Shotgun - reloading and target ?'s.

[Pro2AInPA]

Two questions related to shotgunning 3 gun style.

1. Reloading. I'll be shooting Tac optics so no tec loaders for me. I'll be using one of the 4 shell caddys on my belt. I've seen videos of guys doing blazing fast reloads using these, but never any close up explanation of how that method works. I can't do it NEARLY that quickly.

Here's one example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU5dsnBsxXs

2. Practice targets. Paper and cardboard don't last long! What are you guys using as practice targets for working on shotgun skills?

[AlamoShooter]

Dude! practice the loading with out shooting, Do the load and thin unload the gun by depressing the clip and let the sell come back out

[Pro2AInPA]

Dude! practice the loading with out shooting, Do the load and thin unload the gun by depressing the clip and let the sell come back out

Yes, I practice my reloads at home without shooting. The practicing reloads and practicing shooting are two separate points.

[Jesse Tischauser]

Here is a thread where some if us are trying ti talk ourselves through faster weakhand reloading.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=92696

I practice reloads with fiocchi dummy rounds. It takes a good 40 hours to feel like you don't suck that bad at it.

I practice shotgun shooting with steel targets whenever their available and clays set on some cross stands I built. For slugs I use IPSC targets.

[Pro2AInPA]

Here is a thread where some if us are trying ti talk ourselves through faster weakhand reloading.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=92696

I practice reloads with fiocchi dummy rounds. It takes a good 40 hours to feel like you don't suck that bad at it.

I practice shotgun shooting with steel targets whenever their available and clays set on some cross stands I built. For slugs I use IPSC targets.

Mind sharing how you built the stands?

[Pro2AInPA]

Just had a thought on targets. I've seen plenty of videos of shotgun sections of 3 gun stages where a single clay is on a stand and there's a bunch of them in an array along with steel plates, etc. Anyone know where I can get those stands?

The shotgun section of this video shows what I'm talking about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU5dsnBsxXs

Edited December 29, 2009 by Pro2AInPA

[cas]

My multi purpose targets... last thing I shot them with was the shotgun so it's relevant.

8 & 10 inch plates from Artntzen and $9 shepherds hooks from Lowes.

[Pro2AInPA]

My multi purpose targets... last thing I shot them with was the shotgun so it's relevant.

8 & 10 inch plates from Artntzen and $9 shepherds hooks from Lowes.

Perfect, thanks!

[busyhawk]

About clays targets...I have a berm that I just throw them on the berm and shoot them as they lay...no prep and you will know when you hit them....I believe shooting steel is better and almost no pickup and clean up to talk about. Shepard hooks at Lowes doesn't work here in my hard/rock ground...damn it!

Many good vendors to say the least...pick the one close to you are if you shoot pistol and rifle make sure they hold up to those rounds too! AR 500 is the standard as far as I know. Both MGM and R and R Targets are BE Forum dealers and make great targets.

The only target I steer away from is the Action Target...they don't hold up in my shooting them but then again, just my .02

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

RLTW,

Scott

[grywlfbg]

For "realistic" reloading practice (in addition to sitting at home) I use a pistol plate rack. I start w/ 2 shells in the gun. Shoot one, load 4, shoot 1, load 4, shoot remaining plates, unload gun, and start again. Repeat until top of thumb is raw. From 10 yards w/ 7.5's you won't hurt anything and resetting is a snap.

For shooting practice I like to use MGM auto poppers scattered around a bay. They're 4" in diameter so similar in size to a clay and no resetting to do.

[AlamoShooter]

you can cut and bend coat hangers to hold a clay target , make a question mark out of the wire with a pair of plyers, cut and stick in the ground. the clay will hang on the top of the curl in the wire if you bend it back away from you. Most ranges will want you to pick up the mess after.

[Bryan 45]

Jamie, what do you use to pick up the clay target pieces? Shop Vac???

[disjointed]

My multi purpose targets... last thing I shot them with was the shotgun so it's relevant.

8 & 10 inch plates from Artntzen and $9 shepherds hooks from Lowes.

Good idea. Thanks.

[B_Ayers]

You can take like 3/16" rebar cut to 12 - 24 inchs in lenght. cut a smaller piece about 2 3/4 - 3" in length. From one end of the long piece mark off 2 3/4" and make a cross with the small piece. weld them together and bend the long piece back about 20 - 30 degrees @ the cross. The clay will rest @ an angle and stay enven if the wind is blowing. I have make over 40 of these and they have held up pretty well.

Edited March 17, 2010 by B_Ayers

[B_Ayers]

[DocMcG]

Here is a thread that visits the clay holder question as well:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=101665

Cheers,

Kyle

[cas]

Seeing as how this has bumped up.... Last time I had my new shotgun out was just for familiarization and to get some more rounds through it. I went to our clubs clay throwers for some self thrown trap. A few rounds into it I started playing "empty gun trap". Throwing a bird with an open empty gun, then port load and shoot. I mixed it up... one in the chamber, but I would throw then load one more in the tube then shoot. Also tried empty gun doubles, but that was tough.. throw, port load, tube load, shoot, shoot. Also "Malfunction trap", loading an empty first... throw... drawing an honest good bead on the bird, "click", clear and shoot again.

I enjoyed it a lot and burned through a box of clays much too quick. Got to practice my arial shooting and loading in a hurry. Lots of fun.

[Jesse Tischauser]

Are those 1/2" thick?

[esskay]

My multi purpose targets... last thing I shot them with was the shotgun so it's relevant.

8 & 10 inch plates from Artntzen and $9 shepherds hooks from Lowes.

Thanks for sharing. I went by Lowes yesterday to check out the Shepherds hooks, they had various heights but the hooks look like just one errant shot will destroy them. How well do they hold up for you with bird shot, pistol, rifle?

[TRUBL]

Wow, on the sheperds hooks thing. WOuld be the bee's knees for birdshot. And I'm thinking .22rf practice!!!

Very cool!!

[cas]

I haven't used them with a rifle, I have no doubt they or a slug would ruin them.

They HAVE taken hits with some VERY heavy/hot magnum pistol rounds with no ill effect, maybe they glanced off. I think the fact that they give a lot helps. I keep expecting them to kink or fold over one day but so far they haven't.

Edited April 23, 2010 by cas

[esskay]

I haven't used them with a rifle, I have no doubt they or a slug would ruin them.

They HAVE taken hits with some VERY heavy/hot magnum pistol rounds with no ill effect, maybe they glanced off. I think the fact that they give a lot helps. I keep expecting them to kink or fold over one day but so far they haven't.

Hey Cas, thanks again for the great idea. I picked one up to test out and we took it to the range yesterday. Put a 10" AR500 circle on it and it was bowing underneath the weight but held up all day. The stakes are not pointed so it's kind of a pain to set them, we pounded pilot holes with a screwdriver & hammer we happened to have in the truck... that worked fine. Shot it with both 9mm pistol and 5.56 and it did hold up under the impacts. It actually would start bobbing around especially after getting hit by rifle, which was a nice unintentional "feature"! At the end of the day, the hook part took a lot of scraping from the steel plate but was OK. The rod is actually very thin which makes it a tougher target to hit! There was one direct hit on the hook (not sure if was rifle or pistol, guessing 9mm) but it was a glancing blow and did not seem to damage much other than the cheap coating on the hook! At $8/ea in my local Lowes this is a no brainer purchase, even as a disposable target stand that will need to be replaced consistently it's a great deal. Most importantly it's very easy to store & transport, which is important since I don't have room to store large target stands.

Thanks again, these things are genius!!

Edited April 28, 2010 by esskay