Shell holder on stock or sling?

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Navy_Guns

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Feeding the "around the house" shotgun...

Option A: 5 round holder on butt stock.

Option B: 15 round holder built into the (Blackhawk) sling with the rounds at the butt stock end.

I'm leaning towards B. Heavier if I fill it up, but it won't have shells on my face regardless of which side I'm using. Whaddaya think?
 
Or you could use esstac velcro 6 round holders. Just put some velcro on the side of the shotgun and you can slap one of those on and remove it and replace it with another as needed. I saw them at skdtac and it seemed like an interesting idea.
 
I use a buttstock holder, and I keep a bandolier close with around 40 shells in case I need to throw it over m shoulder and go.
 
No extra ammo on the sling for sure!!
It swings wildly, and the more weight with shells you add, the more wildly it swings.

Then try finding it or the shells in the dark with one hand, and jerking shells out of tight loops with the same hand, while it swings wildly!!

As for that?

No sling at all on a "around the house" shotgun is the best option.

Stuff 5 extra shells in your Jammey's pocket would be better then having a sling and shells banging on the hallway walls while you are trying to catch up with a shell or two mid-sling-swing.

Or the BG grabs the sling and beats you to death with the shotgun!

rc
 
Buttstock

Full tube plus five or six rounds in a buttstock. Shouldn't need more than that. Unless you have a questionable source of income or lifestyle! :rolleyes:

Besides, it's a house gun. What do you need a sling for?
 
I'm thinking if I can't get-R-done inside my house with whats in the mag tube I probably should have practiced with a shotgun, way more, a long time ago!

I'm not expecting Attila the Hun and his hoards to ride through my house raping & pillaging anytime soon!

rc
 
Not the sling for sure, rc already gave you the reasons for that.

Personally, a sidesaddle on the receiver (your weak side) is the best option. It allows you to reload with your weak hand while keeping the gun trained on a threat.
 
The sling is a bad idea: filled w/shells it is a heavy pendulum and empty it is waiting to snag on something. But I agree with having "go-to" ammo at hand. Below is an example of 5+5+4, all on board (snapcap in chamber otherwise it'd be another +1). Grab and go. Some other kind of carrier to bring w/you like a belt pouch or a bandolier instead is a second-best option to me personally.
 

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I know it sounds silly but after trying reciever mounted, stock mounted and sling mounted I think I like a bandoleer best. It is easy to find the correct shells one handed and has no effect on the balance or shotability of the gun at all.

Buck up front and slugs around back and fill the bandoleer from the bottom so it hangs with the shells down where you can find them. No point filling more than five or six loops front or back if you are not going on patrol in heavy brush. See rcmodel's comment re number of shels needed.

I would think I would go to my secondary weapon if I ran a shotgun dry in a home defense situation and worry about reloading it next week mostly.

=kBob
 
I have a 5 round Eagle Industries butt stock accessory on my 870HD. With one in pipe and 6 in magazine I may not need the 5 extra rounds but I like to have them and the extra weight helps with the recoil - for what that is worth. I have two slug rounds with base up and three extra buck base down so I can have some idea of what I am reloading. I also have a sling on my 870 but nothing hanging on it; again, that is my preference.
 
My personal opinion is leave the shells off the shotgun. It looks very tacticool to have them dressed up but I think it's just something else to get in the way. I have been able to get 4 and 5 shots off at a flight of geese before "not sky busting" and I simply have shells in my jacket pocket. The KISS method seems to work for me.
 
If you really cant get it done in your house with whats in the tube, I'd go with a "5 pack on the rack"

If you need more than that- you are going to need A LOT more than the protection afforded by the bandolier thats swinging your aim astray.
 
personally i believe if you have a sling on your HD shotgun you should use it for retention, do not let the sling hang lose. a shotgun is a two handed weapon... you may need your two hands for something pick up a child... unlock a door .... get a beer out of the refrigerator... :D
 
blarby,

The point of the bandoleer is that it DOES NOT swing your arm or the gun nor prevent you from using the gun however you want.

I started using one during a course from Moragan Consulting with Bill Jeans. In that course I also used a reciever mounted carrier which like two others in the class of 17 or so shooters failed ( and another bound up the action of a mossberg) I also used a butt cuff and used it as someone else described with the slugs facing one way and buck the other and had the experience of them in my face when trying to shoot left handed and loosing a shell or two during movement. I did not bother with shells on a sling as I played with that a few decades ago and dropped the idea. Actually a coup,e or three shells in the front left pants pocket worked fairly well, but I do not sleep in my trousers.

Other than looking like one of Poncho Villas henchmen I could find little wrong with with the bandoleer. For use at home I considered adding a flashlight pocket and a cell phone pocket to the bandoleer. WHen the shotgun is being used for home defense the bandoeer rest over the end of the magazine tube for easy access.

I do like a sling. My rear attachment point is on the "butt" of the "pistol grip" of a traditional stock. This allows very easy muzzle down carry over the left shoulder with the muzzle high enough to allow kneeling and with the left hand on the pump slide. This allows the gun to be brought into action very quickly from a safe and non threatening position. As much as I dislike lights on handguns the shotgun does have a mounted pressure switch activated light. WIth the gun so slung it is very easy to operate a flashlight with the right hand so as to not point a loaded light equiped shotgun at the kid that got up for water at 02;30 hours and decided to take a side trip to the living room and knocked over a lamp: just to see if he is a threat. With the weapon so slung my manipulating hand is also free for mucking about with door locks and gates (those of us out in the country also check on things that make the multi-thousands of dollar a head live stock nervous at night) or even comfort a kid that got up to get a glass of water at 02:30 and is stumbling around the living room 75 per cent asleep and guide him or her back to bed.

Unfortunately I have not put a lot of thought into gaming either with real guns or at the game station, just day to day life in the real world.

-kBob
 
Feeding the "around the house" shotgun...

Option A: 5 round holder on butt stock.

Option B: 15 round holder built into the (Blackhawk) sling with the rounds at the butt stock end.

I'm leaning towards B. Heavier if I fill it up, but it won't have shells on my face regardless of which side I'm using. Whaddaya think?

Do not go option B at all. Go with either a mounted side saddle on your shotgun or a butt stock mounted shell carrier. I have a Specter Gear butt stock shell holder that carries 6 more rounds.
 

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Ya know, I keep reading how a sling on a house gun is bad cuz it'll get hung up, etc. Anyone actually tried moving around their place with one? I have. Four in the magazine, 5 on the butt stock, and 4 more on the sling. No hangups, not even in my narrow hall with the linen closet handles sticking out. Shooting? Sling never gets in my way or swings all over the place. Do whatever works for ya.
 
rcmodel said:
I'm not expecting Attila the Hun and his hoards to ride through my house raping & pillaging anytime soon!

How true! Practical advice once again.

The typical homeowner will only fire one shot and the bad guys will go running. They are not going to advance like an infantry and try to overrun your position. If you really worry about it, just throw a handful of shells in your bathrobe pocket.

All the tacticool accouterments might impress the burglar though.
 
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The typical homeowner will only fire one shot and the bad guys will go running.

My point exactly.

If 3 or 6 in the gun, plus at max 5 on the buttstock isn't enough- what exactly are you preparing for ?

I have a bandolier, thanks. Holds 25 rounds. I use it when going in the field for duck and goose, and I wear it belt style. I rarely ever use all of it on a standard field day- heck, rarely 1/5th of it... and thats on a day I PLAN to go shoot things, and have things to shoot at.

If you can't get it done with whats in the gun, and whats on the rack- you need to train more. Its a shotgun for gosh sakes. This is your house- not a 150 yard field game.

Tony : While I agree with you, why do you have a left handed setup on what appears to be a right hand ejecting rig ? Is that just a bad photo, or ... do you not mind shells across your face ? ?

kbob : I said bandolier, I meant sling on that'n, sorry. Very confusing when I go back and read it, too. Unless you sleep in it though, I think a bandolier is probably a silly option as well.
 
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I don't know what to expect, that's why I carry a handgun when I'm awake and always have a shotgun or three handy in the house.

The shotguns here all have Sidesaddles and no other mounted spare ammo. The magazines are loaded one round short with 00 buck, the Sidesaddles have all slugs, chambers are empty and actions cocked with the safety on. If I need a slug first up there's room to load it straight into the magazine and cycle it into the chamber.

I've never had problems with TacStar Sidesaddles, I use blue LocTite on every screw (the little ones too) after de-greasing the screw holes and threads. I've used them in classes and not had them come loose on me, though I have heard horror stories from other students. And I like having the weight of extra ammo between the hands and keeping the stock clear. I tried SpeedFeed stocks and didn't care for them, and never even considered putting shells on a sling.

All that said, TRAIN and PRACTICE, and use whatever hardware setup works for YOU...
 
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