Wingshooting: Heavy Shotguns for Faster Shooting
If you’re in a fast-draw competition with a shotgun, you want a heavy gun.
Earlier this week I wrote about how to shoot quickly. There is one last point to make on the subject: if you want to shoot quickly, shoot a heavy shotgun. It seems counterintuitive, since upland guns are supposed to be light and fast-handling.
Light shotguns are easier to move, but fast-handling doesn’t always translate into more hits—or even more speed. Heavy shotguns are smoother and surer to the target. Light guns tend to feel flighty and are harder to control under pressure.
Heavy Shotguns Improve Accuracy
A couple of years ago, during the Field & Stream shotgun test, we had our test team members take turns standing five yards behind a trap, shooting going-away birds with Full-choked guns, starting from a low gun position. We used a 20-gauge 870 Express weighing 6¾ pounds, a 12-gauge 870 at 7½ pounds, and another 870 with added weight (weighted magazine cap and stock-mounted recoil reducer) tipping the scale at 8½ pounds.
The result? The heavy 12-gauge was both the fastest and most accurate gun. It was nearly a quarter second faster to the target per hit than the 20-gauge, with an average hit rate of 71% compared to 63%. The unweighted 12-gauge fell somewhere in between. While we didn’t control for gauge, the close targets likely minimized any ballistic advantage from the 12-gauge.
Tradeoffs of Using a Heavy Shotgun
While heavy shotguns improve accuracy and speed in wingshooting, they aren’t ideal for all scenarios. Carrying an 8½-pound grouse gun isn’t recommended unless you’re built like J.J. Watt. Fatigue becomes a real factor, especially in dense cover. I personally shoot better with heavy, weight-forward guns, but I prefer light, muzzle-light models when brush hunting—mainly because they are easier to carry in one hand while you push away branches with the other.
Shotgunning is about tradeoffs. You can carry a heavy shotgun that tires you out but delivers more hits, or opt for a light shotgun that’s easier to carry but harder to shoot well. There’s no free lunch—especially in the field.
If you’re interested in putting this theory to the test during an authentic Argentine hunting experience, explore our dove hunting packages and experience wingshooting at its finest.
(Source: By PHIL BOURJAILY. fieldandstream.com)
