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Thread: Pics & video from our recent Social Shotgun Manipulations class

  1. #1

    Pics & video from our recent Social Shotgun Manipulations class



    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.

    I had an ER nurse in a class. I noticed she kept taking all head shots. Her response when asked why, "'I've seen too many people who have been shot in the chest putting up a fight in the ER." Point taken.

  2. #2
    I think a 20 gauge works as a dedicated Brenneke slug launcher, but for other defensive use the 20’s ship has sailed.
    Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by GJM View Post
    I think a 20 gauge works as a dedicated Brenneke slug launcher, but for other defensive use the 20’s ship has sailed.
    I can see someone living in an area with bears being an issue needing slugs on/in a shotgun being a thing, but for most of us, FliteControl has obviated the need for slugs. I don't even have them as spares on my house gun anymore, and for work, I have a dedicated slug gun for vehicle take downs; otherwise, I just run FliteControl at work.
    I had an ER nurse in a class. I noticed she kept taking all head shots. Her response when asked why, "'I've seen too many people who have been shot in the chest putting up a fight in the ER." Point taken.

  4. #4
    Frequent DG Adventurer fatdog's Avatar
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    May 2016
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    I had a USPSA shooting buddy who spent the bucks to send his 20Ga 870 off for the full works from Vang, forcing cone, back bore, comp, etc. His thought process, it was going to be the perfect shotgun for his wife and teenage daughter. It was still very disappointing with the commercially available buckshot loads.

  5. #5
    This is Federal’s PD 4-buck 20 gauge load. Shot out of a 21” H&R with Mod choke. Head is 5 yards. Torso is 15 yards. Pretty crappy. I expected more from a plated and buffered buck load through a mod choke.

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  6. #6
    @167

    Thanks for that picture. That pattern is certainly disappointing. I sure wish Federal would do a FC load in 20ga.
    I had an ER nurse in a class. I noticed she kept taking all head shots. Her response when asked why, "'I've seen too many people who have been shot in the chest putting up a fight in the ER." Point taken.

  7. #7
    Murder Machine, Harmless Fuzzball TCinVA's Avatar
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    Feb 2011
    Location
    Virginia
    Yeah. Unfortunately for the forseeable future if you want to do serious defensive work with a gauge it will have to be a 12 gauge.
    3/15/2016

  8. #8
    What gets me is Federal has a 20ga FC load with birdshot in it. Drop some 4-buck in it and call it good. 1-buck would be game changing. I would think anyway.

  9. #9
    Site Supporter Lon's Avatar
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    Apr 2011
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    Dayton, Ohio
    Quote Originally Posted by 167 View Post
    What gets me is Federal has a 20ga FC load with birdshot in it. Drop some 4-buck in it and call it good. 1-buck would be game changing. I would think anyway.
    So, could an enterprising chap buy the FC 20ga wads and load his own?
    Formerly known as xpd54.
    The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions or policies of my employer.
    www.gunsnobbery.wordpress.com

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Lon View Post
    So, could an enterprising chap buy the FC 20ga wads and load his own?
    I don’t know that you could just buy the wad. You could buy the ammo and cannibalize it though. Looks like Bass Pro has some.

    https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/fede...h-flitecontrol
    Last edited by 167; 07-23-2020 at 07:51 PM.

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