[alanwk]

I have a Maverick 88 shotgun that a gunsmith cut the barrel down to 18 1/2".
Now there is only one beaded sight. Are sights necessary for a HD gun?? If so what are my options? Thanks.
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[Badger Arms]

I'm assuming it was a vent-rib shotgun and you're left with the mid-bead?

[alanwk]

Only have one bead and I don't see where there would be another towards the rear. Thanks

[Badger Arms]

Is there a vent rib? Is the bead mounted near the muzzle of the barrel? One bead is all that the vast majority of HD shotguns have. If you're concerned, a "Hi-Vis" snap-on front sight is really helpful. Kinda like a glowing red dot at the end of the barrel, even in marginal light.

[alanwk]

It is 5 1/2" from the muzzle.

[Badger Arms]

Ouch... sounds like you've got a mid-bead and the gunsmith cut off the front so the front bead is gone... no real advice unless you're handy with a drill and tap. You can remove the mid-bead and put a proper bead near the muzzle. You should be able to use it for home defense just like it is, but it's not a really elegant solution. Gunsmith should have offered to relocate the bead.

[alanwk]

He probably did offer, but when I told him I wasn't into hunting, etc. he figured all that was needed was to point down the hallway and go. Thanks for all your help in this matter.

[MrCleanOK]

You can drill and tap the vent rib at the end of the barrel and install a bead at the end. The mid bead can be removed, fill the hole with a screw, cut and file it off flush, and blue it. Life will be good.

[JoGusto]

fill the hole with a screw, cut and file it off flush, and blue it. Life will be good.

Dang, that's clever! I like it! Now if I could only learn how to be subtle when I use my power tools. Never get me near a grinding stone :evil:

[MCgunner]

I've got a shotgun that the bead came off of years ago and I've killed many birds with it since that happened. I don't aim so much as point a shotgun, anyway, don't need no stinkin' bead for hunting OR home defense.

[possum]

if they make it for your shotgun i would highly suggest xs big dots. and yes sights are needed on every gun that you have. the common myth is that you don't need to aim a shotgun WRONG! go to a range and pattern it at distances that are realistic for hd. or better yet take a shotgun course at one of the good schools, and see what the capabilities of the shotgun are.

[MCgunner]

I'm sorry, but I point while aligning down the rib, bead or no bead. You COULD call it aiming, but there's no rifle sights to align, just pointing down the rib with a good fitting stock and a cheek weld. I have no problem putting a slug, not shot, a slug on target at 10 feet. It's easier than putting a moving dove inside a 30" circle at 35 yards. I don't know anyone with "sights" on a bird gun. And, if you think it's so danged easy to shoot a moving target, let along a dodging and darting dove at 35 yards, you haven't done it. On a good day, I can be one for two, but I have to concentrate on my swing and follow through to do that. There are days you go out there and just feel stupid. That's when you gotta sit down, figure out what you're doing wrong, and start concentrating.

You cannot "aim" a shotgun with just a bead, anyway. The bead is a reference, that's all. There's no rear sight to put a front sight in, so where's the "aiming"? And, in the dark, I'd rather not have rifle sights on the gun, personally, takes away the instinctive point of the gun and hard to see.

So, anyway, I think this is a battle of semantics. I just don't call shooting a shotgun "aiming" unless it's a slug barrel with rifle sights, necessary on a slug gun for good 100 yard groups. You ain't shootin' at an intruder at 100 yards, though. In MY house, all 1100 sq ft of it, it's practically contact range.

Hell, I've shot 2" groups off the bench with my 12 gauge double shooting foster slugs at 50 yards. There is no semblance of a sight on that gun, just a rib and a bead and I tend to ignore the bead.

[JohnBT]

"the common myth is that you don't need to aim a shotgun WRONG"

Let's think about this. The bird is crossing left to right. The shooter is focusing hard on the bird's beak. The shotgun is pointing (or will be soon) somewhere out in front of where the bird is. Here's my question: If you're looking at the bird and the shotgun is pointed off to the right leading the bird, how and when are you using the bead to aim? You're supposed to be looking at the bird, not the bead.

Might work on a straightaway shot, but on a crossing shot? You can't do it without glancing back and forth: bird, bead, bird, bead...


"The Miss-Me Bead"
www.fieldandstream.com/articles/guns/2008/02/miss-me-bead

[Badger Arms]

"the common myth is that you don't need to aim a shotgun WRONG"

+1 when applied to home defense situations. ALWAYS aim a shotgun at close range no matter what the choke and no matter what the load... slugs, buckshot, whatever.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think there will be any 'posing' or getting the sling out and setting up your position for the shot, but the shotgun needs to be at the shoulder and the bead, blade, or rib needs to be center of mass... if you've put two loads into center of mass and the threat hasn't ceased being a threat, aim for the little bobbing blob on top of the center of mass.

Remember, we're talking about HD guns here, not your bird blind.

[4thPointOfContact]

At night, it's too dark at night around my place for a bead to do much good. I just put a Mini Red Dot sight on the receiver and let it go at that. With a 4-5 year battery life all I have to do is remember to change it every election year.

Drill, tap, attach a short length of Weaver or Picatinny rail and it was done.

[Badger Arms]

it's too dark at night around my place for a bead to do much good

If you can't see your sight or the silhouette of your sight against the BG, chances are you can't identify said bad guy. I like to keep it simple. Flashlight mounted on the shotgun is something I'm becoming more comfortable with.

[rcmodel]

Was I the OP, I would knock off the remaining center bead with a hammer & punch. Or unscrew it if he can.

Then paint the first inch of the rib near the muzzle with white model paint.

That will allow you to see where the muzzle is in dim light.

Beyond that, if you don't have enough light to sight down the rib, it is too dark to tell who you are shooting, or whether he needs to be shot at all.

By the way, I'd also find another gunsmith.
That one you have now ain't one!

rc

[MCgunner]

+1 when applied to home defense situations. ALWAYS aim a shotgun at close range no matter what the choke and no matter what the load... slugs, buckshot, whatever.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think there will be any 'posing' or getting the sling out and setting up your position for the shot, but the shotgun needs to be at the shoulder and the bead, blade, or rib needs to be center of mass... if you've put two loads into center of mass and the threat hasn't ceased being a threat, aim for the little bobbing blob on top of the center of mass.

Remember, we're talking about HD guns here, not your bird blind.

What you describe is not "aiming", it's pointing. Aiming is putting the front sight in the rear sight notch and cutting the target with the front sight, concentrating NOT on the target, but the front sight.

As JohnBT says, you ain't gonna hit squat if you're concentrating on the bead. Home defense ranges on a torso sized object are MUCH easier than shooting a small moving target at range, but I still use the same technique as I do wing shooting. You have to concentrate on the target and the gun points as you look down the rib.

Again, I think we have a semantics thing going here. What you call an "aim" isn't an aim. You don't have rifle sights or a scope to aim with. If the gun fits right, you look at the target and you're ON target with the shotgun as soon as it comes to your shoulder IF your shotgun properly fits. If you have to crawl the stock or raise your head to get on the target, you have improper stock fit.

[Badger Arms]

Aiming is focusing on the front sight... rib or top of receiver will align the rear of the gun.

Pointing is focusing on the target. Everything up to the bead should be a blur.

If you want to take the wording out... focus on the bead when shooting up close, focus on the target when shooting out far. Yes, you can aim with a single bead.

[MCgunner]

I'm sorry, but with a shotgun I do quite well focusing on the target. I've not focused on the bead, ever, not in 45 years of wing shooting. Do it how ya want. Probably more'n one way to skin this cat.

Ever hear of the "shoot where you look" program? Guy will have you hitting an aspirin in the air with a BB gun sans sights. He teaches point shooting with the shotgun. I'd like to take that course. I've heard it will improve your marksmanship with a shotgun.

http://www.shootwhereyoulook.com/old/index.htm

[JohnBT]

"Remember, we're talking about HD guns here, not your bird blind."

Go back and read the post I was responding to, the one that included the sentence...

"and yes sights are needed on every gun that you have."

They aren't needed.

John

[seeker_two]

Depends....if you're planning to shoot slugs in the future, sights are absolutely needed. If not, your red-dot and maybe a snap-on front bead (w/ super-glue for strength) should work fine....

[Colton White]

when thugs are coming it wont matter much i say just leave a metal bead on it

[mgkdrgn]

anything, or nothing

At in-house SD distances (ie 10 to 20 feet), how much of a "sight" do you need on a shotgun? Just look down the barrel.

[oneounceload]

AT HD distances, mount the gun, point the gun while focusing on the target, squeeze the trigger........if you can't see and identify the intended target, you shouldn't be shooting at it.....no sights are necessary at that range