how do you use your shotgun at the range?

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nintendohunter

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Recently got myself a 1301, haven't taken it shooting yet. Im wondering how everyone runs their shotguns at the range? Like what type of ammo do you take, what sort of targets do you set up, etc. The Garand Thumb review of the A300 spurred me thinking about it, those guys used 00 buck on IPSC style cardboard - only issue I see is how fast the targets get shredded to bits. 5 rounds open up a dinner plate hole in the A zone

I plan to sight it in on the 50-100 yard silhouette range with metal targets, but after that I'd prefer to just stick to IDPA/IPSC style shooting.
 
With my 1301 comp I use it for skeet mostly but have put alot of buck and slugs thru it. With my short barreled guns at the range I work on mounting and hitting small targets at 25 yards with slugs and buck.
 
I mainly use my shotguns off the range, I’ll pattern them and then hunt with them 99% of the time. Periodically I’ll shoot some slugs and buckshot for fun but I just go to a power line cut and bring my own target stand, might throw some clays for fun.
 
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Blast steel plates using the cheast dirtiest shells i can get. My pump is defensive use so I practice with that mind set. A couple buck shot to stay current. Slugs at 50 yards but thats more for fun.
I use break actions for clay games
 
A box of clays make for a cheap reactive target, with a case of basic trap loads can make for some high shot count sessions
hang them however wherever with a good backstop, maybe away from range target stands in order to save them
coloured water in cheap bottles makes for a good splash too
just clean up your mess
 
I always thought clays are a good target to just place randomly on the backstop, but I'd have to bring a rake and some bags to clean up the mess afterwards. Maybe worth it
 
Shotgun specifically for Trap now. Before I would shoot slugs at cardboard (nice clean holes in cardboard) and also shoot a 12" gong at 100 yards using a red dot (it smacks hard at a 100 yards!)
 
I've set up a bunch of stuff on my range for shotgun, a bunch of various ar500 plates in different configurations, a few homemade poppers/clay tossers, etc.

Current setup requires around 40 shots to complete, so lots of loading.

Been having a lot of fun with the 1301 comp, and just got a shot timer to keep things interesting. I mostly just shoot whatever target ammo is cheapest, anything works.

My own range so I can change things around to suit the day. 10" pieces of pipe stood on the ground in a row is an easy set of targets to practice a series of shots. Also switching to all steel targets has been nice, no mess other than hulls to clean up.

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Depends which shotgun. The o/u is used for clay target shooting. I use a pump gun for deer hunting in Southern Ontario and at the range I use it to punch paper and hit gongs with slugs.
 
Clays tossed randomly all over the left, right and back berms for bird shot, paper IPSC or IDPA targets for slugs. I like doing drills because shooting shotgun means constantly reloading it and getting it settled back onto your shoulder again.
3 rounds in the gun, shoot 2, load 4, shoot 2 load 4.
Or shoot 2, load 2 until my shell holders are empty. Once things smooth out I start adding in wide transitions and more movement. It's easy to forget how much physical work there is in running a shotgun well and we never practice it enough.

And yes, mag dumps.
 
So far, paper/cardboard targets at the range with slugs in a pump at about 25 meters. Time's mostly spent trying to adjust with my cross eye dominance, but it's still good practice.
 
I will usually only take my shot guns off range. The ability to make courses of fire, shoot different ammo (some ranges are restrictive) and shoot random stuff makes it much more fun. And yeah, Semi Auto magdumps.
 
They run a great Two Gun at my range, shotgun and pistol. Shotgun targets are steel plates, then transition to IDPA targets for pistol.
I shoot cheap, dirty target loads from a 590 Retrograde and enjoy it every time. I just picked up my first over/under and will give trap a go this summer for sure
 
You sir, are so blest.

deadman said:
I've set up a bunch of stuff on my range for shotgun, a bunch of various ar500 plates in different configurations, a few homemade poppers/clay tossers, etc.

Current setup requires around 40 shots to complete, so lots of loading.

Been having a lot of fun with the 1301 comp, and just got a shot timer to keep things interesting. I mostly just shoot whatever target ammo is cheapest, anything works.

My own range so I can change things around to suit the day. 10" pieces of pipe stood on the ground in a row is an easy set of targets to practice a series of shots. Also switching to all steel targets has been nice, no mess other than hulls to clean up.

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m5Lfa3i.jpg


7pBAY1H.jpg


MSB2Ms4.jpeg
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I'm blessed with a wonderful wife that doesn't mind the noise or the fact that i spend more time on the range than in the house!

I built the range in the pasture behind my shop, the berm is about 80 yds long, eventually I want it about ten ft high on three sides. I pick away at it with my skidsteer when I have time. For longer range rifle shooting, I have to sidestep the range to get the various plates I have hung in the field beyond.

It's nice not having to plan a trip to the range, before we moved out of the city I was lucky to get out 3 times a year. Pistols are neglected now though, but maybe I can look at getting it approved some day if I get enough dirt moved.

For my targets I started with whatever I could find, mostly 1/2" steel plates scrounged from work sites. They are fine for rimfire or shotgun but anything more started beating the heck out of them so I've been replacing them with ar500 as I can.

Cabelas has 2/3 sized torsos with stands that come on sale for 99 bucks every once in a while, just picked up three more of them.

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nintendohunter said:
those guys used 00 buck on IPSC style cardboard - only issue I see is how fast the targets get shredded to bits. 5 rounds open up a dinner plate hole in the A zone
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Shredding things to pieces, isn't that the whole point of shotguns?!?!

Get some paper plate from the dollar store and patch them up?
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If you've got a little more time, you can use spray-on adhesive and paper to "repair" them

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With a black and/or green shotgun, you'll find me practicing tactical reloads on the move, shooting cheap steel shot of whatever size and with little regard for what the target is. Also occasionally shooting slugs at a real target.

You might say that tactical reloads can as easy be practiced at home, but I've found that too much of that roughens up the brass on shells to the point that my guns won't handle them anymore, meaning it's best to just do a few and then shoot the shells in question.

One other point, human-like targets have been banned in Ontario clubs, more dithering and blathering. Even IPSC shoots at a blob-like target, so that if the blobs ever attack, they're dead meat.
 
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