Sincere Question: What is a shotgun good for? (besides birds)

[El Mac]

Shotguns are great for a few things, but I have no use for one..

Good, more for those that do.

The AR is a way better weapon system as far as versatility.

Says you. Try picking off some dove passing overhead...or maybe going up against that coastal grizz when you are salmon fishing...plenty of whitetail country that does not allow for 5.56 or any rifle for that matter, yet plenty fall to the shotgun - year in and year out.

[QUOTE=Harv;853678]Too many folks (Paiting with a broad brush here aren't ya?) attach a misplaced devotion to a gun that has a lot of recoil (Recoil can be managed with proper training.), limited ammo capacity(On a properly set up shotgun, capacity is the same as many 1911s.), heavy (Often times no more than an AR and many times, much less.),bulky ammo with limited range(I'll give you that. But if you are going into rifle country, take a rifle - I don't see anyone arguing that the shotgun replaces the rifle at all times.) and a very cumbersome (Hardly.)and easy to fumble reloading process. (Perhaps a bit, but not a show stopper.)

I don't pick my tools based on lore and romantic notions, nor do I pick them based on how the public may perceive the tool I use..

Rock on. Neither do I nor do I suspect do many others here.

Cops used them for years because the guys who run dept are for the most point, clueless admin types who worry about liability and cost... not performance and right tool for the job.

Perhaps for some departments...but I think the overiding factor was primarily tradition and cost. Really now...if they were thinking liability, the last thing a tool bean counter would want to do is put a shotgun in a neophyte's hands. Most modern police departments now have much more leeway to configure their weapon set for the mission they see themselves encountering more often than not.

It's rare to find anyone who has even a moderate skill at running a scattergun...

I'll give you that one too. However, training can fix that, and for those that do carry the SG either because they want to or are forced too should ensure that they receive the initial training along with recurrent training. One can not blame the weapon for the failure of the shooter to obtain skill. Kinda goes back to the indian and the arrow principle.

I pick the tool that gives me the best options and performance.... and a shotgun ain't it....

For you. And that is important to remember in this discussion.

[Harv]

I can see your a big Shotgun fan, so you will be hard pressed to be convinced otherwise... we will just agree to disagree....

Most folks who are rabid SG fans are not going to be swayed...

[stifled]

I can see your a big Shotgun fan, so you will be hard pressed to be convinced otherwise... we will just agree to disagree....

Most folks who are rabid SG fans are not going to be swayed...

The problem is that you are coming at this from a childish "I'm-right-you're-wrong-end-of-story" position. The first step to knowledge is opening your ears, not your mouth.

[JodyH]

See that right there is one of the biggest misconceptions of a shotgun...Try patterning your shotgun at 10 yds and you will see that most of them shoot a tight pattern, so tight that it's basically a single projectile.

The dark pasters are 9 pellet #00.
The holes are 27 pellet #4 Buckshot.
12 yards.
Pattern so tight "it's basically a single projectile..."

[El Mac]

I can see your a big Shotgun fan, so you will be hard pressed to be convinced otherwise... we will just agree to disagree....

Most folks who are rabid SG fans are not going to be swayed...

You are right, I am a fan of the SG. And a big fan of the M4. That said, I know better than to discount a weapon based on personal "beliefs" or perhaps.........................a lack of skill with the weapon in question??? Hmmm?

You stick to your way of thinking though bro. I'm not trying to dissuade you. If you don't like or can't handle the SG, it is definitely better for you not to be around one. They aren't for the faint of heart, weak of mind, or the short of breath.