I hate shotguns ....... and my new 870

[mudgunner49]

Why arn’t rifles sights or red dots used for trap or skeet? We’re talking a 50 yard gun here. If you can’t hit anything within 50 yards with a bead sighted shotgun... I guess you need the add-ons.

More precision is always better than less, whether it's rifle, pistol, or shotgun. And the shotgun is not just a 50m weapon... especially with RDS...

 

[BeaverMeat]

More precision is always better than less, whether it's rifle, pistol, or shotgun. And the shotgun is not just a 50m weapon... especially with RDS...

Marksmanship still provails... just saying

 

[JACKSMYDOG]

Sounds like a light would be another thing to look into if you have difficult seeing in "less than ideal" lighting.

Indeed, I have a light on it already, and on anything else that may ever be used against raccoons or coyotes.

 

[JACKSMYDOG]

Hey JMD~I'll let others chime-in on this, but my understanding is that for a defensive gun (not wildlife) you're better off with 00 Buck vs. slugs. Pretty sure it's what LE/military use, anyone with first-hand experience care to chime in? I've certainly read accounts of 590s in combat, if memory serves..no slugs used. As for chokes, maybe it's your experience level with shotguns...but unlike rifles, you change the effectiveness/range/pattern using choke tubes, whether you hunt or not. You don't need/want them with slug use, but as soon as there are multiple projectiles with every pull of the trigger, the barrel's choke plays into the end result. Yours is most likely NO choke (=CYL, or cylinder bore) so knowing how that patterns plays into it's effectiveness. True, the smaller the shot size...the more a tighter choke impacts the patterns. Still, choke tubes are something to consider if you're wanting that level of control. Hunters know (or should) to pattern their guns before hunting. It's the only way to guess how many pellets of a given size are likely to hit a target OF a given size at a given distance. Leave that to chance, and you're rolling the dice. I proved this to someone a year or so back, we set-up a gatorade bottle at about 30' away, CYL bore shotgun, 20" barrel, 00 Buck. 3 shots/zero hits. lol Just too open a pattern, even at that distance. Granted, small target...but you get my meaning. I'd missed a few groundhogs using 00 buck at about that distance, decided to pattern the gun. After the gatorade bottle test, out came a pc. of cardboard to see what was happening. I switched to #4 shot.

A wallhanger/conversation piece~lots of merit in that I suppose, but not being fairly proficient with it sort of limits how effective a defensive tool it might be if required. I can barely go a week without feeling the recoil of a shotgun, or rearranging various household items. (if not shooting clays that is )

Police have a different philosophy of use than a personal HD shotgun. Arguably slug and 00Buck have similar stopping power inside of 5 yards, so either would be acceptable IMO for HD.

As to chokes, I know they play a significant role in shot pattern, even with 00Buck, which is part of the reasoning for slugs.

Being proficient with any gun I plan to use is great advice, and something I completely agree with. This is a major aspect of why I think I have better choices for most HD situations. Personally I get no pleasure from larger recoil, and much prefer a carbine in 9mm or 5.56mm. Something about shotgun (especially tactical style) I do find appealing, but shooting them is not it

 

[jory]

You've obviously never done roadblock duty and thought about the possibility of having to shoot into, or try to stop, a vehicle. Patrol carbine, even using barrier blind ammo, sucks as does buckshot. Slugs, not so much...

Ah, that makes sense. That wasn't something I even thought about. Good call.

 

[Wester]

Delete

 

[.22LRGUY]

Something about shotgun (especially tactical style) I do find appealing, but shooting them is not it

Well...that's where experience does kick in a bit JMD. You THINK shooting shotguns isn't appealing, but but it grows on you. So much so in my case...that one comes along (usually my 500 Persuader) even if I'm planning an afternoon of rimfire shooting. I'll run anywhere from 100-300 rounds of 22LR through the target rifle...then take out the 12 and shred a few sitting clays, reactive targets..SOMETHING to give that heavy, happy JOLT! Heck, sent that 500 out to Alberta to switch things up on my last gopher shoot. Sure, we shot hundreds with the rimfires..but sometimes you need to switch it up a bit and get the 12 involved. Great practice, targets that are both moving AND reactive. A shotgun comes along when I hunt groundhogs here in Ontario too~the pigeons cra**ing on the hay stored in barns aren't getting a free pass you know! lol

Anyhow, I think I get where you're coming from...but in the last 15 years or so, I've gone from really liking shotguns to loving the things. I like most guns, but for me...hard to beat shotguns for the biggest smile factor.

 

[EL34/6L6]

I went a more "lean" with my Magpul Express.
I picked it up for $600, like new and unfired a few years back during what I believe to be was it's inaugural release.

The furniture I pulled off, and put on another gun. I added a laminate stock set, S&J no jam follower, S&J +1, and short extended choke.

The Magpul Express is a GREAT gun. The finish is fantastic and the action and operation are wicked smooth. No failures or jams ever with this gun.