Need help setting up a shotgun for an older lady.

manbearpig

manbearpig

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hey folks,

ive actually gotten my mom interested in shooting - i guess years of exposure to guns whenever she visits has finally paid off :ninja:
shes expressed an interest in going out shooting, even getting her hunting license - she mentioned shooting turkey :eek:

im going to take her out to shoot clays, as a short term solution im going to pop a limbsaver on one of my guns (all i own are pumps and SxSs unfortunately) and buy some light loads.

that said shes an older lady with a bad back so id like to set something 'ideal' up for her that will be comfortable to shoot long term. a premium recoil pad is on the list (suggestions are welcome)... from there the way i see it there are a few different options:

-reduced recoil loads. (do these cycle a semi?)
-20 gauge. (might be a bit of a handicap for something like turkey but some people do it)
-gas-operated auto. (an 11-87 is a bit on the expensive side - any cheaper reliable options?)

has anyone been in a similar situation? what did you decide on?
thanks in advance for any help!
 
for turkey? :eek:
it would be fine for grouse and such but then again so would the lightest 20g loads.

id rather work on softening the recoil of a 12 or 20g than trying to find an effective turkey load in a .410.
plus for clays ive always been of the opinion that the .410 is an expert load, not a beginner load.
 
ok i have another slight problem. a 20g 11-87 or Browning Gold semi is a little out of my price range right now at $850-1100 +tax and recoil pad upgrade.

would buying a 20 guage Mossberg pump, cutting the stock to fit her perfectly with the best recoil pad i can buy, and using reduced recoil 20g loads work? or is a semi pretty much necessary? all i have are 12g guns so there is no way of me evaluating how much recoil the above described 20g pump gun would have in relation to a simple bone stock 12g 870 or mossberg 500 unless i actually buy one.
 
I participate in an annual shotgun clinic for a group of women and their friends ranging in age from mid 30's to mid 70's. Some of the ladies have shot, others have never picked up a gun before. Here's what I've learned from instructing them.

The first thing is to check her eye dominance. Are her master hand and master eye on the same side? Cross dominance is more prevalent among women than men.

The Limbsaver isn't a bad idea except that it will make the gun longer which might make it harder for her to handle. IMO, recoil is less of a problem than the weight of the gun and the sound of the shot. Too much weight in the front end and the forward arm gets tired. I also suggest doubling up on ear protection with plugs and a good set of muffs.

I use a Remington 1100 28 gauge autoloader to instruct. They are light, short and have almost no recoil. The 28 gauge doesn't do you much good though if your mother intends to hunt. The 20 gauge 11-87 would be a good choice as well. They will function with light target loads and heavier loads can be used in the field. Depending on her size you might consider one of the Youth models because they are shorter and lighter.

If all you have is a 12 gauge then buy the lightest 7/8 ounce loads you can or the Winchester Low-Noise Low Recoil.

If you have access to a clay club try and reserve a skeet field and start her shooting on Low 7 (the straightaway). It's the easiest target to hit and a new shooter's confidence builds quickly when they start to hit a few targets. Then try the high house bird for a little variety.

My usual approach to students is to start with a safety instruction, how the gun works, target visualisation, stance, gun movement and then we shoot.

Don't take anything for granted even the simple stuff. I once had a student with no experience with guns who was horrified that I was holding a shell in my hand. She apparently thought it might explode on its own. When I realized the problem I explained that the shell wouldn't go off unless it was struck by the firing pin and dropped the shell on the ground to make the point.

When the shooting starts don't over do it. It's a new experience for her and there is a lot to learn. Don't wear her out. I like to leave my students wanting more, not tired and not wanting to come back.

Finally, either you are an instructor or a shooter. You can't do both. I rarely shoot while teaching. If you are shooting doing well it shakes the student's confidence. If you shoot poorly then you are embarrassed because you are the instructor and supposed to know how it's done.

Best of luck teaching your mother. Getting women involved in shooting is one of the most rewarding things you can do.
 
gun fit really doesnt worry me. most common guns like the 870, mossy 500, 11-87, etc can be adjusted to fit just about any shooter.
i can adjust the stock to fit her either by cutting/installing a pad or aftermarket stocks and such to get correct length of pull. im not worried about gun fit since i dont intent to set her up with a non-adjustable gun like a Benelli or something.

ill be honest - 12g recoil doesnt bother me in the least, so i have never bothered to even consider a 20, 28, .410 etc guage gun until now, so i know very little about them. 12g just always seemed the natural choice for me with the widest range and cheapest ammo, best patterning (other than 10 guage, but which has far less ammo selection) so really what i would like to know is, over standard 12g loads which would be a more significant reduction in recoil:

dropping down to a 20g, installing a limbsaver, fitting the gun to her, using regular 20g loads
or
staying with 12g, installing a limbsaver, fitting the gun to her, using reduced recoil 2 3/4" loads
or
putting it off for awhile until i can afford an 11-87 for her, fitting it to her, installing a Limbsaver.
 
If you can locate one ... a Remington 11-87 Sportsman "Youth" synthetic in 20 ga. ... 21" barrel with interchangeable choke tubes, about 6-1/2 lbs. The 13" LOP stock is one inch shorter than standard. Light recoil with standard 20 gauge target loads & easy (because of the reduced size & weight) for ladies to shoot. About $ 750 "new" ...
 
thanks Claybuster -- i wouldnt have considered the extra attention to hearing protection, and would have probably given her a heavier gun to try to further lessen the recoil.
ill make sure she has a good set of Peltors on and that the gun isnt too heavy for her.

im not too worried about the extra length of a limbsaver or decelerator, i can just cut the wood stock for her and fit it to her exact LOP. what do you use to determine precise LOP for shotguns? i know how to fit a rifle but ive never custom fit a shotgun before, i just pick them up and use them the way they are - never really bothered me. then again i have pretty long arms. she is about 5'10". id like to buy her a more traditional wood stocked gun anyways, so cutting the stock down really wont be much of a problem.

as for where to take her, i have a lot of private land and my own trap thrower so we can take her there to learn at her own pace in a relaxed family atmosphere rather than be rushed through a club in a more high-pressure atmosphere. ill pick up some snap caps and take the first day to teach her about gun safety and handling before giving her live loads.
 
i really dont have $800+ to spend right now, unfortunately. i have an M-305 and DA Grizzly about to be charged on my card any day now. plus for all i know she will end up not liking it and ill be left with an $800 youth gun for my 6'1" frame, heh.

how about a Mossberg 500 Field in 20 guage? $249 at SIR.
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cut down the stock, install a Limbsaver. buy her a case of these:
Winchester Featherweights
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when she gets to hunting she can swap in some full power loads and shooting a handful of them from a properly fitted, recoil padded 20ga in the excitement of the hunt shouldnt bother her at all. i could set this up for $300, and upgrade her if she gets serious about it.
 
lady gun

why not a used Remington 1100 in 12 gauge with a good recoil pad. you can get the whole package easily for $400. I use Pachmayr 325 pad (pesonally I like the "field" style). It kicks less than the 20gauge Rem 870 youth that I owned and is quite the soft shooter.

Two of the people that use my setup (like above) weigh about 85lbs each and can use it all day without problem.
 
where can i get ahold of an 1100 for $400? :)
im all ears!

thats about all i can afford right now... id like to buy her the gun, set it up for her, and pay for her PAL/hunters safety course for a Christmas gift. kindof an unconventional gift for someones mom, but hey... shes not going to be around forever and this should give us some quality time together.
she really loves the outdoors and wild game so im certain shell take to it, i only wish id thought of this sooner.
 
You could look into the Mossberg 500 Bantam in 20 Ga. It has a shorter length of pull and a shorter barrel than the full size 500's. Still comes with 3 choke tubes, same as the full sized models. Just cutting the stock and leaving the original barrel may change the balance of the gun. The shorter barrel is well suited to turkey hunting as well. If you go with this one you will still want to change the recoil pad, the stock Mossy pads are a bit on the hard side.
 
Some thing that you might think about? If your mom is 5 ft. 10 ins. she may not need to reduce the l.o.p. as much as traditional lady/youth guns? Maybe light loads and good pad will do the trick?

Can't give you much advice without seeing her shoot etc. but I will say that she seems to be a lucky lady and you are a lucky son.
 
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