How to make your shotgun shoot like a rifle
By Larry Myhre | Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Sighting in a slug gun is not one of my most favorite things to do. For one thing, shotgun slugs kick like a mule. For another, each brand of slug will pattern a little different in your gun. It might take quite a bit of shooting to find the best fit.
Yet, it is something that has to be done. After all, when that deer steps within range the only question in your mind should be, "What time do we start the grill?"
To obtain that kind of confidence requires plenty of practice before the hunt and a shotgun that is shooting where you point it.
For starters, there are basically two kinds of shotgun slugs. One is just that, a slug. It's designed to be shot in a smoothbore, preferably with a cylinder or improved cylinder choke, although more choke is acceptable it will probably affect accuracy. The other slug is called a sabot (pronounced "say bO." These are specially designed bullets couched in a plastic wad designed for rifled shotgun barrels. The sabot is the most accurate of the two types and is capable of producing minute of angle groups at 100 yards.
The shotgun I use for Iowa deer hunting is a Remington 870 with a rifled barrel. I use a 1.5 to 4 power scope on a saddle mount that straddles the receiver. Since most autoloader and pump shotgun receivers are milled from aluminum, they cannot be drilled and tapped as easily as rifles. If I were buying a new barrel for that shotgun, I'd definitely choose a barrel with an integrated scope mount built into it.
If possible, a new shotgun should be bore-sighted before taking it to the rifle range. This is accomplished by using a device which enables you to adjust the scope so you will at least be able to put the first shots on the target at 25 yards.
The basics of sighting in are pretty simple. You will need a stable shooting platform. A simple folding-leg card table will do. The forearm of the gun must be resting on something solid. There are many rifle rests on the market now designed for this and they start at about $40 and go up from there. You can make do with something as simple as a jacket folded on top of a tin can or as high-tech as special sand bags designed to hold the forearm and the butt stock.
When seated behind your shooting bench, rest the forearm on the pad and fit the stock into your shoulder with your free hand curling around and grasping the bottom of the stock near your shoulder between the thumb and first finger. If you are sighing in a heavy recoiling rifle or a shotgun, your hand should be supporting the forearm just behind the rest.
There are a couple of simple things to keep in mind. One is never to rest the barrel on anything while you are sighting in. If the barrel touches anything but the stock you will not shoot tight groups. Two, if the stock has a sling swivel stud on the forearm, make sure it is at least two inches ahead of your rest so recoil doesn't push it into your rest and destroy your accuracy.
When sighting in a shotgun I begin at 25 yards. Fire at least three shots before adjusting your sights. Figure where the center of the pattern of three is located and adjust your scope accordingly. If your scope adjusts one quarter of an inch with each click at 100 yards, you will have to make four clicks to move it that far at 25 yards. Sixteen clicks will be needed to move the center of the pattern one inch.
Different brands of shotgun sabots will shoot somewhat differently at a given range. I use Federal Premium Barnes Expander shells which I sight in to strike an inch and a half high at 25 yards. This puts them dead center at 100 yards.
I limit my shooting to 100 yards with sabots although I know some advocate even longer shots can be taken. If you are going to take shots out to 125 or 150 yards, you will have to shoot those distances to determine how much drop your load will have at that range. Ballistics information should be printed on the shells you buy and I feel it takes at least 1,000 foot pounds of energy to down a deer. The Federal loads exceed that greatly at 100 yards.
A new firing range has been completed at the Little Sioux Park near Correctionville. It is located about a mile south of the entrance on the gravel road and about a quarter mile west. It is an excellent set-up for sighing in rifles or shotguns.
Larry Myhre is editor of the Journal. Reach him at (712) 293-4201 or larrymyhre@siouxcityjournal.com.
Yet, it is something that has to be done. After all, when that deer steps within range the only question in your mind should be, "What time do we start the grill?"
To obtain that kind of confidence requires plenty of practice before the hunt and a shotgun that is shooting where you point it.
For starters, there are basically two kinds of shotgun slugs. One is just that, a slug. It's designed to be shot in a smoothbore, preferably with a cylinder or improved cylinder choke, although more choke is acceptable it will probably affect accuracy. The other slug is called a sabot (pronounced "say bO." These are specially designed bullets couched in a plastic wad designed for rifled shotgun barrels. The sabot is the most accurate of the two types and is capable of producing minute of angle groups at 100 yards.
The shotgun I use for Iowa deer hunting is a Remington 870 with a rifled barrel. I use a 1.5 to 4 power scope on a saddle mount that straddles the receiver. Since most autoloader and pump shotgun receivers are milled from aluminum, they cannot be drilled and tapped as easily as rifles. If I were buying a new barrel for that shotgun, I'd definitely choose a barrel with an integrated scope mount built into it.
If possible, a new shotgun should be bore-sighted before taking it to the rifle range. This is accomplished by using a device which enables you to adjust the scope so you will at least be able to put the first shots on the target at 25 yards.
The basics of sighting in are pretty simple. You will need a stable shooting platform. A simple folding-leg card table will do. The forearm of the gun must be resting on something solid. There are many rifle rests on the market now designed for this and they start at about $40 and go up from there. You can make do with something as simple as a jacket folded on top of a tin can or as high-tech as special sand bags designed to hold the forearm and the butt stock.
When seated behind your shooting bench, rest the forearm on the pad and fit the stock into your shoulder with your free hand curling around and grasping the bottom of the stock near your shoulder between the thumb and first finger. If you are sighing in a heavy recoiling rifle or a shotgun, your hand should be supporting the forearm just behind the rest.
There are a couple of simple things to keep in mind. One is never to rest the barrel on anything while you are sighting in. If the barrel touches anything but the stock you will not shoot tight groups. Two, if the stock has a sling swivel stud on the forearm, make sure it is at least two inches ahead of your rest so recoil doesn't push it into your rest and destroy your accuracy.
When sighting in a shotgun I begin at 25 yards. Fire at least three shots before adjusting your sights. Figure where the center of the pattern of three is located and adjust your scope accordingly. If your scope adjusts one quarter of an inch with each click at 100 yards, you will have to make four clicks to move it that far at 25 yards. Sixteen clicks will be needed to move the center of the pattern one inch.
Different brands of shotgun sabots will shoot somewhat differently at a given range. I use Federal Premium Barnes Expander shells which I sight in to strike an inch and a half high at 25 yards. This puts them dead center at 100 yards.
I limit my shooting to 100 yards with sabots although I know some advocate even longer shots can be taken. If you are going to take shots out to 125 or 150 yards, you will have to shoot those distances to determine how much drop your load will have at that range. Ballistics information should be printed on the shells you buy and I feel it takes at least 1,000 foot pounds of energy to down a deer. The Federal loads exceed that greatly at 100 yards.
A new firing range has been completed at the Little Sioux Park near Correctionville. It is located about a mile south of the entrance on the gravel road and about a quarter mile west. It is an excellent set-up for sighing in rifles or shotguns.
Larry Myhre is editor of the Journal. Reach him at (712) 293-4201 or larrymyhre@siouxcityjournal.com.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 1 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
Dan Zwier wrote on Dec 17, 2006 11:26 AM: