Shotguns

[JLS]

I can't think of a better reason to go the O/U route personally. Ruger red label fits the bill for you nicely. I need to practice what I preach and use the one I have sitting in the safe one of these days.

Except unless you get a neutral cast it won’t necessarily be interchangeable for right and left.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Fit helps tame recoil just as much as anything. A good gas gun that fits you well and helps reduce recoil sounds like the ticket.. The shoulder injury makes fit even more important as the recoil impulse needs to be properly directed to help reduce felt recoil. You can always use loads that are lighter as well. People kill pheasants with 2 1/2" 1 ounce loads all the time.

So try a few out at the gun store by shouldering them and that will help remove some choices that won't work. Also, factory butt pads tend to be harder than a little t of after-market so make sure you have a good pad as well to help with the recoil.

 

[JLS]

You can always use loads that are lighter as well. People kill pheasants with 2 1/2" 1 ounce loads all the time.

This is hugely overlooked.

 

[mxracer317]

I have a Benelli Montefeltro in 20 gauge. Love it.

Love the Benelli Ultralite in 28 gauge even more though!

 

[Nick87]

Except unless you get a neutral cast it won’t necessarily be interchangeable for right and left.

Aren't most of them? Might not be guess I never payed attention to that. Since I'm in the majority.

 

[brymoore]

It's the other half that doesn't like them. He shoots left handed and I'm right handed and we share shotguns usually.

I don’t want to get too deep down a wormhole, but you should each get a personal shotgun if you can afford/want

Otherwise, the shotgun fit is going to be wrong for one of you.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I don’t want to get too deep down a wormhole, but you should each get a personal shotgun if you can afford/want

Otherwise, the shotgun fit is going to be wrong for one of you.

Buying a used gun from a reputable dealer is also a great way to get in to 2 guns instead of of one. But, if the older Beretta is still good then perhaps hubby gets that while you get the new, more fitted gun.

 

[JohnCushman]

I bought my ex wife a bantam sized Mossberg 500 in 20ga. It came with the smooth barrel and choke tubes and also a rifled barrel. With the tubes it covered pretty much any hunting she'd want to do with a shotgun. The rifled barrel with a scope opens up different states to hunt where you can't use a rifle. She was 5'6" and about 135 pounds. The gun fit her perfectly and she had no issues with recoil.

 

[Bigjay73]

Carried a Franchi Affinity all last weekend. Very light, shoots very well, lot of gun for 1k

 

[JShane]

Consider a 28 gauge. With loads today the 28 is a reliable gun.

 

[IDFireLass]

I'm considering everything but a one person shotgun sounds the best. I'm short in the arm stretch so I need almost a youth with the new shoulder. I tend not to get the butt into the shoulder correctly before pulling the trigger.
I love the idea of a aftermarket recoil pad.
I was considering a 28 gauge and there seems to be more available shells all the time.
It's still all wide open now.

 

[270.Rose]

Okay all you bird hunters. What is the nicest easiest lightest swinging 20 gauge's out there? Either in a semi, pump or SxS. I can no longer shoot a 12 gauge due to a total reversed replaced right shoulder. I have an older nice 12ga Browning 303A semiautomatic. The plan is for grouse and chukar or anything I can find.

I would highly recommend a CZ. Mine is easy to carry, smooth to bring into position, and I can shoot it all afternoon and not get sore. It's also surprisingly inexpensive for what a nice shotgun it is.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Pretty hard to beat them old 1100's!

They are heavy guns. This lady may have trouble getting one to her shoulder and/or carrying it.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Avoid inertia automatics (e.g. new Browning A5 ... not to be confused with old long recoil A5). Felt recoil for inertia action is comparable to fixed breech (e.g. O/U or pump action). You want lightweight AND light recoil = gas shotgun. Weatherby Orion is worth a look. Or ATA. I believe they are essentially the same shotgun. Very high quality Turkish made (ATA is the best of the Turkish batch in my opinion) and very affordable. The ATA autos do seem to have a slightly longer stock but that's easily remedied by gunsmith. I'm hearing good things about new Winchester auto shotguns but I don't see many in twenty gauge.

I caution you about sharing a shotgun unless both of you are same size. Wingshooting requires a shotgun that fits perfectly. Anyone can make a poor fitting shotgun work shooting trap or turkeys. But going from carry to shoulder and shooting at a moving target (i.e. wingshooting birds) is different. Very different. You both should have your own gun.

Fixed breech O/U or pump will thump you. If you don't have the weight to mitigate, those guns can thump hard. I also need to reduce recoil due to physical limitations ... retina detachments. So I chose probably the heaviest auto shotgun ever made, an old Browning A5 magnum twelve gauge with 31" barrel (1100 Remington in 3" 12 gauge may be heavier). Every once in a while when the weather is bad, I will shoot trap league with my former goose gun, an 870 twelve gauge pump. After one round I ask myself how the hell did I put up with that recoil for forty years. And sometimes I'll shoot skeet with the twelve gauge Citori I picked up a few years ago. Same thing. Immediately I notice the big difference in felt recoil. I don't shoot it very often because I don't shoot it nearly as well as my old A5 Magnum. The Citori has a slightly thicker stock than the plastic my A5 now wears. I shoot skeet low gun (shotgun held at field carry position when target is pulled, then mounted and fired). Proper fit for me can be the difference of five or more targets per round!

Three roosters last week in as many shots. Several times this year. Fit is paramount.

 

[steveshuntn1]

Franchi 20 Ga semi auto is about the lightest thing you will find, imo

I had one that was light as a feather when I was a teenager that would walk all over me. I distinctly remember going home opening morning of dove season to take Tylenol because my shoulder was pounding. I went back and shot more though. Nice gun but man that thing kicked!

 

[IDFireLass]

For those of you wondering I big game hunt. I use a Browning X-bolt long range 6.5 with the muzzle brake. Doctor said nothing bigger. I don't feel the kick with this set up. So should be able to handle a 20 ga I use a 410 now. But I am giving up elk hunting. It's just to demanding on me and this foot race even for cow hunts has become stupid.
And as most of you know the mountains are getting steeper as we age.

 

[ksjc98]

In my opinion a good fitting shotgun is an enjoyable gun to shoot. Try several guns pick the one that fits you best. I use a Benelli Montefeltro and a Browing Silver in 20 gauge. I can't say one is better than the other.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Go with a 28ga. Yes shells are a little harder to find but the recoil will be noticeably less than a 20. If you find a shotgun the fits you’ll be golden. I’ve clients that hunt pheasant and chukars with 28s, they have no trouble killing either of those. The guns are light as a feather, doubles that weigh five pounds and a little. If you put a 28 in a gas operated shotgun recoil will be negligible.
There really is a science to gun fitting. It does make a difference. That being said, next time you go to a gun store to look, with the gun balanced in your hands look down the wall at the far corner of the ceiling, or a mounted bird as far away as possible up to about 20 yards. Focus on the target close your eyes and mount the gun, open your shooting eye, if you’re on target without seeing too much of the rib you’re getting the idea of what good fit is.
Good luck

 

[IDFireLass]

Thanks Salmonchaser. Never really knew that. Just always figured if I could shoulder it no problems.