Love Those Shotguns

Most people know I like shotguns. With a relatively inexpensive shotgun and a modest collection of shells, you can have a very effective tool for both self/home defense AND for putting a wide range of food on the table. If need be, they make mighty dandy clubs also!


I am working on a tactical shotgun presentation which will be shared in a couple more weeks. That is why there is a sudden focus on things that go bang! I promise, this will not be a shooting focused blog. 

In preparation for the class, I cut open three shells: 7 1/2 Bird Shot, 00 Buck Shot, and a Rifled Slug. You can read and listen to people go on all day about the differences and relative effectiveness of these shells for different purposes. Or, you can just look at the above photo and deduce most of what you really need to know about shells!

Instead of going on today and just repeating some of what is well stated elsewhere, I am going to post a couple links.


First is actually today's episode of The Survival Podcast by Jack Spirko:

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/shotgun-ultimate-survival-weapon?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+survivalpcast+%28The+Survival+Podcast%29

Jack has a ton of these free podcasts available (994 to be exact) on a wide range of subjects. Today's topic is "Why the Shotgun is the Ultimate Survival Weapon." This is a pretty good episode for a basic understanding of the versatility of the shotgun as an all around tool. He does not pretend it is the best at everything. However, it is certainly capable of most things you would need a firearm for. While I may not always agree with everything Jack says (hmm, guess that applies to everyone I listen to), I do believe he is a very passionate, intelligent man who does his research and sincerely wants to share great knowledge with others. I suggest anyone interested in the world of survival subscribe to his site and watch for topics of interest to pop up.


The second link is for C.A.T.S. (Civilian Arms Training Source) Tactical Shotgun program:
http://www.civilianarmstraining.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=101&Itemid=178

Tim from C.A.T.S. runs a great variety of programs with many different firearms. Before getting my first handgun I took his Defensive Level 1 Tactical Handgun class with my sons. I took that class again with my wife when she was ready to begin shooting. When I got my first shotgun, I took his Tactical Shotgun class. This is the class that is linked above. FYI, for some versatility, the IPD Systems Tactical Handgun class is quite interesting. I never hesitate to send people to C.A.T.S. to really get familiar with their firearms and to get some good training in a safe environment. A good day of hands on training does wonders for your confidence when a firearm may be needed.

So check out these links and I will be back in a day or so with a new topic.

Prepare - Protect - Persevere!