Quad loading vs shell caddys

[TroyB]

After seeing a few videos of quad loading in action, it's got my attention and so does the price of these gadgets and I don't think I'm going to be able to get over the sticker shock for some time. I was just getting around to loading 8 rounds from my 6 shell caddies in 6 seconds. Now with this quad loading you are capable of loading 12 in under 4 seconds?! It sounds like someone like me is going to be left behind by these quad loaders on a heavy shotgun stage. Is the final verdict on these quad loading systems that they are the supperior way of loading the shotgun, are there any advantages or disadvantages that one may have over the other?

[amccallister]

You can probably be pretty damn competitive loading 8 in 6 seconds under match conditions. That being said, you are giving up a little bit to a good quad loader. I practice both weak hand and quad loading extensively, and can get 8 shells loaded under 4 seconds pretty consistently with a quad load, and am around 6 seconds for weak hand load 8. There is a time and place for both methods under match conditions. I'm a little more confident in running fast while weak hand loading, so if I have a long distance to cover or only need 2-4 shells loaded I usually just load that way. If I'm loading 8 or more, or if I'm standing still or moving a short distance, I'll quad load and save some time.

[Onagoth]

I managed to get down to a 12 round reload in 6 seconds in under a month. This is a skill that comes very easily.

Personally, I can't believe I waited so long to switch from caddies.

[TroyB]

You can probably be pretty damn competitive loading 8 in 6 seconds under match conditions. That being said, you are giving up a little bit to a good quad loader. I practice both weak hand and quad loading extensively, and can get 8 shells loaded under 4 seconds pretty consistently with a quad load, and am around 6 seconds for weak hand load 8. There is a time and place for both methods under match conditions. I'm a little more confident in running fast while weak hand loading, so if I have a long distance to cover or only need 2-4 shells loaded I usually just load that way. If I'm loading 8 or more, or if I'm standing still or moving a short distance, I'll quad load and save some time.

I was kind of thinking there might time and place for one or the other, but unless you have some type of ELS belt system, then you're better off sticking with one over the other.

[AustinT]

You can probably be pretty damn competitive loading 8 in 6 seconds under match conditions. That being said, you are giving up a little bit to a good quad loader. I practice both weak hand and quad loading extensively, and can get 8 shells loaded under 4 seconds pretty consistently with a quad load, and am around 6 seconds for weak hand load 8. There is a time and place for both methods under match conditions. I'm a little more confident in running fast while weak hand loading, so if I have a long distance to cover or only need 2-4 shells loaded I usually just load that way. If I'm loading 8 or more, or if I'm standing still or moving a short distance, I'll quad load and save some time.

I was kind of thinking there might time and place for one or the other, but unless you have some type of ELS belt system, then you're better off sticking with one over the other.

The skills are complementary. I use both strong hand quad and weak hand caddies during the same stage frequently. Quad is very fast, but it's limited to loading in multiples of 4 and an inability to port load. Weak hand can do it all, but it's a little slower. I would encourage you to get at least 2 caddies and learn to use them, it will open up opportunities in your shotgun game.

[TroyB]

You can probably be pretty damn competitive loading 8 in 6 seconds under match conditions. That being said, you are giving up a little bit to a good quad loader. I practice both weak hand and quad loading extensively, and can get 8 shells loaded under 4 seconds pretty consistently with a quad load, and am around 6 seconds for weak hand load 8. There is a time and place for both methods under match conditions. I'm a little more confident in running fast while weak hand loading, so if I have a long distance to cover or only need 2-4 shells loaded I usually just load that way. If I'm loading 8 or more, or if I'm standing still or moving a short distance, I'll quad load and save some time.

I was kind of thinking there might time and place for one or the other, but unless you have some type of ELS belt system, then you're better off sticking with one over the other.

The skills are complementary. I use both strong hand quad and weak hand caddies during the same stage frequently. Quad is very fast, but it's limited to loading in multiples of 4 and an inability to port load. Weak hand can do it all, but it's a little slower. I would encourage you to get at least 2 caddies and learn to use them, it will open up opportunities in your shotgun game.

I may just get one, but I'm not going to be happy about it. Why do people always have to changing things...

[Tcon260]

It seems to me that unless a person is one of the few really fast caddie loaders, twins or quads is almost mandatory. More significant in my opinion, is that just about anyone can learn to load twins fast enough to be competitive...not necessarily the case with caddies.

[DonovanM]

an inability to port load.

Oh really!

I oughtta make a video, because I can open bolt reload just fine running quads or twos.

After TWO DAYS of quad load practice (granted, my gun was perfectly set up for it) I was doing this:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151835427183423

Combine them with a few load 2's and you can do everything you need.

Load 2/4 is the future of shotgun loading.

[AustinT]

Feel free to prove me wrong.

[markhawkeyeordnance]

I practice and run caddies, dualoads and qualoads. I am a big fan of options and you never know what the MD is going to throw at you in a match. I am fastest with the qualoads but don't always want 4 at a time. Dualoads are my go to but suck if you go prone are have to crawl through a tunnel or over a barricade. Caddies may not be as fast but they allow for 1-4 shells at a time and are super retentive. Just my 2 bits...

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Jesse Tischauser]

Troy if you want to borrow a set of L2/4 or L2/6 to try out give me a shout. I haven't loaded more than one shell out if a weakhand caddy all year .

[bigbrowndog]

Tcon, your comment that "just about anyone" can learn to load quads fast is completely true about weakhand as well!?!?!? You just need to practice it, trust me I've taught untold numbers of people how over the last 10 years, Now Quads does require a bit less practice to get good with it, but "just about anyone" still needs to practice.

[Tcon260]

Bigbrowndog,

I'm still going to disagree that as many people can learn to load from a caddie as fast as with twins or quads. Grabbing four shells from a caddie and loading quick...say in under 4 seconds, requires large enough hands and finger dexterity not everyone has. Even if everyone can learn to do it, the learning curve is much shorter loading twins or quads. Just my opinion and experience.

[Jesse Tischauser]

Bigbrowndog,

I'm still going to disagree that as many people can learn to load from a caddie as fast as with twins or quads. Grabbing four shells from a caddie and loading quick...say in under 4 seconds, requires large enough hands and finger dexterity not everyone has. Even if everyone can learn to do it, the learning curve is much shorter loading twins or quads. Just my opinion and experience.

I agree hand size and dexterity is way more important in traditional weakhand loading than dueces or quads. I've seen guys try for a long to and never become above average with weakhand loading.

[bigbrowndog]

Tcon, you didn't say "as fast" in your original post, you said competively, to be competitive you only need to load a shell a second and thats really pretty slow. You are also assuming that everyone needs to grab 4 loading from a caddie, and have large hands to handle 4 shells, you are still holding 4 shells loading quads and you still need finger dexterity. You are simply making a lot of assumptions based on your experience, which is not a bad thing just that it is limited.

in much the same way that people will argue/discuss the pro's and con's of mercedes over bmw, or ducati over honda, or ferrari over lamborgini, or blondes over brunettes. or major pf over minor pf, or whatever, they both have their pros and cons and it is up to the individual to decide what they prefer, neither is the fastest or best way to load a shotgun it is just the way we have to load for now.

trapr

[TroyB]

Troy if you want to borrow a set of L2/4 or L2/6 to try out give me a shout. I haven't loaded more than one shell out if a weakhand caddy all year .

Thanks Jesse. I'm still waiting to see if I have any use for either one next year. I may just need to make a Red Dirt match sometime, I just wish they weren't on Sundays.

Edited November 26, 2013 by TroyB

[Jesse Tischauser]

If the weather warns up I'll have some on Saturdays in December too

Edited November 26, 2013 by Jesse Tischauser

[Tcon260]

Bigbrowndog,

I'll basically agree with your post. For me, I can't load from a caddie fast. I have to grab 2 at a time...can load 6 in about 8-10 seconds. Mostly because I have short, stubby fingers and don't practice much.

I can't load quads either...same short, stubby fingers. I can, however, load 8 in 5 seconds two at a time using Carbon Arms pinwheels. And it only took me about 10 20 minute practice sessions to do it.

[TroyB]

If the weather warns up I'll have some on Saturdays in December too

That's what I like to hear.

[bigbrowndog]

Tcon, thats great, all it takes is dedication to the gun and practice.

find what works for you and keep practicing, its amazing the number of people that simply refuse to work on reloading the gun and then bich piss and moan about how it should'nt be included in multigun.

trapr

[jcarpenter82]

If the weather warns up I'll have some on Saturdays in December too

WINNING!!!!!!!!!! you know to go ahead and put me on the list.

Ive practiced deuces and after about 30 minutes I was able to be consistent with them more so than traditional weakhand.

[cas]

All I know is I can not touch my caddies for 5-6 months and still load pretty quick with them. I can't say the same for the quad load. lol

[Jesse Tischauser]

All I know is I can not touch my caddies for 5-6 months and still load pretty quick with them. I can't say the same for the quad load. lol

Just the opposite for me. I haven't touched my weakhand caddys for practice all year. I can barely get one shell out and in the gun now. I don't practice quads or dueces either but they just fly into the gun.

[gondo]

All I know is I can not touch my caddies for 5-6 months and still load pretty quick with them. I can't say the same for the quad load. lol

Just the opposite for me. I haven't touched my weakhand caddys for practice all year. I can barely get one shell out and in the gun now. I don't practice quads or dueces either but they just fly into the gun.

X2. I think most people are this way, the fine motor skill is much less with load 2 or 4.

[cas]

All I know is I can not touch my caddies for 5-6 months and still load pretty quick with them. I can't say the same for the quad load. lol

Just the opposite for me. I haven't touched my weakhand caddys for practice all year. I can barely get one shell out and in the gun now. I don't practice quads or dueces either but they just fly into the gun.

LOL See… you're talking not practicing, I'm talking touching them at all.

I can see twins being easier totally cold than 4-weak, that makes sense. But when I try to quad load the three times a year I shoot my shotgun in a match, I average 60% in the gun, 40% on the ground with the quads.