[Stinkyshoe]

I am wondering what kind of sights would best be suited for a "tactical"shotgun. I am not going to pretend to be an arm chair ninja, but I would like to learn to be proficient with a shotgun in a stressful self defense situation. Is the bead sight that comes with a standard 870 or 500 adaquate, or would it be worth investing in a "riot" style shotgun that I could put ghost rings on, etc. So tell me should I just invest in classes and ammo, or get something that is specifically for this?
Thanks
Ss

[Andrew Wyatt]

Since i'm primarily a rifle guy, I like all of my longarms to have as similar a sight setup as possible. As such, I put ghost rings on my shotgun, because my enfield, mini-14, and my .22 all have aperature sights.

If your shotgun is primarily for land targets, Ghost ring sights are the way to go.


Mossberg factory sights can be had for 40-50 dollars, and can be put on a mossberg with a minimum of effort, or other shotguns with slightly more.

[Smoke]

I'll go slightly against the grain here and say "Rifle Sights"

Its really just a matter of what I've become accustomed too and what I prefer.

Rifle Sights (Buckhorn)
Ghost Ring (Peep)
or a standard bead

Any of them will serve duty on a defensive oriented weapon.

[El Tejon]

What Smoke said. Lots of good work can be done with all systems. However, the bead takes getting used to up close and out yonder (especially with slugs).

For me I prefer ghost rings as, 1. that's what I've trained with, 2. ghost rings force me to keep my head down as up close while moving and grooving I have a bad habit of "looking over" the gun. Can't do that, especially up close!

Funny you mention ninjas. Tim Wickert of Gunsite tells of a time when he was at the CTA in Albaquirky when he received a visit from several instructors of ninjitsu. There they witnessed several shooting drills with pistols and lastly a Rolling Thunder drill with shotguns.

After seeing the last drill, the learned master frowned deeply and said, "Ninjitsu no good, shotguns very good.":D

BTW, classes and ammo are ALWAYS a good idea, but I am strongly pro-education. Remember, the weapon does not have kung fu, you do.

[Mannlicher]

If all you want is a HD shottie, and don't plan to take it with on your next mercenary gig, then just stick with the bead sight. For short range, with shot, it works just fine. Trust me, it does not have to be 'tactical chic' for it to work.

[Dave McCracken]

Darn! Fresh out of tablets of stone here, so here's an opinion instead...

I doubt anyone can point to a particular system and declare it superior in all respects, best for everyone and every scenario.

Think of a dedicated shotgunner, wingshooter and clay gamer, using his or her auto, O/U, SXS or pump with a bead or two in a close range, short time frame crisis.

Despite all declarations to the contrary, he/she will focus on the target just as they've done thousands of times. And, ask anyone whose seen the elephant, moving the focus to a front sight instead of the threat takes more discipline than most of us have.

At HD ranges, with a well known shotgun, focussing on the target instead of a bead has little disadvantage. The speed produced by thousands of firing strokes is also a plus.

Good work is done with beads, most folks do better with a most sophisticated sight system. Regardless of choice, practice, familiarity and expertise are the crucial factors.

Try the various systems, pick one, and BA/UU/R until it's automatic.