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 …

2022 Defensive Shotgun Course Master List

The journey of learning should never end. The shotgun doesn’t get the same level of attention as pistols or rifles, but there is still quite a bit of available training out there. I have compiled a list of classes that I would take and that I feel comfortable recommending to other people. So far, there …

The Rifled Slug

As part of my participation at the Rangemaster Shotgun Instructor Development Course I had to give a presentation on a topic assigned before class. My topic ended up being Foster and Brenneke slugs. This is essentially that presentation as a blog post. How Did We Get Here Before shotgun slugs evolved into what they are …

Does Bass Pro Have a Winner: Herter’s 8 Pellet Low Recoil Buckshot

This isn’t the first Herter’s load I have tested. Having a Bass Pro local makes it pretty easy to keep up with their offerings. Herter’s, if you are not familiar is a house brand for Cabelas and Bass Pro. My understanding is that it has been around for a while, but not always manufactured by …

Rangemaster Shotgun Instructor Development Course AAR

The shotgun is not the cool gun anymore, but it is a gun that many people still turn to for home defense. The Rangemaster Shotgun Instructor Development Course (IDC) is specifically geared for instructors who are most likely going to be teaching defensive shotgun to private citizens who are using their shotguns for home defense. …

The Shotgun Side Saddle

What side saddle to use for this gun, or that gun, is a question I see often, and get asked personally on a fairly regular basis. there are a lot of options out there, which I guess is why people ask. I have found one option to be universal, effective, and budget friendly, the Vang …

Estate 00 Buckshot

A look at one of the better budget buckshot options available.

It Lives…

The H&R budget gun review has been on a bit of a hiatus. Mostly because I knew the gun had a problem, and was trying to decide how to fix it. I finally got brave enough to attack it with the dremel. It would appear the feeding issue has been fixed, and I didn’t create …

The Shotgun Speed Drill

There are not many shotgun specific drills out there beyond the really basic stuff. It is even harder to find “standards” type drills, or test, that have some sort of pass/fail metric. This one sort of gets us there. I think as more people shoot it, I will eventually assign time brackets for specific skill …

What About BB?

Let’s get something out of the way right off the bat. The only compelling reason to use BB (or any other small shot size) in a shotgun intended for defense is that buckshot is not available. It has been a crazy year, and while shotguns are as panic resistant of a firearm as possible, buckshot …