Anatomy of a Port Load

In the past I was a hardcore always port load over the top of the gun kind of guy. It seemed to work the best for me at the time. Then my technique was challenged. This video of Tim Chandler shooting a shotgun El Pres is what really challenged me to take another more critical …

The 2023 Defensive Shotgun Course Master List

Here we are again, the start of a new year, a new list. This is not an all inclusive list. These are the guys that I feel comfortable recommending to people. As time goes on and more people add more classes, I will try to add them to this list. Even if you think you …

The P3000 Stoeger Should Have Made

Of all the Turkish shotguns out there, Stoeger is about the only current manufacturer I would take a chance on. They have the parts support and aftermarket to make it potentially worthwhile. If something breaks, the parts are there to fix it. If something needs improved, the aftermarket is there with a solution. Plus, with …

A 25 Round Shotgun Practice Routine

If you go shopping for shotgun ammunition at your local gun shop, you will soon figure out that most shotgun ammunition comes in 25 round boxes unless it is buckshot or slugs. With that in mind, I came up with a standard 25 round practice session that I can use for the shotgun to help …

Tactical Shotgun from S7 Tactical

Shotgun classes are few and far between around my part of the world. Occasionally the big name guys will get within a day’s drive, but as far a class an hour or two down the road, that just doesn’t happen much. Up until now, my occasional foray into open enrollment instruction was all that was …

A little less Vang…

I haven’t made any secret of my preferred approach to a shotgun side saddle being a Vang shell card and some industrial strength velcro slapped on the side of the receiver. (See HERE for a how-to). The one kinda sorta issue with this approach is that Vang shell cards are one size fits all. They …

Trouble in Paradise: Issues with Federal’s 8 Pellet Flite Control (LE13300)

For a while now the go to recommendation for defensive buckshot has been some form of Federal's 00 Flite Control loads. The king of the hill being the low recoil 8 pellet version (LE13300). It was pretty easy. Need your gun to shoot consistent, tighter patterns out to 25 or 30 yards? Just use 8 …

Goldilocks is Dead: Federal’s LE132 1B (#1 Buckshot Flite Control)

Somewhere around 2012, Federal introduced a #1 buckshot option in their Tactical product line. It used Federal’s game changing Flite Control wad to deliver acceptably tight patterns out to 20-25 yards with what is often considered the "optimal" pellet size for defensive use of the shotgun. LE132 1B is loaded with 15 copper plated pellets. …

A Basic Pattern Target

I pattern a lot of buckshot loads. One of the problems with patterning is that it consumes a lot of targets. Being able to compare one load to the next also means always having the same type of target on hand. Or at least a target with the same size scoring area as the other …

Hornady Varmint Express 4-Buck

This is a repost from my old blog. One of the more popular post on the blog is THIS ONE, about pattern testing #4 buckshot. I figured I would revisit, and keep the series going. Current leader is Hornady’s #4 buckshot load with the Versa-Tite wad, so it is back to defend its title. This …