A Modified Department of Energy Shotgun Low Light Qualification Course

In the November 2025 Sensible Self Defense Academy Home Defense Shotgun Low Light Match, I modified the Department of Energy (DOE) Shotgun Qualification Course* for low light competition. I did not use kneeling for safety reasons and substituted moving to cover on one string where the DOE course uses kneeling. The DOE Protective Force are the guys and gals that protect nuclear weapons in transit (within the United States) and nuclear facilities.

For practical purposes and to save time during the match, we use steel silhouette targets. Fired in three strings from the twenty-five-yard line, the fifteen yard line, and the seven-yard line, firing ten total rounds. For this match, we scored time only as long as the competitor made the hits.

The competitor in the video for this course of fire used a standard Winchester SXP Defender pump shotgun. The video is available here.

Course of fire:

String I: Immediate response to a lethal threat at a moderate range while moving to more advantageous (cover) position. From the twenty-five-yard line: four rounds, two targets.

From standing with four rounds in the shotgun. At the start signal, fire one hit on each target, move to cover (barricade), and fire one hit on each target.

String II: Immediate and continuing response to a lethal threat at a moderate range while reloading. From the fifteen-yard line: four rounds, two targets.

From standing with three rounds in the shotgun. At the signal, fire one hit on each target, load one round in the magazine tube, and fire one hit on each target.

String III: Immediate and continual response to a lethal threat at a short range, using an alternate method to load. From the seven-yard line: four rounds, two targets.

Load with two rounds in the shotgun, chamber empty (house or cruiser ready). At the signal, charge the shotgun, fire one hit on each target, load one round in the chamber and one round in the magazine tube, and fire one hit on each target from a standing position.

Lessons: This home defense shotgun low light match demonstrated some lessons that we seem to repeat each match.

    -- Know your shotgun’s manual of arms. I saw the same shooters having the same challenges they had in the last low light match. One competitor using a Berretta 1301 forgot that the 1301 will not load from the magazine simply by pulling the charging handle. You must place a shell on the lifter first.

    -- Depending upon your personal circumstances, you may not need to have a light on your shotgun; however, I believe you must have practiced manipulating the shotgun “by feel” rather than relying on seeing what you are doing. If competitors did not have lights, the Safety Officer illuminated the target area with just enough light to see the target. Even so, the competitor still had to manipulate their shotgun by feel. Some struggled with this. One competitor took eight seconds to find the ejection port on his shotgun so he could insert a shell.

So, with my modifications is still the DOE shotgun qualification? No, it is not. To see the standard DOE qualification click here.

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 * DOE Protective Force Firearms Qualification Courses, July 2011