SHOT Show 2024 introduced me to King Competition and the Pineshot. King Competition is a Finnish company run by world-class shotgun shooters. They are well known for producing shotgun shell caddies used by 3-Gunners as well as offering online classes on how to load your shotgun. These are my people, and they were super generous with their time at SHOT 2024. Their latest device is the Pineshot, which, after talking shotguns for half an hour or so, they just gave me one.
The Pineshot is currently marketed for shotguns, but at SHOT, they had a few of the devices holding rifle rounds, 40mm grenade mockups, and even mini bottles of Jager. They seemingly plan to take the Pineshot everywhere, from the hunting fields to the military world and the nightclub scene! At its heart is the Pineshot, a two-shot shotshell holder that’s designed for hunting, law enforcement, and the tactical world.
The Pineshot – Hold Onto Them
There have been numerous dual shotshell holders, but what makes the Pineshot different is the active retention it offers. I’m not talking about a flap either, but a modern active retention system that makes drawing quick but ensures your shells are secure. To draw, the user simply needs to pull downward on the shells and then pull outward. It’s easy to pull one at a time or both at a time. You can also press down from the top to free the cartridges.
The spring-loaded design means it pops right back up when released, locking the remaining shell in place. This active retention device is an interesting take on the spare shotgun ammo holder. It’s super handy, easy to use, and designed to be very easy to reach and access. Shotguns aren’t high-volume weapons, and you won’t be laying down suppressive fire with one. In fact, I doubt most shotgun uses get to the point where the gun runs dry.
Still, we plan for the worst, and having a spare two to four rounds of shotgun ammo can be quite handy. Additionally, you can load buckshot and keep two spare slugs loaded into your Pineshot for easy access for those longer-range shots. It’s designed not just for tactical use, but the guys at King Competition were pushing it for hunters.
I imagine bird hunters who are shooting high volume would find it very useful to have a few spare Pineshots on their belts, especially if they are using double guns.
In Action With the Pineshot
The Pineshot comes with a clip that allows it to mount to nearly anything. The clip or universal mount, as King Competition calls it, can be mounted anywhere and to anything. It can work on a belt, on MOLLE, on a pocket, or even tied to a lanyard around the neck. You can put it nearly anywhere and draw the ammo with ease. It’s honestly pretty genius and easy to remove and replace as necessary. I’m envisioning a MOLLE belt complete with Pineshot as the bandolier of the future.
I used the Pineshot with some semi-auto shotguns and worked a variety of reloads. Port and tube reloads were the call of the day. I used the Pineshot to do two port reloads. My training conducted firing a shot, reloading, firing, and reloading once more in seven seconds. I know I can drive that time down, but that was the first time I’d used the Pineshot.
I practiced over and over and found the Pineshot to be very impressive. It’s a unique, easy-to-use device that keeps the shells stable and locked in place. Other systems rely on passive retention, but the Pineshot holds those suckers steady. It’s perfect for those more dynamic environments and in conditions where losing a shell is very possible.
Small companies with cool products aren’t a tough sell to me. It helps when the owners turn out to be super nice guys who are super knowledgeable. The Pineshot clearly shows some forethought and unique thinking. You can check out the Pineshot here for an American source of the handy little device.
