@James belief is not completely unfounded, @WildRose.
Check out this blog post about birdshot for home defense.
https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/blog/birdshot-for-home-defense-really/
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Certainly makes it easier being empty nesters. I just gotta know where the wife is at.
Thereās nothing in that article but opinion. The testing shown in the videos I provided shows that a load of #7.5 or larger bird shot will penetrate the meat, the rib cage, and the vital organs of a human even one wearing heavy clothing even well beyond normal home defense distances.
Is larger shot better? Sure it is but if over penetration is a concern it should not be used.
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Gotta know your background. My house has high cinderblock walls on three sides. If the bad guy has those walls in the background I donāt worry about hitting my neighbors. I go with reduced recoil 00 buck. As long as the wifeās location is accounted for I have no worries. As far as lethality? I know this stuff is lethal. Not an issue. Stopping the bad guy or guys is the issue.
My wife and I just had the discussion on Sunday night. We are going to change from 1 pistol to a pistol and a carbine suppressed. Also, we decided there is no reason not to have electronic ear pro in the bedroom with us.
Iāve toyed with the idea of a 20 ga. shotgun, but because of the ammo capacity of carbine and pistol I am going to stay with what I am most proficient.
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I have my set of electronic ear muffs ready to go, love being able to turn up the volume and able to hear foot steps from the other side of the house.
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PCC 9MM or .45 is my go to. Have had a recent encounter grabbed my PWS 9.5" PCC w/RD Was not worried about over penetration, spread, recoil management or stopping the threat. Very comfortable with my PWS. Recently got my mum a Ruger PC mlok chassis & she feels more comfortable with that than just her Pistol. 147gr Hornady XTP definitely helps. We have a specific training method for a wake up Emergency
Good to know your roles if there are multiple souls living there. Everyone should be on the same page & know their role. I noticed Ear pros has been mentioned, good idea along with a quick vest.
@cavemantactics
Not a clear cut option.
A Shotgun with #7 or #8 shot in thin walled apartments is an option, for me, I have no close neighbors, so a shotgun with 00 Buck, or 000 Buck, or a handgun.
Both are in use and available. If you are asking for information to assist in your choice, that is perhaps a personal issue, but it would depend on your residence. As I said, if you live in thin walled apartments or even a townhouse with a shared wall or two, you need to be aware of penetration through a wall or door, but if you are in a rural area with neighbors further away, you may widen your choices.
And there is less worry of over penetration of accidentally shooting through a wallā¦ which is important in thin walled apartments.
Shotguns are great defensive options, even with birdshot in thin walled apartments or townhomes, and 00 buck or 000 buck in a detached residence.
Handguns are great, and so are rifles.
The best option is to have at least one of each.
Here is an interesting clip where a MD talks about ballistics, and a little about what he has seen with GSWs.
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This was an interesting listen. I must admit that I love an AR rifle as a primary defense tool. I still use my shotgun usually, but if I ever get a ācanā Iāll 100% switch over to my M4. Smooth as silk with almost zero recoil and dead on accurate running glass and lights.
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Check out the chart in this Warrior Poet video. Plug in your own numbers rather than use his and see what gun gets the best score.
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I believe a handgun is the most useful. A shorter barrel provides less of an āarmā to be levered away during a physical struggle and the smaller size allows for greater access. It also frees one hand for the telephone or to open (or lock) doors or windows for a barricade or escape routeā¦
If youāre in a purely defensive position a shotgun can be useful. Once again Iād prefer a shorter overall length though.
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I have my bed side Sig P320. I have my AR carbine in a walk-in closet 7 paces away. While I feel good about my pistolās capabilities, I would most likely use it to cover my movement to the carbine. I have it loaded with Hornady Critical Defense 73 grain ammo. All of this is, of course, dependent on the circumstances. My pistol is great, but the power of the AR is hard to beat. 1000 lumen light and red dot sight. Nice to have options.
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I believe it really comes down to what youāre comfortable with and whatās quick to access.
I vote handgun. Iāve decided all weapons will cause enormous amounts of damage through Sheetrock, even bird shot. Iād rather have a handgun Iām proficient with. Put hollow points in. If I hit my target, penetration is a non issue.
I like the handgun because I can safely store it in a way thatās quick to access. If my home is attacked, Iām not going to waste time fighting to a gun, Iām going to grab my handgun, and make sure my kid is safe. Handgun lets me move, quick or slow, and in tight corners. This also lets me run a flashlight in my non-dominant hand. Handguns are also what I am most experienced with 
.
I watched a Paul Harrel video talking about how a 22 rifle could be used for home defense. He said it wouldnāt be his 1st choice, but if thatās all you have it will probably get the job done.
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@Scoutbob I have a 10-22 set up for Nancy with an AR style stock, Ruger 25 rnd. mag. a Red Dot sight and Nebo light, loaded with CCI 40grn Velocitor HP at 1435 fps.
Nothing to sneeze at. 
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For me itās all about how much warning I have had. Between puppers and technology, I usually donāt even get bothered.
Also # of Invaders would matter to me.
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I recently discovered there are quite a few stories of kids fighting off home invaders with a 22 
. One of them was a pink bolt action Rugar .22. No one wants to get shot by a 22 
.
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AR style stockā¦ OH NOā¦ an Assault Rifleā¦ or an Automatic Rifleā¦ or ā¦
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