[HandgunWorld]

A lot of people buy a shotgun for home defense and never really know how it patterns at home defense distance. They sometimes load it with any ammo they can find and think they can't miss. Especially when they load it with commonly used 00Buckshot.

Here's the pattern out of my 870 Magpul Tactical at 5 yards.

You have to aim!

You CAN miss with a shotgun! Aiming at close range. - YouTube

 

[Ghost1958]

You didnt miss:blink: jKing lol

 

[HandgunWorld]

You're right, because I "aimed." :icon_neutral:

 

[Snub44]

...is your shotgun rifled barrel or smooth??? I've found an Ithica Hogslayer 8-shot pump 12 I like, but have been told that the rifling causes the buckshot to donut quickly, leaving a hole in the pattern...if yours is rifled, I have my answer...15' is about the longest shot I'd be taking in the house...20 at most...that close a group would be great...thanks for doing this demo...

 

[Takeem406]

If you can't miss with a shotgun how come so many ducks and geese get away from me?

Hahahahaha I even miss crippled geese inside of 10 yards!

In God and Glock we Trust

 

[ANGLICO]

You can miss with a Shotgun? Or how about a slingshot?

Yes people, you have to 'generally aim' at of your targets, with a little skill, you may hit them.

DUH!

 

[Snub44]

...yep...and ducks and alleyscooters you may have to lead a bit...

 

[gunslingergirl]

This is one reason I like the Judge/Governor for home defense or store clerk ranges.

In the limited testing we did using the .410 PDX1 disc rounds, the three discs at 15 feet made three holes about 1 1/2 inch in diameter while the shot spread out about 12". At 20' the discs opened up to about 3" and the shot to about 18". Beyond that I think the round would be minimally effective.

You still have to aim, but if your aim is off you may still get some BB hits. The big problem is someone hit with .410 BB's at 15 feet is going to get really mad and be able to do something about it. This is where the gun owner with limited skill could get into trouble with a Judge type gun. Let's say they miss the BG with the discs, but get a few BB hits in the arm or shoulder. A minimal hit might slow or distract an attacker long enough for a follow up shot, but they may not get a second shot.

We do have a Judge in the bedroom, but understand it's limitations. My go-to gun is still my .45. But nothing compares to a 12 gauge for short to medium distances.

 

[dukalmighty]

Yeas you can,depending on your skill level,on the other hand I've knocked clays out of the air shooting from the hip about 40% of the time back when I was shooting a lot of Skeet/Sporting Clays.I know what my HD shotgun will do with the loads in it out to 25 yards

 

[tacman605]

The general rule of thumb with an 18" barrel, cylinder bore shotgun is 1" of pattern spread per yard traveled. This of course changes with barrel length and choke tubes and so on.

 

[GoPackman]

I have never shot at a stationary target with a shotgun. That being said, when shooting at clays or waterfowl, you don't aim at your target, you point at it and swing the barrel. There is a huge difference. How much lead you have to give depends on many factors. I can only imagine when shooting at a more or less stationary target as in a SD/HD situation one would be aiming like one does with a rifle.

 

[HandgunWorld]

Mine is a smooth barrel. It's got the ability to accept screw in Rem chokes, but I have not put a choke in other than what came with the shotgun, which is the breaching device. It doesn't choke the pattern of the buckshot however.

Just the other day I heard a gun store clerk tell a low information gun owner to just point the shotgun in the general direction of the target and pull the trigger. He told the buyer, "you can't miss."

The next day I made this video.

 

[10thmtn]

I can attest to the fact that you can miss with a shotgun. On the trap field, I usually miss about 20-25% of the time. :rofl:

 

[commonground]

With over 55 years of shooting a shotgun, I can attest to the fact that, the ratio of shutgun shells fired to the amount of animals on the dinner table, was rather lopsided. Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades.

 

[Snub44]

...you wuz just leavin' some fer seed, donchaknow...

 

[G-man*]

Anybody who has ever hunted with a shotgun should know this. But of course we all know that hunting experience does not translate to firearms proficiency as to SD.

 

[OD*]

Anyone that claims you can't miss with a shotgun, hasn't spent any real time with a shotgun.

 

[OldVet]

"You CAN miss with a shotgun. "

I'm sure many dove hunters would find that a profound statement.

 

[ruger91]

everyone looked at me like i was crazy when i took my 12 ga. to the indoor range to check the pattern lol

 

[Superhouse 15]

Avoid any kind of shot with a rifled barrel. I personally saw a fully rifled Mossberg blow when a wad got jammed up in the rifling and another round was fired behind it. That wad had form fit to the rifling and had stripped from the shot column and was a perfect bore obstruction.