Self defense percentages thoughts, opinions wanted.

[beast1989]

I never even thought about buckshot. I've got a 5 gallon bucket of 3" magnum buckshot someone gave me, I guess it's time to play with it.

[hand raised] Pick me, pick me! I wouldnt mind playing with it if you like lol.

In all honesty if you go to a range and hit a paper target with that stuff you will that it will take soft ball chunks out the paper and you still have to aim it to some degree. Dont believe the movie myths!

 

[RidgeHunter]

just thinking aloud...

quit it

 

[beast1989]

haha done.

 

[MLRyan]

Also imagine if you notify the intruder that you have a weapon and he turns around to pick up an object laying around in the home to engage in combat and you shoot him in the back as he is doing this. This may be a bit far fetched (maybe not) but what if the courts try and paint a picture that he was in the process of fleeing, exiting, defenseless, or whatever other hunk of BS. Im sure we would still prevail in court but its another argument that we dont need against us.

just thinking aloud...

It never hurts to contemplate "what if" situations when practicing home defense.

 

[rebelracer79]

Given the history of the our esteemed DA's, I would suggest making a loud warning while you're arming yourself. It might not be the the best tactical position but from a legal perspective, if you can demonstrate that you made an attempt to de-escalate from a defensive position and provide the BG with a departure opportunity, you will likely find yourself in a better light with the LEO's and legal community when this BG bites the dust.

If your aim is good, it doesn't matter they will be returned to the dust the came from, hence no one to say you didn't warn him

 

[tRidiot]

I can't imagine anybody racking the slide. Your immediately limiting your ability to stay in the fight by one round.

Considering my shotgun is kept by the bed without a round in the chamber, it's not limiting anything. And I also have a side saddle with extra shells of 00 buck.

If 12 rounds of 00 buck and slugs don't end the fight inside a residence where I know the turf, then it's unlikely I'd have had a much greater chance with one more round.

Maybe I'm wrong, though?

And the pattern from my shotgun isn't something I'm too worried about... I generally don't intend to pull the trigger if it's anywhere in the direction of my kid's bedroom.

I consider racking the slide a prudent measure... yes, it does give the bad guy a chance to react and know someone is home, armed and aware of him. This gives him the chance to flee, something I will gladly allow him to do without killing him. It will make my life and my family's life a whole lot easier to report a break-in with a burglar who's left behind a trail of feces out the door, than to have to deal with the police after a home-defense shooting and the subsequent cleanup and possible legal issues.

It's a trade off. But one I'm willing to attempt. Anyone who doesn't leave after the sound of a racking shotgun is a more determined attacker. For those folks, I have the 12 rounds on my shotgun, the 11 in my .45, the 12 or 13 in my wife's 9mm and the 10 or so in the spare .40. All of this is kept in my bedroom. That doesn't count the AR-15 with over 100 rounds of loaded and ready to use magazines also in the master bedroom. All this without accessing any safe or ammo box.

I don't think a single round of 12g 00 buck is going to change anything for the worse. But that one sound could completely change the situation for my family for the better, so that is my position.

 

[hanson405]

Here's the statistic you need. 100% will stop when you shoot them until they do!

 

[Pulp]

"I consider racking the slide a prudent measure... yes, it does give the bad guy a chance to react and know someone is home, armed and aware of him. This gives him the chance to flee, something I will gladly allow him to do without killing him. It will make my life and my family's life a whole lot easier to report a break-in with a burglar who's left behind a trail of feces out the door, than to have to deal with the police after a home-defense shooting and the subsequent cleanup and possible legal issues."

Good answer IMHO, although I know we might be in the minority. I would rather them leave without a shooting. I just don't want to watch someone thrash, scream, kick, spray blood all over the house, and whatever else someone does before finally expiring. Don't take that to mean I wouldn't do what is necessary to protect my family, I'd just prefer not to do it.

 

[mightymouse]

I wonder how many people who shout, "I'll kill anyone who enters my home!", have ever stared at a man over the sights of a loaded weapon, finger on the trigger, safety off, round in the chamber, within a fraction of an inch of trigger movement between normal life and taking the life of another? In old Africa, the question was, "Have you seen the elephant?", because the old Africa hands knew that no man knows what he will do UNTIL he sees the elephant.

 

[tRidiot]

Don't take that to mean I wouldn't do what is necessary to protect my family, I'd just prefer not to do it.

1000% here. I'm not bloodthirsty, not looking for some excuse to kill someone, even if it might be a good thing for the world as a whole to remove some folks from the gene pool. I hope it never becomes a necessity, but I would like to think I won't hesitate to choose my family's safety without blinking if it becomes necessary.