To side saddle or not to side saddle that is the question

[SBsasquatch]

So you want a side saddle huh?
Well like anything you will have to practice practice practice. its an akward motion to reach over/under the weapon to grab and load the rounds. consider that...

philosphy of use:
Well why do you need a saddle? WROL, home defense, or hunting(i doubt it)? all good reasons, but does its purpose satisfy your needs. Or are you going for a cool factor...

Practical or not:
What type of threat will you be faced with that the first four(i assume thats how many the tube holds) wont eliminate...
consider this>>>statistically speaking most engagements are within 7yards. thats really close if you think about it. Do you really have the time to reload. Not likely...

Looks and utility:
Well relatively speaking most saddles you see are semi-perminant. Meaning that to install/remove you have to break the gun down. and while empty its kinda an eye sore. and loaded it adds alot of weight to the already 7lb weapon. not good. Also with it on it adds width to the skinny of it.(ran out of educated words) I prefer mine slim and sleek. i often slide mine in a scabbard or bag and that would catch on things. I also hunt alot and it messes up the balance while loaded. While being really robust the ability to have 5(max) rounds on hand is really affective.

Options: either you get it, slap it on and roll with it. loaded/empty whatever. OR (this is something i say on youtube that i thought was pretty cool) you get 2 pieces of velcro/saddle and slap it all together. you can pull it off and replace it within moments. Even better you get a couple and you could easily blast reload from saddle. ripe off the saddle and throw on floor and replace with fully loaded saddle

food for thought. either way its a cheap investment. just remember get a quality one and dont look back....
use it or loose it. Just think will it serve its purpose or will it just end up in the closet... Thats why its not for me. imho...

Good luck, do some mo research and make an educated guess

bless!

[KWalkerM]

i run a side saddle but its not on my gun. ended up with one for the wrong gun and used it for my hunting truck

[CK_32]

The only reason I add on a side saddle to my HD weapons is for round diversity.

Buck in the tube and slugs or slug/buck ammo in the saddle for different roles.

I watched a video of someone who had a great point that most attackers wont just run at you with a gun or knife what have you. They will either try to attack or hide and now your in a gun fight and guess what people dont stand in the open like most people envision.

They will jump behind a couch chair table what have you and thats when you take a slug out of the saddle throw it in the tube and blow clean through the barrier and make a hit. But will go through most surfaces but a slug has more penetrating mass.. And I dont want to only run slugs and go through 10 walls if not needed.

Its never a bad thing to have options for other situations than 1. You never know..Where the issue sits is weather the possibility of the chance of dropping reliably like on some systems trapping the trigger housing or having to run loose and wiggly is worth that option factor. But thats another reason we intensely test and run to make sure out HD weapon set ups are reliable before putting them into that role.


So side saddles arent ONLY for more rounds but more rounds and in some cases OTHER rounds for different situations that may occur.


Either way fully test your systems and know what your plans are and stay realistic before putting that into place. But yes I agree if you need more than 5+1 or 9+1 just in the tube you have big problems.

[SonofWWIIDI]

Sorry, I was expecting something like pics of Audra Barkley (I know, showing my age) on a horse!

[negolien]

I think the side saddle is awesome to use IF you do it right. I saw someone in a 3 gun run do something I had never thought of. The easiest way to load a SG with a sidde saddle imo is toooooo......Drum roll please...... turn the weapon upside down. I had never thought of it before and was like DUHHHH... Why had I never though of that before. Maybe it's easier for me with a Stock w/ a pstol grip also I dont know. I tried it after seeing the guy do it and couldn't believe how easy it was. With the stock turned upside down with the end of the stock on your shoulder it presents perfectly to allow the striping of the shell (if they are upside down in the side saddle)... and feeding it into the reciever.


Try it..just turn the Shotgun upside down and place the stock on your shoulder upside down. Look at the position of the feed gate.. Easy huh.. Bet your going WTF why didn't I think of that lol.

[Doghouse_Riley]

I think possibly the adage, "better to have and not need than to need and not have," could apply here.

[3GunFunShooter]

I ran the 3 Gun Gear velcro side saddle on my Remington 1100 CM for 7 years in 3 Gun. Great system. Especially for strong hand loading. Easy off and easy on. Still have it for my HD 870. As others have mentioned, ammo management changes are easier.
On my Salient Benelli M2 went to the Load Two system with weak hand.