You cannot just point the shotgun in the general direction of a bad guy and expect to make a hit. And that is especially true at the short distances inside a house. The pattern does not spread out that fast, and anyone who thinks it does needs to pattern a shotgun at five or so yards to discover the truth.

A defensive shotgun needs to be aimed. A shotgun can be a precision shooting instrument with the right ammunition, as long as the shooter is competent and has tested the...