024/01/pattern-your-home-defense-shotgun.html