Chris Baker at Lucky Gunner has been a big inspiration for me as a writer and shooter. He is an excellent communicator and does an excellent job at creating easy-to-understand content on a variety of subjects. Chris is also a big shotgun nerd, and I’m a big shotgun nerd, and his shotgun content is always top-tier. (Plus, he’s one of the rare people that looks good in clear eye pro.)
He developed a shotgun skills test a couple of years ago that’s focused on the home defender. Most of the quals we shoot are police and military quals, but this is the first we’ve done for home defense. The qualification is fairly short and doesn’t require too much logistically to complete. It’s fairly fun and has some interesting stages that I’ve never considered training with.
What You’ll Need
We’ll need 11 rounds of buckshot. Chris says you can use slugs, but the qual is focused on buckshot use for home defense. Eleven rounds aren’t a lot, so running the qual several times is possible. I would suggest running the qual at least once with your choice of home defense ammunition. Using some cheap S&B buckshot is fine for practice, but your results will be vastly different with a load of Federal FliteControl.
We’ll need a modern repeating shotgun. This means a pump or semi-auto option. The gun should be able to hold at least four rounds. I’m using my new favorite, the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical. Since it’s a home defense skills test, you should be using your gun of choice for home defense.
We’ll need a USPSA or IDPA target. Don’t forget your eye protection, ear protection, and a shot timer. You’ll need to stay safe and measure your performance.
Scoring
The Lucky Gunner Home Defense Shotgun Skills Test uses a smart way to score. You start with 100 points and lose three points when pellets land in the -3 (IDPA) or the D zone (USPSA). If your pellets land in the -0/-1 (IDPA) or the A/C zone (USPSA) target, then you lose 0 points. If any pellets miss the target completely, you fail.
I love the fact that if you miss, you fail. Shotguns require excellent pellet accountability, and a single pellet can hit a loved one and is lethal. This gives you no slack for poor pellet accountability. So shoot straight, and don’t slack off.
Each stage has a par time. Actually, you have three par times. There is a Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced time for each drill. You should be able to finish the Basics to pass the stage. I love the three different par times because it allows you to constantly improve your skills with a set standard.
We Shoot The Lucky Gunner Home Defense Shotgun Skills Test
In several of the stages, we start in a low-ready position. A low ready means the stock is touching the shoulder, but the barrel is pointed to the ground at roughly a 45-degree angle. Another stage requires the gun to be cruiser-ready. Cruiser ready typically means the hammer is down, the chamber is empty, but the magazine is full. We got that cleared up, so let’s start shooting.
Stage 1 – 15 Yards
Fifteen yards is likely as far as any home defender will ever engage a threat. That’s fairly far for indoors, and this stage really allows you to see just how your shotgun patterns on longer-than-normal ranges.
From the low ready, you’ll aim and fire a single round when the timer sings its song.
It’s simple, easy, and requires a quick snap to the shoulder and an accurate shot on target. The times are as follows.
Basic – 2 Seconds
Intermediate – 1 Second
Advanced .60 Second
That sounds simple, but I became rather frustrated trying to get that advanced par time. I never made it down to that advanced par time.
Stage 2 – 10 Yards
Ten yards is a bit more realistic for home defense, and inside this range, your shotgun should pattern quite tight.
You’ll return to the low ready. At the beep, you aim and fire two rounds on the target.
The first shot is easy. The second shot all depends on your ability to control recoil. If you can’t control your gun, you’ll figure it out quite quickly when trying to quickly fire two rounds. A good, steady push/pull technique will make it much easier to fire those rounds.
Basic – 3 Seconds
Intermediate – 2 Seconds
Advanced – 1 Seconds
Again I chased the advanced time but had to settle with the intermediate on a good run. Landing right above two seconds showed I needed more consistent recoil mitigation.
Stage 3 – 5 Yards
Five yards put us nice and close to the target. However, we are starting with the gun in a cruiser-ready condition. (Empty chamber, three rounds in the magazine, hammer down.) We are also starting with the gun placed on a table in front or to the side of the shooter.
At the beep, we’ll grab the gun, chamber a round, and fire three shots at the target. The gun is now empty, so you’ll need to emergency load two rounds into the gun. I did one port load and one in the magazine. Now, fire those two rounds into the target.
Basic – 16 Seconds
Intermediate – 11 Seconds
Advanced – 7
It took a few tries to get this right and to get it down to 11 seconds, but I was pretty happy with the intermediate time.
Stage 4 – 3 Yards
We are dang-near point blank with the target. We’ll start at a low ready but in a ‘compressed’ firing position. This means you are short-stocking the gun by placing the stock over your shoulder or under your armpit. Either works and allows you to shorten the shotgun’s length by placing the stock over or under your arm.
At the beep, you’ll fire two rounds from the compressed position and then take a step back while transitioning to a normal mount. Once you obtain the mount, fire one round to the head.
Basic – 4 Seconds
Intermediate – 3 Seconds
Advanced – 1.75 Seconds
I’m not sure what beast of a shooter can get the advanced time, but I really want to see it! I loved this portion as it’s something I don’t often practice and is a valuable skill for the tight quarters of a home.
Clear and Make Empty
The Home Defense Shotgun Skills Test is a blast and a challenge. The various times allow you to find a good baseline of where you are and where you can be. At the same time, the pass/fail nature of missing a pellet means accuracy is more important than a fast time.
Retrieving the cruiser-ready gun is pretty common in self-defense. If you’re at home, it’s unlikely that you’re carrying around your defensive shotgun. You’ll likely need to retrieve it and get it in action. Plus, short stocking is a skill that’s rarely practiced. Overall, I think this is a great qual, and if you use a home defense shotgun, you should give it a whirl!
