“Keep your elbow down; don’t expose it unless you want to lose it!”
   Instructor Doug Harris drilled me as I worked through a shooting house during a low-light exercise at Blackwater USA in Moyock, NC, the premier private training facility for military, law enforcement and civilians from around the globe. In a life-or-death situation, tactical shotgunning relies on much more than simply hitting your target. The fundamentals—shooting stance, ready position, speed or tactical reloading, changing ammunition, shooting on the move and using cover—all need to be honed to efficiency.
   Dennis Kendall, Mossberg’s director of marketing, invited me to attend a Mossberg/Blackwater “Fear No Evil” tactical shotgun course using the Mossberg 930 SPX. First things first, I am a wingshooter by lineage, and my trainers have been mallards, canvasbacks and geese on the Chesapeake Bay. So, I was a little nervous and somewhat overwhelmed when I stepped up to the line the first day. The differences between wingshooting and tactical shotgunning are palpable to say the least.
   But with tutelage from Harris, in just a few days I began to develop the skills needed to use a shotgun in tactical situations, learning new methods to implement in my home-defense plan. Practicing the same basics I learned at Blackwater will help prepare you, too, for defending yourself with a shotgun.

The isoceles stance is designed to promote a defender’s stability while allowing quick changes of direction. Knees are slightly bent, and the dominant-side foot trails about half a step behind the other.

Shooting Stance

   Assume a deep aggressive stance, with your shoulders square to the target, knees bent and body slightly forward. Your upper body should actually resemble bad posture, just like a boxer’s stance, and your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Harris teaches the isosceles stance, which provides a stable platform from which to shoot. The feet are positioned accordingly; the shooter’s dominant-side foot is half a step back from the support side, with knees slightly bent.
   This stance promotes stability, but you can quickly change direction without losing balance. Bending the knees lowers your center of gravity, helping you to absorb recoil while preventing you from rocking back on your feet.
   Harris forewarned me that because I am predominantly a wingshooter, this stance would feel very unnatural. He was right; it did. But he pressed me to stick with it, for all the right reasons. Most importantly, the stance dictates how well the shooter performs and reacts.

Ready Position

High Ready Low Ready

   From your stance, there are two positions that control your shooting. One is not necessarily better than the other, so select the method in which you are most comfortable.

   In the high-ready position the muzzle of the shotgun points up, in conjunction with your line of sight. The buttstock fits firmly against your rib cage. The barrel is angled 30 to 40 degrees from horizontal and moves with your eyes to the target.
   The low-ready position puts the buttstock on your inner shoulder toward the center of your chest, with the barrel angled 30 to 80 degrees downward, depending on your movement. You acquire the sights by swinging the barrel vertically and aligning the muzzle with your eyes, while staying focused on the target.

Speed or Tactical Reloading

   “If you shoot twice, put two shells in the tube,” Harris roared over the sporadic gunfire at the Blackwater ranges. Reloading your shotgun is critical, especially when engaged in confrontation. Look at it this way: You do not want to end up in the hallway facing an intruder with an empty gun.
   Force yourself to get in the habit of reloading after each shooting sequence. A self-defense situation calls for your firearm to be reloaded immediately after firing, so any remaining threat can be addressed. If you fire three shots rapidly—easily done with a semi-automatic shotgun—then reload as you are moving to your next position or taking cover.

   Keeping the shotgun shouldered, use your support hand to bring the shells to the gun instead of the opposite. Loading the gun with one hand allows you to keep it positioned for an immediate shot. Cup a shell in the palm of your support hand and place the round into the open loading port by passing your hand under the bottom or over the top of the receiver. This will be determined by the direction the shell is facing in your hand. Make sure you place the shell into the loading port with the brass end facing to the rear.
   Once the round is in the loading port, sharply close the action and fill the magazine tube until it’s topped off, all the while remaining ready to engage the threat. If your gun has a shell in the chamber, skip the first step and only load the magazine tube.

Changing Ammunition

   Buckshot is the go-to self-defense load for a shotgun, but changing ammunition on the fly is applicable if there is a need to use a slug. The process is stressful in a real-life situation, or even on a timed course, and to do it smoothly takes lots of practice. I jammed up during my stress course, and it cost me a lot of time.
   With the action closed, feed the slug into the magazine tube so it will be the first round picked up by the carrier. This assumes you have already engaged the threat with at least one round of buckshot and the action has completed its cycle, leaving space in the magazine tube for the slug. Cycling the action will now eject the buckshot round in the chamber and replace it with the slug load waiting in the magazine tube. If possible, pick up the ejected buckshot round and feed it into the magazine tube to complete the process. Sounds simple, but rapidly changing ammunition requires practice.

Shooting on the Move

   When you’re fired upon, moving to cover as quickly is normal instinct. To effectively address a threat though, you must be able to shoot on the move.
   First, determine your shoulder width. The best way is to put your feet together so their sides are touching. Now spread the toes of your footwear as far as they will go, followed by the heels. This is your shoulder width. Move with your feet at shoulder width during training because it is the most natural way to move duriing a self-defense situation.
   Start off slowly and take baby steps until you are comfortable, then advance to a faster pace. Maintain a solid shooting stance with your upper body as you move. Keep your firearm shouldered and focus on your target. You want to not only move effectively, but also shoot accurately at the same time. With a solid shooting platform, your movement will not deter accuracy.

Using Cover

   Firing from cover is an advantage and oftentimes lifesaving. It is a relatively straightforward skill and easily acquired. The most important part of using cover is remaining behind it. While this seems elementary, it is astonishing how we expose ourselves without realizing.
   There are two basic ways to use cover: standing and kneeling. The main principle in both cases is to keep your outside foot behind the cover, as this will force you to peek instead of offering half your body as a target.
   When you are the target, the best technique to adopt is to be as small as possible. Kneeling makes you a smaller target and it also makes you more likely to hit your target. The closer your center of gravity is to the ground, the more accurate you are. Be this as it may, it is simply more natural to react from a standing position. Either way, keep your feet aligned behind the cover to reduce exposure.
   As you position yourself behind cover, leave enough distance between it and your body to ensure you can move the shotgun without it hanging up. Make sure the barrel of the shotgun is clear of the cover when firing. Shooting into the cover will compromise its ability to provide protection and may cause you harm.
   The only portions of your body and shotgun that should be exposed are a portion of your arm, the barrel and the amount of your face needed to obtain a clear sight picture. Your elbow should be as close to your body as possible, unless you want to lose it.