Is the shotgun a lost art?

[ICyou]

I have tons of shotguns and have always loved them. My first gun my a Remington 870 410 when I was 8 and since then Ive been in love with them. I own more shotguns than any other firearms, including semi auto, pump, double barrel, and even an old bolt action Mossberg. This just seems to be the most under used part of the forum.

Are shotguns just becoming a thing of the past outside of hunting and skeet with the rising popularity of the semi auto rifle?

[09cs]

I have to agree

When ever I'm at the range I don't see many young guys at the trap/skeet range, and I'm usually the youngest one (21). I personally love them! I love trap and skeet because its something my father and I get to do together.

It's not "Tacticool" to do trap and skeet

[Killer Bee]

my shotguns fill a decent share of my collection and I started with a Mossberg 183 series .410.. now I own three of them including a Stevens 59.. my first 12ga experience was with a JC Higgins.. I enjoy both game hunting and sporting clays with them.. I think shotguns are often overlooked for the brute lethal strength they possess in their blissful simplicity..

just seems less popular with the younger generations.. most new shooters seem to be more concerned with accuracy and specification details whether they know what to do with them or not.. and I dig tacticool ninja stuff just as much as the next guy.. but my favorites are wood n' blue..

old pic of a few kept here in the house - something for every occasion
scatterguns.jpg

[Ducky's Dad]

We introduced one young guy to bird hunting last year, and his friend is going with us for his first dove hunt this year for the AZ second season. Interestingly enough, both of these guys are Chinese, one from Canada, the other from China, both educated here. They think shotguns and bird hunting are a real hoot, and they have been going to the clays range to sharpen their skills. Both are going with us to San Jacinto this week on a duck ressie. Shotguns don't seem to be a lost art, but most newbies seem attracted to the tactical black gun crap.

[Gem1950]

It seems we are in a period where the scattergun is of more significance (popularity) in the HD realm than the sporting realm.

[shellslinger]

My first gun was a Mossberg 590a1. I don't think its a lost art I just think there is a prevalence towards the AR-15 crowd as its always under fire for being a so called "assault weapon". So everyone is trying grab one before they are banned since they gotten so much attention in the news for the past few years or so.

[Sleighter]

I think that just like anything they can get expensive fast. You can pickup a decent pump shotgun for cheap. But if you want a semi-auto you're looking over a grand, for a O/U you're looking at $1500+.

Compared to handguns for under a grand and a lot of rifles for under a grand, it's just pricey to build a collection.

[12ga]

I have no interest in ARs, but my want list of shotguns keeps growing.
With a shotgun a single gun can take a small squirrel or dove and not destroy meat, it can kill a charging brown bear, pick birds out of the sky, take large game up to 100 yards away, they are ideal against 2 legged predators, and they are so much fun to shoot. There is no gun besides a shotgun that can do all of that.

[aippi]

Speaking from an LE perspective I can say this. The 12ga shotgun has more initial fire power then an SMG or Assault Rifle. Young officers prefer the M-4 over the shotgun because they are no load girly men who can't deal with the recoil of a 12ga. That must be the reason or why would they not exit the cruiser with the most fire power they can bring to the fight?

[sealocan]

^^^ every single post on this thread has a good reason why shotguns should be more prevalent.
I think this forum and California in general has been leaning towards semi auto rifles because of fun of the pew pew pew low recoil and government restrictions (get them and play with them while you can.) mainly.

but its not like that everywhere in a quite a few of the smaller back east States,
shotguns are used (and they are the only long guns that can be used legally) for hunting everything from deer on down.

people might eventually get an AR or an AK back there but their first long gun is usually a shotgun.

so no I don't think it's a lost art, not yet.

but I would like to see more shotgun friendly ranges around California.
(I'm sure everyone's experienced where they require you use certain type of shotgun ammunition only.)

[JagerDog]

Shotguns make up a large share of my collection and they're what I shoot the most. But then I was brought up a sportman and upland birds is my passion. I shoot clays mostly to refine/maintain my wingshooting, but do enjoy most the shotgun games.

Fewer and fewer kids are brought up as sportsmen, especally in the population meccas of CA. Part of that is limited opportunity in CA. Refuges and the like are impacted. There's a lot of hunters in CA, but limited access to quality hunting unless you have some coin. You don't see much about game rifles or game pistols either.

[xrayoneone]

Yup. The real lost art is the fitting of the shotgun. Here in the States a shotgun is a cheap tool that is one size fits all. No fitting of the stock at all.

[NapalmCheese]

I think there's a few reasons. First, the diminishing role of the shotgun in the military means that as kids grow up they don't see the shotgun being used by the specops guys. Even in video games, there was a time when the shotgun was THE gun to have, less so now. Second, shotguns are being used by cops less, so once again, plenty of people assume that the shotgun is a second rate weapon. Third, fewer kids are growing up as hunters and are therefore less acquainted with shotguns.

Ultimately, I believe that shotguns are currently viewed as the guns that old Fudds use to when they want to tromp around the forest and do dumb things like kill defenseless animals. ARs (and AKs, and 'sniper' rifles) are used to have fun at the range and show off how much money you can spend on bolt on crap and gun cases.

[NapalmCheese]

Yup. The real lost art is the fitting of the shotgun. Here in the States a shotgun is a cheap tool that is one size fits all. No fitting of the stock at all.

Unless you happen to run over to Comanche and speak with Mr. Tate.

[Thefeeder]

What I see is a lot of young shooters especially woman getting into the sport. A lot of shotgun owners are looking for the longer barrels and getting out to hone their shotgunning skills. It gets petty boring punching paper with a shotgun and there are not many places to learn to shoot , really shoot. Woman progress faster then men and shoot very well very fast if they are given a shotgun that fits their frame and some basic instruction.

I think there is a lot of misconception that go with clays…one is you need expensive shotguns and that it is very expensive to shoot…negative. Cost is about 50-60 cents a shot for shells and range fees.

Everyone owns a pump shotgun …..You can’t shoot Skeet or Sporting Clays with a pump is pure FUD…..If you can’t get two shots off at two targets with a pump, your in need of some practice. You would be surprised at how many HD gun owners need lots of practice regardless of how much training they have had

Get out there and have some fun …the old timers will not give you a hard time . You will find them more then willing to show you the ropes and don’t give rats behind what shotgun your shooting (more internet FUD)as long as your being safe.


I will add the lost art is Markmanship in all the shooting disciplines...few can shoot without a bench, passed 7 yards or an airborn target.......anyone who can dump a mag is considered a shooter