Felt Recoil
- Thread starter Canadan
- Start date
Beretta 1301 comp is a light soft shooting gun with a short length of pull and shims to adjust drop. It has 2 spacers for length of pull as well. If the grip panels are to sharp for her hands they can be sanded down
Falconflyer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I guess the point I’m trying to make is that not everyone is created equal or have equal abilities. It’s very important the the new lady shooter has guidance as to what she should shoot but has lot of input as well. Ultimately if she isn't completely happy with the choice of shotgun then she won’t be as happy in the sport as she should be.
This is true and it applies to all facets of life. Sometimes we all make assumptions on both sides regarding a person new to doing something. I think we all mean well, but definitely it is to our advantage to let the person new to the activity (I hate using the term "sport" when referring to shooting, just as much as I disdain "hobby") feel out different options at their comfort level, with some guidance from us, but overall no pressure or prescription on what we think they may need.
I always try to insert a golf illustration where possible, and this would serve as a good parallel...
I once was an avid golfer, participating in corporate tournaments and hitting the links whenever I could (this was before kids when I had a bit more disposable income - now, I will have to just settle on PGA Tour 2K21 on my kids' PS4). Anyways one year I took two different colleagues out on weekend golfing outings. One was a bit younger than me but fit and buff. The other one was short and scrawny, but much older than me (I guess I now their age back then). Anyways, this has always stuck with me...
I naturally assumed the younger and more muscular guy would enjoy the 18 hole full course with long par 5s and required a golf cart, though being on the younger side, we did forego the golf cart and hoofed it the whole way. I was expecting this guy to have long drives, powerful approach shots and would enjoy the power game given his upper body strength (he did weights and stuff). Surprisingly he did not enjoy the long holes, found his clubs (especially the driver) difficult to use and quite liked the par 3s, with just a pitching wedge or 9 iron to tee off. He did not like the golf outing much though I took him again a year later to an executive 9 hole par 3 (for the most part) and he loved the short distance and the short game. Who would have thunk it eh?
Conversely, I took the older gent to the executive course par 3 at first, thinking given his Mr. Burns from the Simpsons physique and how frail he looked, that course may be a stretch. To my utter surprise, he birdied almost every hole, and on the "par 4" (only 255 yards), he got it on the green in one shot (I think I must have taken 7, including a drop). He got bored fast and was on his Blackberry (yes it was that long ago) after the third hole inbetween my shots. A few months later, I took him to a full 18 hole course and holy cow, he outdrove me (not hard) by a lot. And his clubs were not high end clubs. Thinking maybe his clubs have him some magic skills, I asked if I can play a few holes with his clubs. I did, and it didn't help my game. He said he didn't expect it to since I wasn't fitted. I asked "what do you mean by fitted?" He said for his clubs, he actually got a golf pro to help him with finding the right clubs, length and weight wise based on analyzing his swing, degree of experience, stances, and whatever else. He told me one size does not fit all and even if it fits someone like him, you can give the same clubs to someone who is the same size and weight and they would play differently with them, sometimes considerably so.
So ultimately I think while we can discuss what's a good starter shotgun for recoil for this and that person, ultimately only that person will be able to tell based on them trying it. And as we can see by the feedback of different people, the results may vary widely.
Very very wise advice.
I'm in agreement. A lot of thoughtful advice from thegazelle in this thread.
Your analogy to golf rings true to me as I spent 20 years in the golf club industry selling clubs to golf pros from the mid 1970's to the mid 1990's.......a time of serious transition in golf club (and golf shaft) design. Prior to the mid 1970's equipment had barely changed since before WWII. Starting with the club head designs by Karsten Soldheim, founder of Ping and trained as an aerospace engineer, not a golfer, club design changed radically in those 20 years. But one of the key things that happened was technology began to allow them to really understand the impact of fit. Like shotgunning, you are trying to recreate the exact movement time and again. Fit is critical to that. Not just dimensions but the way the gun (or club) feels as you move it. A dynamic fit, when you are moving, which is what is needed in both golf and shotgunning is much more difficult to achieve than a static fit.
Canadiansparky
New member
- Location
- Vancouver Island
My two cents. The beretta kickoff stock is incredible for reducing recoil. I have a weatherby SA-08 that is also very light recoiling. If a gas gun works where your shooting (not spitting empty shells at the person next to you) and you don’t mind picking shells off the ground you can get a very light gun and still have mild recoil. Whatever you get make sure it feels good in hand and has a soft butt pad.
Just looking , there seems to be a few SX-4 compacts in stock in Canada.
Some of the Remington Model 870s (pump actions) and 1100s (semi autos) came with both regular and Youth stocks, or in the Youth version with just the shorter stock. May be an option for her.
If I recall correctly, there was a 20 ga with both stocks (synthetic) on the EE; might still be available.
Determine her Length of Pull (LOP) to know what stock length she will need on the shotgun of her choice. Wooden stocks can be shortened to fit LOP. While some synthetics can, some due to design may not be able to be shortened.
If the recoil pad is stiff and hard, you can always have it replaced with a Pachmayr or LimbSaver to help reduce felt recoil. Some are prefit to certain models, whereas others are grind to fit and be installed by a knowledgeable person or gunsmith at a reasonable price (a wise investment).
If I recall correctly, there was a 20 ga with both stocks (synthetic) on the EE; might still be available.
Determine her Length of Pull (LOP) to know what stock length she will need on the shotgun of her choice. Wooden stocks can be shortened to fit LOP. While some synthetics can, some due to design may not be able to be shortened.
If the recoil pad is stiff and hard, you can always have it replaced with a Pachmayr or LimbSaver to help reduce felt recoil. Some are prefit to certain models, whereas others are grind to fit and be installed by a knowledgeable person or gunsmith at a reasonable price (a wise investment).
Canadiansparky
New member
- Location
- Vancouver Island
Great advice about the recoil pads. If you find an older gun that you like (or a new gun with a hard pad) but the recoil pad is old and rock hard it can be night and day difference. For approximately $60 it can be the difference between loving and hating shooting.
Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
I bought a little youth 20 ga for my 9 year old grandson that has a plastic stock. It was <6 pounds (and muzzle heavy) so I filled the butt stock cavity with BB's. Brought the weight up close to 7 pounds, move the balance point to just ahead of the trigger guard and reduced the recoil substantially. Now he can shoot it all day (but he still "feels it" at the end of the day). I put the BB's in a nylon sock and tied it so they can be removed easily as a unit and they don't rattle . BTW, I my experience, 20 ga shot shells cost about the same as 12ga, in fact, I bought several flats on sale just before Christmas and the 20's were a bit cheaper than the 12's (both were 30% off).
