Recoil "ELIMINATING" stock, 12ga

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Hey guys~wondering if I could pick your brains on this one..hear me out! :)

A good friend of mine (an avid deer/turkey hunter) was in a work-related accident almost a year ago, the outcome was that he broke several vertebrae. He's still in recovery, but part of that process was surgery to add metal plates to fuse a portion of his spine near the base of his neck. As a result of this, he's unable to shoot anything with recoil that could give enough of a jolt to compromise his situation. He's all but abandoned the idea of hunting with guns, but even archery requires draw strength he can barely manage. (strong enough guy+, just can't turn his neck well enough, more of a geometry/hold issue) I'm aware of recoil pad options, recoil-reducing stocks (Knoxx comes to mind), Kicklite, softer-shooting semis, etc...but I'm wondering if anyone has an idea for a solution that would eliminate recoil altogether? These would all be shots from blinds/off a rest...and what comes to mind is keeping contact away from the shoulder altogether.

If the gun could have it's buttstock removed, yet be supported by a bracket/apparatus that he could hold/aim...but wouldn't rely on other contact points, would there be legality issues? I'm almost picturing the swiveling brackets that support military MGs. :) I'm a designer/fabricator/CNC programmer myself...and could probably come up with something that would work very well, be legal length, legal capacity etc. etc..just wondering if anyone has any ideas/links/photos of someone who's maybe tried to attempt something similar.

Just trying to help a buddy get back in the field!

Cheers, and thanks for considering.
 
For archery would he have the option of a crossbow with a hand crank cocking mechanism? I have a friend that hunts with one. She isn’t strong enough to #### the bow with the rope cocking aid so she bought the optional hand crank and it’s easy peasy for her.
 
For archery would he have the option of a crossbow with a hand crank cocking mechanism? I have a friend that hunts with one. She isn’t strong enough to #### the bow with the rope cocking aid so she bought the optional hand crank and it’s easy peasy for her.

Hey Spank~he has an old crossbow, I even zeroed the scope for him early this spring (turkey) but when he went out hunting, he wasn't able to #### it and the hunt was called-off. I don't know enough about those cranks to really recommend one, but I hear they work. Archery gear sketches me out a little anyway. Lots of unfortunate experiences with powerful slingshots in my youth maybe. lol

Anyhow, were I able to get him hunting safely with a shotgun again...he'd be a very happy fellow.
 
in addition to the brace you are suggesting, can you also drop him down to 20ga?
My uncle shoots Turkey with a 20ga
 
in addition to the brace you are suggesting, can you also drop him down to 20ga?
My uncle shoots Turkey with a 20ga

Worth considering, though I have a hunch he'd want to keep all of his chores to one gun, his 12ga. I know 20 on it's own is too much recoil, so whatever solution I can come up with would still have the same recoil considerations. Good idea though. thanks!
 
Worth considering, though I have a hunch he'd want to keep all of his chores to one gun, his 12ga. I know 20 on it's own is too much recoil, so whatever solution I can come up with would still have the same recoil considerations. Good idea though. thanks!

keep the 12 but maybe borrow a 20 for the first couple to see how it feels?
I good way to ease back into it

post a pick of the final set up!
 
Worth considering, though I have a hunch he'd want to keep all of his chores to one gun, his 12ga. I know 20 on it's own is too much recoil, so whatever solution I can come up with would still have the same recoil considerations. Good idea though. thanks!

Dropping down to a 20 gauge is a dumb idea. Weight of the gun is paramount to reducing felt recoil. That's why trap guns typically are in the 8-8.5 pound range. You want to stay with a 12 gauge and up the weight. Felt recoil is a function of the weight of the gun, the weight of the load and the speed with which that load is accelerated. The other thing is to use a semi so the mechanism is using up some of the recoil as well. It's just physics.

If it were me, I'd look for the heaviest semi on the market and then shoot relatively light 1 oz loads out of it at no more than 1200 fps. If I was to customize it somehow, it would be to add as much weight (lead in the butt stock, lead tape along the bottom of the barrels) as possible. Or maybe even find a 10 pound plus 10 gauge, put 12 gauge adapters in it and still shoot the light loads. This is all assuming he's using a rest.
 
you could also consider getting him 20 ga. inserts for his 12 ga. That way the gun is the same weight, but less powerful shells! They ship to Canada. Bought my 9 year old girl the 410 and 28 ga inserts for her 20 ga to get her started an be able to grow into the recoil of it. They work well.

http://www.littleskeeters.com/
 
I agree with Canvasback completely. Going smaller gauge is not necessarily a reduction in felt recoil just exactly as he explained it. Another consideration is a Gracoil. Gracoil units are not only adjustable for pad height/angle/pitch/lop etc but they are adjustable for recoil suppression based on the loads you shoot. No they aren’t inexpensive at about $275 US dollars plus the labour of having a competent gunsmith install them but the $ invested over the long run may well be one of the best investments your buddy makes to keep him in the game. I’ve had them on two trap guns, both factory installed and once set properly they turn a 12 gauge firing 3 dram 1 1/8 oz loads into the felt recoil of a 22lr. Also they weigh one pound so they will be adding that weight to your gun. The combination of Gracoil and dead pod might just be the ideal ticket for your buddy. Combined they wouldn’t be more than price of a new gun and will last a lifetime.
 
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Just spitballing here but could you get the gun mounted into some kind of a heavy lead sled and then mount that on a pivoting/rotating ball joint or something?
 
I recently bought one of those Turkish single shot 12 gauges. It weighs nothing and consequently it kicks like a mule. I took the butt pad off and there is about a 1" hole for the stock bolt to go through. I filled that with lead chunks and put the butt pad back on. It is night and day difference in felt recoil. I can shoot target loads all day with it, 3" magnums still punch a bit, but before it was almost unshootable with them.
 
My only input is “where there is a will, there is a way”. Fellow who hunts out of a camp next to us has a rigging that allows him to shoot his rifle/shotguns after an accident where he lost his arms. Gun sits on a tripod, bracket bolted to the stock that he leans into and can aim by moving his shoulders, foot pedal connects to the trigger.
 
I don't know what the answer is but if a stock that eliminates recoil had been invented already it would be very well known since so many people either suffer from recoil and put up with it or don't shoot because of it. There's lots of recoil reducing stocks readily available but the only one I've seen that I like was made by B Square and had a small air bladder in it so that you could adjust the pressure. The really nice thing about this design is that the comb was still attached to the butt of the stock so the shooter didn't have the comb recoiling into the face. I tried one of these out probably 15 years ago and the recoil was really light but a quick google doesn't turn anything up so I'm presuming that B Square doesn't make them anymore. The best way to reduce recoil that I know of is to have a 12 gauge with light ammo and lots of weight in the gun. A semi auto is naturally lighter recoiling than a break open gun but they often don't work well with stocks that use an airbag or spring system because the action needs a certain amount of rearward resistance to make it function.
 
Just because it hasn't been mentioned yet, Aguila makes mini-shells in 12g. Available in shot (7 1.2), Buckshot or slugs all 5/8 oz I believe and the recoil is little more than a .22. I have no idea how they perform on game, but they break clays smartly.
 
You mean G Square or G2, very good system, probably the best one out there. BUT There is still recoil, i have tried many different loads with it and multiple air pressures and yes it certainly reduces you wont ever get rid of recoil totally.

I don't know what the answer is but if a stock that eliminates recoil had been invented already it would be very well known since so many people either suffer from recoil and put up with it or don't shoot because of it. There's lots of recoil reducing stocks readily available but the only one I've seen that I like was made by B Square and had a small air bladder in it so that you could adjust the pressure. The really nice thing about this design is that the comb was still attached to the butt of the stock so the shooter didn't have the comb recoiling into the face. I tried one of these out probably 15 years ago and the recoil was really light but a quick google doesn't turn anything up so I'm presuming that B Square doesn't make them anymore. The best way to reduce recoil that I know of is to have a 12 gauge with light ammo and lots of weight in the gun. A semi auto is naturally lighter recoiling than a break open gun but they often don't work well with stocks that use an airbag or spring system because the action needs a certain amount of rearward resistance to make it function.
 
Your right, G square not B square, no wonder my search didn't bring it up! Jeepers, up late and out early... can't catch a break! :)
Like I said, it's been at least 15 years since I tried one and it certainly didn't eliminate recoil but it's probably the best one I've tried.
 
Hey guys~wondering if I could pick your brains on this one..hear me out! :)

A good friend of mine (an avid deer/turkey hunter) was in a work-related accident almost a year ago, the outcome was that he broke several vertebrae. He's still in recovery, but part of that process was surgery to add metal plates to fuse a portion of his spine near the base of his neck. As a result of this, he's unable to shoot anything with recoil that could give enough of a jolt to compromise his situation. He's all but abandoned the idea of hunting with guns, but even archery requires draw strength he can barely manage. (strong enough guy+, just can't turn his neck well enough, more of a geometry/hold issue) I'm aware of recoil pad options, recoil-reducing stocks (Knoxx comes to mind), Kicklite, softer-shooting semis, etc...but I'm wondering if anyone has an idea for a solution that would eliminate recoil altogether? These would all be shots from blinds/off a rest...and what comes to mind is keeping contact away from the shoulder altogether.

If the gun could have it's buttstock removed, yet be supported by a bracket/apparatus that he could hold/aim...but wouldn't rely on other contact points, would there be legality issues? I'm almost picturing the swiveling brackets that support military MGs. :) I'm a designer/fabricator/CNC programmer myself...and could probably come up with something that would work very well, be legal length, legal capacity etc. etc..just wondering if anyone has any ideas/links/photos of someone who's maybe tried to attempt something similar.

Just trying to help a buddy get back in the field!

Cheers, and thanks for considering.

Firearms act wise it could be legal if you respected OAL requirements, not a problem with a long barrel. What would you fix it to that's sturdy enough to absorb the recoil yet handy enough to get out into the marsh?
 
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