Putting a Sight on a Shotgun

[ellebarto]

Anyone got any real time experience of doing this?

 

I'm not sure at what range to zero out, if that makes any difference at all to a shotgun as terminal range is about 40 yards regardless?

 

Also if you put a different length barrel on the same gun will the sight still operate on the same zero if its mounted on the receiver? (Mossberg 500)

 

Any pointers on zeroing a shotgun using shot and not slugs would be helpful. I'm planning on using one of those eotech, hologram type open sights!

[casts_by_fly]

I've done it for my O/U, but for a very specific purpose. If it is for general shooting, I wouldn't bother. Learn to shoot it like a shotgun and you'll be far better off than trying to make a sight picture on a moving animal.

 

That said, my specific purpose was called game (turkey and coyote) with extra tight chokes and patterns. My turkey loads in a "turkey full" choke were good for about 60 yards. That was with 2 oz of #5 and I could pretty much guarantee 8-12 pellets in the head/neck of a turkey at that range. The problem becomes aiming. When you're shooting such a tight choke, you need to have a consistent aim point because you're talking about a ~40" pattern at that range. In closer you had a tiny pattern not unlike a solid slug. Additionally, you were often sitting in odd positions and at weird angles. With only a front bead, you must maintain a consistent cheek weld and head height to 'aim'. With the odd positions you could end up in, that doesn't work. So you put a rear sight on and you've got an open sights like a rifle. Works pretty well for the purpose.

 

Changing a barrel will change the impact, so you'd have to try them both side by side. It might change an inch, it might change a foot. Depends on distance and the barrel. With mine, it was an O/U so I kept the tight choke in the top barrel and a more loose choke in the bottom. If a bird came in close, I selected the bottom barrel which didn't need a sight system.

 

What are you intending to shoot (quarry and load)? That will determine your range. I shot at 40 yards and checked at 50/60 for location and pellet density (how I knew my coyote loads were only good to 40 yds). If you're shooting #5 (british) or smaller then I'd suggest that 40 is a good maximum for anything you're going to shoot with that load. If you need to shoot further you need bigger shot.

 

Thanks,

Rick

[ellebarto]

Yeah I know mate, I'm not a new shooter! I have a hushpower which has a monster can on the end which screws up sighting and generally bringing the gun up. I read reviews that said a simple solution was one of these wide angle scopes. I plan to be shooting 32 gram 5's at bunnies and crows up to 40 yards!

 

Zeroing a shotgun is definitely a new skill for me though!

[jonevo]

why

whats the point in putting a scope on a shot gun.

you have a cartridge with No6s in which holds about 160 pellets

why have a sight on

 

this a wind up ?

[ellebarto]

Search gunmart for a 12g hushpower review and you will see I am not alone! If you had shot this gun you would understand what I mean!

[Slug]

You can have red dot and reflex on a Shotgun for static targets but for moving I doubt you would ever keep up with the bird or clay, you generally speaking aim a Rifle and point a shotgun. if bead rib and eye are in line what you look at is what you will hit, unless you snatch the shot and don't shoulder it properly..TBH honest you can't zero it on live quarry, take it to the clay shoot and use the pattern plate at your desired distance, this way you can choke the gun for the chosen cartridge you will see exactly where the mass of shot goes, your be amazed at your perceived POI to what the pattern plate reveals !

[sitsinhedges]

I have just put a JSR red dot sight on a Hushpower after fixing a sight rail to the moderator tube but it means I have to shoot very much head up and I don't think it will remain on there for long.

[ellebarto]

Ah that's interesting! Well I'll try it out and see if that happens to me as well.

[casts_by_fly]

for that purpose, I'd think that putting a bead on the front, and then putting the gun on a pattern plate will help you. See where it is shooting with your normal look. I'd suspect you need a little higher comb with the hushpower on, but that's just a guess.

 

Rick

[ellebarto]

Yeah it feels a little alien using a sight but as I've seen others have success with it I was going to give it a go. I'm obviously not expecting the crosshairs to be the

Killzone and still need to apply lead but it gives me a good pointing reference if the gun doesn't cone up well. This sight is also quite big and once mounted you can pretty much see everything in your natural field if view anyway! Might be an interesting experiment if nothing else