Regarding patrol shotguns.
During qualifications last weeks, we shot some shotguns.
--I had a conversation about shotguns with the rangemaster, and brought up some of my points that I made here. He's salt who keeps a fairly open mind about firearms, but he couldn't tolerate my assertion #6. I expected that, and don't think less of him for it.
--It just occurred to me that the high-brass shotgun loads used during quals with the 870 may be why my right shoulder has had a dull ache in it this weekend. I was shooting for speed, and may have misplaced the butt just slightly, during one of the slug loads*. Hey, I'm just glad if it's not arthritis.
--Yet again, I marveled at that Federal FLITECONTROL buckshot. We're using the 2 3/4" Vital Shok 00 buck shell. It doesn't begin to expand for the first 10 yards. This is a game-changer, for riot guns with open chokes. I'm not going to say that it's "hostage situation ready out to 20 yards," but it's close. Lots of guys have stopped putting slugs in their magazines at all.
--Do you mix slugs and buck? How do you load your magazine?
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*Actually, I remember EXACTLY which one did that. I threw on well to my left, still on target. I'm certain that was one where I threw the butt toward the point of my shoulder, rather than in the pocket of my shoulder. Using the rear eye as the sight, that means that it pointed left as I fired off the shot. While embarrassing, it happens.
posted by Matt G @ 9:23 AM
10 Comments:
Not a LEO, nor did I play one at Holiday Inn Express last night, but I keep my Remington (Model 11) loaded with 00 Buck in the tube. It's a bit much for raccoon and such, but it'll do dandy on fox and yodel dog, and four quick rounds of that stuff are fairly competent medicine for two-legged predators too.
I keep the M500 magazine tube loaded with 00 buck. The sidesaddle has pre-fragmented slugs. If five shots of buck don't solve the problem I am officially having a bad night.
I've always gone with buck for the first half, slugs for the second half, under the assumption that if three or 4 rounds of buck haven't solved the problem, it's either because of penetration issues or excessive spread. Also, my thought has tended to be that, at the end of the magazine, I'm chasing them with rounds. But with this new stuff, I may well move to just one round of slug at the end of the magazine, and the rest be slug. (My patrol gun doesn't have a sidesaddle.)
Living in a suburban environment, I don't load slugs, too much penetration for me. Being old and beat up, I stay with reduced recoil #4 and 00 buck with the #4 first in line in the 12 gauges. Standard #3 buck is my load in the 20s.
I believe in having enough shotguns in the house so one is at hand no matter where I am, as I am too slow to outrun any home invaders.
My Mossy lives in the master bedroom closet, so weight and bulk are not an issue like a patrol long arm would have. Does your department issue or permit patrol rifles? A Mini-14 is a nice, classic option.
TBeck, my preferred long arm at work is the M4. That said, the 870 lives up front with me, and there are times when it is the one that gets deployed. In a felony stop takedown, for example, the shotgun likely gets the nod for its convenience. (That's actually one of the situations that I am thinking of, for putting slugs last. Should someone shoot at me and my cover officer and then take off, they are getting shot at. As the car recedes, a slug makes for a viable option, out to ~120 yds.)
EDIT AT 3:33: *"...and the rest be buck."
With the wild hogs so bad down here, the door shotgun has a 000 up the spout and 2 00 and 3 slugs in the buttstock sleeve. My High Standard is stored chamber empty with 3 000 and 2 slugs and the side saddle holds 2 00 2 slugs and a bird bomb.
My issued 590A1 is loaded with 00 buck in the magazine. We carry 2 spare 00 buck shells and 2 slugs in the speedfeed stock.We also carry 2 boxes of 00 buck and 2 boxes of slugs in our bail out bags.
I only use Foster slugs for social purposes. They penetrate less at close range than 00 buck, and are easier to accurately control.
I do have some extra-large buckshot I hope to test in a few months.
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