12 vs 20 gauge - Recoil comparison & recommendations for a woman?
- Thread starter cdnchick
- Start date
That's where the Knoxx does have some advantages. Shooting from a sitting position while hunting turkey with a 3.5" load makes the Knoxx an attractive option. But turkey hunting is more like rifle shooting than wingshooting and in this situation the recoil reduction and the pistol grip make some sense.
Most shotgunning devices have some practical application but the Knoxx is a speciality item and not one well suited for wingshooting or novice shooters.
frenchyguy
CGN Regular
- Location
- New Brunswick
when it comes to the question of 12 gauge recoil, believe that Woody Harrelson said it best "its time to nut up, or shut up!" go get your self some 2 3/4 buckshot, and slugs, and blow up watermelons! thats fun!
manbearpig
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Somewhere in the Third World
i hope youre not insinuating im one of those: ive done nothing but speak out against morons that do that - and not just to women but to anyone. i always use the lightest loads i can find and make sure they have proper form before even handing them any ammo. you may be suprised that there are people out there that are so sensitive to recoil they think a .22-250 is a heavy recoiling gun.
many people in this forum have called you a Fudd - but im sure its just me.
i have been saying that its not ideal for wing shooting all along, yet you keep bringing that up over and over again
as for not having a clue: you havent the slightest clue regarding 90% of the things you bash yet it has never stopped you from posting ignorant Fudd statements on a daily basis, has it?
just look at the outlaw threads... speaking of which, where is the third Fudd? he must be on vacation.
im sorry we cant all own Krieghoffs and Parkers, because maybe then youd keep quiet.
an Express kicking more than a Wingmaster? that has to be one of the dumbest things youve ever posted - and thats quite a feat.
there are a few factors that will influence felt recoil:
1. gun fit
2. action type (gas operated semis recoil the least, fixed breech guns the most)
3. gun weight (the lighter the gun, the more the felt recoil)
4. recoil pad (a quality pad can make a big difference)
5. ammunition (heavier the load, heavier the recoil regardless of the gun/gauge)
i have at least a dozen shotguns, my g/f and her friends like to shoot this one the most:
its a 20 gauge 870 Express Compact Jr (about $350 new).
it started life looking like this:
and also comes in pink if youre into that sortof thing:
^they comes from the factory with a halfway decent short length of pull stock (better fit for women) with the newer Remington Supercell recoil pad (not a bad pad). they have shorter barrels (with removable chokes) which are easier for smaller folk to wield.
Mine has a Knoxx recoil-reducing stock added to it. this stock has some springs in it and actually sucks up a lot of the recoil.
its one of the softest recoiling shotguns I have shot. the stock is also adjustable from approx. a 12" length of pull to an over 14" one, so if any taller people in your family want to shoot it they can easily adjust it for themselves. women who shoot my shotguns actually seem more comfortable with the pistol grip for some reason, it seems to be more intuitive and ergonomic for them. you can get Knoxx stocks for both 20 and 12 gauge.
i would recommend something like this. you could try it with the factory stock - the Remington Supercell pad is actually quite decent - and upgrade the stock to a Knoxx if want to tame recoil even more.
if you want something more 'conventional' looking you can pick up a gas-operated semi, but a good pump will last you a lifetime of service with little or no maintenance at all.
you can also get managed recoil ammunition for both 12 and 20 gauge.
good luck in the search, and welcome to CGN!
*edit:
i should add that my recommendation is for women looking for an all-purpose hunting/home defence/plinking shotgun.
if you want to do some more formal, competitive shooting like clays, skeet, etc then follow Claybuster's advice above.
I love the "Quote" tags.
Personally I think I would be offended if someone were to use that name for one of these stocks in front of me. I have the utmost respect for a national hero such as Terry Fox. To this day his short life has done more good than many of us could ever dream, regardless of the fact he had a spring for a leg.
On another note, I agree the ar style spring stocks are single purpose and not practical regardless of the recoil dampening they may offer. Its better for her to learn on a more traditional stock, then she will be more comfortable handling other firearms in a similar configuration.
manbearpig
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Somewhere in the Third World
again i have tried everything: 20ga, aftermarket pad, light loads, stock fitting, even a sock full of lead shot in the buttstock, etc. (the one thing i havent tried is a gas gun in 20ga, which i will eventually try.)
it seems to me that some people would rather have someone not shoot at all than do so happily with a gun that may offend their ideas of what a shotgun should look like - be it pistol gripped, pink, unconventional or whatever. i said it works, it makes her happy, it makes me happy because shes actually interested in shooting - whats the problem? why the rabid desire by Win/64 and Claybuster to prove that its not viable?
unlike others, i have not been attacking anyone elses recommendations - simply putting out there what worked in my situation. the only statement i attacked was the monumentally moronic one that 870 Expresses recoil more than Wingmasters.
what exactly is your point?
do you see a 'last edited by...' under my posts like i see under half of yours? that was posted about 5 seconds after i made the post.
I ended up with the same shotgun as my first foray into the 20 gauge world. I'm looking to get a better one for next season (there isn't anything wrong with the 870 express, I just want something alittle nicer).
A word of caution, ABSOLUTELY MAKE SURE you keep the metal on that gun oiled, it'll rust pretty quickly otherwise.
A word of caution, ABSOLUTELY MAKE SURE you keep the metal on that gun oiled, it'll rust pretty quickly otherwise.
What's so hard about that statement that you can't understand it. For "ME" in "MY" experience with my 2 guns the Wingmaster kicked "LESS" than the Express (or is that "Expresses"). Is that clear enough for you?
P.S. I do not own a Parker or a Krieghoff so i'm not sure what other of my posts you are referring to. Just more B.S.
I want to make it clear, I was not attacking your recommendations just merely disagreeing with them. It seems to be the only thing that works in your situation given the information you have shared, however I wouldnt recommend it as the best option for women as per the OP question.
No argument and I hesitated posting that remark nevertheless it is the colloquial term for the Precision Fit because they do look somewhat like a prosthesis.
One of the happier moments in my life was being there when Terry Fox ran along Highway 7 from Guelph to Kitchener.
Absolutely. That has been my point all along.
I was too young to really appreciate him at the time, but Its amazing to hear how many people have been influenced by his legacy. Normally I wouldn't have said anything cause i love crude humor, except I heard a Terry Fox joke recently at my job site and I didn't speak up and it kind of ate away at me. I just think he deserves our utmost respect. Lets hope that this nick name wont stick. But thats just my 2 cents
I think that you have expressed yourself very well.
Actually it worries me a bit that I understand you. It must mean that mb pig must think that I am a Fudd as well
I am looking to get my first shotgun, too. I was kinda intimidated after watching a few girls get knocked on their a$$es on youtube (I am a small woman).
Yesterday while out shooting I had the chance to try out my friends 12ga and it was really not that bad!
I think I will start with a 20ga and move up from there (I was told I wouldn't be able to handle anything bigger than 20ga).
Yesterday while out shooting I had the chance to try out my friends 12ga and it was really not that bad!
I think I will start with a 20ga and move up from there (I was told I wouldn't be able to handle anything bigger than 20ga).
WildRose, if you can, go to a trap & skeet club and sign up for lessons. Presently you have no bad habits to overcome and will learn the correct form right from the start. They will also more than likely have guns to specifically accommodate novice, small, or female shooters. You'll also be able to try out many different styles of guns.
Those youtube videos demonstrate why boyfriends and husbands are not always the best person to introduce a woman to shotgunning. One of the frequent challenges with new female shooters is overcoming the "advice" from lunkhead boyfriends or husbands.
As you've discovered a 12 gauge doesn't need to be intimidating. The advice about not being "able to handle anything bigger than a 20ga." is not true. A very light 20 gauge with a 3" magnum will kick harder than a heavy 12 gauge with a light load.
Don't be in a hurry to buy a gun. Grouse Man is absolutely right about getting some lessons if possible and trying different guns until you find the one that is right for you. There are a great many women who ably shoot 12 gauge guns. Don't feel you have to "move up" based on someone else's bad advice about what you can or cannot handle.
Beretta687EELL
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
WildRose,
Grouse Man and Claybuster have given you good advice.
Grouse Man and Claybuster have given you good advice.
