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Shell count needed for ipsc shotgun rig?


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As the title suggests, how many shells do an IPSC shotgun rig need to hold? I am about to start shooting Modified shotgun but all of my club friends shoot mag fed Open shotguns so no help there.

 

I have seen rigs with three 8-shell holders, but then there are King rigs with like 48 shells or so so I am mighty confused how large a rig I really need. No plans for world shoots or other major matches, just club matches and the occational lvl2.

 

Cheers!

/Anders

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Hey Dan, thanks for the mention 😎

 

Hi Anders,

According to the IPSC rules - 

1.2.1.3 Long Courses – Must not require more than 28 rounds to complete. A COF requiring 24 or more rounds must not stipulate an unloaded gun as a start condition.

 

Most of the competitors i see on the international circuits use a 28 as their main rig as you're not going to need more if you're accurate. Some use both weak hand & strong hand techniques so may have their rig more suited to that.

I use a 28 as my main rig & use a 12 as a velcro backed removable caddy (for stages that require no ammo on competitor at start) or as a pre load (no pre load tables in IPSC)

 

Hope this helps

 

Jon

 

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34 minutes ago, stumpyv8 said:

Yup, should be fine 😎

 

Good choice with Kings as well 💪

 

Great, I wouldnt want to make the last reload on a long stage with shells from the pant pockets.🙂

 

King seems to be quality stuff, and they sell the brand locally so I can try them out before I buy.

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20 minutes ago, Johansson81 said:

 

Great, I wouldnt want to make the last reload on a long stage with shells from the pant pockets.🙂

 

King seems to be quality stuff, and they sell the brand locally so I can try them out before I buy.

Jon uses Kings. He's too modest to mention it though. :)

 

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Dan, as ever, is being kind. Possibly because he's one of the nicest guys I've met in Practical Shooting.

 

Fair warning, I'm sponsored by Kings. 

I was buying their gear before that arrangement came about, I'll be buying it if the arrangent ever changes & I'll carry on using it for as long as it's the best on the market..... if it's good enough for most of the top shooters at the IPSC World Shoot last year & man enough to cope with Blueridge & Rock Hard we can assume it's fit for purpose 🤔

 

After you've had a play with them locally, let me know if you need any help setting them up (or any other caddies you settle on) or if you need any help with loading technique 👍

 

 

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That is very kind of you Jon, I am focusing on my Open handgun shooting so the shotgun will be mainly be used for local matches and training sessions.

 

At least for now, I might get hooked once I get the quad loading sorted out.🙂

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Oh, one thing I have to ask before I buy a rig.

 

I have for obvious reasons not been able to do any real testing if I like strong hand reloading better than weak hand dito, and since the King rigs are either LH or RH I need to make a decision before I buy one.

 

I "think" that weak hand reloading with the gun stock in my armpit would be easier for me while running through a stage, mixing both styles is an option but it feels like it might confuse things when I have to remember what shell carrier that still has shells in it in the middle of a stage.

 

Thoughts about this anyone? I'd love to try all kinds of rig setups but I have a 10 hour drive to the store that sells the King rigs so I would like to pick one setup and stick to it.

 

Cheers!

/Anders

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I load weak hand (gun under armpit) for various reasons.

I like the stability that having a good grip & multiple points of contact bring, I like being able to see my rig, the loading port & where I'm going when I'm loading. I also like that my weak hand is my loading hand for all platforms leaving the strong hand to do nothing more than control the gun.

As a beginner i think its a much easier process to learn & as a coach it's definitely much easier to teach.

 

From a performance perspective, most of the top guys utilize both techniques as both techniques have their strengths & weaknesses.

Personally, i haven't bothered to learn both. I'm already pretty quick with loading & the work required to learn a new technique that may save a tenth here or there on the load isn't going to benefit my game as much as other improvements i could work on for the same investment of time.

 

If you can try the rig before you buy, don't worry too much about whether the caddy you're using is L or R. The offset does make a difference but for testing purposes those differences won't be big enough to change your decision on technique.

The main thing is to make sure that the caddy is set up correctly so that you're not fighting against it (or your body).

Top tip - you want your wrist to be in as neutral a position when you grab from the rig

 

Let me know if i can help in any way 👍

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I have used two AP custom L2/6 on my belt for club matches for years and they have enough rounds with the ones in the shotgun. (Would probably buy carbon arms today since AP custom is out of business.) If you need more use a 4X4 on the belt or a chest rig for major matches that require lots more such as a jungle run, etc.

 

You will get to the point of carrying lots of shotshells (different kinds) and they will become heavy during the match.

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Great advice guys! I'll try a 28 shell left hand rig in the store and if I like it I'll buy it and do some serious dry practice this winter.

 

For a belt, will a wide leather weight lifting belt do? I am not very interested in paying 140 euros for a King belt that looks more or less identical to a 20 euro bodybuilder belt.

Edited by Johansson81
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7 hours ago, Johansson81 said:

For a belt, will a wide leather weight lifting belt do? I am not very interested in paying 140 euros for a King belt that looks more or less identical to a 20 euro bodybuilder belt.

 

Exactly!

http://www.practical-shotgun.com/king-gen-6-review-belt-layout

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Your reasoning behind left hand loading makes sense Jon.👍🏻

 

Having the shell holders set up at the best angle is also a great hint, I have my 170mm open mags angled perfectly for a quick grab from each position so it would be dumb not to have the shotgun rig set up in the same way.

 

Following that thought, would it be better to have two 12 shell holders and a 4 all set at the best angle than a single 28? The total cost would be about the same.

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Yes & no. Depends on your needs, your physicality, your technique......

 

There is a rule in IPSC shotgun (5.2.3.2) about a maximum height of 170mm which can restrict the angle of the rig & may effect your decision.

 

Most of the top competitors i know just have a 28 & considering their level, if there were an advantage to multiple smaller holders they'd already be doing it 🤔

 

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