Fly Navy said:
Don't even think about loading birdshot for defense.
It's really funny you should mention that, Fly.
<storytime>
One of my college friends got kicked out of API a few months back (academic failure) and failed to redesignate, so she decided to go back home and regroup. I got a call a couple of days ago--I don't know if this is typical or not, but they were flying her home (roughly 12 hours away) and shipping everything, including her car. Because of that, she didn't want to mess with taking the box of shells she had for her very pretty over-under 12 gauge (no idea what make/model). This was the same shotgun I nearly tripped over once lying on the floor next to her bed (her only defense against the boogeyman, mind you).
Anyway, she called to see if I wanted the shells. I don't have a shotgun, but I might be getting one in the next year or so, so I said sure. She comes over and gives me the box, and suddenly curious about what she had been using, I looked at it, expecting to see 00 buckshot or something. Nope: AA Light Target Load. "Is this what you had in your shotgun the whole time?" I asked her. "Uh huh," she replied. I told her that she probably should've thought about using buckshot, and she had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. I decided to let it be (she is unbelievably dense).
I am the farthest thing in the world to a shotgun expert, but wouldn't that just piss the bad guy off, unless it was an exceptionally good, point blank head or maybe chest shot?
</storytime>