[FSCJedi]

How much ammo do you all carry actually on your shotgun? This could be the "fun gun" or the one you'd pick up for when the SHTF. I'd consider myself pretty safe picking up a Mossberg 590 w/ 9-round magazine tube, 4-round Speed-Feed stock, 6-round side-saddle on the right side of the stock, and a 5-round holder on the right side of the reciever, all in 2 and 3/4" shells of 00 Buck and Slugs. How much would you all feel adequate with if you just "picked it up and went"?

[Marko Kloos]

If I need more than the four rounds of 00 Buck in the magazine tube of my Nova, I am in trouble that a shotgun won't solve. I think that capacity is largely a non-issue in a shotgun.

That said, if I ever feel the need to run around with a lot of shells, I'll grab my shell bag, the one with integrated belt and split compartment. Half the bag is full with 00 Buck, the other half has slugs in it. Fifty rounds in a belt bag are quicker to access than speed bolt-ons, and they don't add any weight to the gun itself.

[TrapperReady]

On the gun?

None.

In the pockets of my vest? Oh, about 1 1/2 boxes of shells (mostly a mix of #5, #6 and a few #7.5. I've also got a Leatherman, 1/2 a package of beef jerky, some foam ear plugs and lint... lots of lint.

This is my "go-gear" for when I need to protect the family from the marauding poultry hordes.

Once I'm "in country" and have gone to condition Red, then I make sure I've got a shell in each barrel. Right now, I'm perfecting a modified version of the Mozambique Drill. This involves firing one shot to COM of a pheasant, and if it's still flying, then doing a follow-up to the red spot.

[C.R.Sam]

none on gun.

If goin out for a while, might take appropriate extra loads.

Sam

[Andrew Wyatt]

my useage of on gun ammo carrying devices is different from most others.

I use the butt cuff as a place to store the ammo i'm going to load into the gun when SHTF, since i keep it empty. there are five rounds on the gun, none in it. i have a bandolier with 30 rounds hung on the same nail as the gun.

[Dave McCracken]

The HD 870 has a two round extension, kept loaded with 5, one round under. Its Side/Saddle has 3 more 00 and two slugs, JIC. Any HD crisis requiring more ammo to resolve is highly unlikely. Since life is uncertain, more ammo is nearby.

The "Deer" 870 has a 3 shot extension and is kept as backup for the HD 870 outside of deer season. Kept one under with 00. When used for deer hunting, SOP is 4 shells, more than I've ever needed.

Bird guns are plugged to 2 shots in the magazine.

[SDC]

Please help me; my name is SDC, and I'm a gunaholic :) ; when I've got my IPSC/HD/skeet/and everything else 870 loaded to the gills, I've got 17 rounds on/in it: 6 rounds in a sidesaddle, one in the chamber, and 10 in the tube :rolleyes:

[sm]

NONE

[Mike Irwin]

Normally 5 rounds of S&B 00 buckshot, the 12 pellet 2 3/4" load.

[SapperLeader]

My 870 Hd has a 6 round magazine, downloaded by one, kept cruiser ready. I keep the 6 round sidesaddle topped off with 6 rounds of 00 8 pellet buckshot, and the 6 round buttcuff(sling attaches to buttcuff) with 3 rounds of the same buckshot and 3 reduced recoil slugs. If I wanted to swap this into a community weapon, Id make the sidesaddle 6 buck, and the buttcuff 6 rr slugs. Probally way more ammo than I ever will need, but i like the weight, and the friends and family I have who are vets or cops, and have been in combat/shootouts have never told me a tale where they wished they left some ammo at home, because they brought too much :).

[Daedalus]

5 buckshot in the gun, 5 slugs in one of those slip on shell holders. If I need more than that I should have grabbed a homeland defense rifle.

[Tomac]

5 00 buck in the tube (chamber empty), 4 in the sidesaddle and 6 slugs in the CQB strap-on buttcuff (doesn't shift under recoil). As Daedalus said, if my nightstand .45 and this won't suffice then I need my rifle... ;)
Tomac

[Soap]

FSCJedi- Can you hold that shotgun up with just your right hand while holding a phone in your left for about 3 minutes? If you can do this, and still fight with all that stuff hanging on it, good for you. I'm not a small guy and a Nova with a mag extension and a 4 round sidesaddle is about all I can handle.

[keeperofthehills]

i agree with Marko Kloos

if you need any more than 4-6 rounds ... youre in trouble. i have a 1201 beretta and i keep 5 rounds of 000 in the tube.

i know fscjedi fairly personally ... he always overkills everything
:cool:

[El Tejon]

FSC, what JustcallmeDan sez. The pig is heavy.

Try holding it on the target for 5 minutes (or whatever the standard 911 response time is in your area). The pig is heavy.

Start exercising with it. Curls, presses, lat raises, reverse curls, militree press--get trained up. It will be even heavier in a fight.:eek:

[Hkmp5sd]

Have extended tube and side saddle on my 870.

If the "How much would you all feel adequate with if you just "picked it up and went"?" involves actually exiting the house (without time to open the safe), my get-uo-and-go gun is my Mini-14 w/ 30 round magazine.

Try holding it on the target for 5 minutes
If anyone has never tried it, attempt to hold your CCW handgun extended in your hands for 5 minutes. That little bugger gets heavy quite fast. :)

[rayra]

6 in a side saddle, 5 in the tube.
And a sling that held ~17rds, but that looked too 'bandito'.

[El Tejon]

The wise man in Tejas uses an example of one of his instructors that works as a po-po in KC, Mighty Mo. This individual had to hold a person at gun point for 45 minutes until back-up po-po arrived. This was in a major metro area, just imagine the wait if one lives where Hayzeus left his sandals, or if one were not po-po. "Yeah, right, we'll be right there, tough guy."

I have seen this same problem in gun skul. People Roger Danger Ranger up their weapon with every gun rag pos that they can bolt, wire or clamp onto the weapon--extended mags, more ammo, complicated ninja slings, lasers, phasers and wind speed indicators. Their training=carry it from their trunk to the firing line. No exercises with it, no training for one hand, no extended holding on target.

The pig gets heavy. Get trained up. As Uncle Walt sez, walk about with it, let it become part of you. Exercise with it. You will put less stuff on your weapon and have stronger forearms.:D

[gulogulo1970]

Mossberg 500A 8-Shot.

7+1 in the gun, 6 in a sidesaddle, 4 in the speed feed stock.

18 shots in or on shotgun. I find the extra weight really curbs recoil with the heavy buckshot and slug loads I use in this gun. Holding it on target for more than a little while would be tough. That's when I would have to drop it to the hip ready position.

[Dave McCracken]

The pig IS heavy, that's why it's called a pig.

But....

If I use a 9 lb trap gun, a 8 1/2 lb deer gun, and a 9 lb "Serious" shotgun, and exercise them regularly, it turns into a piglet.

One again, practice is the key.

Corriea and I did a thread a while back on exercises and shotguns that may help.

[Bruce626]

I'm an older, weaker type civilian guy and I've done very long days of 1000 tactical-type shots with a M 500 with 5 in Tube, 6 in SideSaddle, plus 5 in Buttsaddle. Biceps sore afterwards? Sure... but still hitting long range targets at day's end.

As I mentioned on an earlier thread, I don't know how many Chicago gangbangers are going to bust into my bedroom, so I want as many shells as I can handle and have trained with, right where I can find them instantly.

When it is time to go outside, walk around, and defend the rest of the country, I think I'll carry fewer shells on the gun and more in the backpack.

[CWL]

Use a 5-rd butt buttcuff. Don't think I'll need more for inside-the-house defensive use.

For training, 3-gun or if I ever had to run away, have a 12-rd pouch and a 50-rd shell bag.