Shooting an Intruder

[Woodrow F Call]

I am not here to tell you not to use your souped-up 1911 or AR with a Beta mag, but a 12ga shotgun with birdshot is plenty inside your house, and will reduce the potential for collateral damage.

It might be, it might not. I've watched the videos you posted. I think everyone has to decide what is right for their situation. You should think about the people in your home and around your home.

There is an increased risk in lack of effectiveness when using bird shot, that's how you get the benefit of lack of penetration. I just want to make sure that people understand that. There is no free lunch.

 

[Dave N]

Let's put it this way. If the sound of a pump shotgun being racked doesn't make the bad guy piss his pants and run then getting hit with a load of shot from 20 feet will surely ruin his day. If not outright kill him it will for sure incapacitate him from all of the damage done.

 

[Panda Bear]

A couple of people mentioned how different the laws were depending on where you live.

Here is an example that many of us thought was just wrong . A man shot over the head of two teenagers who were stealing fish from his pond. No one was hurt but the landowner/shooter spent a year in jail .

Here in Canada, the west coast is a bit more lenient than the east coast. And the Territories lean even a bit more toward property owner rights. Depends on where you live, what the intruders are doing, how threatening are they ( gun, knife, club, fist ) and they damn sure better be inside your home .

DaveN. I agree with you in principle, but in todays world I am not sure some would even know what that sound, sounds like. However your second point is sure true. What is the law on the length of a shotgun in the States ?

 

[Woodrow F Call]

Let's put it this way. If the sound of a pump shotgun being racked doesn't make the bad guy piss his pants and run then getting hit with a load of shot from 20 feet will surely ruin his day. If not outright kill him it will for sure incapacitate him from all of the damage done.

There are plenty of anecdotal stories to indicate the opposite. Folks walking to the ambulance with bird shot in them. Bloody mess, but not incapacitated.

I know I've shot a whitetail through the heart and it still ran 100+ yards in the woods before giving up.

I'm really not trying to stir anyone up, and I don't have first hand experience (thankfully), I've tried to research enough so I could make the right decision at my home.

 

[Dave N]

Not wanting to argue, but getting hit with a shotgun blast at 10-20 feet is a LOT different than let's say 30 yards out hunting. Wouldn't want either but would prefer the latter!

 

[2rocky]

 

[Deleted member 28227]

There are plenty of anecdotal stories to indicate the opposite. Folks walking to the ambulance with bird shot in them. Bloody mess, but not incapacitated.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

If you read my opening post, I made references to law enforcement and military men within my family and from my small sample of individuals who have been in wars, without a doubt taking a life leaves pysgological scars . I volunteered for a time at a VA hospital. The "disabilities" are not always visible or even obvious. ( How many here watched the movie, American Sniper ?)

As stated. if someone is stealing something from me, with no threat to me or my family, I would not kill them. But if they threatened me or my family I would and the after effect of that would be unknown to me at the time I pulled the trigger, simply because I dont know him, his story, his family, etc ---but, I would not and will not allow anyone to physically harm anyone in my family if I have the means to stop it .

This is a terrible example, but I remember when younger and before my first Lion or Brown Bear hunt, feeling pretty confident in my ability, reactions, etc. But all that changes when they were coming at me to kill me and I SHOT and PRAYED, all at the same time.

I have never taken a life, but I believe for me to say I would shoot him in the leg, or arm, or try to "whatever" ,would be a ridiculous statement for me to make. I believe that if he was in my home attempting to hurt me or someone in my family, or even just pointing a gun at me in a threatening manner, I would shoot him and, to the best of my ability I would be aiming at his chest.

Would I feel bad later, possibly, probably, and to what degree I would feel bad would depend on what I found out about him later. Maybe my actions might have saved lives not just that day but in the future. I would have also felt bad if I had not shot him, and found out later he had killed a family of four while robbing another home. Unfortunately, one isn't given all the facts of this mans life or what he might do or not do in the future or what he might do or not do to you and your family. You react to the situation your presented with at that moment.

If he is in my home and threatening myself or my family, I would shoot him and worry about my feelings later.

p.s. and as noharleyyet said: lawyers and money dont bring back loved ones . if they are alive and I am in jail, as opposed to them being dead. Easy decision for me

Harm my family or a loved one,carrying a weapon in my home-fully loaded 12ga.will commence
to unload
DIRT NAP...but I aimed for his knee!Guilt?Shoulda aimed for his face.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

What about battle axing an intruder... we all good on that front?

Michigan man uses battle axe to fight off intruder

A Michigan man whose hobbies include ritualized combat with replica weapons from the Middle Ages says he wielded a battle axe he calls "my baby" to fend off an intruder.

www.ctvnews.ca

I have a Baseball bat named "Justin"next to my bedroom door.
Justin case...

 

[dirtclod Az.]

I saw my couisin get shot at 20yds full on facing the shooter while Dove hunting.
Shot from head to toe.Screaming bloody murder all he way to the hospital.
to this day every so often he will get a pimple on his arm or leg and a couple days
later a piece of led will fall out.The shooter was his Dad,my Uncle.Any closer,Dead Meat...
Doctors said he would die of lead poisoning,30yrs. later still with us.
Enough killing,let's go hunting!!!

 

[Nick87]

Wow

 

[midwesterncrosshair]

This thread reminds me of a famous self defense guy, I forget his name.

He had a class of housewives that wanted to learn how to defend themselves in a bad situation. In summary, he told them they had to use their instincts and use anything as a weapon to survive. He then asked what they would do in an intruder broke in. The common answers were “scream” or “I don’t know.”

He got them to understand what instincts he was searching for when he rephrased the scenario. He said “okay your turn the corner and your little child is playing in the dishwater in the sink, and 4ft behind your child there is a man with bad intentions undoing his belt buckle....” The room erupted before he finished. Screaming phrases all along the line of “I would tear his throat out!”

He sad that’s what he was looking for.

 

[NR_Hunter]

“He got he hit like I got hit, but he ain’t f****** breathing” - 50 Cent, “Many Men”

 

[7 mag]

Wouldn't even have to think about it break into my home and you'll be leaving in a body bag

 

[NDcoyote]

If I felt he was a danger to my family and I, he'd take a bullet..probably a few. If it was just a thief and was trying to leave I'd let him walk. I don't know if I'd want to sit in my living room, kitchen or anywhere else in my house knowing that I killed a man there the week before.

 

[88man]

OO or #4 buck inside 20 feet would be ugly.

 

[noharleyyet]

OO or #4 buck inside 20 feet would be ugly.

 

[rjthehunter]

My girlfriend is a police officer. She would have no issue. The only issue with either of us in terms of taking a life of someone who threatened our lives would be trying to decide which gun to use. Since they take your gun when you shoot them for awhile lol. I'd likely forfeit one of my handguns since I have more to use until I get it back.

 

[beginnerhunter]

Well coincidentally we just had a dude in our garage yesterday evening going through our glove boxes looking for money, etc. My wife was taking our toddler daughter to the store and the sight of her was so terrifying the thief ran for it. He stole the diaper bag lol. Enjoy those size 5 Pampers!

Seriously though he was driving around looking for open garage doors/street parked cars he could easily get into. He was seen doing the same on some cameras at another house. But we're still a little rattled by it. Lesson is close your garage door.