Looking for some Shotgun answers

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  • wcd

    Grandmaster
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    In close quarter use does a rear sight offer any specific benefit? My 870 has a front bead only and I have no issues tracking and taking down waterfowl. Which is at much longer distance than any potential home defense use. So I was just curious if the home defense models with rear sight and detachable magazine offered any real benefit?


    Thanks
     

    Leadeye

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    Close up in a house shot doesn't spread much, so it's pretty much like shooting a rifle at that range. I've always felt that the biggest advantage to a shotgun at very close range is the killing power, it a really big hole.
     

    wcd

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    Close up in a house shot doesn't spread much, so it's pretty much like shooting a rifle at that range. I've always felt that the biggest advantage to a shotgun at very close range is the killing power, it a really big hole.

    So suggesting up a 870 with 18.5 barrel might not be a bad option. Seems like a middle of the road price point with proven reliability.
     

    DeadeyeChrista'sdad

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    You may be correct. I have an old 1187 beside the bed. And there may be an 870 underneath it. Call me sentimental. But this is definitely not an urban environment. They're just good tools for the job.
     

    thunderchicken

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    Nothing wrong with a shotgun for home defense. Just use appropriate ammo. Not knocking anyone who chooses a rifle or handgun for home defense either. However IMHO it is hard to beat the simplicity of use of a quality pump gun. Especially if you are woke up in the middle of the night and have to instantly take action to protect yourself and loved ones. Yes in large part a shotgun is pointed not aimed but still requires some practice to do it right.
    To secure the home I believe a shotgun is every bit as good of a tool as any other gun can be
     

    VERT

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    I developed a healthy respect for the shotgun. People think it is an easy weapon system because most have familiarity with pump and single shot shotguns. In reality it is a thinking mans gun and very flexible when choosing the right ammunition. I discovered there are a lot of misconceptions.

    To the OPs question. I prefer a ghost ring sight over a simple bead. It not only aids in throwing slugs but also buckshot at close range. Flight control buckshot will pattern tightly at in home distances and the confidence a person can gain by using ghost rings is nice. With a bead sight I tend to shoot to the right because of how I mount the gun. With a regular bead your eye becomes the rear sight. Possibly even better then a ghost ring is an optical sight of some sort. I recently mounted a Burris FastFire on my sons shotgun and to be very honest like the setup. Easy 10 yard head shots with buckshot and ringing a 2/3 ipsc steel at 110 yards is eye opening.

    In full disclosure my home defense shotgun has a simple XS big dot bead on it and no rear sights. I have been tossing around the idea of adding a ghost ring but just haven’t gotten around to it yet. As a buckshot only gun the cost is probably more then the benefit. But my preferred working gun has the ghost rings.
     

    cosermann

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    If money, time, etc. were no object, I'd prefer all my defensive shotguns to have a sighting system of some kind. A defensive shotgun should be aimed. You're responsible for every pellet you send downrange. Whether a bead alone is an adequate sighting system or not for whatever context is debatable. In defensive shotgun classes, at relatively short distances, a bead has been adequate to put all the pellets or slug where they/it needs to go. As the distance increases, a sighting system can make getting hits easier, and increase the effective range of your shotgun.
     

    dekindy

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    Just purchased a couple of shotguns after shooting a couple recently and none for decades. Not an expert but research indicates a rear sight is a hindrance at combat distances. Proper fit and grip to point and shoot.

    Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
     

    VERT

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    If money, time, etc. were no object, I'd prefer all my defensive shotguns to have a sighting system of some kind. A defensive shotgun should be aimed. You're responsible for every pellet you send downrange. Whether a bead alone is an adequate sighting system or not for whatever context is debatable. In defensive shotgun classes, at relatively short distances, a bead has been adequate to put all the pellets or slug where they/it needs to go. As the distance increases, a sighting system can make getting hits easier, and increase the effective range of your shotgun.

    cosermann is correct.

    Just purchased a couple of shotguns after shooting a couple recently and none for decades. Not an expert but research indicates a rear sight is a hindrance at combat distances. Proper fit and grip to point and shoot.

    Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

    Interesting research. You should post a link to how a rear sight hinders the use of a shotgun and what constitutes combat distance.
     

    Ggreen

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    In close quarter use does a rear sight offer any specific benefit?

    Many. It's actually faster having a rear peep vs aligning the rail and bead.

    My 870 has a front bead only and I have no issues tracking and taking down waterfowl. Which is at much longer distance than any potential home defense use.

    Very different experiences. Swinging on birds gives time for the small shot to spread so you're directing a cloud. HD loads should be 00 and better, and you really don't get a "spread" at most effective ranges. so it's really closer to shooting a rifle than bird shot from a technical standpoint. Making barrel alignment a little more vital.


    So I was just curious if the home defense models with rear sight and detachable magazine offered any real benefit?


    Thanks
    Box mags are good if you're in a john wick scenario. They are good in competition. They aren't overly practical in a defense weapon. They tend to be extremely bulky making the shotgun even more unweildy. If you feel the need for dbm, look into an ar15. An ar with defense ammo is going to be better than a shotgun across the board. I'll take an extended tube on my slp mk1 over a dbm shotgun anyday.
     

    Ggreen

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    Just purchased a couple of shotguns after shooting a couple recently and none for decades. Not an expert but research indicates a rear sight is a hindrance at combat distances. Proper fit and grip to point and shoot.

    Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

    I've never heard this on any reputable defense training. I've seen the opposite in practice @the range. 00 is not forgiving to poor shot placement, and follow up shots are relatively slow with a shotgun, especially a pump.
     

    Leadeye

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    So suggesting up a 870 with 18.5 barrel might not be a bad option. Seems like a middle of the road price point with proven reliability.

    Short barrel length on a shotgun I think is more about fast pointing in possibly tight situations. The High Standard Model 10 is still one of the best in these situations.
     

    Leadeye

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    I've developed a healthy respect for the 10 gauge. Federal 00 has 18 pellets and while it's not nearly as fast as 5.56 at 40 yards, it's more than 1/2 of a 30 round mag all at once.
     
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