Please don’t laugh, but what is the difference between a rifle & a shotgun? I saved & bought a S & W handgun, but the recoil is strong & I probably made a mistake thinking it would be good to use as home protection. What is the most easy as far as aim, quickness, & making the target for someone who is NOT gun literate ( & gets almost no practice sadly!)?
I realize I went off topic, but I could not resist when I know I am going to get invaluable advice.
A rifle usually shoots a single projectile that is made to rotate by means of spiral grooves in the barrel (the rifling). This makes the projectile much more stable, and thus, more accurate.
A shotgun usually shoots multiple projectiles called shot, from each cartridge fired. Shotguns can also shoot single projectiles called slugs.
If you have a fair budget, I would recommend an AR type rifle for home defense. Be sure to use bullets that will break up after hitting the target. They do not create as much of an overpenetration hazard as full metal jacketed ammunition. They are usually sold as “varmint” ammo.
You must have hearing protection if you are going to shoot an AR inside a house. Active hearing protection that amplifies sounds, but shuts off to prevent hearing loss during a gunshot, is the recommended type.
AR type rifles in .223 have a price range of from $750 on up.
I read of many successful uses of .22 rifles for self defense.
A rifle has grooves cut on the inside of the barrel to stablize a bullet in flight. Those grooves are called "rifling", hence the name rifle.
A shotgun doesn't have the rifling as it's mostly intended to fire multiple projectiles (shot) of various sizes from a single cartridge. Now there are rifled barrels available for shotguns but they're intended for shooting cartridges with a single projectile (called a slug) which are intended for larger game such as deer or bear.
Now here's where some folks are going to disagree with me, loudly. ALL firearms require "aiming", even shotguns. That suff about clearing out a room with a single blast from a shotgun is Hollywood garbage.
Now GENERALLY, I'd recommend a smaller gauge (20) instead of a 12 guage shotgun for smaller or recoil sensitive shooters. Yes, larger numbers are actually smaller cartridges in the world of shotguns.
Can you tell me what caliber handgun you bought? I may be able to give some suggestions to tame the recoil a bit.
L
Simply put, you generally aim a rifle and point a shotgun.
Let me guess, your S&W is a light weight snub nose revolver that someone told you is the perfect gun for home defense.
Any good 22 magnum revolver will fit your needs for home defense. There is a nice selection of ammo, too. The recoil is very slight but the impact is stout with hollowpoint loads. You can find a nice Henry 22 magnum lever gun to use the same ammo and has no recoil you’d notice. Holds 13 rounds, tubular magazine.