Pics & video from our Social Shotgun Manipulations class

[First Person Safety]

Here's CJ, one of the students, running the 4+1 Transition Drill with a Tac14 in 20ga. I like this drill because it has many layers to it. The shooter starts at gunbox/cruiser ready and has to get the gun into action. Then they hit both outside targets (long transitions), both inside targets (more transitions), and ends with an emergency load to the center target. With only five rounds, we are practicing numerous skills.

One issue with 20ga shotguns for defensive use is that there is not, in my opinion, a quality defensive buckshot load available for them. One must account for every pellet sent downrange, and quite frankly, I have yet to find a 20ga load with a good enough pattern beyond 7-10 yards to use with confidence.

Here are pics of a Rio (I know) load I asked CJ to test in his gun. I didn't get pics of the Winchester Super X load he also tested, but it was worse. One round was fired at seven and 15 yards with three rounds fired at 25 yards.

Note how many pellets are outside of the body of this large silhouette.

For comparison, here is the same test shot with Federal 8-pellet reduced recoil FliteControl:

I also ran the same test with some Federal "black pack" 9-pellet 00 buck. It held it's own out to 15 yards, but at 25 I had a pellet off of the body and several outside of the effective zones.

 

[DADI03]

Thanks for the video. Pictures don't show

 

[First Person Safety]

Thanks for the video. Pictures don't show

I'm seeing the pics on two different browsers and my phone.

 

[DADI03]

They are there now.

 

[Grandmasta J]

Here's CJ, one of the students, running the 4+1 Transition Drill with a Tac14 in 20ga. I like this drill because it has many layers to it. The shooter starts at gunbox/cruiser ready and has to get the gun into action. Then they hit both outside targets (long transitions), both inside targets (more transitions), and ends with an emergency load to the center target. With only five rounds, we are practicing numerous skills.

One issue with 20ga shotguns for defensive use is that there is not, in my opinion, a quality defensive buckshot load available for them. One must account for every pellet sent downrange, and quite frankly, I have yet to find a 20ga load with a good enough pattern beyond 7-10 yards to use with confidence.

Here are pics of a Rio (I know) load I asked CJ to test in his gun. I didn't get pics of the Winchester Super X load he also tested, but it was worse. One round was fired at seven and 15 yards with three rounds fired at 25 yards.

Note how many pellets are outside of the body of this large silhouette.

For comparison, here is the same test shot with Federal 8-pellet reduced recoil FliteControl:

I also ran the same test with some Federal "black pack" 9-pellet 00 buck. It held it's own out to 15 yards, but at 25 I had a pellet off of the body and several outside of the effective zones.

Thanks for posting this Lee. I really appreciate these drills for the many lessons they can teach, as you said. The wide transitions are something I haven’t really done much of and, found I need to practice more - it’s amazing the time difference between this drill with the wide transitions as opposed to running it from one side to the other! I think I was almost one second slower with the addition of the transitions, though I did slightly fumble that reload. I’ve been practicing those reloads like a mad man! Haven’t made it to the range to work on transitions yet though. The point is, it’s given me things to deliberately practice and, I’m grateful for that.

As far as 20ga goes I have to agree as far as buckshot patterning goes. Surprisingly the Rio did better than any other 20ga round I’ve tested so far, it also had significantly less recoil than the Super X - which had a terrible spread even at 10 yards! I will continue to test any 20ga ammo at these same distances in case anyone is interested. I want to get my hands on these particular rounds:

as far as I know these are the only 20ga rounds marketed as defensive rounds. Besides these slugs:

which I will test soon as far as accuracy, the only one I know of who’s done a gel test with these is Rob Pincus.
I may also get the barrel back-bored by Vangcomp and redo the tests who knows. I just wish Federal would make a 20ga Flite Control round, life would be so much easier for 20ga owners!

But anyway, whoever that CJ guy is, he sure is handsome!

 

[DADI03]

Where do you keep the last round that you chambered?

 

[Grandmasta J]

Where do you keep the last round that you chambered?

A side saddle

I was experimenting with brass up during the class and, ended up liking it better

 

[First Person Safety]

Where do you keep the last round that you chambered?

For a house gun, you want spare ammo on the gun itself in either a sidesaddle or a butt cuff. Sidesaddle selection is very important as some require the use of bolts in place of the action pins, and this can lead to problems with improper tension. You won't get this problem with a butt cuff, but it is a much slower option, but having to actually reload a shotgun is pretty rare.

 

[mikey357]

Just curious what the Choke is in the 20 Gauge, if any, and if anybody has experimented with MORE Choke as far as "Tightening Up" those Buckshot patterns?

 

[Grandmasta J]

Just curious what the Choke is in the 20 Gauge, if any, and if anybody has experimented with MORE Choke as far as "Tightening Up" those Buckshot patterns?

No choke, just a cylinder bore 14in barrel. I’ve never tried a choke with buckshot not sure how that would work out, seems like it would deform the shot and wear out the choke pretty quick but, who knows. I’d rather not have to deal with a choke if I can avoid it, just one more thing to maintain.