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I have a fair amount of shooting experience both at the range and in gravel pits. While the low grain weight of the AR-15 round limits it's "hit" further out, the round is initially moving in excess of 3,000 feet per second. Unfortunately, non-shooters dump a lot of trash and junk in some of the gravel pits I shoot at, but at the same time it provides more interesting targets to shoot like dead big screen TV's toilets lawnmowers and dead car engines. The AR rounds passed straight through the 60" flat screen TV lengthwise, didn't even slow them down. An aluminum engine with a kicked rod (I think it was from a Honda) was dumped, and the first couple rounds to the front of the block penetrated the block and the iron cylinder linings and broke large pieces of them out of the engine. Second and third shots to the same areas, went through the engine and came out the other side. So these movies where people are using car doors for cover during a shootout, it's a joke. The bullets would go right through.
For that reason, I would not use an AR for home defense unless it was a 9mm variant or other "pistol round" AR. Or if that's all you've got, the split tip hollow points that open up once they hit someone or something would probably work. Otherwise, you could wind up shooting the intruder, your fridge, the wall, and your neighbor before the round ran out of energy.
Both have to be aimed. The presenter in the video is a well known marksman. If he misses, its on purpose. And he did say if someones get hit with a shotgun, they are going to know it. The average person is not going hit targets at varying ranges with his precision and speed. In addition, you have to think about your surroundings. A 223 round can easily go through the walls of many stick built homes and perhaps into the home next door. A shot gun, probably not. Most self defense scenarios take place at fairly close range. You are not going to need the long range accuracy of an AR 15 in most home defense situations. In any case, Greg Kinman is a well known shooter of some skill and your results will most certainly vary. A quality riot shotgun that holds 6-10 of the right rounds is good solid home protection. In some cases all the burglar needs is to hear is the pump action chambering a round to entice them to leave.
Personally I think the 9 mm with 16 rounds of hollow point wins out because of its portability and concealability you have extra dexterity versus a big bulky gun like the AR-15 or a shotgun. Get a laser sight and practice firing from unconventional positions and you can hide behind cover etc.
However the shotgun despite being something that's going to splatter your intruder into pieces if simply cocking the gun doesn't make him stop in his tracks, the 5.56 round is a very effective man stopper cuz it tends to break up in the body dissipating its energy inside the target.... So this video really isn't a very good comparison... An AR-15 with 30 rounds is going to be a far more effective intruder stopper in most cases because you got more chances to hit the target. although a shotgun might be better to scare the intruder into submission before he even does anything because getting hit with any shotgun blast is going to hurt.... Buckshot preferred .... Slugs will overpenetrate ....
A 9 mm will also be slightly less likely to leave you deaf after the encounter and significantly less likely if you jump through the hoops and get a suppressor put on.
Our new President will do his best to tip the odds to favor criminals.
They will still use fifteen round magazines, while honest people will be restricted to ten or less.
Like in most scenarios - the answer is: It depends.
...In close-range encounters, as found in most home-defense situations, birdshot can be deadly. But, it loses power so fast, over-penetration is much less of a problem. In a home full of children, it would certainly be my first choice...
.223/5.56 certainly has its drawbacks. Have you ever fired an AR platform rifle in the dark, in an enclosed space? It's a bit like having a flash-bang go off. IF you're trained to deal with the pressure/sound/flash, you might be fine. That's a big assumption, though.
A shotgun is good in close quarters. If you shoot them in the leg ( Per Biden) you’re liable to take it off..... and have a bunch of drywall to repair afterwards.
Handguns are better for CQB 50 feet or less. Rifle and shotguns are better beyond 50 feet. Never bring a handgun to a rifle or shotgun fight. You will lose in most cases.
An AR-15 has numerous advantages over a shotgun.
Better accuracy and light recoil, enables you to keep multiple rounds on target.
Better capacity to hold more rounds and faster to reload.
Most shotguns don't hold more than 5-9 rounds.
(Yes I know there are exceptions but they're not very common).
Lighter weight and more comfortable to shoot. .....a HUGE plus for most women.
And I say this as a guy who loves shotguns.
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