A shotgun is an exceptional personal protection weapon. It has real-world stopping power and is easy to run. While it has many great benefits, it does have one minor downside. Loading the shotgun is a challenge for the initiated. Most new gun owners have cut their teeth on semi-auto pistols and AR rifles, which are magazine-based. Loading or reloading these guns is just inserting a fresh mag. A shotgun is a manual loading platform where you feed the tube one round at a time. Fear not, my friends. With some guidance, you can quickly load your shotgun like a pro. Today, I offer you Guns 101 – Loading a shotgun.

Guns 101 – Let’s Get Your Shotgun Loaded

Before we get rolling, I want to say that, yes, there are magazine-fed shotguns. The Mossberg 590M is a great example. However, the vast majority of shotguns have a magazine tube that sits under the barrel. Since this is the most common shotgun design, I will focus on that.

Like many things in the firearms world, there are multiple ways to execute a technique. I will share with you how I do it and, more importantly, why. The basis of my methodology is centered around fighting with a shotgun. I want to get my gun loaded and ready to fight quickly. You see that I keep a side saddle on my shotgun. I am a firm believer in having extra ammo onboard in the event I need it.

Feed the Chamber First

Our first step is to get a round in the chamber. This allows me to fight, even one round at a time. I prefer loading the chamber over the top of the gun. Another option is to reach underneath and drop the round in. The idea is that if the round is fumbled somehow, it will fall back into your hand. While it is a solid idea and technique, I have problems doing it that way with any actual speed. It is up to you to determine which method serves you best.

I index a round from my side saddle to get the chamber loaded and slightly turn the gun. The chamber should be slightly facing up to help make loading easier. Now, I drop the round into the chamber. Do not feel compelled to sit the round up and into the barrel. This is an extra motion that you don’t need. Now that I have my round in the chamber, I press the bolt release and let it jump forward. This will chamber that first round; we are now ready to fight.

Keep the Shotgun in a Ready Position

For all loading, I keep my shotgun in a high-ready position, with the muzzle up and the angle in front of me. I keep my head up and my eyes scanning forward as much as possible. Once again, I am in a defensive mindset and looking for threats.

Now, I want to load the shotgun’s tube. Once again, we will do this from a high-ready position. I index a new round from my side saddle and insert it into the tube. With practice, you can do this without even looking, which is optimal. I continue to feed the tube from my side saddle until it is full or I deplete my side saddle. Now, the shotgun is ready to fight once again.

More The One Way to Do It

A note on loading with this technique. This is the only way I ever load the gun. Even if I am alone and in a safe place, I load with this technique. At no time do I do an “administrative” load. The reason for this is the development and reinforcement of a defensive mindset. Load the same way every time, and you will get faster. It is as equally important to train the mind as it is to train the body.

Like anything connected to firearms, practice is essential. I encourage you to get some dummy rounds and practice loading your shotgun. It requires a bit of dexterity, and the more you practice, the better you will get at it.

Guns 101 – Loading a Shotgun

One last note for my friends who use pump-action shotguns: The loading procedure is almost identical. The only difference is the initial loading of the chamber. For pump guns, draw the foregrip back and open the action. Load the chamber just as I described. Instead of pressing the bolt release button, though, just firmly run the forend forward and chamber the round. Now, loading the tube is identical.

I may sound like a broken record, but practice is essential. A shotgun is an exceptional weapon and can serve you well. With some practice, you can shoot and load your boom stick at speed.

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