Thanks for the input everyone!!



Sadly Cascade is a 2.5 hour drive - one way. My first look didn't find any nearby ranges - closest in Green Bay, maybe a 1.5 hour drive one way. Recently my wife found several listed much closer. I'll look into them when we can travel. Honestly, we are pretty much holed up to avoid the virus.

We have very large front (toward the road) windows - imagine six sliding glass door panes - across our great room. We see everything and everyone that goes down the road or turns into our driveway. So many people walking by strain to see us inside (nosey). I (we) imagine the scenario where someone pulls into the driveway, I walk to the window to see who it is, someone I don't know comes to the sliding glass door or nearby front door, and starts kicking their way in. What do I do? One dog would start barking for sure. That is a good thing. After that, I'm not sure.

I'm not imagining more than a few people, and the nice thing about a shotgun is it is very visible. Heck, just the pump is a very noticeable noise.

I do have some fairly close neighbors - next door and across the street a bit down the lakeshore (the lake is on the other side of the road). That is cause for concern with the handgun. Another reason I like the idea of the shotgun. I've read about the low kick (can't remember the name) defense shotgun shells and like that idea. I'm not sure if I can get those here. Again, I'll ask around as I can get out and about.

My only concern about the shotgun is conveniently having it nearby in the great room. Hanging on the wall puts it in view from outside. If I had a stand, I could put it upright in a less visible corner. I've looked for an upright stand online, but didn't find one for one gun. I'll probably try to create one. I kind of like the idea of having the shotgun chamber empty, but shells in the magazine (its a pump Remington 870 I've had since a teenager squirrel hunting).

BTW, talking with our hay guy (for our horses) a few weeks ago ... apparently very late one evening (near 11 pm) he's getting ready for bed when his dogs start barking. He looks outside and sees a car with headlights on parked maybe 200 feet from his house, in front of his barns. He grabs his 30-30, goes outside, and finds someone on the side of his house (picture an older farm house). It turned out it was a census guy - not sure what he was doing at the side of the house - at 11 pm, on a remote farm, in the dark. The hay guy chewed him out good.

BTW, I feel better having seen Doug in the conversation. I don't mean to turn this into a shooter's/defense forum. I was VERY intrigued by the inReach/ATT issue post. Watching it closely.