HD shotgun

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Drummer101

New member
I am wondering what you do with you HD shotgun.

Normally they have a 18-20 inch barrels but some some trap/skeet ranges require 24 inch barrel so you cant really use it there.

Do you sling buckshot at the patterning board?

How do you practice with it?
 
Shooting pepper-poppers or bowling pins at your local action shooting league is probably closer to the shooting style you'll use for HD. That being said, I WAS seen shooting a round of Sporting Clays with a Hi-Standard 10-B once...

You can get a second barrel for your pump. I'd practice with the gun in the same trim for HD, however.

I used to use Winchester AA plus ammo for practice, as it also functioned a semi-auto shotgun I owned at the time, and it worked great on poppers at our indoor league's 50' range. It was also cheap and readily available at the time.
 
590 with accu choke heavy barrel , Champion easybird auto feed electric clay thrower , a public shooting range.........Fun time!
 
I bought my 870 Express for trap and skeet, and I recently purchased a 20" deer-sighted, Improved Cylinder barrel, a sling swivel stud kit, a sling, an elastic shell carrier for the stock, and some Winchester PDX1 Supreme Elite slug/buck combo rounds for home defense.

Thus, I can change barrels (takes like ten seconds on the 870), remove the sling and shell carrier, and be ready with the 28" vent rib I bought it with for trap.

Tacticool might look dope, but functionality is the best.
 
Drummer101

Training with a Fighting Scattergun is much different than with a field sports gun.

1st - you need to pattern your fighting gun at much closer ranges than your field gun. I my humble opinion it is critical that you understand what size your patterns is a very close range and exactly where it shoots to.

2nd - you need to practice mounting and functioning the gun in a very rigours manner. Unlike quail or clay birds, you can not afford to drop just one target in real life shooting affairs. Many folks scoff at me when I suggest buying dummy rounds and spending sweat and time to prefect your mechanics with your fighting shotgun. I however, spend time each week with my 870 and M1S90 maintaining a reasonable level of proficiency.

3rd - if you choose to hang accessories on your fighting scattergun, practice to make sure the buttons and switches work for you and that you control them they do not control you. If you have a light attached to your scattergun, keep it in proper adjustment, focused just above your front sight.

Leads and chokes mean next to nothing with Fighting Scatterguns. Quick decisive and aggressive pointing and follow-through, recoil management and making the gun run flawlessly are the arts of fighting with a Scattergun.

Good Luck & Be Safe
 
All you have to do is swap out barrels if you want to go hunting or shoot skeet. Pretty simple task and a new barrel shouldn't run you any more than $200, but probably closer to $100.

Yes, you definitly should pattern your HD gun! If you're talking 12 gauge, buy a 5 round box of 4BK, 1BK, 0BK, 00BK, 00BK Magnum, 000BK, and some rifled slugs just for fun. Test these rounds at different distances and also factor in if you have any over penetration worries. Whichever one of these gives you the best grouping and meets your penetration needs, buy 2 25 round boxes.

Also buy a 100 round box of birdshot or whatever is cheapest just to get used to the function of your gun. Run through at least 100 rounds shooting at clay pigeons, water jugs, dirt, etc. Shoot standing, sitting, kneeling, etc. Try shooting at two targets spaced pretty good apart. Shoot while walking forward, backwards and sideways (just be extra careful). Then run through the box of 25 rounds of HD shells to get used to how they feel. Clean your gun when you get home and load it up with your HD rounds. Repeat this as often as you feel you need to, want to, or can afford.
 
For FITASC and sporting, I use an 8-1/4# gun and practice with light target loads at ranges up to 60 YARDS for crossers and chondelles through moderately tight chokes.

That would be unnecessary in a HD scenario where my 7# gun with C choke and an average distance of 30 FEET is more likely.

Since I shoot both types of guns from a low-gun mount, snagging, etc. is not an issue for ME - YMMV. Patterning is done on the pattern board at the appropriate distances - again, for HD, 7 to 15 yards is the norm. I don't practice house-clearing or sweeping, nor do I worry about long range shots as I live in a subdivision, not on a farm. My strategy is to hunker down with the gun pointed at the door and the phone dialing 911

Your strategy might be different
 
My HD shotgun is pretty dedicated to that purpose because of the barrel it has. I use a Remington 870 Express Magnum with a 20" smoothbore cylinder-bore barrel with rifle sights. The gun is marketed for deer hunting (that's what the original owner used it for) but also works superbly for HD. I usually limit my practice to the same ranges as my handguns: 15-30yd. I very, very rarely shoot birdshot in this particular gun as it's cylinder bore barrel doesn't pattern it very well. My gun doesn't seem to be particularly picky about buckshot, it shoots Remington and Winchester #4 Buck, Winchester #1 Buck, and Remington 00 Buck all equally well. It does, however, shoot Brenneke Black Magic Magnum Slugs particularly well and Federal TruBalls nearly as well as the Brennekes.
 
I shoot clays with mine. I've got access to some family land where we throw them and shoot them with the house guns. My wife's has a 18-inch barrel and mine has a 20-incher.
 
3 gun.....

Take your shotgun, rifle and handgun to a 3 gun match. Learn what works, what doesn't and why. See how others use their gear and pick up some some pointers along the way. The artificial stress of the buzzer will help get your juices flowing, like they would if you were confronted in a self defense situation.

The more you use your gear, the better prepared you'll be for the *GOD FORBID* event that requires your response.
 
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