Free For All Friday 1-9-2015: Shotguns!
I’ve been sick for this last week. I hate being sick. That’s not saying much because I don’t know of many people who actually like being sick. On the bright side, it allowed me to get some stuff done with the site that I’ve been meaning to do in terms of organization, marketing and such. On the down side, I’m trying to write stories and interact with potential advertising customers while loopy on NyQuil.
It’s the Year of the Shotgun and we’ve got a year of the shotgun question!
Since this is the year of the shotgun, I’ll ask a shotgun question. I was told by a helpful gentleman *rolls eyes* at the range that shotguns should be fired not from the shoulder like a rifle, but rather from the hip so that the arms work as a pivot to absorb the recoil. True or false? -Mike H.
Ah, range advice. If there was ever something that was equally a source of humor as it was annoyance, range/gun show/gun store advice would be it. You’ll be happy to know that this particular bit of advice is very much wrong…sort of.
Having the shotgun shouldered up with a proper grip and cheek-weld will give you not only the most stability but the most accuracy. It also is the best way to deal with the recoil. If you’ve read our “What is Recoil?” guide, you’ll remember that there is no way to get rid of recoil. The best way to manage recoil with a shotgun (or any gun, for that matter) is in such a way that allows you to get back on target as quickly as possible. With the gun shouldered, you’re in a much more stable position and it will allow you to get on target for that second bird or clay disk.
That’s not to say there isn’t a time for shooting from the hip. The first thing that comes to mind is if your shotgun has a pistol grip. We’ll be going over the pros and cons of pistol grips later but that wasn’t your question. With a pistol grip, you don’t have anything to anchor that gun down. If you try to shoot it like a normal pistol or shotgun, you’re going to wind up owing your dentist a lot of money for teeth replacements. It should be held to your side and allowed to rock with the motion. In that aspect, the felt recoil might not be as bad but it’s at the extreme sacrifice of follow-up shots and arguably accuracy if you’re not experienced with point shooting (which is the best way to shoot shotguns, I might add).
Personally, I’ve tried pistol grip shotguns and having tried them, you couldn’t pay me enough to put one of those back on my baby. I’m thinking the guy at the range has spent a bit too much time watching action movies.
Thanks for the questions!
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