Shotgun loops on main belt?

[Sgt. Saywut]

My girlfriend and I will be getting new gun belts soon for our first rigs, and I know I want to go with quality right off the bat.  Buy once,  cry once and all that. 

 

We were looking at various offerings both online and in person (rigs being worn by other shooters).   We've decided we'll go with two strong side holsters, as she'll be shooting two-handed with each hand being the strong hand in turn, and I'll shoot gunfighter style.  We may come to regret it someday, but for now that's what we'll do!

 

My question is, why do people have separate belts for their shotgun shells?  Mernickle offers a ladies' rig with twelve elastic shot shell loops in front, between the holsters, with the buckle in the rear.  There's a small set of cartridge loops on either side, as well.   As my girlfriend has a short torso and not-so-small assets, this setup should be ideal for her. 

 

Why don't the men have similar rigs, and do away with the shotgun belt?  Is it because of all the weight being concentrated in one belt, or does something else come into play from a practical perspective?

[Tyrel Cody]

Because me belly flops over my gun belt and would partially cover shells. Seperate belt worn very near belly makes it slightly faster to grab as well.

[Phiren Smoke GUNFIGHTER]

Sarge,

 

I wore shell slides on my gun belt for some time.  Then went to a shotgun belt so I could wear the holsters a little farther forward and carry as many or more shells if needed.  It also as you noted helped spread the weight out some.

 

I now use a bandoleer so when I am not shooting I can easily shuck it off and save some weight while timing or other posse chores.  It also gives me some flexibility when I switch to my 97.

 

It sounds like you have attended a few matches.  Have you asked around if there are any local leather workers.  We were blessed with several in this area that would build a truly custom rig for less than commercial stock rigs.

 

Good luck with your quest,

 

Smoke

[Chili Ron]

Howdy,

And welcome to the game or sport or hobby or whatever it is....

I was lucky enuf to find a couple very good used holsters, I had a matching

simple belt made with a couple slides.  This was a great starter set.

After a few matches I had a real good idea of what I wanted and got the set made.

You CAN have a top flight set made up to start but what if you get a year in and totally

decide to go a different way?

Guns hold value, leather,not so much.

Good luck getting set up.

Best

CR

 

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

You should also take a look at the Lady Tequila rig by Kirkpatrick.  It is a very good "all in one" design for women.  I do leather and made a similar rig for my wife and she loves it.

 

Regretfully, many of our male shooters do not have the trim waistline we used to.  If I had shotgun loops on my gun belt, I would have to search under my ample belly to find my shotgun shells.  

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

I use 2, 12ga slides on my gun belt. 6rnds on my right, and left side, in 2 rnd loops.

I like this better than a second belt.

OLG

[Alchemist Belle 93666]

I can only speak to the subject from a lady's perspective, so this may or may not answer your question. :-)

 

I have an hourglass shape with, shall we say, womanly proportions. The struggle is real when it comes to fitting all the necessary items and still be able to see everything. What works for me is this:

1) I wear a steel boned under bust corset while shooting. A quality, properly laced corset gives my back support, supports/contains the assets, and keeps my shirt flat so it never gets in the way when I'm pulling shot shells or holstering.

2) My gun leather buckles in the back with two strong side holsters and loops for shot shells in the front middle of the rig with a loop for .38 reloads on either side. I have a slide for 4 shot shells that I can put on the belt if needed for the occasional stage that calls for lots of shotgun targets.

 

I've shot with this rig for a number of years and for me personally, I have trouble thinking of anything I will change about the layout when it needs to be replaced. I recently got gun leather for playing Wild Bunch. It buckles in back with everything bunched up in front because that suits my body type and shooting style.

 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

I'm a slim guy, hence my name. The most shells I could accommodate on a slide without reaching around my back was 6, . That's not much for any scenarios requiring more than 4 targets. A second belt is essential for me.

[C. W. Knight # 47289L]

If the picture comes thru this what I used and have for several years.  This one is custom made, before I used a similar rig with a bolt on S/G section held on with Chicago screws. C.W.  

 

 

[Russ T. Sites]

For me it's faster to pull shells from a separate belt instead of a slide, plus it holds more shells

[Dutch Wheeler]

1 hour ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

I use 2, 12ga slides on my gun belt. 6rnds on my right, and left side, in 2 rnd loops.

I like this better than a second belt.

OLG

+1

That describes my set up, so I'm with OLG and prefer slides rather than a second belt.

[Outrider, SASS #72622]

I switched to a slide because I don't like two thick leather belts around my waist.  Johnny Morris of JM Leather made me an 8 rd slide.  I also have a six rd if I think I need more.  

I feel I am actually a little faster that way.  When I push my belt down in the front, the shells kind of "stick out" for easy grabbing.  

Each of us are different.  What feels good to one, will not for the other.  Try it with the slides or modified belt first.  If it doesn't work for you, get the 

shotgun belt or a bandoleer later.

 

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Second belt sits up closer to the shotgun and your hand.  Faster, faster, faster.   More flexible.  Easy to take weight off by unbuckling that sg belt.   Holds more shells if you have a monster SG stage.  Leaves your main belt unencumbered, or clear so you can add a rifle cartridge slide on it without covering over your sg loops.   Look at the fast shooters you see around matches... there's mainly one way that they do it.

 

Good luck, GJ

[Rance - SASS # 54090]

27 minutes ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

Second belt sits up closer to the shotgun and your hand.  Faster, faster, faster.   More flexible.    Look at the fast shooters you see around matches... there's mainly one way that they do it.

 

Good luck, GJ

 

This would be my sound reasoning..

 

Rance 

Just sayin'  

[Yul Lose]

And then there is the Tupelo Bando bandoleer which many prefer.

[Major BS Walker Regulator]

If you have a rig made, go ahead and have a matching cross-draw holster made also. You can then explore different shooting styles without having to buy a new rig and everything matches. As to topic, most find a separate SG belt is faster.

[Trailrider #896]

Another idea: I have always used a M1874 Dyer Pouch, which will hold up to seven 12 ga. shells.  Of course, I'm no speed demon.

[Kirk James]

Agree with Garrison Joe.  Also, you are not reaching so far for a rifle reload.  If you want to be a fast shooter, learn from their experiences.

[Sgt. Saywut]

Thanks for the responses, folks!   I have no illusions of becoming the next speed champion of the CAS world - for me, it's more about having fun than about searching high and low for ways to shave half a second off my best time.  I don't mind if I come in last, as long as I can do so in style and be laughing the whole time. 

 

Having said all this, I'm intrigued by the Tupelo bando.   Seems like it works well, and it has panache.  The latter bit is important!  

[Roscoe Regulator]

I quickly found out that the typical slide capacity of 6 rounds may not be enough. Even 6 is crowded up front on my belt. I think it would be a custom belt that provided as many as 8 shot shell loops on a main gun belt, say half pistol cartridge size and half shot shell. However, they won't necessarily be so handy for a quick load, and the holster or other belt accessories would not slide over the shells. I expect that the concern for capacity is a factor in some people's choice of how they carry shot shells. I would like a belt that had a few loops for shot shells in the back just for spares, keeping my 6 round slide up front.

[Grand Stan]

For all reasonable circumstances I do have a question - are the loops not supposed to be leather instead of elastic per SASS requirements? 

 

And, I just switched to the hold 6 slide, but I miss the shotgun belt.  Having to reload the shells every single stage is something I need to remember now.  With the shotgun belt the extra shells (mine held 12) I didn't have to reload.  And, as mentioned above, I have been to only 3 matches, but there has been 8 shells blasted at 6 targets more than once.  It always makes me a little nervous since I only have a 6 slide.....gotta make sure I don't miss or drop any.  

[Roscoe Regulator]

17 minutes ago, Grand Stan said:

For all reasonable circumstances I do have a question - are the loops not supposed to be leather instead of elastic per SASS requirements? 

 

And, I just switched to the hold 6 slide, but I miss the shotgun belt.  Having to reload the shells every single stage is something I need to remember now.  With the shotgun belt the extra shells (mine held 12) I didn't have to reload.  And, as mentioned above, I have been to only 3 matches, but there has been 8 shells blasted at 6 targets more than once.  It always makes me a little nervous since I only have a 6 slide.....gotta make sure I don't miss or drop any.  

I have done my cursory searching but it is unclear to me what prohibited "combat style shotgun loops" really are (handbook p. 11). Elastic is not prohibited as a material in any rule I know of and was not unknown in the late 19th century.

[Cowboy Junky]

A separate shotgun belt is just more versatile and lets you change things as you grow as a shooter....without spending more money. The slides and belts loops on your main belt box you in a corner and limit what you can do as well as limit your round count. 

 

The first shootoff I ever got in left me standing their watching the other guy finish as I wished for more shot shells so I learned the hard way. 

[Dutch Wheeler]

11 hours ago, Outrider, SASS #72622 said:

I switched to a slide because I don't like two thick leather belts around my waist.   

When I push my belt down in the front, the shells kind of "stick out" for easy grabbing.  

 

+1 Yep! That too!

[LostVaquero]

For me just easier to have things on one belt.  I went with Ted Blocker Dixi Bell and never looked back. 

[Yul Lose]

8 hours ago, Sgt. Saywut said:

Thanks for the responses, folks!   I have no illusions of becoming the next speed champion of the CAS world - for me, it's more about having fun than about searching high and low for ways to shave half a second off my best time.  I don't mind if I come in last, as long as I can do so in style and be laughing the whole time. 

 

Having said all this, I'm intrigued by the Tupelo bando.   Seems like it works well, and it has panache.  The latter bit is important!  

I removed my leather SG shell loops on my bandoleer and had them replaced with elastic loops, works great and is perfectly legal.

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Howdy

 

Years ago I used to attend a match where one stage was the 'shotgun run', usually requiring a dozen shells, or more. Most everybody would strip off their gunbelt and use their shotgun belt. I forget now how many loops are on mine I have not used it in so long, probably 25 loops.

 

I stopped wearing a separate shotgun belt a long time ago, stages seldom call for anything more than six rounds now in these parts.

 

I bought this pair of shotgun slides a bunch of years ago at the Mason Dixon Stampede. Sorry, I have no idea who made them, but they have served me well for a long time now. Eight shells provides two extra in case I drop two on a stage that needs six shells. If I drop more than that I deserve to take the misses, knock on wood.

 

Shouldn't be too hard for a good leathersmith to make.

 

 

 

 

The belt still comes to all the matches, but when I suit up I take a quick look at the stages to see how many shotgun shells are needed for each stage. Around these parts we seldom need more than six shells. As long as all is needed are six shells, I am good to go with this rig and the shotgun belt stays in the car.

 

[Doc Raylan McCoy]

I have a slide with 4 shotgun shells and 5 38 special rounds.  I also have a deer skin bag I made on my belt to hold extra shot shells.  It works great for me

[Ginny Hinny]

This may seem a silly question but, when you dress for a stage or match, do you have to wear the same equipment throughout the match?  Say, a single state requires 4 shots from a shotgun but the next stage requires six. You carry six on your gun belt but want to add the shotshell belt, can you add the equipment for the next stage or leave it off as needed? 

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

Im not fast and never will be fast.

But I never liked a second belt for shotgun shells .

Tried the shotgun slide But I like beer and my belly show that great taste .

I have been using a Bandoleer for years now .

The Bandoleer has Six shot gun spots and then four cartridge spots and repeated again ,

And its on the back side also so you can use right handed or left handed .

And you always have enough rounds for them shotgun only stages .

Just sayin 

Rooster 

[Russ T. Sites]

2 hours ago, Ginny Hinny said:

This may seem a silly question but, when you dress for a stage or match, do you have to wear the same equipment throughout the match?  Say, a single state requires 4 shots from a shotgun but the next stage requires six. You carry six on your gun belt but want to add the shotshell belt, can you add the equipment for the next stage or leave it off as needed? 

Most of the time you can make up shotgun misses so I keep around 10 on my belt. I've had a few train wreaks on shot gun targets where I used twice the shells that were required

 

 

[Assassin]

 A large belly may be the deciding factor when figuring out if a second belt is needed. I'm not a very thick person and a separate sg belt is very uncomfortable because it has to be cinched up really tight in order to stay above my primary belt. Lack of a waist is not always an advantage when it comes to loading sg. I have sg belts, and they just aren't any quicker for me. Then again, how many of the sg belts I see are above the navel?

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

2 hours ago, Ginny Hinny said:

This may seem a silly question but, when you dress for a stage or match, do you have to wear the same equipment throughout the match?  Say, a single state requires 4 shots from a shotgun but the next stage requires six. You carry six on your gun belt but want to add the shotshell belt, can you add the equipment for the next stage or leave it off as needed? 

 

No. There is no requirement to wear the same equipment throughout the match. As I said earlier, when we would do the shotgun run stage, most of us would remove our gunbelts and just use our shotgun belts. Less weight to carry as we ran through the woods.

[Roscoe Regulator]

On ‎9‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 9:06 AM, Cowboy Junky said:

A separate shotgun belt is just more versatile and lets you change things as you grow as a shooter....without spending more money. The slides and belts loops on your main belt box you in a corner and limit what you can do as well as limit your round count. 

 

The first shootoff I ever got in left me standing their watching the other guy finish as I wished for more shot shells so I learned the hard way. 

I will go back to my shotshell belt, but without a belly I find I have to lash the shotshell belt to my gunbelt to avoid wearing the shotshell belt so tight or illegally high. For me, I don't like to venture too far from what might have been common in the Old West, so these rigs that would, for the sake of competition, prevent ever sitting down are not for me, conceding that someone else could have a legal advantage. A bandolier would probably work, but needing to grab two shells for a SxS needs an easy release from a base that is secured. Using rawhide to tie the two belts together seems to work in my shotgun loading practice. Even there though, the belt is barely even with my belly button, so I think that rule is a problem for many. What I see is that the practical rule would be "no higher than the crest of the belly", but some people react poorly, when the rules are questioned.

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

22 hours ago, LostVaquero said:

For me just easier to have things on one belt.  I went with Ted Blocker Dixi Bell and never looked back. 

I've had several rigs. The first was a cross draw that had a slide over the buckle that held 6. It was inadequate for some stages. The second was a cross draw with space for 10 shells in front. The third was a beautiful Buscadero. Unfortunately, it required a separate belt for SG shells. Now, I also have the Dixie Bell and  it too!

 

1 hour ago, Roscoe Regulator said:

I will go back to my shotshell belt, but without a belly I find I have to lash the shotshell belt to my gunbelt to avoid wearing the shotshell belt so tight or illegally high. For me, I don't like to venture too far from what might have been common in the Old West, so these rigs that would, for the sake of competition, prevent ever sitting down are not for me, conceding that someone else could have a legal advantage. A bandolier would probably work, but needing to grab two shells for a SxS needs an easy release from a base that is secured. Using rawhide to tie the two belts together seems to work in my shotgun loading practice. Even there though, the belt is barely even with my belly button, so I think that rule is a problem for many. What I see is that the practical rule would be "no higher than the crest of the belly", but people hate it when the rules are questioned.

Bandoliers may not be tied down.

 

Sending you a PM.

 

Yes, elastic is appropriate for the Old West!