a 12 ga field load with #7 1/2 or #8 shot

i like the new Taps ammo for my 40. Its a bit high but it shoots realy well outta my gun and has low muzzle flash. I told my wife if someone breaks in and im not home, to get my glock, and if they dont run and start talkin about the guns on safty or you dont know how to use it, just star pulling the trigger. We had a breaking the next edition over and the old lady (like in her late 60s) pulled a single shot 12ga on a guy, loaded and hammer back, he started tel her put it down old lady or its gonna hurt you. Its on safe any way, took a step forward she blasted him in the leg with #6, HAHHA you could hear him scream over here.

Agree with the general opinion. Use shotshells--really any reasonable size shot-- in a 12 or 20. At the close ranges, and especially if the wife or kids needs to use it, you are better off than with a handgun which are good only in the hands of someone who knows a thing or two about them. Your goal is to end it ASAP.

In my 9mm and 357 sig, I load Gold Dots for HD. Read a good review on them on "the box of truth". They performed the best, and quite a bit better than the hydra shoks. They also function 100% in the XD's.

I'm new to huntingnet but not new to firearms. I must say that there is a lot of absolutly great advice in this thread. I would listen to every post and you will eventually make a well educated decision for your home defense ammo no matter what the caliber or guage you have to work with.

I have been learning more about hunting ammo lately but self defense ammo was about all I studied for several years. And I can tell that most everyone who has posted here has kept a good eye on this as well.

I would reinforce a few points:

Remember that YOU are responsible for EVERYTHING that your projectile does even if fired in self defense. Consider the surroundings outside of your walls. How close are neighbors etc. Larger projectiles travel further.

Practice!

Remember that if you have resorted to deadly force for defense, all other avenues of resolving the situation have either failed or were N/A at that moment.

Practice!

Don't threaten with an unloaded firearm and don't shoot to wound. Shoot center mass and shoot until the threat stops.

Practice!

If you are not prepared mentally to very possibly kill another human being, then a firearm is not the self defense tool you need. If they get it away from you....................

Practice!

I have tons more to say but it would become an article and several of these issues have been addressed already anyway

Blue

My first thought was "the ones that are in your gun when you need it". Having said that I use federal hyroshocks. I have had good accuracy and great reliability with these in a variety of pistols, glock, kimber, para.

Each of those calibers is going to need a different answer, and you need to take barrel lengthinto account.

In general terms, with a 4 inch or longer barrel...
For 9mm and 357, go light and hot (110/115g).
For 40, use 155g.
For 45, go 230g.
For 380, whatever you use,carry 2 clips of it and practice shooting fast at close targets.

If you use a shorter barrel, like for a smaller framed carry gun, you may wish to adjust the bullet weights. For example, if you would normally use the 230g in a 5" 45, you might want 165g when loading up a 3" subcompact to insure that thehollowpoints achieve enough velocity to reliably expand. Less muzzle flash migh talso be something you wish to consider. A nice bright fireball can blind you pretty good in the dark.

There are lots of good HPs out there now, bu tyou must still match it to your gun.

Have you checked out the extreme shock ammo? They have a picture of a 500lb hog they dropped with one 9mm round. A cop wrote in a testimonial where he shot a guy in the leg and blew it off. They make bullets that do horrific damage to soft tissue, but won't penetrate two sheets of drywall for home defense. The web site is extremeshockusa.com

For legal reasons, never use hand loads. Use Ammo that is as close as you can get to what the local police use. You may find that self defense ends in the court room.

Where you been????? Every self defense that has major injury ends up in court these days...Kill the intruder or the person doing harm and then you don't have the witness to testify...