So, gauge gurus: Throw one into the ejection port overtop or underbottom? Top off the tube weak hand or is it more fumble-free to use the strong hand?
I'm going to dust off the shotgun some and I'm looking for things to try...
Is "Load Two" a race-only technique or is it viable outside the "professional driver on a closed circuit" setting?
how would you do the "load 2" method if you didn't have those special carriers he's got?
Also, for combat reload, I go over the top since my shells are all stored brass up on the side saddle
Well, I'd obviously need to get TACCOM to make some four-shell holders in Combat Taupe.Originally Posted by shootist26
I store rounds brass down on the sidesaddle and I go underneath on the combat reload. I use my support hand to reload the tube.
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Just a dog chauffeur that used to hold the dumb end of the leash.
I stuck with the traditional four shell caddies for awhile because I thought they were more practical, but I've never been able to come up with a scenario where I need to reload a shotgun outside of competition and I would have ammo in anything other than a sidesaddle. I've now gone full load 2 (and quadload) for shotgun reloading. You should note that most shotguns need to be modified to make load 2 easier and less painful.
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Leaving aside the load "2," and various carriers, there are two (possibly 3 if you count loading the tube only and avoiding the "ejection" port) schools of thought on loading the first round on an empty 870. Gunsite/Jeans/Cain teach to roll the shotgun slightly right, and take the cupped round from under into the port. Bill Rogers teaches to roll the shotgun port up, look into the port to verify no round is in there (to avoid the mother of all jams), and drop the round in from above. Both methods involve your support hand loading and dominant hand holding the shotgun. This all assumes a right hand shooter.
If I have run dry, I do over the top loads.
If not dry, I do support hand loads into the tube.
Loading the tube using "load 2" is ridiculously faster than one-at-a-time and takes *way* less time to learn than the caddy-juggle. After owning my very first shotgun for a week and a set of belt-mounted load-2 devices for two hours, I was down to 8 shells in 8.5 seconds, shot to shot. Could I be faster from a caddy? Sure, with weeks and weeks of dedicated practice. Could I be faster from a side-saddle? Doubt it.
I don't know if its race-only, but last time I checked, speed is very "tactical".
As for loading the chamber, running the gun dry pretty much meant the wheels had already come off. Toss a shell in there however and try not to do it again.
Yes, I know. I'm more concerned about "How much easier is it to kitten things up grabbing two at a time?" and "How dependent is it on me being a geardo and buying the right brand of shell holder and positioning it in the right place on the right brand of belt?"
Like I said, I'm just looking for pointers and stuff to play around with; I'm not jumping out of a helicopter tomorrow with an 870 in my hands and a knife in my teeth.
Sorry, I couldn't resist the line.Yes, I know. I'm more concerned about "How much easier is it to kitten things up grabbing two at a time?" and "How dependent is it on me being a geardo and buying the right brand of shell holder and positioning it in the right place on the right brand of belt?"
Like I said, I'm just looking for pointers and stuff to play around with; I'm not jumping out of a helicopter tomorrow with an 870 in my hands and a knife in my teeth.
Personally, I find loading two to be only slightly more error-prone than the saddle. In my very first 3-gun match (which had a lot of shotgun reloads) I dropped one shell, on one or two occasions. This is awkward, because you then have an odd number in the tube, of course. It never seems to happen in practice.
For me, it was considerably more reliable than any sort of stacked caddy.
It can be done from a chest-rig or from anywhere on your belt that you can reach with a closed fist. It can be done with either hand. No special belt is required; any old gunbelt will do. I assume buying the right brand of device, though, is all-important. TACCOM is cheap but not particularly adjustable, Carbon Arms adjust anywhere but cost. Triangle's is chest-only. Other offerings are too new for me to know about.
It is slightly slower and more error-prone if you cannot see your loading port.
Bottom line: For me, shotgun isn't on the top of the list for practice or matches. Loading 2 lets me replace practice and skill with gear. That doesn't always work, but here it seems to.
Last edited by TheRoland; 09-01-2013 at 08:14 PM.
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