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5 Home Defense Tactics You Need To Know

Owning weapons is great. Owning weapons and knowing how to use them is even better.

Many people own weapons because they are afraid of their home being broken into. However, have you actually thought about what you’re going to do if that happens?

In this article, we will go over some basic home defense tactics. We will make some basic recommendations, but the best thing you can do is have some type of plan.

5 Home Defense Tactics to Learn

For this article, we will go over some general courses of action.

#1 Avoid

The first course of action is to completely avoid the intruder.

To many gun owners, this may seem strange, but your best bet is to avoid the intruder. Getting into a wild wild west shootout in your living room is not your best choice.

If the intruder does not know you are in the house, barricade yourself somewhere with a weapon, contact the police, and wait it out.

However, if you have children that are in separate bedrooms or the intruder knows that you are home, this may not be your best bet.

#2 Escape

If you and your family are able to easily run from the threat, that is another viable option. If everyone can safely and quietly get out, arm yourself, leave the home, and call the police.

However, with so many homes having bedrooms upstairs, this is likely not possible for you.

#3 Fight

So, if neither of these options work for you, you are going to have to engage the intruder. Before getting into some factors to consider, we are going to assume that your weapon is easily accessible, and preferably is stored with a round in the chamber.

Once you have armed yourself, they key things to consider are cover and speed.

#4 Cover

Cover refers to something that can protect you if you are getting shot at. True cover will stop a bullet. A wall is not cover, because a bullet can travel through a wall. As you can imagine, there are very few things within a home that truly are cover. A brick fireplace or extremely thick/heavy furniture may work.

So, with a lack of cover, there are a few things to think about for protecting yourself. If you can kneel down or engage the target from somewhere other than a normal standing profile, it will help you.

Kneeling makes your body smaller, so there is less to aim at. Shooting from a different perspective (such as from upstairs) will also help, because the intruder will have to make very fast adjustments to where they have to return fire... if they are able to.

While a wall is not cover, it will hide your body and give you a significant advantage. If you can peek out from around a wall, you will be able to get a shot off from an unusual position. The intruder will likely not be able to process getting shot at, your body being hidden behind a wall, and returning fire through a wall in rapid succession.

True cover is ideal. If you can shoot from somewhere that you can’t get shot through, you should do that. However, in a house, this is extremely unlikely.

#5 Speed

The last thing to consider about engaging an intruder is the speed at which you shoot.

Speed will save your life in this type of situation. You need to be able to rapidly engage a target that will likely be moving and potentially firing back.

When I say speed, I mean being able to rapidly acquire, engage, and re-engage the target.

Having a good sight will help, as it will help you acquire the target faster than iron sights. Familiarity with the weapon will allow you quickly turn the safety off and engage the target. Having a bright light mounted to your weapon will also help, as it may temporarily blind the target and give you a little extra time to acquire and engage.

This will come from practice. When you are at the range, practice acquiring and engaging targets faster. Doing nothing but accuracy shooting off of a shooting stand will not help you. Put yourself in some uncomfortable situations, from different positions, and acquire targets as fast as you can.

You can even do dry runs in your house. If you do this, make absolutely certain your weapon is cleared.

Other Considerations

Lastly, keep in mind where you will be shooting. Like we said before, bullets will travel through walls. Make sure you are aware of exactly where everyone in the house is before shooting at anything.

If you are shooting a shotgun with the best scope, most shot will be slowed down significantly, but slugs will definitely travel through walls.

Should I Choose Buckshot vs. Birdshot for Home Defense

If you are a shotgun owner, then you have probably considered using it for home defense. With using a shotgun for home defense you may have asked yourself, or friends, what type of shell to use. The common answer has probably been either buckshot vs. birdshot. But, which is better?

Most people when they say buckshot are referring to 00 which is nine .33 caliber balls in the shell. For birdshot, the common type to use is number 6 or 7.5. Well, this article is going to look at the advantages and disadvantages of each one and try to help you come to an answer of which one is best for home defense.

Pros And Cons of Buckshot and Birdshot

Buckshot Advantages

So buckshot is usually used for taking down larger animals, such as deer, which is where it gets its name. The rounds are bigger and do more damage. They also come out much faster and maintain their speed longer. Generally 00 buckshot comes out at 1250fps (feet per second).

This gives it plenty of penetration power and stopping power. Due to this extra power you don't have to be as close to your target to do the same amount of damage.

Another advantage to buckshot is, since it is less rounds coming out of the shell, the spread of each ball is less. This means you are more likely to hit what you are aiming at. The closer you are to the target, the less spread their will be.

Also, for a home defense shotgun you can have a custom choke made. The choke helps narrow the barrel which keeps the spread down. This can be used for any type of round you are using.

So less spread and more power are the main advantages to using buckshot.

Buckshot Disadvantages

The disadvantages to buckshot tie into the advantages. Since it comes out faster and has more penetrating power you can run into issues of over penetration. This is when the buckshot goes through the wall and into another room. This could put other bystanders in danger.

Your family that you are trying to protect might accidentally get hit with a stray round. Even worse is if the over penetration takes the round outside and you hit a neighbor.

Also, with the increased power comes more recoil. This means that if you need to fire multiple rounds it might be harder to re-aim or if you are a smaller person it might knock you back. If you get knocked back, then this could put you in harm's way and put you at a disadvantage against the intruder.

The recoil can be compensated for some with the type of shotgun you are using and the main issue with buckshot is the over penetration.

Advantages to Birdshot

So the advantages to birdshot are going to counter the disadvantages to buckshot. Birdshot pellets are much smaller and come out slower. They have decent force at closer ranges and can penetrate a person even through some clothing, but it will not go through walls.

They still have the issue of going through windows, but since they slow down slower they will not hurt someone outside as bad as buckshot would.

Also, since it comes out slower, there is a lot less recoil. This means a smaller person can fire birdshot with much more accuracy, which is important because since the pellets are smaller, you need more of them to hit the target to have stopping power.

Birdshot can also be fired faster though because you are using less time to re-aim.

Disadvantages to Birdshot

The main disadvantage to birdshot is it might not have enough stopping power to stop the intruder. If the intruder is on drugs, drunk, or out of their mind in some way, then some small damage may not phase them. This means you either need to be closer when you shoot them with the birdshot to have more penetration or hit them with more.

Also, bird shot may have a hard time of getting through thick clothing. If the intruder has a heavy coat or leather coat on, then the birdshot may not make it deep enough to cause real damage to stop the intruder.

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Which should you choose between Buckshot vs Birdshot?

So, which one should you use for home defense now that you know the advantages and disadvantages. Well, if you are a smaller person and can't handle the recoil of buckshot, then you should use birdshot because you want to make sure you hit your target.

If you live in a really busy area, then you may also want to consider using birdshot.

In most situations, though, you should probably use buckshot as long as you can be sure to hit what you are aiming at. This is because the stopping power it provides is important. You want to make sure you are able to stop the target as quickly as possible if you are trying to protect yourself and family.

Also, over penetration shouldn't be much of an issue because the intruder is probably near the door and not between you and your family. Stray rounds should not be going into rooms where your family is and neighbors houses should be far enough away that rounds should not go in. Especially if the homes are brick it will keep the rounds from going to far.

There is a reason the police use 00 buckshot in their shotguns. It is because it works to stop the person needing stopped and the reward for using it out weights the risk of it being used.

The last thing you want is to shoot the intruder and not stop them so for home defense in most situations 00 buckshot is the way to go.

Can I Carry A Gun In My Car? The Laws You Need To Know!

Wondering whether or not you are able to carry a gun in your car? Be sure to read below for any important information.

Unfortunately, there isn’t one singular answer for this question. In the United States, gun laws more or less vary from state to state. Similarly, laws involving carrying a weapon in your car also vary between states.

It is extremely important to remind you to check the laws for your state.

Between the time this article was written and the time that you read it, it is entirely possible that the laws have changed.

Be sure to keep up on your state’s gun laws before inadvertently breaking the law!

So how do you check your state's law? Check this link: Gun Laws By State

Four Key Factors To Care

Generally speaking, there are four key factors that go into most states’ laws regarding guns in vehicles: concealed vs open and loaded vs unloaded.

The primary reason for this is that there is a huge difference between carrying a gun in your vehicle for hunting and carrying one for self defense.

Another reason to check your state’s specific laws is that each state defines concealed differently. In some states, anything within arm’s reach is considered concealed. Other states may define concealed differently.

Additionally, some states require that the gun be broken down or stored in its own compartment. In some states, this compartment must be locked, while in others, it doesn’t have to be.

Some States Don’t Require a Concealed Carry License

In some states, you don’t need a concealed carry permit to carry a weapon in your car, whether it is concealed or open, loaded or unloaded.

While this is not an all inclusive list, some of these states are: Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Kansas, and Texas.

Some States Do Require a Concealed Carry License… And More

Many states allow for legal concealed carrying of a weapon in a vehicle as long as you have a concealed carry permit. However, some states require even further permitting in order to legally carry your gun in your car.

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Conclusion

Unfortunately, there isn’t one simple answer to this question. As is often the case with gun laws, they are extremely different from state to state. This makes it hard to provide one answer.

Your best bet is going to be checking your state’s laws. At the end of the day, each state defines concealed slightly differently, especially when it comes to inside a vehicle. States may also have different requirements for storage, or may define loaded differently.

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Checking your specific state’s laws will give you a clear understanding of what you can and cannot do. Besides, no matter what you read on the internet, you are the one that is ultimately responsible for making sure you are operating within your state’s legal bounds.

What is the Slice The Pie Tactic? Does it Work?

“Slicing the pie” is one of the most basic tactics. The Slice the Pie tactic is extremely useful for clearing a room, hallway, or rounding a corner.

Essentially, this tactic is best used when approaching a chokepoint, and trying to move through to the other side.

A chokepoint is an area of concern in a potentially dangerous situation, and the best example is a doorway into a room.

There is only one way to enter a room: through the door.

If a shooter is inside the room, and wants to stop someone from entering the room, what’s the easiest way to do so? Simple, aim at the door and shoot anyone that walks in.

Without “slicing the pie” the most likely way to enter the room would be to waltz straight through the door.

If there was a potential shooter inside that room, you would be an extremely easy target.

Going through a chokepoint in a potentially hostile environment is extremely dangerous.

Slicing the pie allows you to be much safer as you enter the room, and if you are in a truly dangerous situation, it will allow you to engage the target before he or she can engage you.

So, ready to learn more about slicing the pie?

The Basics Slicing The Pie Tactic

This tactic is named for a much easier reason than you are probably thinking. Think about when you are slicing a pie.

The pieces of pie fan out from the center of the pie, meaning that they start very narrow, and get wider as it approaches the crust of the pie.

To apply this to clearing a room or a hallway, think of the end of the door frame or the end of the wall before it opens up into a hallway as the center of the pie.

From there, think about the slices of pie extending out from the center.

Basically, what you are going to do is smoothly and methodically clear where you are trying to go in sections.

Slicing the Pie in a Doorway

Slowly approach the door, while walking alongside the wall. Your weapon should be shouldered and ready to go, in case there is a threat.

Once you get to the point along the wall where you can barely see into the room, you have identified your first “slice.” You will clear that one sliver of room, and then slowly inch forward.

Each time you inch forward, you will see more and more of the room. Another way to say it is that each inch forward reveals another slice of pie.

As you inch forward, clear all of these “slices” of the room, all the way from the door to as far as you can see into the room (hopefully to the back wall). Once You have made your way into the doorway, you have cleared all the “slices” of the room.

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Slicing the Pie in a Hallway and Elsewhere

You will take a very similar approach. However, rather than a doorframe, you will be inching around the corner of a wall and clearing down a hallway.

This tactic is very widely applicable. In any situation where there is some type of chokepoint with some cover, you could use this technique to slowly and safely clear the area beyond.

It is extremely useful for going around and between buildings in an urban setting.

It could be used for clearing through a window. It could be used for clearing any number of obstacles.

The basis of the tactic is extremely simple, and once you have mastered the basics, you will find that you will be able to apply this technique in many different areas.

Tips

Keep a foot or two between yourself and the wall. This will allow you to inch around the wall slower, without exposing too much of your body.

Take it slow. Your natural instinct will be to move through the motions very fast. However, going too fast is when you are most likely to miss things. Take your time, be safe, and be sure that the area you are visually clearing is actually clear.

Watch the barrel of your weapon. If you are attempting to try and take anyone in the room by surprise, be sure to keep your barrel out of the doorframe. As you are inching around and clearing the room, if your barrel is sticking into the doorway, it will be a dead giveaway that you are there.

Don’t be afraid to safely practice this technique. If you are worried that you may one day need to use this tactic, it certainly won’t hurt to take a few practice runs. Make sure your weapon is clear and no one is in the room, but maybe try clearing into your bedroom once or twice, to give you an idea what the technique should feel like.

Conclusion

“Slicing the pie” is an extremely basic tactic. However, in a situation in which you might need it, it is an absolutely vital skill to have.

If you ever find yourself having to enter a potentially dangerous room, you will be glad that you are familiar with this technique.

Knowing this could very well be the difference between life and death in an extremely dangerous situation. Remember, don’t move too fast!

Check out this YouTube video for a demonstration on how to use this technique!