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Don't mean to ask a studid question but I'm new to the shotgun for HD.

With a 8 shot capicity, why not load it bucksot, slug, buckshot, slug, etc. Seems to me it would be the best of both worlds. First shot hopefully on target, second shot (slug) would definiatelly be a stopper.

I guess everybody is going to have an opinion on this one, so here goes! Personally, I prefer to choose one load for a particular situation and stick with it. Buckshot or some other shot size seems like the best choice for HD because of overpenetration with slugs. In the heat of the moment, I prefer knowing what load is chambered rather than trying to remember if I fired once, twice, or was it three times. Is the next shot a slug or buckshot? My personal choice is #4 buckshot in a "tactical load" for HD, but I'm sure others will differ.

I hunt mostly with slugs, but have been known to throw some buck in the chamber if I expect to walk up on something close. I don't load anymore as it is only good to about 20-25 yards anyway. Just remember that buckshot doesn't work if you have a rifled barrel. It will spin it off in weird directions. My hunting partner missed a deer in the brush with buck at like 5 to 10 yards with a rifled barrel. I tried to shoot a news paper at 7 yards with it later and only had one pellet on the paper.

I like my dad's rationale, that a slug might be needed if more than acouple shots are needed. Also, a standard field or trap or skeet load of 6's or 7 1/2's will easily penetrate a perp's corotid artery if hit in the neck at normal house ranges.

Federal makes a (reduced recoil) home defense load of #2's in the 12 gauge too.

If it was me, I'd put two rounds of the Federal HD #2's in the magazine, followed by two rounds of #4B (an excellent choice for the number of pellets in a std 2 3/4 load - which are less prone to over-penetration, followed by a slug, then #4B, then a slug and another slug.

If you need so many shots as to get to the slugs, maybe the perp is barracading himslef behind walls of furniture the extra penetration is necessary. If you need eight shots, you'd better be trying to kill the SOB! Obviously he's out to get you or his lawyer will in court.

Appriciate the feedback from you all. It does make me think when mentioned about over penertration and trying to think what is next.

I'm thinking that I'll load buckshot and have slugs at the ready if needed because perp is hiding and need to extra umph.

I've had no problem with double or single ought buckshot up to and including 30m. Typical pattern is about 21in. That's the length of my house and backyard. Anyone wants to hide behind a plasterboard wall is more than welcome to do so.

Remember this is supposed to be for home defense...I don't know about you guys but my home ain't THAT big. Buckshot should be perfect, no need for slugs in the home! If you're still worried about extra umpf and "walls of furniture" try out some 00 or 000 buckshot, I think it'll get the job done. When I go hunting for whitetail, I load a couple rifled slugs and only when I am in close in the heavy brush or stalking do I load buckshot because I figure if I get a shot its gonna be a quick one and I wont have time to aim much.

My 590 is loaded with 6 rounds of 2-3/4in. 00 Buck, one 3in 000 Buck at the end of the mag with six slugs in the side saddle.
If I need a slug there's room. If I empty the mag the last round packs a punch.

I've thought a lot about this question myself...

I personally like the strategy of having a single type of load in the gun, with "special" loads ready to go in your SideSaddle or wherever.

During my tactical shotgun class, we did some drills where you have a gun loaded with buck and then had to quickly swap out the next round with a slug. If your magazine is full, you have to eject one shell to make room. If not, you can just load the slug into the mag and then cylce out the one in the chamber. It's a great exercise to force you to become familiar with the gun.

The thing I don't like about having a "pre-arranged" order of ammunition already in the gun (like starting with buck followed by bird followed by slugs) is that you have to make a big assumption as to how events will unfold.

Like you may put buck in first followed by slugs. You can assume that a situation may develop where the bad guys are behind a barrier and since the buck isn't penetrating, the slugs at the end of your mag will do the trick. But what if the situation is that there are a lot of bad guys all coming at you at once from a lot of different directions at close range and after you use up your buckshot you're left with trying to hit fast-moving targets with slugs.

Ok, so maybe that's not the best example of a HD situation, but all I'm saying is that you have to make an educated guess as to how events will play out when you have a pre-arranged order to your ammo.

But it's just my opinion... And actually I'm still pretty open to suggestions and ideas on this one...

Federal Premium 00 Buck in the tube and sidesaddle, slugs in the buttcuff "just in case". As others have mentioned, I prefer to know what I have loaded w/o having to keep track of how many times I've fired.
Tomac

Going to agree with the others when it comes to running a single load and having the slug as a backup. I live in an apartment and run Federal tactical 00 buck as my load. On the butt cuff, I have 3 slugs along with 2 more rounds of buck. With this set-up I have more than enough to handle whatever might be coming through my door. If I dont; well I'm sure I can survive the fall from my balcony to the ground.

buchshot,slug,buckshot,slug......i hope that i'm not your neighbor cuase i'm allergic to lead slugs. think about the penetration. also, i like the idea of one load in a gun. i'd rather adapt to the situation than try to remember what load is next and not expect the recoil. do you intend for anyone else to possibly use this weapon? a wife perhaps could not handle the slugs.

The preference in loading different types of ammunition in a particular shotgun should be left up to the individual who makes good common sense decisions based on knowledge. These common sense decisions should be based with the following questions in mind:

1. How reliable is a particular shell fired through my weapon.
2. What is the weapon primary function.
3. Does each particular style of round have the same point
of impact.
4. What distance is this weapon going to be used at.

Personally I carry mine with 7 rounds of 00 buck then have five rounds of Remington slugs attached to my side saddle if the need arises. Each round has been fired extensively and I know exactly where the point of impact is for each, and its limitations.

Remember that no firearm is perfect and each one has it's limitations. The shotgun is the most versatile firearm in the world but that can sometimes not be enough.