Just got back from Rob's Shotgun class in Marietta Ohio. This was my first formal shotgun training class. I ran a Benelli M4 (one of two autoloaders in the class) with an Aimpoint C3 and a BFG Vickers Padded sling.
Preface:
I am NOT a "shotgun guy." I do not believe it is the best choice as a defensive tool and have pretty much hit the "delete button" on it for most of my adult life. To quote Vickers: "WTF do I need a shotgun for?" Was he right???
Having known Rob for a couple years now, I knew him to be an expert/guru with the shotgun and of course a fan of it (which I respected). So I went to the class with the intention of embracing the shotgun as a defensive weapon. Being open minded is always the best way to absorb information.
As an instructor Rob did a very good job. Few instructors can present information in a proper manner, back up what they teach by performing and also entertain the class. Rob did all three of these well I think. He had a good mix of instruction coupled with interesting .Gov stories.
Rob's technique of reducing felt recoil by 50% works AS advertised. So well that you can shoot a 12GA SG flat footed (weight on heels), square to the target with the SG stock on TOP of your shoulder and you will not be pushed back!
The other technique that Rob has come up with is the "CQB" position. This GREATLY shortens the OA length of the SG making it much more user friendly when clearing a room. Since I was running a Benilli M4, the stock was WAY too long. With this technique, I was able to really shorten the SG up and effectively put rounds on target from 12yds out!
Some of the other things of interest were his ability to select a slug and get it into the weapon VERY quickly. Got some cool drills for shooting and reloading that will make most people admit defeat.
Rob talked about how to properly "pattern" your shotgun so that you understand the effective range of it. We also discussed ammo selection and the use of 7 1/2-8shot for home defense. Both Rob and Ken Hackathorn (who showed up to run the shoot house) believe that this is a good load for targets that are at rooms length. At these distances, the 7 or 8 shot will be very destructive and have little concern of killing people in the next room or apartment. If you are outside of a "normal" room distance, than this load is NOT a good idea.
IMHO, the best deployment for this load is create a barricade position in a room (making the bad guy come to you so that you can control the distance fired).
If you are a "SG Guy" or just curious about what you can do with one, then I would HIGHLY suggest taking a class from Rob. You will learn a lot, have a much better appreciation for the SG (which I now do) and be able to better deploy it.
Some thoughts on autoloaders VS pump guns. My M4 had ZERO malfunctions and I believe the other shooter that was running an auto had two (which were user induced). The majority of the pump guns had a malfunction that the user induced by short stroking the gun. We saw this particularly bad in the shoot house when everyone's adrenaline was running high.
The question I have now running in my head is the auto SG a better choice (especially in times of stress)?? Talking with some of the other guys at the class, the answer MIGHT be a yes. IMHO, a QUALITY auto is superior for MY needs than is a pump gun YMMV.
C4
Range
Rob Haught
What happens when you shoot a SG normally.
Proper technique applied
Showing students how much pressure needs to be to the rear.
Rob explaining his technique.
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