[circlecity]

“Know your distances and patterns.”

What do you mean? Just interested. I’ve got a 12 ga. With a short (18” - legal) barrel I probably don’t take out often enough. Historically out to about 12-15 yards it has a pattern about the size of a ping pong ball when loaded with double ought. After 15 it starts to spread and by 25 you’ve got pellets that aren’t even hitting paper. I would note that shortening that barrel from 22” to 18” made that thing kick like a mule.

[familyop]

"What do you mean? Just interested."

What you said ---->

"I’ve got a 12 ga. With a short (18” - legal) barrel I probably don’t take out often enough. Historically out to about 12-15 yards it has a pattern about the size of a ping pong ball when loaded with double ought. After 15 it starts to spread and by 25 you’ve got pellets that aren’t even hitting paper. I would note that shortening that barrel from 22” to 18” made that thing kick like a mule."

Find your maximum distance to get enough pellets in an attacker (or wild game). Practice until point shooting becomes feasible. Repeat practice periodically for point shooting.

Difficult to do with the ammunition shortages, eh? A younger adult family member has been wanting to go to the range with me to learn to fire a bolt action hunting rifle here and will be waiting out the shortage (need primers, 'cause SHTF-ers and/or lefties went nuts on those). She likes math and physics, and is really more likely interested in possibly competing at long ranges in the near future than hunting. I gave her some information helpful for choosing a starter rifle for just that--something very modifiable for long range.