I just completed the Tiger Valley Shotgun course today, and I thought that I would share my experience with you guys.

The class turn out today was small (just myself and another person who is not an Arfcom member), which I was disappointed in. However, TJ still provided excellent instruction which I feel definitely helped me improve my skills with a shotgun.

My gear for the course was a Mossberg 500 pump action 12 gauge with a 7+1 capacity and a Mossberg 590 12 gauge with an 8+1 capacity. Both guns had 20" barrels with cylinder barrels and bead sights. I took 750 rounds of bird shot, 25 rounds of 2 3/4" .00 Buck shot and 25 rounds of 2 3/4" rifled hollow point slugs. I used the pocket of my blue jeans as a dump bag for shells and was able to get an entire box of 25 x 2 3/4" shells into my pocket (baggy jeans with deep pockets.

The instruction progressed from simple to complex. Topics included proper stance, mounting the shotgun from low ready, engaging single targets with single shots, engaging single targets with multiple shots, engaging multiple targets with single shots for each, engaging moving targets (skeet), combat reloading, use of buck shot, effectiveness of buckshot at various ranges and use of slugs.

Prior to today's class I had fired a shotgun on fewer than 12 occassions, and had only one instance of formal training (partial day at the Tiger Valley 2 day Combat Arms course) I had only fired a shotgun one time in the last year, and that was only to shoot handful of skeet at an Arfcom shoot.

I feel that my skills using a shotgun in combat and gaming scenarios improved greatly during the course of the day. For the first drill, engaging single targets from low ready with single shots my times towards the end were between 5 and 6 tenths of a second. I believe that I did have on instance where I scored under 5 tenths of a second as well. For the second drill, engaging a single target from low ready with multiple shots, my best times around 8 tenths of a second. For the third drill, engaging 3 targets with a 90 degree and a 180 degree transition my best time was about three seconds. For the engaging moving targets (skeet) I was scoring about 80% hits on single skeet and 65% hits on two skeet (something that I had never done before). We then then moved to a gaming stage where we engaged 22 steel poppers from three different positions, with reloads in between. My best time on this was about 75 seconds. Up to this point the distance to all of the targets was about 10 yards.

At this point we began employing the buckshot in single shots on single targets effectively starting at about 5-7 yards and moving out to about 35 yards. The last stage of the buckshot was a timed engagement against 6 steel poppers at a distance of about 10 yards. We did this twice. The second time through I downed all 6 poppers in about 4.5 seconds (the poppers were spread evenly about 3 feet apart from each other).

Then we went back to to shooting skeet to kill off the rest of the bird shot. During the entire course we were alternating between reloading empty chambers through the ejection port and reloading to the tube with a loaded chamber to keep the capacity up. I was reloading constantly and my shotgun didn't run dry, except for drills where I was supposed to let it run dry. I had to do a lot of quick tube reloading during the skeet shooting to keep up the capacity, while making sure that I was not letting any skeet go. TJ became a surprise machine with that skeet thrower shortly after we started. There were no "PULL" commands used, we had to be ready to shoot when the skeet flew.

In summary, I feel that I greatly improved my times for engaging targets in a variety of combat circumstances, became proficient at reloading quickly to my tube magazine to keep the capacity up, developed a very quick reflex for working the pump action on my shotguns and became proficient at engaging multiple targets. I need to work on loading through the ejection port on an empty chamber so that I can do this quickly.

By the end of the day (we got through the class in about 4.5 hours due to the small size) I had gone through about 550 or so bird shot shells and all 25 buck shot shells. TJ instructed us on the use of the slugs, but we did not shoot them, because we were both hot, tired and our shoulders hurt like hell (yeah, I'd like to see you shoot 575 12 gauge shells in 4.5 hours and then go shoot some slugs!)

If you use a shotgun for home defense then I recommend this course. Contrary to popular myth, a shotgun is not a simple point and click weapon and there are valuable tactics that you should know if you ever find yourself in a life and death situation with a shotgun, or if you simply want to improve your 3 gun or skeet/trap shooting ability.

Lastly, for all of us in Texas, Tiger Valley is an awesome resource for a wide variety of training and range shooting. We really need to support TJ so that we can continue to have this resource available to us. No, I was not paid, bribed or compensated to give this review or endorsement. I just feel that strongly about the quality of Tiger Valley's training and facilities.

WOW! that sounds like a lot of fun...not to mention educational. Thanks for the write up and when my funds alow I want to do that. I am a shotgunner from way back and love the tool.

Thanks again.

Mark

WOW! that sounds like a lot of fun...not to mention educational. Thanks for the write up and when my funds alow I want to do that. I am a shotgunner from way back and love the tool.

Thanks again.

Mark

I took the Pistol 1 class last weekend...now I am saving for precision rifle, pistol 2, Carbine 1 &2, just can't get enough!!!!

I don't have a shotgun and like you, have very little experience with them, but between the next to fun shows, who knows...

The class turn out today was small

Damn, I would have really enjoyed this 1 day class had I known....and 12ga ammo isnt nearly as expensive as 5.56!

Oh well - next time!

Steve, do you plan to enter some of the 3-gun competitions now?

Quoted: Quoted: Maybe, I think I want to get an autoloader first though. I have blisters, scrapes and bruises all over my hands and arms from working that pump. Trust me.... you dont need anything fancy for a 3-gun.  There typically isnt a ton of shotgun stages, and what there is, I have always been competitive with my mossberg 500 pump.

Yes, listen to FALARAK.

Hey if you have a dove lease don't let motown_steve on it.  You won't get a chance to kill anything before he shoots it out of the air.  It didn't matter that it was high, low, singles or doubles he was busting them quick.  Yes as always we don't play by the rules.  We didn't announce pull when the bird were going up.  As a matter of fact, I would watch and wait to see when they were loading to throw the birds, it didn't matter he still was hitting them.  Great job.

I really wanted to make this, but couldn't due to scheduling.  Sounds like I really missed out.  Hope it will be offered again sometime in the future

I took that same class a few months ago.  It was awesome.  We are going to do a carbine class in the near future.  Can't wait to see what he'll have in store for us.  TJ does come up with some great stages.  And like the original poster said, if you are in the area or anywhere in TX for that matter, TIGER Valley is an excelent resource.  

I really wanted to go to this class but it just could not happen.  I met Benjamin from T.V. at the Market Hall gunshow and signed up for the Nov.10-11 Pistol Class.  I asked about another shotgun class and he said several people at the show inquired as well.  

If there is enough interest they are looking at  Dec 8 or 9 for a possible class.  If anyone is interested let them know!  They also have a gun show discount if you pay at the show.