@a homo sapien

I don't do any black powder shooting but I do reload 357 mag b/c that shit gets expensive.

@a homo sapien probably not far enough, it would likely fall to the earth before it would lose enough velocity to bounce off of someone. However, there definitely could be an instance of a bullet travelling, entering something and exit at a velocity just enough to keep going for a bit but bounce off a surface or human

I'm thinking about buying a shotgun for home defense purposes

where do you live?

this will be my first time buying a gun, thanks to some lunatic who tried to break into my apartment

US

statewise

texas

gun laws are pretty lax there afaik

Okay cool me too,

Have you ever shot a shotgun or any rifle?

no

Okay, well regardless I would recommend a 12ga pump shotgun. The most reliable starting shotguns in that gauge are Remington 870 or Mossberg 500/590

are there any differences between the two that I need to know about?

Nope, both are the 500 and 870 are quality. The 590 has some features that are preferable to the 500 but it's a bit more price wise.

I recommend getting smaller shot size shells since you live in an apartment. most buckshots will probably tear through your neighbors walls at regular engagement distances

I'm actually going to be moving back in with my parents for a few months starting next month

but yeah, I probably might still need smaller shells

The shot size you would probably want would be #4 buckshot. It's on the smaller end of load size but still keeps enough energy to stop someone that most birdshot just cannot do.

If you're worried about killing your neighbor, I would also recommend just getting a pistol. Much easier to handle in an apartment and you dont need to worry about over penetration unless you are using hotloads for a higher caliber

yeah, originally I was gonna get a handgun but my dad recommended getting a pump action shotgun because of the possibility that it could ward off intruders

eh the whole racking the shotgun is kind of bullshit imo. You shouldnt want to let any intruder know where you are coming from at them

also tell me your intruder story

I was sitting at my couch playing some vidya when some guy started knocking at my window. he said he was lost and was looking for someone who lived in my complex. he asked me to let him in, but I didn't because I thought he was some homeless crackhead who had no idea of his surroundings. it turned out he was an uber eats driver who was genuinely lost and was looking for one of my neighbors, but I found the whole situation to be extremely sketchy nevertheless, and from that point on, I knew I was going to need something to ward off intruders

lmao

I'm probably being really autistic about this but yeah

you should definitely just get a pistol and your CC

because in this case, what would you do with your shotgun?

with your pistol you can oblige the possible crackhead/nice uber driver like a true texan but if he is schizo you can blam him with the big iron on your hip

I guess the next step then is to figure out what pistol I should even get

thanks for the advice

I recommend a 9mm for your first pistol. Glock, CZ, Smith & Wesson, Beretta are all reliable producers. I think the S&W shield is the most popular 9mm carry gun in the U.S. but I dont have one.

Go to a gun store and ask to hold a few that you like, see what sparks your interest and then spend the money

alright then, got it

"hi can i have some directions"
*gets shot*

I bought all the stuff I need to reload 45ACP and 7.62x25

Just need to get the powder and primers now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhG08yQGD38

https://www.titanreloading.com/