What else can I do with a home defense shotgun?

[uptime]

I'm a firm believer that a home defense shotgun is a good thing to have so I just bought a new H&R 12 Ga pump with a 18 1/2 inch barrel. Now, what else can I do with it. Does it have any useful hunting/skeet/trap purposes? I do plan to put a high lumen tactical light on it but what other upgrades/accessories should I consider.

If you have one, how do you use it as a home defense weapon?

[Gunlovingvet]

I out shot a group of other hunters on Geese with an Ithica ally sweeper once. Was sweet to see their faces when the smoke cleared and I had 3 Honkers.

[davemac]

Why not buy another barrel or two that would be better suited for other purposes?

[Gunsmith/Administrator]

I used to hunt rabbits with an old H&R single 12 ga with an 18 in barrel. You had to be close and quick but it was a LOT of fun :)

[ofcmarc]

I slaughtered Grouse last fall with my 18" 870.....

[Shovelhead]

I bought a Churchill 12 ga O/U for dove hunting several years ago.
Couldn't hit a danged thing with it, .....
Put it back in the truck and grabbed my 18 1/2" Mossy 500.
Limited out.

;)

[Fronty Owner]

best bet is to go shoot some clays with the short bbl and see how well you can shoot with it.
Alternate choice is to buy a 26" or 28" barrel and run it as a field gun.

[n2moto]

Set up a course of fire and practice. Get some rebar and put on a plastic milk jug you will get feed back you can shoot them many times and you get practice running rounds and reloading. Get a timer and some friends and have a blast.

[Boatnik]

I hunt deer with a Remington 1100 that I had a gunsmith shorten to 20 inches and install a Colonial Arms screw in choke tube system. With the versatillity of being able to change chokes I can hunt just about anything I want. The length of a shotgun barrel with todays propellants is ineffective at increasing range or pattern. All the powder is consumed in the first 18 to 20 inches of the barrel. The longer barrel serves to slow down the swing rate and provide a longer sight radius. The pattern is controlled by the choke. You may find the current choke to be good for deer hunting with the right ammo. Don't forget to check with the local game laws about maximum number of sheels allowed in a shotgun while hunting.:cool: