Things that go "Bump in the Night" Part II

Only hits count

This is un-cut, unreheased, life as it happens.  I am not showing you just the pretty stuff because I don't want you to be discouraged when things don't go as planned.

Firearm starts with 5 in the magazine and safety engaged and firearm up-side down and pointing down-range.  Protocol is to shoot near-to-far.  Closest target is 5-to-7 paces. Each clothes-line is approximately 4 paces apart. We only do this a couple of times a day to keep it fun and to avoid bruising shoulders.  Firing point changes with each time we do this because we stand in the shade and we do this at different times of day!

To get a sense of scale.  Height is set to match lung/heart elevation.  We play like we practice, so we make the practice look as much like 'game time' as possible.

Apparatus.  It is fun when the tether unties and the jug flies.  You can see this happen in the next video.

We do get faster with practice.  Due to our beginning efforts at video, we did not capture the first two seconds of "Go, disengage safety, rack first shell". 

Part II, Feeding your shotgun:

Buy one box of target shells to practice.  Use them all up or give the extra away.  You do not want them in the house.  Buy another box of target shells just before you want to practice again.

Murphy was an optimist.  They will end up in your weapon at the wrong time if there is a single one lounging around your house.

Buy one box of something like this for serious socialwork:
Reduced recoil buckshot 2 3/4"
---or---
Rifled slug (Foster type) 2 3/4"

I like Federal buckshot and Winchester Rifled Slugs.

A Myth:

 It is a myth that "You don't have to aim with buckshot.  You can just stick the gun around the corner and pull the trigger." Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Shooting a load at a piece of paper or cardboard at known distances is called "Patterning".  It is used to create information about how quickly your shot pattern opens up as it travels down range.

The longest shot in my house would be from the front of the refrigerator to the west door.  A bad-guy entering my house would be 30 feet away from me as he came through the door.

My longest hall way is 12 feet long.

So I chose 30 feet, 12 feet and 6 feet (half way down the hallway) to pattern some buckshot.

Buckshot does not spread out like water out of a hose.

Even at 30 feet, the maximum range I can anticipate....the buckshot has only spread out 6 inches (the length of a dollar bill).  You still have to aim, even if you are using buckshot.

-Joe