It’s everything from stationary targets to aerials to slugs to buckshot. A good bit of the targets can/will be shot while the shooter is moving.


I’m not saying that a dot replaces shotgun fitment... at all.... but there is a world of difference in shooting a clay or live bird up in the air while standing flat footed and shooting at a critter or target below you while you’re seated and also moving. If I was going on a heli hunt tomorrow and already had a shotgun with a red dot, I’d take it. But I wouldn’t hesitate to take a shotgun with a bead either.

A helicopter is a pretty stable platform. I’m betting on it being dirt easy shooting and fireman piling them up, with or without a dot. It takes a fast pig to run 30mph which is not much lead at shotgun ranges, and they can’t hold that very far. Honestly the biggest hurdle that comes to my mind is being able to cheek the stock if he opts to wear a helmet. The closest thing to shooting pigs out of a chopper this old redneck has done is chasing jackrabbits across a pasture and shooting them out of the back of a bouncing pickup truck. That is pretty easy shooting and a Jack is a solid 35-40 mph critter. Post pics fireman.

So you haven’t shot critters from a helicopter but you can tell us all about how shotgun fitment is all that matters .... got it.

I have not cowboy but if you want to get together and shoot shotguns I am all in. Just you and me for fun or money and you can post how it goes. I know that you shoot in some competition and I’m not discounting that. I also know that I load and shoot about a flat of shotgun shells most weeks and know my way around a shotgun.

Smokey, I'm pretty sure you'll counter with something about my shotgun not fitting me but I went back through some video and pulled a screen capture in an attempt to illustrate my earlier point.

The first pic is a coyote I killed with an 870 pump gun, iron sights and buck shot. I circled the coyote in red so you can see it. The pic is immediately after the shot was fired so the gun is still recoiling. From the air, depending on the terrain they can be hard to track while running through the trees and brush with a plain ole' ball or irons. This is true of pigs too. The pronounced red dot is easier to track when everything flying past you is the same color.




By contrast, here is another screen grab from a coyote I napped with a 2nd round hit from a .308. For me, shotgun or rifle, a dot is more accurate and amounts to better success.




Pigs, of course, are a lot easier to hit than coyotes but you are dead wrong about them not being able to run full speed for very long. You would be surprised at how far they can run, full speed, through the brush and bramble. Sometimes the stars align and so do the pigs.. making them easy bacon. My personal choice is a large frame AR but if you can get down on them, a shotgun is awesome too..

That is awesome misfire and looks like a heck of a good time. We all do what we feel makes us most effective with what we shoot. I am well versed at taking game with a shotgun. I shoot 4-5 flats/month to stay sharp and prefer to shoot instinctively with a shotgun. You do you and I will do me. My hat is off to you for getting after the coyotes. I am 5 years into a cooperative project with the NWTF and TP&W to reestablish wild turkeys on some large private acerage and have been working hard on the predators. It is an uphill battle. I have used a helicopter to look at a lot of property in a short time as well as Ag work and wildlife surveys but never utilized one to shoot from. Looks fun as hell!

Fireman, my apologies for derailing your thread. I hope you F up the hogs from the chopper with your weapon of choice.

Alright. Let’s go shoot. I’ll bring ammo if you have a place to do all this.

Start shooting your trap gun or autoloader or whatever you want while seated with targets 90° from your shoulders. Then shoot them at 10 o’clock and 7 o’clock, or 2 o’clock and 5 o’clock if you’re a lefty). Then add a full or modified choke and some #4 or 00 buckshot. Once you’ve got all that covered, sit in the back of a pickup going 45 down a decent 2 track while shooting targets. That will get you close to what you can expect shooting hogs or coyotes out of a helicopter.


It’s a whole different thing than shooting quail over a dog. I’ve done that too. The gun(s) I would like to wingshoot with are entirely different than what I’d want to take on a helicopter.

Yeah I’m a lefty. I will PM you my contact info and yes I have the place to shoot covered.

I can see both points here. Proper fit of shotgun to shooter is quite important. And it is a point and shoot proposition.

I can also completely understand the contrasting sight image while looking at the ground from above. Even on an overcast sky, the shotgun can be properly pointed, same as a blue sky. But get above it, looking down at the ground, it is not difficult to see the benefit of the illuminated dot against a varying color and texture ground.

Judd we only met that once at Jason's place (thanks again for your help out there) but I'm pretty sure, you were the only one there without matching shoes.
Those white glasses won't work on the whirlybird, he'll need/want goggles, I think. Now, what Kyle has that helps in aviation hunting is that multi-colored hat with the little propeller on the top. I hope his pilot doesn't have one though.

HOLY HELL, talk about HUGE derail of thread LoL

Worst argument I’ve heard

Stuff like this drives me nutz

You vote Democrat?

The second amendment isn’t about target practice and hog hunting. What’s wrong with you?

Yep, scalebuster is right.

Ill never give em an inch

Interesting thread. I've often looked at the AR and AK style shotguns but never worked up the gumption to buy one - yet. Still think one would be cool to have if I could just find one that's reliable. Hunting pigs from a helicopter sure sounds like fun. Would love to do that some day. I definitely think I'd lean toward a shotgun too. I've shot running deer before but that was when I was younger and dumber. All the pigs I've shot weren't running though so it would take me half a hunt just figuring out lead between running animals and a moving chopper. A semi-auto 12ga with Buckshot would help in that regard.

Earl