Rules for shotgun at indoor range and help with picking one.

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DasFriek

Moderator
For some odd reason i never pay attention if ive ever seen anyone shooting a SG there.
Here is the link to the range i use and it describes some ammo do's and dont's.
http://www.nasr.com/shooting-ranges-in-ohio/

I really need a HD SG as even i know my .45's are nothing compared to 00Buck.
I used to own a Mossberg bullpup 12gauge about 20 years ago and believe me im still kicking myself over letting that go.

Since i do hit the range alot and Walmart for ammo,its almost as cheap to shoot the SG as it is 9mm,am i correct in that?
Im thinking the ammo that only can be used at the indoor range may make that a not so cheap shooting gun?

Ill most likley get a 500 or 870 as thats what i know,but is there another brand and model in the $250-$350 range i should look at?
i want short barrel and high capacity,with option to add a collapsible stock or folding.Also iirc mine used to have the ability to shoot 3 1/2 mag shells,that sound correct and a good idea to look for?Im a big guy so i can handle it.
I know that sounds Craptactikool,but in the tight confines of a small house i think its what fits best.
I love the new Stouger Coach guns,short double barrels and add a pistol grip id be drooling.But the idea of 2 shots and then reload i dont like that idea much.
 
I'd vouch for the Winchester 1300 used. Fantastic gun. I just feel that the Winchester Defender kinda has the pump shotgun as a tactical design done right. I'm a Mossberg guy through and through, but my favorite ONE shotgun may be the 1300 Defender. I just wish there were more upgrades for them, such as metal trigger assemblies. There are PLENTY of aftermarket stocks and forends and shell holders and such.


You can find a used 1300 Defender for anywhere from 175-375 if you shop well. I recommend the 8 shot, flush mag tube 18.5" config. That is all business.

3 1/2" in a defense application would be an utter waste of mag tube space, shot, and recoil. I'm 6'1", 275 pounds and do not own a single 3" magnum shell....anymore, that is. I don't hunt large game with a shotgun.
 
If I understand the indoor range rules correctly, they are trying to avoid high velocity lead bullets and the subsequent lead vapors. That's why jacketed ammo is generally required for rifles and pistols. So, you'd be okay shooting lead from your shotgun and full metal jackets from your pistol.

You may find shotgunning at an indoor range will soon loose its appeal and you'll be looking for some clay targets. Isn't there a local gun club where you can shoot whatever you want at an outdoors club? Here's a link. For the $21.95 per visit to the indoor range, you could probably shoot 100 clay targets at your local trap and skeet club. At my club: pistol, rifle and shotgun range time is included with the annual dues ($150/year) and trap is $4.50/round. By comparison, the Columbus indoor range seems expensive.

A quick check of ammo prices indicates .45ACP FMJs are about 2 1/2 times the price of 12-ga promotional shot shells. Saving by reloading shot shells is frequently mentioned here. As a reference, I reload .45 ACP target ammo with home cast SWC bullets. They cost me just a little more than .22LRs. It might be argued that these mid-range loads could qualify for the "cowboy ammunition" exemption at your indoor range.
 
good luck!

Good luck.
I haven't ever been in an indoor range that would allow shotgun shooting. I'm sure that there are - I haven't been all over the country - but I'd be surprised if they were very common.
There isn't much that you can do indoors - check reliability, short range patterning. If you had 16 yards, you could adjust stock fit maybe.
Pete
 
I guess ill call and ask specifics,as it does look like they do allow SG rounds.
I doubt id get too bored,a big boom is a big boom no matter what makes it.I enjoy using the weapon and getting used to its feel and firing it repeatedly so i never get any surprises.
Im positive the wont allow the cast lead .45acp,i just saw them turn a guy down who had those on some hard to find ammo type and it was all he could get and they wouldn't allow him to shoot it.
Ill admit i wish i could have .45acp at the cost of .22lr,i pay about $20 for 50fmj as it is.

Clay's do not interest me at all,no offense to guys who love them.This is for HD only as i don't hunt either.

The range is expensive,but trust me it is higher other places.On place is old as heck and is $10 per .5 hour and no discount with more time.
The other place is a good 1.5-2 hour drive and about the same price,but they do have a large outdoor facility.
In actuality ive been to the range listed a couple handful of times and its a great place,but i had a bad experience a few days back and i emailed them and spoke to the Owner and Manager and they were more than helpful and wanting to make me happy,so i don't mind spending my money there.

Ill give the Winchester 1300 a look,i know nothing about that gun so i always like new things.

Does anyone have objections against Double Barreled guns over pump and semi's?I know 2 rounds of 00Buck will make a big mess,but reloading after 2 rounds in a scary situation sounds like a nightmare.
 
As far as picking a shotgun goes, IMHO it matters more how well you can use the gun than it does what gun you have. One of the best defensive shooting instructors in the country is Clint Smith, and his line is: "I don't need a thousand dollar shotgun- I need to know how to run the gun I got!" (see the video sample at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhgwHQCJwWw , and IMHO the DVD is well worth the money too). Any good reliable shotgun will do, I tend to prefer repeaters over singls shots and double barrels, but to quote another famous shotgun trainer, Louis Awerbuck- It's the Indian, not the arrow."

Given my druthers, I'll take a standard 4-shot magazine, 18- 20" barrel, 12 gauge 870 with some kind of sights, a 12.5" LOP conventional style stock with a good recoil pad, sling swivel studs for a detachable sling/carrying strap, a Sidesaddle, and a detachable white light source on board. But I can run most anything I can get my hands on, push comes to shove.

Indoor or commercial outdoor ranges sometimes have stringent rules about shotguns, simply because shotguns can do huge amounts of damage to target frames and other range equipment. Which is why some of us prefer them for defensive use- as Clint Smith says, "Shotguns will remove bone and meat." Still, it can present a problem for those with limited opportunities for training and practice.

I'd hate to have to do all my shotgun practice at an indoor range. They are so limiting in what you can do with the gun and so confining. I'm lucky enough to live in a rural area, and when I got my fishpond dug last year, my wife got the berm she's always wanted too. So we have a small private range a hundred yards away from the house.

And if we accidentally shoot up a target frame along the way, it's OUR target frame and no one yells at us.

All that said, if you can find 'a place to shoot' outside, with more realistic rules, I think you'd be better off in the long run. Take a look at http://www.wheretoshoot.org/ , and see what you can find.

Stay safe,

lpl
 
Thanks for the comments everyone.
I already use the ODNR range at DeerCreek State Park as i live 4 miles from there.But its winter in Ohio so i wont be back until spring.I must have went over 10 times last year.But one issue is you have to have your target against the backstop,no exceptions.
Me shooting my .380 and .25 at 25 yards is about useless.

Ill be heading back to my regular indoor range and ill check on their rules in person so i can make sure im not misunderstanding something.

I think ill stick with the 500 or 590 and 780 and look at the 1300,but i do plan to keep this guns cost it a low-medium priced gun.
I dont need fancy for this gun,its just a HD and practiced at the range with so the only person who is gonna care how pretty it is may be a BG and i doubt he will give me many compliments.
 
trust me, if it came down to a blued Mossberg 500a, remington 870 express or used 1300 defender....

id go Defender ALL the way. and I say this as a DEVOUT Mossberg customer. 870 isn't basd either. but for under 400 total, Defender owns.
 
Like Lee said.

The hardware is not nearly as important as the software.

Some dude that knows how to run a single shot is a much greater threat to the right people than some doof with the best Vang and/or Wilson Tactical gun ever made.

As for the OP, cruise the Archives and try out an 870,500,37,88, 12,97 1200,1300, etc and pick one. Then, add wear marks until it's a body part not a tool.

Voila, you have the Ultimate Shotgun......
 
Trust me i fully intend to shot the daylights out of it.
Once i can use the outdoor range,does it really matter what shot i use to practice with? I know 00buch isnt cheap,but like 6 shot is at walmart about as cheap as 9mm.
 
I suggest the cheap 100 count bricks of what ever they have... 8, 7 1/2, or 6 for generally learning to hit paper... then buy several boxes of the cheap 2 3/4 inch 00 buck and slugs. The slugs are a good way to tighten up your POA/POI coordination. They don't recoil terribly bad like a 3 or 3 1/2 inch may. Both were still under 10 bucks for 15 count box last I looked.

Brent
 
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