What to do with a Shotgun?

[Sharkman711]

Hey guys, just saw a recent post about a guy wanting shotgun recommendations. Didn't want to piggyback on his thread so started my own.

My question is what do you actually do with shotguns? I know vaguely that you can hunt with it, especially birds, and do skeet/trap shooting.

I know this is a pretty newbie question but - is that it? I still am yet to have a single firearm in my possession (No PAL yet), and that other thread made me think about getting a shotgun too. I just have no idea what I'd do with it!

Thanks guys

[rajczak_kashka]

Whatever you do....just don’t point it towards yourself or anything you don’t intend to delimb.

[fiddler]

Some countries the only firearm you are allowed to own is a shotgun. You can hunt upland and waterfowl birds. Hunt big game, small game, protect your livestock, and protect your home and family. Other than long range, a shotgun takes care of most needs.

[Fisselig]

Alongside what you listed, you can also get into competition, through the IPSC Shotgun discipline, or you can simply target shoot with it using slugs if you have shotgun that changes barrels easily, and a rifled barrel.

[Jahnj0584]

Shoot'em, hunt'em, skeet em, boil 'um, mashem, stickem in a stoo.

[Fordtrucks]

Shotgun does eveything to 100 yards. Ammo is easy to find and cheap. Calibers like 7.62x39, 7.62x54r are going extinct. Not happening with shotty

[sgt.rock]

If I was told tomorrow I could only own 1 gun, it would be a 12ga Mossberg pump action. I can use bird shot for home defense, small game. Buckshot for intermediate game and slugs for big game. It truly is 1-stop shopping. THE MOST VERSATILE of all chamberings. Plus if you have interchangeable chokes, you can control spread/inpact of your lead from tight packed precision to loose spread capable of hitting a wide target while not optimally aimed

[rmsg0040]

12" gong weighing 10lbs at 100 yards gets moved with force by slugs. I was doing that with just a red dot mounted.

[OkayShooter]

And you can turn cheap bird shot into slugs.

[IvoB]

You can use it as a canoe paddle