Many here suggest that a shotgun should always be pointed instead of aimed. I, for one, and I am definitely not the only one to have done so, have defended the opposite idea with regards to the usage of slugs in such firearms.
I am first and foremost a rifleman. The shotgun is still proportionally very new to me when compared to rifles. It is a new friend I am still getting to know better. I so strongly believed a shotgun shooting slugs should be aimed that I even bought a scope and all the necessary equipment to mount it on my shotgun. And I mounted it, and shot it from a bench, and I was satisfied from its accuracy.
I might point out again that the shotgun is seen by me as a possible inexpensive and versatile backup solution for my primary rifle when hunting deer, hence the interest of having it shoot slugs. It is not seen as a replacement for a rifle or as a rifle.
I would agree that a shotgun's first purpose is to shoot shot, not slugs, and that when used for that, a bead, or two, or a tritium or fibre optic one is all one needs. I chose to simply keep the basic bead that came with it when using it to shoot shot.
Still, I questioned my judgment and understanding when I read some of the comments written on this very board by knowledgeable and respectable folks regarding the aiming versus pointing question when using slugs out of a shotgun.
I will precise that my use for slugs should mostly be within 50 (85-90% of my harvested deer to date were shot within 40 yards) to maybe some day 75 yards and that I need to shoot quickly, mostly hunting deer during runs or stalking. As little tree stand as possible for me, thank you. It is just too cold, I loose the feeling in my feet and just plain do not like it.
With all that in mind, and remembering dearly my last deer of this fall, properly taken with my muzzleloader, on the run, at close range, using fibre optic sights and aiming, I kept asking myself why in the world would I simply point and risk missing or worst, injuring and not finding a deer?
I had the blues this morning, and I think one of the best things I can do when that happens is jump in my vehicle with a gun and go to the shooting range. The weather was warm, around zero Celsius, although a little snowy, and not too windy, allowing me to neglect the use of gloves for my shooting, which I always prefer this way. Looking at the ammo available at home, I couldn't help but to notice I had a fair amount of slugs sitting on the shelf. I had ordered a few of those when I bought the scope, not suspecting how hard they would kick at the bench.
I remembered reading somewhere that the felt recoil is much more tolerable when shooting standing compared to sitting at the bench and said to myself: "Well, there should be less people today at the range than earlier this fall during crazy hunter season, so maybe the line official will allow me to shoot standing, what a lovely way to shoot a bunch of slugs if at all possible."
I needed to feel alive a little more than usual this morning and shooting slugs usually helps me to achieve that feeling.
So, to the range I went. With a few slugs, and this idea that I should at least try a little harder to shoot them without the scope and without trying to aim so much and rather just listen to the more experienced and brilliant ones over here who keep saying a shotgun is meant to be pointed. All the recent reading about fit and such also pointed me towards that more classical direction, in a way. I had not understood before (and most likely do no understand fully now) the major differences between rifle and shotgun stocks and the great importance of the fit with regards to the gun shooting where the shooter is looking.
I stopped at the grocery to buy a hundred desert paper plates (6 inches) and a case of brown soft drinks in red cans.
The therapy worked wonders. I felt a lot better when I came back home after shooting fifty-four slugs. Shooting the pop cans did not prove half as entertaining as I had expected it would, though. They just blew up and I was not able to appreciate it because it happened too fast for me to see it. Lots of fun with the plates. The thick snow cover allowed me to place them at various distances and angles, which made it more fun when came the time to shoot them.
While having fun and practicing my shooting, I learned I had spent money on a scope, mount and rings for no good reason. I will not use that shotgun to shoot deer at a hundred yards anyway. Shooting pop cans at thirty yards and six inches paper plates at fifty means I could kill a deer at forty any day of the week. Lesson learned.
On a technical note, for those of you who like getting technical about stuff, I used Winchester 1 oz slugs at 1600 fps from a smooth bore cylinder 18.0 inches chrome lined barrel and I strove to keep both eyes opened, a first for me.
And I liked it!
I am first and foremost a rifleman. The shotgun is still proportionally very new to me when compared to rifles. It is a new friend I am still getting to know better. I so strongly believed a shotgun shooting slugs should be aimed that I even bought a scope and all the necessary equipment to mount it on my shotgun. And I mounted it, and shot it from a bench, and I was satisfied from its accuracy.
I might point out again that the shotgun is seen by me as a possible inexpensive and versatile backup solution for my primary rifle when hunting deer, hence the interest of having it shoot slugs. It is not seen as a replacement for a rifle or as a rifle.
I would agree that a shotgun's first purpose is to shoot shot, not slugs, and that when used for that, a bead, or two, or a tritium or fibre optic one is all one needs. I chose to simply keep the basic bead that came with it when using it to shoot shot.
Still, I questioned my judgment and understanding when I read some of the comments written on this very board by knowledgeable and respectable folks regarding the aiming versus pointing question when using slugs out of a shotgun.
I will precise that my use for slugs should mostly be within 50 (85-90% of my harvested deer to date were shot within 40 yards) to maybe some day 75 yards and that I need to shoot quickly, mostly hunting deer during runs or stalking. As little tree stand as possible for me, thank you. It is just too cold, I loose the feeling in my feet and just plain do not like it.
With all that in mind, and remembering dearly my last deer of this fall, properly taken with my muzzleloader, on the run, at close range, using fibre optic sights and aiming, I kept asking myself why in the world would I simply point and risk missing or worst, injuring and not finding a deer?
I had the blues this morning, and I think one of the best things I can do when that happens is jump in my vehicle with a gun and go to the shooting range. The weather was warm, around zero Celsius, although a little snowy, and not too windy, allowing me to neglect the use of gloves for my shooting, which I always prefer this way. Looking at the ammo available at home, I couldn't help but to notice I had a fair amount of slugs sitting on the shelf. I had ordered a few of those when I bought the scope, not suspecting how hard they would kick at the bench.
I remembered reading somewhere that the felt recoil is much more tolerable when shooting standing compared to sitting at the bench and said to myself: "Well, there should be less people today at the range than earlier this fall during crazy hunter season, so maybe the line official will allow me to shoot standing, what a lovely way to shoot a bunch of slugs if at all possible."
I needed to feel alive a little more than usual this morning and shooting slugs usually helps me to achieve that feeling.
So, to the range I went. With a few slugs, and this idea that I should at least try a little harder to shoot them without the scope and without trying to aim so much and rather just listen to the more experienced and brilliant ones over here who keep saying a shotgun is meant to be pointed. All the recent reading about fit and such also pointed me towards that more classical direction, in a way. I had not understood before (and most likely do no understand fully now) the major differences between rifle and shotgun stocks and the great importance of the fit with regards to the gun shooting where the shooter is looking.
I stopped at the grocery to buy a hundred desert paper plates (6 inches) and a case of brown soft drinks in red cans.
The therapy worked wonders. I felt a lot better when I came back home after shooting fifty-four slugs. Shooting the pop cans did not prove half as entertaining as I had expected it would, though. They just blew up and I was not able to appreciate it because it happened too fast for me to see it. Lots of fun with the plates. The thick snow cover allowed me to place them at various distances and angles, which made it more fun when came the time to shoot them.
While having fun and practicing my shooting, I learned I had spent money on a scope, mount and rings for no good reason. I will not use that shotgun to shoot deer at a hundred yards anyway. Shooting pop cans at thirty yards and six inches paper plates at fifty means I could kill a deer at forty any day of the week. Lesson learned.
On a technical note, for those of you who like getting technical about stuff, I used Winchester 1 oz slugs at 1600 fps from a smooth bore cylinder 18.0 inches chrome lined barrel and I strove to keep both eyes opened, a first for me.
And I liked it!
