Jerah Hutchins

Winchester 12-Gauge Defender Ammo

Jerah Hutchins
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Duration:   3  mins

PDN viewers know Rob Pincus recommends the Winchester Defender line of ammunition for personal defense and training. In this video, Rob is joined by PDN Contributor Jerah Hutchins of Clearing the Chamber to demonstrate the importance of patterning a defensive shotgun to enhance training.

PATTERNING … NOT JUST FOR WATERFOWL

The round being patterned is the Winchester 12-ga Defender Ammunition (copper-plated buckshot, 2 ¾ inches, 1145 velocity, 9 pellets, 00 buck). Many people still use a shotgun for home defense, and it has law enforcement and game control applications as well. (Rob says “still” because his primary home-defense weapon is now an AR-type rifle, not a shotgun).

If you have a shotgun for home defense, you need to know what’s going to happen when you fire it … hence patterning. How large or small is that pattern going to be when you blast a home invader with it?

TWO ROUNDS, DIFFERENT DISTANCES

Jerah takes the first shot at about seven yards, which is a reasonable home-defense distance – think, across the open floor plan of a home, or down a stairwell. You may also need to fire through a window of your home to stop an intruder who’s in your yard or on your land shooting rifle rounds through your living-room windows. The entire group is about fist sized, confirming that you do need to aim a shotgun. Spray and pray is not a defensive plan.

Jerah and Rob move out to about 15 yards, no longer a home-defense distance but more a distance for law enforcement use. The Winchester 12-ga Defender round really shines at this distance. The group made by the nine pellets can only be covered by Rob’s wide open hand.

When doing shotgun training or practice with a round that’s new to you, be sure to pattern it so you’ll know what to expect if you have to fire it in self defense.

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