20 gauge vs 12 gauge recoil

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Hog huntin Harry said:
What will have more recoil, a 5.5 pound single shot 20 gauge or a 6 pound pump 12 gauge ?
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Your going to need specific information (payload/projectile weight, velocity and optimally the propellant charge weight or a good estimate ) on the ammo to be fire in both to make a fair comparison. The best comparison would be to compare free recoil energy. The formula is fairly straight forward if you like math or there are many online calculators. Google either/both. Input the needed data, calculate, and then compare the resulting free recoil energy. Assuming both guns fit the shooter equally well this will be the best and simplest comparison short of just going to the range and shooting them both. As always felt-recoil is uniquely personal and what feels good/bad to one shooter may not not another.

This is a good simple version of the free recoil energy calculator: https://bisonballistics.com/calculators/recoil
 
A qualitative answer and as like what mcb said, excessive recoil to one may not be for another.

When I got my tubed skeet over/under back in the 1990's, I used external barrel weights to make the gun without tubes (12 ga shooting) swing the same and weigh the same as the gun with tubes installed. Even so, shooting 12 ga, 1-1/8 oz loads always produced more felt recoil than 20 ga, 7/8 oz loads.

12 ga, 1 oz target loads were just becoming available then and their recoil was still greater than the 20 ga loads. Also, the barrel on the gun was ported when shooting 12 ga which is also supposed to reduce the recoil a bit. The tubes blocked the porting and were not available when shooting the sub gauges.

As a result, I shot 20 gauge in the 12 gauge events at skeet tournaments. My 20 gauge averages were better than 12 gauge in part due to the recoil.

Now a days, 12 ga, 7/8 oz loads are available, if not commercially, at least from reloading. I've shot a few boxes of those and plan on shooting more. They are quite pleasant to shoot.
 
Along with all the good advice by people above,

Felt recoil also depends on the recoil pad, if any, stock design--narrow stocks tend to have more felt recoil than fat butted stocks, and so on. Your clothing will make a difference-t shirt versus coat etc. Usually the worst for most felt recoil are shotgun slugs for hunting or other purposes.

When learning on a shotgun, it is not a bad thing to have a recoil absorbing pad over your clothes. You can fire longer strings to get acquainted with the shotgun without pain which is well advised if you are to use it effectively. https://limbsaver.com/collections/firearms-products/products/protective-shooting-pad

Depending on the shotgun stock, you can also bore holes and put weights in the buttstock or even get a special recoil absorbing shock. This may affect the balance so know what your uses are and whether you like the shotgun before doing permanent alterations that can hurt resale value.
 
The one that fits better than the other will have less felt recoil, in general. All other things being equal, the 12 ga with 1 1/8 oz loads will likely produce less felt recoil than the 20 ga with 1 oz loads. As the 12 ga loads move up, that will likely change.
 
Hog huntin Harry said:
I've been trying to find the powder weight of 20 gauge Remington sluggers but to no avail. Do y'all know where I can find such information ?
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It should not make a big difference (+/-~10%) with shotgun loads since the projectile is so much heavier than the propellent. Use a 25-30gr estimate. For 20 ga sluggers.
 
Just ran the numbers, my Maverick 88 with a 18 1/2 inch barrel with Winchester 12 gauge 1 ounce rifled Slugs has 30.2 ft lbs of recoil.

The Hatfield single shot 20 gauge I've been thinking about getting is 5.5 pounds and has a 28 inch barrel.
With 5/8 ounce Remington sluggers it only has 13.5 ft lbs of recoil.

The 12 gauge didn't hurt my shoulder, but the concussion would give me a headache after 4 shots, I've developed a flinch from it so hopefully the 20 will fix that.
 
About a year ago my Maverick 88 butt pad broke and a piece of plastic would poke me when I shouldered it.
So I had to cut the rubber out of the plastic butt plate.

I then got an AA&E foam recoil pad and shoved the factory piece of rubber down into the AA&E.

So I basically had 2 recoil pads as a butt plate

Probably didn't help my flinch Lol
 
Haven't seen a 6# 12 or a 5# 20 in about forever. Most 12 pumps are closer to 7-8#
Google "shotgun shell recoil calculator"
you'll need the gun weight, projectile weight and the projectile velocity and it will calculate the actual recoil for you. Remember recoil is NOT linear, so even a few lb/ft more is substantial increase. Add in poor gun fit and the perceived recoil will be even worse
 
Shooting like ammunition, the 12 gauge is going to have more recoil. This came from my son when he was 12. We were shooting a Winchester crack barrel in 20 gauge and a Remington 870 in 12.
 
TonyAngel said:
Shooting like ammunition, the 12 gauge is going to have more recoil. This came from my son when he was 12. We were shooting a Winchester crack barrel in 20 gauge and a Remington 870 in 12.
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Based on what? Typically the 12 gauge weighs a lot more, so it will actually have less recoil than a lighter 20 shooting the same ammo weight and velocity.
 
George P said:
Based on what? Typically the 12 gauge weighs a lot more, so it will actually have less recoil than a lighter 20 shooting the same ammo weight and velocity.
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Based on the fact that the OP says that the 20 gauge weighs 5.5lbs and the 12 gauge weighs 6lbs (8 ounces ain't making up for the difference is recoil) and I own a 20 gauge single shot and a 12 gauge pump so I know first hand.
 
TonyAngel said:
Based on the fact that the OP says that the 20 gauge weighs 5.5lbs and the 12 gauge weighs 6lbs (8 ounces ain't making up for the difference is recoil) and I own a 20 gauge single shot and a 12 gauge pump so I know first hand.
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I understand your direction. But 8 oz is a difference and with a 12ga shooting a 1 oz load vs a 20 ga shooting a 1 oz load, the heavier gun will recoil less. How much less because of 8 oz? Not much. As @George P notes, unless it's made of carbon fiber and titanium, it's pretty hard to get a pump gun down to 6 lbs. I have an H&R 20 ga single that will be pretty close to 5 lbs and, with 1 oz loads it certainly kicks harder than any of my heavier 20 ga or 12 ga guns shooting 1 oz. Stock fit, or lack thereof, is however an enormous contributor to felt recoil, so if the 20 ga that you mention above fit your son better than the 12, physics aside, it will have felt more comfortable to him.
 
DocRock said:
I understand your direction. But 8 oz is a difference and with a 12ga shooting a 1 oz load vs a 20 ga shooting a 1 oz load, the heavier gun will recoil less. How much less because of 8 oz? Not much. As @George P notes, unless it's made of carbon fiber and titanium, it's pretty hard to get a pump gun down to 6 lbs. I have an H&R 20 ga single that will be pretty close to 5 lbs and, with 1 oz loads it certainly kicks harder than any of my heavier 20 ga or 12 ga guns shooting 1 oz. Stock fit, or lack thereof, is however an enormous contributor to felt recoil, so if the 20 ga that you mention above fit your son better than the 12, physics aside, it will have felt more comfortable to him.
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Well, I guess my shoulder was lying to me when I shot them side by side and it's tells me that the 12 gauges kicks more. You'd know better than I would.
 
TonyAngel said:
Well, I guess my shoulder was lying to me when I shot them side by side and it's tells me that the 12 gauges kicks more. You'd know better than I would.
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Google the calculator and plug in the numbers; you'll soon have your answer. There is actual recoil (Newton and physics) and then there is perceived recoil (noise, gun fit, etc.) the two are not necessarily the same.
 
I sure am a dum dum, the Maverick 88 in 12 gauge weighs 7 pounds.
Also, the problem with my 12 gauge wasn't the kick to my shoulder, it felt like a 243. The problem is the combination of slug muzzle blast and the concussion.
 
Hog huntin Harry said:
I sure am a dum dum, the Maverick 88 in 12 gauge weighs 7 pounds.
Also, the problem with my 12 gauge wasn't the kick to my shoulder, it felt like a 243. The problem is the combination of slug muzzle blast and the concussion.
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Double up on hearing protection with plugs and muffs - that should help. That is one thing I have found working with women over the years - many times it isn't the actual recoil that scares them, it is the ferocity of the blast and flash that makes them think the recoil is even worse than it is.
 
George P said:
Double up on hearing protection with plugs and muffs - that should help. That is one thing I have found working with women over the years - many times it isn't the actual recoil that scares them, it is the ferocity of the blast and flash that makes them think the recoil is even worse than it is.
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I've had hearing damage since I was a kid, so my ears are sensitive to loud noises. When I got my Maverick about 2 years ago I shot 3in Magnums (with hearing protection) and they gave me no trouble.
Now 2 3/4 slugs hurt me
 
Comparing a 28 inch 12 gauge 870 to a 20 gauge youth 21 inch 870, I feel the 12 has more recoil when using bulk cheap Winchester 2 3/4 inch 7.5 shot in both at their standard loadings
 
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