How useful is a short shotgun?

[superior]

I have an 18" bbl smoothbore pump with ghost-ring sights and while I know it makes a fine 50 yard slug gun for deer, what else can it be used for other than self defense? Can it be used for an all around survival weapon? Can it be effective on small game and birds? At what range and with what size shot ? The bore is cylinder bore- no choke. I'm thinking that it wont pattern tight enough. Am I wrong ? Whaddaya think?

[skunkkiller]

I use one of them for anything i want to hunt when not using my kentucy 45 blackpowder

[crashdive123]

Can it be used for an all around survival weapon?

Yes

Can it be effective on small game and birds?

Yes

At what range and with what size shot ?

I will leave that question to those with more first hand knowledge.

[Stairman]

Im surprised a smooth bore can fling a slug very accurate.Rifleing makes it spin.Without it it would be tumbleing.

[superior]

With a "rifled slug" I explode water-filled milk jugs at 50 yards effortlessly.

[Gray Wolf]

What gauge shotgun is it?

[superior]

Did you know that the main gun on an m1a Abrams battle tank is a German made smooth bore? How far does that baby shoot accurately lol? Ask our enemies!

[superior]

It's a 12ga. Gray Wolf.

[Pal334]

I am a long time advocate of the shotgun because of its versatility (my humble opinion). My preference is a "coach type". You should take time and try to figure what YOUthink your needs may be.And then experiment with various loads etc to meet your needs. With practice, you can do almost anything doable with a firearm (short of long range nail driving). Just keep in mind it will be a series of compromises when you are limited to one firearm, regardless of its type or caliber/gauge. In your case one of the most apparent is the weight of the weapon and its ammunition. As with any tool, practice, practice and then when you think you have a handle on it, practice again.

[superior]

I guess a milk jug at 50 yards to me is like a russian tank at 1 mile to them lol.

[palm stalker]

I use one of them for anything i want to hunt when not using my kentucy 45 blackpowder

i to have a .45 bp percussion works best at hunting in my local,,i have a .410 for the rest.. its not the gun.. its the aim!!!!!!!!!!

[Runs With Beer]

I have hunted with a smoothbore shotgun most of my life, Heck, My Flintlock is a smoothbore. My self, Between a shot gun and a 1022, Which a love, A shotgun Is in my world the best choice, It will feed you, and keep the bad ...away.

[tsitenha]

A short barreled shotgun with rifle sights (peep), smooth bore for shot or buckshot and rifled slugs or even sabots in an emergency is very useful for game getting and defense. Only the bulkiness of the shells and weight would add as a detractor.

[tipacanoe]

Superior, you should check into getting another barrel . That way it could do anything you want, and they aren't that expensive. I have a rifled barrel and a scope that I have deer hunted with for many years, and a smooth bore with choke tubes for game birds and rabbit. If you do get a rifled barrel, and your hunting shotgun only area's, make sure that the rifled barrel is legal, because some area's require that smooth bore. With some of the new sabot slugs you can reach out to 150 yards and have a 4 inch group

[superior]

OK , but what kind of patern will I get, say, with #6 shot for rabbits and squirrels. Remember, short 18" barrel with cylinder bore- Will my range be limited severely? My 870 express has a 28" bbl and it peppers them with the full choke tube out to about 40-50 yards. How about the short cylinder bore bbl? What's the farthest reliable distance I can get small game with it?

[crashdive123]

Your most accurate answer is going to come from trying it. Paper targets at various ranges so that you can see the spread.

[tsitenha]

If you game for it you could have a smith tap your short barrel to accept Rem chokes and interchange at will, even as far as adding a rifled extended choke tube for the sabot slugs.

[superior]

Ok, I was just hoping someone would have already done it and pass along some of their experience to me. I will try practicing when the weather gets a little nicer here. Put it this way: Has anyone killed a squirrel or rabit with #6 shot at 30 yards or more with a short barreled shotgun? If so, I'd like to hear about it.

[tsitenha]

My wife has a 20ga shortened barrel as described. I installed sights on it, can't remember the shot size but the hare still died.

We don't use black powder anymore, modern propellents are more effecient and don't need the longer tubes to burn the powder, other than the sighting plain being shorter everything is A OK

[FVR]

I have on my list to get, one of the double barrel coach guns in 12ga. Just waiting for a good deal.