Difference between a 7 lb and 7.5 lb gun for clays?

gdawg

gdawg

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Hey folks - Looking for some opinions. I have just been getting into sporting clays in the off season. I'm currently using my 16 g Citori Hunter because it fits well. Only issue is that I am noticing the recoil more and more towards the end of the sessions.

The 16g is just under 7 lbs which makes for a nice field gun. The 12g equivalent is about 7.5 lbs. The energy of the target loads is roughly the same. Do you think the additional 0.5lb of the 12g would make a noticeable difference? Not really wanting to go to my duck auto for clays.
 
When I was shooting skeet regularly I found my 8 lb Citori sporting with a high quality pad to be comfortable. I couldn't do the field o/u guns. Fine for a round or two, but 5-10 rounds of skeet in a night required a sporting gun for me.
 
1/2 a pound will make no difference if recoil is the issue you need a much better recoil pad than a factory one and or a recoil reducer they work very well
also you only need 1050 fps to break a target and don't let anyone tell you different
 
struff55 said:
also you only need 1050 fps to break a target and don't let anyone tell you different
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Im not much of a shotgunner but, I load all my shotshells regardless of gauge or purpose (hunting vs clays) to 1200fps. To my way of thinking, if all my loads are the same velocity, my lead will be the same regardless of gauge or purpose. Maybe 150fps won’t make a significant difference but it will make a difference, again, to my way of thinking. I dunno, maybe Im overthinking it.
 
Reloading is not a viable option unfortunately. I was hoping a 7lb 16g would be ok for both field and sporting, but without lighter target loads available, it is no different than a shooting a lightweight 12g.

Maybe I'll cave and look at a dedicated sporting gun closer to 8lbs. The field guns just seem to fit me better.
 
gdawg said:
Reloading is not a viable option unfortunately. I was hoping a 7lb 16g would be ok for both field and sporting, but without lighter target loads available, it is no different than a shooting a lightweight 12g.

Maybe I'll cave and look at a dedicated sporting gun closer to 8lbs. The field guns just seem to fit me better.
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Probably a wise move. The sixteen is unique field gun and specialty loads bring out the best of this gauge. It shines in the uplands.
 
gdawg said:
Reloading is not a viable option unfortunately. I was hoping a 7lb 16g would be ok for both field and sporting, but without lighter target loads available, it is no different than a shooting a lightweight 12g.

Maybe I'll cave and look at a dedicated sporting gun closer to 8lbs. The field guns just seem to fit me better.
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You are experiencing excessive recoil and it will become a long term problem for you if you don't change something.

Recoil is simple physics. Weight of the ejecta and the speed to which it is accelerated cause the recoil and weight of the gun absorbs some of that recoil. More weight of gun, slower speed, less weight of the ejecta (1 oz rather than 1 1/8 oz) for example will all combine to reduce it. A recoil pad doesn't reduce recoil, it reduces "felt" recoil by extending the period of time the recoil is being transmitted into your shoulder. Same energy but distributed over time.

1/2 lb of additional gun weight will improve things but will likely not be enough long term. I have 12 gauge sxs guns that range in weight from 5 lbs to 7 1/2 lbs. None of them would I consider suitable for long term regular clays shooting. If I was going to start doing that, I would definitely be buying a 8 lb plus gun and having it fitted with a high quality pad.

Sticking to a 16 gauge just exacerbates the problem for you because there is less availability of lighter loads in 16 than in 12 gauge and it's much harder to find a 7 lb plus 16. I also have a Citori 16 (White Lightning) which I like but it weighs in at 6 lb 11 oz and is my heaviest 16.

Dropping to 1 oz from 1 1/8 oz will make a difference to your felt recoil and should make little difference to your scores. So will dropping to 1100 to 1200 fps from 1250 plus fps.
 
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Recoil has been a source of many new and innovative designs. Have used precision ,graycoil , reducers on some of my trap guns. They all have positives and negatives but offer everyone a choice to try ,I have opted not to use them not because they don't work but I have a tendency to pull them into my shoulder throwing off my sight plane as they compress .Bad habit and I'M sure some will say no way ,but my dialed in F3 does not kick anything like my trap guns of the past .
 
canvasback said:
1/2 lb of additional gun weight will improve things but will likely not be enough long term. I have 12 gauge sxs guns that range in weight from 5 lbs to 7 1/2 lbs. None of them would I consider suitable for long term regular clays shooting. If I was going to start doing that, I would definitely be buying a 8 lb plus gun and having it fitted with a high quality pad.
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Thanks. Yes that is where I'm landing. I borrowed a mid-7lb field 12g to try yesterday and it was only incrementally better. Not enough if I'm shelling out for something new. All loads I'm shooting (both 12 and 16) are 1 oz from 1150-1200 fps. I've always looked at clays as practice for hunting which is why I've wanted to use the field guns (that and I like the fit of field guns better), but I'm starting to shoot enough clays to justify a dedicated set up.
 
Subgauge tubes maybe a option. They add weight while allowing you to shoot lighter loads in 20 or 28ga. Not sure if theyre easily found in 16ga for full length tubes but I know chamber adapters do exist for reducing 16ga
 
gdawg said:
Reloading is not a viable option unfortunately. I was hoping a 7lb 16g would be ok for both field and sporting, but without lighter target loads available, it is no different than a shooting a lightweight 12g.

Maybe I'll cave and look at a dedicated sporting gun closer to 8lbs. The field guns just seem to fit me better.
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Dedicated target guns START at 8 lbs and go up to 9 lbs. I shoot a 9lb sporter and can put 3 to 400 rounds through it in a day comfortably, not super snappy loads but usually 1 1/8 oz 1145 fps target ammo.
I'm not saying you need o go to 9 lbs, there's lots of 8 lb sporters that are comfortable to shoot.

The weight definatly helps to mitigate recoil as does proper fit and a good recoil pad.

I shoot a light weight 16 side by side from time to time and find that I have to handload my target ammo to get a comfortable amount of recoil. Those Federal 1200 fps target loads that seem to be the only ammo available locally recoil way too much for my comfort level!
 
brybenn said:
Subgauge tubes maybe a option. They add weight while allowing you to shoot lighter loads in 20 or 28ga. Not sure if theyre easily found in 16ga for full length tubes but I know chamber adapters do exist for reducing 16ga
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That is an interesting idea I had not considered. 20 is at least more reliably available as well
 
Falconflyer said:
Dedicated target guns START at 8 lbs and go up to 9 lbs. I shoot a 9lb sporter and can put 3 to 400 rounds through it in a day comfortably, not super snappy loads but usually 1 1/8 oz 1145 fps target ammo.
I'm not saying you need o go to 9 lbs, there's lots of 8 lb sporters that are comfortable to shoot.

The weight definatly helps to mitigate recoil as does proper fit and a good recoil pad.

I shoot a light weight 16 side by side from time to time and find that I have to handload my target ammo to get a comfortable amount of recoil. Those Federal 1200 fps target loads that seem to be the only ammo available locally recoil way too much for my comfort level!
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I also shoot a little 16 SxS from time to time and it is limited to a round of skeet.

The local store has shown me a few promising options that I'll demo over the next few weeks. I've resisted the adjustable shock sporters but at least they can be made to fit. It sure was not hard to justify a new purchase ;-)
 
Having a proper fitting done will Help a ton. The void in the stock can be filled with a sock full of lead shot. if not packed tightly that will eat recoil. Mercury filled recoil reducers are availalbe.

of all the solutions, gunfitting will not change total recoil, but will have the biggest impact on "felt recoil"
 
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