Learning To Love Shotguns

I’m on the phone with a former handgun student and good friend. She made the mistake of answering my phone call, and I haven’t even given her time to say hello. She makes a sound—an exasperated laugh of surprise—but she answers.

“Pistol,” she says.

“Why?” I ask.

“Because it’s what I’ve had the most training on.”

Having been her instructor, I know exactly what kind of training she’s had, and how much.

I asked, “At that distance, with your current skill level, do you feel confident you could make that shot on demand with your handgun?”

She hesitates, then answers, “No.”

“Would you take the shot at all?”

“Probably not. No.”

“What if I told you that, with less training, you could consistently and confidently make that shot with buckshot, from a shotgun?”