First, why a shotgun?
Simple: horsepower. You can argue about the relative effectiveness of a .223 Rem. versus a fill-in-the-blank all day long, but a payload of buckshot pretty much trumps them all. You do have to take the recoil, but that’s the price you pay for performance.
But, which one? Well, you have two choices: pump or auto. I know there are those who will advocate a double-barrel shotgun. “Ease and simplicity of use,” they’ll argue. “No malfunctions,” they’ll propose. And my favorite (which is nonsense): “Two barrels of intimidation.” If you think you can depend solely on intimidation, you’re kidding yourself. You, your attitude and approach are the intimidation—not the firearm.
So, pump or auto? The choice depends partly on cost—and which is a better fit for you.
A pump will be less expensive. And while there will be some overlap in the cost, in the middle, the pump will almost always be less than an auto. A pump will be more forgiving of ammunition choices but will depend on you being a reliable cycling
