Bead or sights on HD shotgun?

shawn1172

My boss's wife wants to buy him a shotgun for Christmas and asked me for help. I have an 870 with a bead but have been browsing for her and seeing some with sights. Thought I'd check in with you guys for an opinion. I know the standard options for an HD shotgun are 870 or 500, it's been gone over enough here. No need to do it all again. Thanks.

Eli

Bead sights will get the job done, but I prefer ghost rings.

At across the room distances, even bird shot (not advising that) holds a very tight pattern. For this I prefer the precision offered by the ghost ring, as opposed to the speed offered by the bead.

bruchi

For self defense I prefer a big bright bead, fastest way to get on target.

Zee

Eli wrote: »

Bead sights will get the job done, but I prefer ghost rings.

Yep.

Bigslug

For a house gun, it really doesn't matter much, so long as you know how to use whatever system you've got. For the non-shooter,well-defined reference points both front and rear can be helpful.

Fat Billy

I put fancy sites on my Mossberg with a folding stock and vented barrel cover and black front hand grip. Man it looked cool! I moved it around in the closet a few times and managed to missalign the sites. I took off the sites and the barrel cover because I didn't want to get a sucking chest wound while messing with the sites in an emergency. If someone is over 50 yards away and you aren't using slugs you brought a baseball bat to a gun fight. My bead site always works. No problem. :popcorn: Later,

Zee

And so do good ghost ring sights. Just better for the job.

Later.

Eli

Zee wrote: »

And so do good ghost ring sights. Just better for the job.

:that:

joseph06

I definitely think its a matter of what you're used too. If you've done a lot of hunting wih a shotgun, and have experience with the mount and cheek weld you need on your particular set-up, a bead might be the best choice. If you don't have a lot of shotgun experience, or if you go for an aftermarket "rifle" style stock, ghost rings are the way to go. I'm happy with either, as long as as it's easy to see.

timc

Ghost ring on my 870, just my preference. Door breached is nice too just in case the bad guy locks himself in the bathroom!

bruchi

alphasigmookie wrote: »

Yeah my first 3-gun match taught me just how easy it is to miss with a bead sight at close range under stress. Very easy to lift your head and not propperly sight down the barrel. That said my hd shotgun still has just a bead sight.

For a spell I used a no stock, pistol grip only pump shotgun with a huge bead sight for 3 gun matches, worked fine for me, even nailing the moving star with the smallish targets that you need to hit real fast before it gets up to speed.

glockman0422

timc wrote: »

Ghost ring on my 870, just my preference. Door breached is nice too just in case the bad guy locks himself in the bathroom!

Same here, my 870 express tactical came with XS ghost ring sites and they are great.The front site is very easy to pick up and the rear ghost ring is adjustable. Not only are they easy to pick up quickly but they also provide some precision when shooting slugs at a distance. Hands down my favorite sites for an HD shotgun.

5280 shooter II

Ghost ring for me.....with a tritium bread on the front sight, and a weapon-mounted light.....tried a Knoxx stock....sucked....going back to a Hogue stock with a Dead-Mule on the stock bolt.

shawn1172

Thanks guys. I'll look more for ones with ghost ring sights. He doesn't hunt at all. This shotgun will be mainly just for HD with some range use for practice- generaly blasting jugs and a bit of shooting clays. I know sights aren't ideal for clays but it will be used a lot more on regular targets, milk jugs, various produce, etc.

One other question- what about pistol grips? Not the ones with just the grip, I'm thinking full stock with a pistol grip. My 870 doesn't have one but as I've been fondling various shotguns in the store I'm liking the feel of it. I might end up switching mine over. Opinions on these?
Thanks again.

Zee

I run both variations on the grip. The pistol grip version is nice when you have the gun in your hand for extended periods of time. More natural, like an AR style grip instead of having to flex your wrist all the time.

Good control over the gun in recoil as well and more conducive to getting that chicken wing DOWN.

So, yes.........I like it.

Marvin

For a house gun I like a bead with HiViz sight snapped over the bead. It makes for quick acquisition. I have rifle sights on my duty 870 but there is the possibility of longer slug shots than a SD gun.

stepmac

Sights on a HD shotgun makes no diff. You are going to point the thing. Get a pump. The sound of you jacking a round into the chamber will usually be enought for the perp to get the word and beat feet. You really don't want to shoot him if you can avoid it....then you'll have to buy a new rug, etc...

Use No. 4 shot, which is what cops load into that shotgun you see mounted on their dashboard. At close range, say 15', living room range, no. 4 shot will just about tear the perp in two. Birdshot at close range makes a nightmareish wound. I've seen the pictures in coroner's manuals. If you shoot at the guy with no 4 shot as he is running away you won't hurt him, which at that moment, you don't want to do anyway.

Zee

stepmac wrote: »

Sights on a HD shotgun makes no diff. You are going to point the thing. Get a pump. The sound of you jacking a round into the chamber will usually be enought for the perp to get the word and beat feet. You really don't want to shoot him if you can avoid it....then you'll have to buy a new rug, etc...

Use No. 4 shot, which is what cops load into that shotgun you see mounted on their dashboard. At close range, say 15', living room range, no. 4 shot will just about tear the perp in two. Birdshot at close range makes a nightmareish wound. I've seen the pictures in coroner's manuals. If you shoot at the guy with no 4 shot as he is running away you won't hurt him, which at that moment, you don't want to do anyway.

Wow! That is a target rich environment right there!!! I don't even know where to start.

Welcome aboard. You just posted a humdinger right there.

stepmac

shawn1172 wrote: »

Thanks guys. I'll look more for ones with ghost ring sights. He doesn't hunt at all. This shotgun will be mainly just for HD with some range use for practice- generaly blasting jugs and a bit of shooting clays. I know sights aren't ideal for clays but it will be used a lot more on regular targets, milk jugs, various produce, etc.

One other question- what about pistol grips? Not the ones with just the grip, I'm thinking full stock with a pistol grip. My 870 doesn't have one but as I've been fondling various shotguns in the store I'm liking the feel of it. I might end up switching mine over. Opinions on these?
Thanks again.

You've got an 870 set up with a hunting barrel, right? Don't worry about a pistol grip, unless you want to really look cool when you pop the guy, but the jury may have different ideas, the cops too. They might think you were laying for the guy. No, if you wanna make your 870 a home defense gun then buy a shorter IC barrel for it. Then you get two guns in one. A 870 is about the best gun you can buy BTW. You can also get a rifled barrel and hunt deer/bear with it.

stepmac

Zee wrote: »

Wow! That is a target rich environment right there!!! I don't even know where to start.

Welcome aboard. You just posted a humdinger right there.

Aw shucks, it wasn't nut'n.

stepmac

timc wrote: »

Ghost ring on my 870, just my preference. Door breached is nice too just in case the bad guy locks himself in the bathroom!

If the perp locks himself inside the potty, then leave him be. Call the cops and wait. If the guy breaks through the door and assaults you with a toilet plunger then you can blast him.

Zee

stepmac wrote: »

Aw shucks, it wasn't nut'n.

That wasn't a compliment. ;-)

Buffco

stepmac wrote: »

If the perp locks himself inside the potty, then leave him be. Call the cops and wait. If the guy breaks through the door and assaults you with a toilet plunger then you can blast him.

Stepmac, .....

Wow. Welcome. And good luck.

Eli

stepmac wrote: »

Sights on a HD shotgun makes no diff. You are going to point the thing. Get a pump. The sound of you jacking a round into the chamber will usually be enought for the perp to get the word and beat feet. You really don't want to shoot him if you can avoid it....then you'll have to buy a new rug, etc...

Use No. 4 shot, which is what cops load into that shotgun you see mounted on their dashboard. At close range, say 15', living room range, no. 4 shot will just about tear the perp in two. Birdshot at close range makes a nightmareish wound. I've seen the pictures in coroner's manuals. If you shoot at the guy with no 4 shot as he is running away you won't hurt him, which at that moment, you don't want to do anyway.

Well......yeah........everything in that statement was wrong. Literally everything.

Zee

Eli wrote: »

Well......yeah........everything in that statement was wrong. Literally everything.

Well, he wasn't wrong about getting a pump gun. So, he has THAT going for him. :-)

Eli

Zee wrote: »

Well, he wasn't wrong about getting a pump gun. So, he has THAT going for him. :-)

Touche.

Jayhawker

stepmac wrote: »

Sights on a HD shotgun makes no diff. You are going to point the thing. Get a pump. The sound of you jacking a round into the chamber will usually be enought for the perp to get the word and beat feet. You really don't want to shoot him if you can avoid it....then you'll have to buy a new rug, etc...

Use No. 4 shot, which is what cops load into that shotgun you see mounted on their dashboard. At close range, say 15', living room range, no. 4 shot will just about tear the perp in two. Birdshot at close range makes a nightmareish wound. I've seen the pictures in coroner's manuals. If you shoot at the guy with no 4 shot as he is running away you won't hurt him, which at that moment, you don't want to do anyway.

Jayhawker

I know I'm late...sorry. I like to keep them basic with a large shiny bead...

orchidman

Neither.
Having used shotguns for the last 45+ years for hunting, culls, competition shooting etc, if the gun fits you properly, when you lift it to the shoulder it should shoot to where you are looking. Ask anyone who is experienced at hunting birds/shooting competition clays whether they look at the bead before taking a shot. I know I dont, all my attention is on the target, the gun naturally follows my eyes provided I have a proper cheek weld......

( I can see how inexperienced shooters will want some aid to 'aiming' however....)

Edited to add: Yes, my shotguns do have beads but I am never aware of looking at them.....

Jayhawker

[QUOTE=orchidman;176966Edited to add: Yes, my shotguns do have beads but I am never aware of looking at them.....[/QUOTE]

This...however, when I'm lying on the floor on my side trying to get a bead from under the bed, a rudimentary sight is helpful....Really!

jbohio

cpj wrote: »

Remington sure shot stock. Best of both worlds. The set comes with a new forend as well, which sucks, throw it away. Get a Magpul fore end. Mucho better. And only about 60the bucks. And comes with a good recoil pad.

Fixed it.