How to shoot a pistol grip shotgun?

D

David spargenator

New member
So I was shooting 3 inch 00 buck out of my pistol grip remington 870. And the recoil hurts my wrist. Is there a certain way. Your supposed to shoot a pistol grip shotgun?
 
With your firing hand mount it and shoot it exactly as you would shoot a handgun in retention position. This is how you index and "aim" it. Keep your firing hand firmly locked against the side of your chest. Your thumb should be pressing into the bottom of your pectoral muscle.

Keep your firing hand elbow straight back - don't chicken wing it - which aids in managing recoil.

Your support hand will be gripping the foregrip to support the weight and to work the action. You should not use the support hand to drive the muzzle onto target. You should not move the muzzle independently with your support hand as that "unlocks" your index. Instead your whole upper torso should traverse the muzzle onto target like a tank turret. If necessary, flex at the knees or pivot on the balls of your feet to slew the muzzle onto target.

Edited to add - Also, don't shoot 3" 000 buckshot. Shoot 2 3/4" reduced recoil 00 or #1 buckshot instead.
 
Last edited:
I had one once on a Mossberg 500 - three shots of regular target loads convinced me to put a regular stock on it. Why would you want to shoot 3" 000 buck with that? If you insist on keeping that setup, then change that grip to one called a bird's head style - it will keep your wrist in a straighter angle so the recoil is not as bad...........but seriously, either shoot LIGHT loads or get a regular grip, the damage you are doing will come back to haunt you in the form of surgery down the road
 
Blackhawk has some spring loaded pistol grips that are supposed to reduce recoil. I've never used them.

When we got our shotguns they came with regular stocks and PGs. Bunch of guys thought they'd be cool and put the PGs on... After the first qualifier you didn't see a PG again. Guys busted their noses, or scraped up the back of their thumbs on mags in pouches...and none of the guys with PGs were able to put enough pellets in the targets to qualify.
 
I believe I saw an earlier post about a concealed carry shotgun and now this one about shooting 3" shells out of a pistol grip only (PGO) shotgun.

I get the impression you're into the coolness factor of guns right now more than you are concerned with practicality and efficiency. I don't mean to seem holier than thou or pretend I have all the answers. I am guilty of various gun related choices that had more to do with something being cool than with being reasonable. (I've over-accessorized more than one gun only to revert back to a simpler setup).

The fact is that a lot of conventional and traditional gun designs and gun/carry-related decisions have become conventional and traditional because they work (even if they seem boring compared to stuff in movies or video games).

As others have pointed out and you've realized for yourself, shooting 3" shells out of a PGO isn't very pleasant. Aside from switching to a conventional stock, suggestions of standard 2-3/4" loads make sense, as do the suggestions of a spring loaded grip or birds head grip. You might also consider something like this folding stock, which gives some shoulder support (if you want it) along with a spring loaded grip.
 
Last edited:
the same way that you shoot a non pistol gripped shotgun. you let your shoulder absorb the recoil. the pistol grip is just a more comfortable place to put your hand, not a second location to brace for recoil. I regularly shoot 3 1/2in mag shells out of my mossy 535 and never get a sore wrist.
 
I bought a factory pg Defender in 1984 and learned quickly about using lighter loads. It's gone thru a number of stock changes with the last being the Birds Head grip which manages recoil better than a pistol grip for me. It's set up for HD but is not my first choice for defense.
U tube has videos on the subject.
 
Ya derbel I like the technique you've come up with. I will probably go ahead and slap a reduced recoil stock in as well. Thank you everyone for your input on this problem I've been having. Any ideas are always welcome.
 
I will probably go ahead and slap a reduced recoil stock in as well. Thank you everyone for your input on this problem I've been having. Any ideas are always welcome.
Click to expand...

While this will reduce the pain in your wrist it will do nothing for your aim. I would say that in 98% of all shotgun occasions you will be better served by a full sized stock.
 
I wouldn't recommend shooting a PG shotgun from the hip; it's hard to aim and recoil can be troublesome. Instead, shoot it in a modified form of a normal shotgun hold: Grip the for-end with your support hand and lock that arm out in front of you: this arm is what takes the brunt of the recoil. Lean into the gun just like you would on a normal shotgun. This way you can even use your sights still if you need to.

And for the people thinking you're going to smash yourself in the face under recoil, you won't if you have a proper grip with your support hand and your arm is extended out properly: I've even fired slugs out of a Serbu AOW this way and not had any problems.
 
Ya derbel I like the technique you've come up with.
Click to expand...

It's the same technique you'd use to handle/fire a shotgun equipped with a shoulder stock in Close Quarters. For CQB applications this technique works equally well with either a pistol grip only or a shoulder stock, regardless of whether the shoulder stock is traditional type or has a pistol grip.

Good luck!
 
Because the pistol grip shotguns sell.

Chances are it is due to video games and movies showing the good guy firing off a magazine full of shells at the bad guy's.

The truth be known the blanks they shoot have little or no recoil.

Just keep shooting those 3 inch mag buckshot loads your doctor can fix the damage, maybe!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top