870 tactical first shoot - eye opener

[Combat Auto 174]

Finally got to the outdoor range to shoot my SG...Grabbed one of the 25yard pits at CJR&P yesterday...Shot 20 rem-slugs, and 45 rounds buck 00 (Remington and horniday super)...Let me tell you, it was an eye opener...After getting tired of punching myself in the face literally whenever the gun went off, and making my bicept black and blue :-) because I was blading too much, I realize shooting a shotty is not the same as shooting a rifle (I have an M1a)…I recalled what that “other guy” (there is Travis, and the other guy ;-)) in the Magpul SG DVD (came with the 870) said about shooting…Get square to the gun, lots of leaning into it, and “push-pull” with right/left hands…It worked! It was only 25-30 yards but I hit everything well – even a 6” steel-spinner with the slugs…Nice head shots with slugs also…Didn’t do too well with head shots using buck…Shooting from the hip at a full size USPSA steel target was loads of fun too…The hornerday shot higher than the rem-buck which made sense cause it has ~20% more velocity.

I still need to establish a 100 yard zero on the next trip…It does shoot a little high at 25 yards (which it suppose to do for a 100yard zero) so I may not be far off.

It is a fantasy, IMHO, some folks have that their wife (or anyone for that matter) is going to pick-up a 12G some night from bed and hit the perp without some practice. They will probably pull the trigger and fall over ;-).

If you experience shotty-shooters have any further SG shooting tips – I am much obliged!

[Malsua 1,422]

Get a limbsaver pad. It makes a big difference.:-)

 

[Combat Auto 174]

thanks...I do have one and used it...At first, as mentioned, I was blading to much like a rifle shooter and the butt slid right off the limbsaver and into by bicept...It was a hoot!...When I squared up the issue went away.

[Malsua 1,422]

I am not a fan of the slip on pad. The permanent one fits and looks better.

 

But you definitely need to be somewhat square and lean in to it.

 

[NJSlick 0]

Love my 870 Tactical.

[Barms 98]

Combat Auto.. please give more details about "blading it too much".. and "the push/pull please"..

 

i dread firing my 12g... the recoil knocks my safety glasses so much i need to fix them after each shot.. OBVIOUSLY i am doing something wrong.

 

(i will make you guys laugh here): my glasses will be cockeyed after the recoil i sorta look when a guy gets up from the bottom of a football tackle and he is looking out the side of his earhole in the helmet..

[chris327 30]

Barms I'm in wayne to and shoot shotgun fairly often. Let me know if you wanna shoot together one day ill show you the littl bit I know. I've never had a problem shooting shotguns.

[Purple Patrick 638]

Just got back from shooting my shotty had a great time. Going again next weekend to the Clinton wma to shoot clays if anyone wants to tag alon pm me

 

 

Sent from my hidden under ground bunker between Taco Bell and the dry cleaner

[Scrap 4]

I ABSOLUTELY either agree with -those who stated it or SUGGEST TO those who don't - The LimbSaver makes *ALL THE DIFFERENCE*. I also completely agree that without it , a wife, girlfriend, even a guy who might not be too familiar with a shotgun will either miss completely or injury themsleves/someone else. When I bought my Mossberg 930 SPX I was about as proud and loud as one could be, it was the hottest firearm on the national market for a bit and I was the only one around my area who had one... When I shot it for the first time, I almost decided to sell/trade it. It was pounding me, not fun, and certainly not an effective tool in the defense.. Someone suggested LimbSaver, so I bought one , did my best installing it, decided to say "F it" and just super-glued it to the stock... and it was the best decision I've made in firearms... AMAZING reduction in recoil and allowing me to shoot/follow up / shoot again/ etc. no problems at all.

 

When I bought my own 870 Tactical in October i decided to immediately put all the Magpul SGA accessories that were made, and with that the Stock has an adapter available. When you buy the adapter you can mount LimbSaver (or Pachmayr / SuperCell etc.) pads... Again, make *ALL THE DIFFERENCE*.

 

 

However much it costs, its worth every dime. It changes everything and I agree, I would not be comfortable without it and DEFINITELY not comfortable allowing a family member / friend to use it in an emergency. The LimbSaver changes everythng.

 

 

I will say one last thing- when I got the Saiga 12 for Christmas for my old man I also wanted a LimbSaver, but they old had the capability to add the large slip on rather than a precision type . Well the Slip On is of course great for reducing recoil but its much much larger pad than a precision fit, it adds a few inches to the length of pull and can even catch your clothes a little more than usual (I was constantly finding it caught my hoodie fabric in the shoulder area when I was mounting/pointing the S12 last month at the range). So the Slip on is great for last resort but the precision/speed mount type pads are much better if possible. Sometimes they are just not possible so you do what you gotta do. [My old man is moving to FL soon and I may or may not be joining, if I do I would be getting the S12 converted straight away, and depending on the stock we went with I'd get a real LimbSaver mounted on the new stock.. I'm just not sure if we would go with a Magpul / AR-type collapsing style stock, a side-folding style/Ace stock, or a straight up AK/Wood style stock.

[Combat Auto 174]

Combat Auto.. please give more details about "blading it too much".. and "the push/pull please"..

 

i dread firing my 12g... the recoil knocks my safety glasses so much i need to fix them after each shot.. OBVIOUSLY i am doing something wrong.

 

(i will make you guys laugh here): my glasses will be cockeyed after the recoil i sorta look when a guy gets up from the bottom of a football tackle and he is looking out the side of his earhole in the helmet..

Barms the three real-time adjustments I made from rifle shooting were: 1)Standing, with rifle shooting (not talking about a carbine which I do not shoot and don't know) a real "He-Man" ;-) rifle like my M1a shooting .308, they recommend having the rt leg way was back (rt hand shooter) so your left leg is almost directly in line with the target and rt leg and target (significant blading)...With the SG you need to square up to the target so that your rt leg is only slightly back (this is relatively speaking find what works for you)- see first few mins of link (stocky/few extra pound guy shooting a SG "squared"-up....2) Givin that the tactical-sg I have is so light, really lean forward to keep the muzzle down after firing (as much as possible anyway)...So #1 and 2 help you get your full body mass as a back-stop...3)Rifle shooting you need a good cheek weld where your chin is firmly planted on the stock...Not with a SG unless you want to punch yourself in the face like I did 3X!...To fix this, I went to a "soft" cheek weld still being able to lign up my Gost ring read and white dot front sights. ALSO,I used a push-pull rt hand pushed slightly, as left hand pulls. Kinda resulting in a bi-directional shock absorber - and no more masochism punches to my face...First time I ever shot a SG - these adjustments worked for me. I am sure the experience SG shooters here can provide other tips...Hope this helps.

[Tack Tickle 0]

Love my 870 Tactical.

 

+1 !!!

[oldguysrule649 397]

Hello, new member here. Just purchased (picked it up last weekend) my first shotgun, a Mossberg 590(Model #50668). Hope to shoot it for the first time next weekend. Have not fired a shotgun in many years(actually decades), so am a bit apprehensive about the potential recoil effects. I appreciate the guidance. The stance as described above matches what I also learned in various YouTube videos, so will definitely use it. Same goes for the push-pull suggestion. Regarding Limbsaver; I purchased a slip on "Shooters Friend" from Cabelas. Seems to have many good reviews(like Limbsaver). I am less sure of the proper way to position my cheek. My SG has ghost ring sites(which I really like), and when aiming, my right cheek does seem to naturally rest against the stock. So am I correct that your cheek, and not the jawbone nor the bone above it should rest lightly(?) against the stock? Any specifics in this regard would be appreciated. Just trying to make my first experience firing it a positive one. (Or at least avoid getting a bruised face or shoulder.). Thanks, Art

[Purple Patrick 638]

Hello, new member here. Just purchased (picked it up last weekend) my first shotgun, a Mossberg 590(Model #50668). Hope to shoot it for the first time next weekend. Have not fired a shotgun in many years(actually decades), so am a bit apprehensive about the potential recoil effects. I appreciate the guidance. The stance as described above matches what I also learned in various YouTube videos, so will definitely use it. Same goes for the push-pull suggestion. Regarding Limbsaver; I purchased a slip on "Shooters Friend" from Cabelas. Seems to have many good reviews(like Limbsaver). I am less sure of the proper way to position my cheek. My SG has ghost ring sites(which I really like), and when aiming, my right cheek does seem to naturally rest against the stock. So am I correct that your cheek, and not the jawbone nor the bone above it should rest lightly(?) against the stock? Any specifics in this regard would be appreciated. Just trying to make my first experience firing it a positive one. (Or at least avoid getting a bruised face or shoulder.). Thanks, Art

 

Did it come with the stock angle spacers? They adjust the angle if the stock for different people maybe yours has one/needs one

 

 

Sent from my hidden under ground bunker between Taco Bell and the dry cleaner

[Scrap 4]

Hey there, I would not want to get into a debate over the proper cheek weld position on a shotgun because I am a firm believer on what works for you should be priority, not what works for the guy on the internet telling you how to do it nor what a popular position is vs what you're most comfortable with etc. I am not sure how my shooting cheek weld techniques (rifle OR Shotgun) compare to what others think is right and wrong, but I know what feels right etc.

 

Now for the shotgun, I think your STANCE would be much much more important than just your cheek weld. (And therefor your cheek vs. jawbone positon. Just position it comfortably for you IMHO). BUT How you hold the shotgun, literally your grip of the gun, the angle of your arms (both the trigger finger hand/grip and the support/pump hand grip), the way you 'mount' the gun into your shoulder and 'tuck' it into the proper 'pouch' position, then the way you're pointing the weapon to aim and then shoot, and your leg position/back position etc. is MUCH more important IMHO for recoil reduction and proper shooting technique/action.

 

There would not be enough text space to type out a documentary on how to stand and hold the shotgun and I am not nearly an expert enough, I would think a few Google searches or even more effectively a Googe Images/ Youtube video would give you a best way to see someone , maybe like this one :

 

 

Thats the trailer for Magpul Dynamics Art of the Dynamic Shotgun and there are a few great shots of people holding shotguns , back curled into a position of strength, shotgun tucked tightly into the shoulder and arms properly supporting and sustaining the gun, and legs properly supporting your weight and the guns weight and therefore recoil power.

[oldguysrule649 397]

Appreciate the feedback. (My stock does not have any type of angle spacers.) My objectives the first time I shoot will be very modest. Mainly to familiarize myself with the operation of the gun, trying to see what stance works best, utilize push-pull, and of course assess felt recoil with and without cushioning. For those of you who are experienced shooters, I realize I may be sounding overly cautious. However, there are some medical factors involved that are also a reason for me to err on the side of caution until I get some experience with it. Will let you know how I make out. Thanks again.

[Combat Auto 174]

Barms the three real-time adjustments I made from rifle shooting were: 1)Standing, with rifle shooting (not talking about a carbine which I do not shoot and don't know) a real "He-Man" ;-) rifle like my M1a shooting .308, they recommend having the rt leg way was back (rt hand shooter) so your left leg is almost directly in line with the target and rt leg and target (significant blading)...With the SG you need to square up to the target so that your rt leg is only slightly back (this is relatively speaking find what works for you)- see first few mins of link (stocky/few extra pound guy shooting a SG "squared"-up....2) Givin that the tactical-sg I have is so light, really lean forward to keep the muzzle down after firing (as much as possible anyway)...So #1 and 2 help you get your full body mass as a back-stop...3)Rifle shooting you need a good cheek weld where your chin is firmly planted on the stock...Not with a SG unless you want to punch yourself in the face like I did 3X!...To fix this, I went to a "soft" cheek weld still being able to lign up my Gost ring read and white dot front sights. ALSO,I used a push-pull rt hand pushed slightly, as left hand pulls. Kinda resulting in a bi-directional shock absorber - and no more masochism punches to my face...First time I ever shot a SG - these adjustments worked for me. I am sure the experience SG shooters here can provide other tips...Hope this helps.

AND BARNS, DO get the Dynamic SG video from magpul (amazon will have it on your door in 2 days)...For SG newbees like u and I (well, I have 1 SG shoot more experience then u now ;-)) it is worth every penny. For the old-timers SGes not so much I am sure.

[Arbelest 29]

I watched the trailer but what type of topics does the video cover?

[BlueLineFish 615]

when i started with shotguns we got beat to hell. You either get used to it and enjoy the pain or you dislike shooting shotguns. The pain is what makes it fun.

[Combat Auto 174]

I watched the trailer but what type of topics does the video cover?

Lots of sg AND amo manipulation..basics on zeroing...slugs vs buck...etc...check out reviews on Amazon...If you are new to SG you will like it.

[Arbelest 29]

10-4 thanks

[Old Glock guy 1,127]

 

AND BARNS, DO get the Dynamic SG video from magpul (amazon will have it on your door in 2 days)...For SG newbees like u and I (well, I have 1 SG shoot more experience then u now ;-)) it is worth every penny. For the old-timers SGes not so much I am sure.

 

Second that! I love my shotguns. I have three: two Mossberg 500's, one with a 20" barrel, the other with a 28" (the two are not interchangeable); and a 590A1. I have taken a couple of training classes, and take them up to Thunder Mountain fairly often. The two with the shorter barrels work fine for practice trap and skeet. The one with the longer barrel is better for trap.

 

Even though I'm only 145 pounds, I can shoot them all day, although I do occasionally get a bruised cheek from the 28" one. Must be some kind of bad fit. It is definitely easier to shoot bird and trap shot than it is to be hammering out buckshot and slugs.

[MPA 0]

that trailer is awesome!