Anyone Hunt with RDS on a Shotgun?

[ccmdfd]

Not sure if this is better here or shotgun forum, or general since it's hunting related.

Deer season is here. I typically still hunt with a rifle from a stand, but i will get invitations to a couple of clubs which are shotgun only, they run dogs.

Last year i missed two does inside 50 yrds with my Beretta 391. I took it to the range and tried patterning it and was amazed to see how poorly this thing shoots buckshot. Tried different chokes and loads, got it significantly better with a hotter load but still not super great.

Was thinking about mounting an H2 to it and adjusting the aim to hit POI. Wanted to see if anyone has done this and what their experiences were.

Would such a system also work on ducks?

Thanks
cc

[TCinVA]

I didn't have the chance to harvest a deer with my 1301, but I took it along the last time I was hunting during gun season because the approach to the stand I was using had some thick brush and there was a high chance of a close range shot. It's equipped with a dot...but I would just as happily have used my rifle sighted 870.

Buckshot is a completely different munition fired at generally a different range at a very different animal than birdshot. Guns set up for wing shooting can be used very successfully for hunting big game, but that setup isn't ideal. Patterning is crucial so you can determine if your buckshot shoots to more or less where your sights are. (Spoiler alert: Lots of loads won't) The ability to adjust it is helpful.

I have killed a deer with a red dot equipped pistol. I can tell you that keeping track of your sighting solution on a moving animal in the varying lighting conditions of the woods trying hard to flee is a hell of a lot easier with a dot than not. So if I had a dedicated hunting shotgun I was serious about deer hunting with, I'd put a dot on it.

[03RN]

I've killed a lot of small game with my shockwave/rmr.

I'm not sure I'll use my full-size 590 with rmr this year for hunting.

[BobM]

I got a great deal on a used Special Purpose 1187 a few years ago.it has a 21” barrel with iron sights and REM Chokes. After making sure that it ran, I put a Mesa Tactical top rail/sidesaddle on it and a Micro. Federal Truball slugs, Federal Grand Slam turkey loads, and Hornady Critical Duty 00 buckshot all hit the same POA. I got a turkey with it in 2018 but haven’t got a shot since. I’ve taken it deer hunting but haven’t had any in range. I’ve taken it to combat shotgun classes with Tom Givens and Greg Ellifritz.
I’d like to pull the sidesaddle and drill and tap it for a pic rail to cut weight.

[Caballoflaco]

I haven’t yet, but the two serious Turkey hunters I know have dots on their guns and that’s because their other hunting friends were using dots too. So at least in these parts it seems to be catching on in with the folks who enjoy sitting around and trying to sound like turkeys.

I plan on experimenting with one for clay games/wingshooting at some point in time but haven’t gotten around to it yet.

[Borderland]

I have a Vortex 1X Spitfire (old model) if someone wants it. I bought it for a mini-14 but found i prefer a scope. Mounted but still like new. PM me if interested.

[Andy T]

As others mentioned, did you pattern the buckshot used for hunting? In a recent shotgun class, various brands of buckshot fired through various shotguns, were spreading beyond effectiveness at approximately 25 yards. The instructor, mentioned how most buckshot is ineffective outside of 25 yards and sometimes in, depending on the pattern.

[GJM]

Are slugs prohibited?

[ccmdfd]

Are slugs prohibited?

Yep.

[ccmdfd]

As others mentioned, did you pattern the buckshot used for hunting? In a recent shotgun class, various brands of buckshot fired through various shotguns, were spreading beyond effectiveness at approximately 25 yards. The instructor, mentioned how most buckshot is ineffective outside of 25 yards and sometimes in, depending on the pattern.

Yes

As mentioned in the OP, over the summer I took that gun out to the range and at between 25 to 30 yards the load that I was shooting with the choke that I was shooting was over a foot lower than point of aim. I tried multiple different chokes and loads and got it up some, but it's still several inches low. I have a spare H2 sitting around, and was thinking about mounting it instead of trying another 10 or 12 brands of ammo to see if I can find "the one"