Good work HT. One never knows who is at the door these days.

Everyone in my area is armed and several are combat vets.If these "protesters" decide to loot the rural area where I live they will be shot DEAD!!

Rich I give ya credit for restraint- many here have one version or another of your locker and when someone who just left a stolen car after the 'demonstrations
is trying to push into your castle -welll give ya credit.
Thats the situation most of us hope will never happen but we try and prepare for it to one degree or another.
 
Just wondering- was that alarm a coincidence or something you triggered.
Likely they were looking to get another car--

We did not know the situation of her until after she left so to us she presented herself as in need of help. She was not receptive of the help and became combative, that's when our defense system went up. The police are always our first thoughts. Having a backup self defense is always at the ready . The firehouse whistle sounded because someone near the crash ( 1/2 ) mile away called to report an accident. She flipped the car upside down then staggered to our house . So in retrospect, there were already authorities and responders in route.
Scary stuff in strange times.
I now have an ample supply of what's needed if necessary thanks to my boys.
Things in the range of double 00.

Agree with the 00- have the 45 in a ready place but only 4 and 5  shot and slugs for one of the big guns
- looked a day or two ago for the 00 I thought I had- none.
gotta get a few,

I don't mean to get all rebellious. Let me say, it's only the second incident on our country property in my 54 years.
I put cameras up at beginning of covid in March because of people I've never seen. Everyone has been kind .
I take this as a get outta here thing that hopefully won't happen again.

Fun stuff ahead as I'm going fishing again very soon.

I’m not sure shot size is even a consideration. With plastic wads, the shot pattern, particularly out of any shotgun not choked straight cylinder (no choke at all), is less than about 6 inches at under 10 yards, so basically a slug of lead.

When I used to guide for pheasants and looked at thousands of hunting photos I took, other than head off the stock and feet all tangled up in the wrong position, the cause of most missed was shooting too close before the pattern had a chance to open up. I did a lot of pattern demonstrations and with a 12 gauge and modified choke, at 8-10 yards, the pattern was basically a single hole about 2-3 inches in diameter for the shot and another hole for the wad. And that was with 6 shot.

Also, while smaller shot does not keep the kinetic energy of larger shot (at that distance it doesn’t matter), it does penetrate soft tissue easier and deeper.

If the distance is over 10 yards, there is no need for deadly force because escape is possible. If the distance is less than 10 yards and there is a barrier, like a door or a window, something that requires heavier shot to breech, there is no need for deadly force because escape is possible.

The caveat would be if the other person is armed as well. Then all bets are off, but still not sure shot size matters at that point.

DarDys,   does pattern scatter faster with a sawn off barrel?  to allow the non lethal (or lethal, depending on shot size choice) but no aim needed, effect at closer distances?

Within 10 yards there is little discernible difference between full choke (extremely constricted) and cylinder (no choke or sawn off). Beyond that distance, there is a tremendous difference.

Back in my sporting clays days, I had chokes (Listed open to constricted) — cylinder, skeet, modified skeet, sporting clays 1, sporting clays 2, improved cylinder, light modified, modified, improved modified, light full, full, extra full, and extreme full. They all had their place and purpose, at least mentally. But under 10 yards, no difference.

DarDys
Within 10 yards there is little discernible difference between full choke (extremely constricted) and cylinder (no choke or sawn off). Beyond that distance, there is a tremendous difference.

Back in my sporting clays days, I had chokes (Listed open to constricted) — cylinder, skeet, modified skeet, sporting clays 1, sporting clays 2, improved cylinder, light modified, modified, improved modified, light full, full, extra full, and extreme full. They all had their place and purpose, at least mentally. But under 10 yards, no difference.

Thanks