Can your wife heft your shotgun?

[bannockburn]

oneounceload

I think the 20 gauge Model 1300 weighs in at a little over 7 pounds and is just 4 ounces lighter than the 12 gauge version. Match that up with some of the low recoil 20 gauge shells out there and I believe that the shotgun would still a viable choice for her if she wants to go that route.

 

[oneounceload]

I shoot 12 gauge guns that weigh over 8#. I reload and shoot 3/4oz reloads running 1210 fps (per a chrono) because shot is expensive and I am cheap. D)
BTW, I shoot these from Beretta gas guns, one of which is a 3.5" goose gun - no malfs of any kind

 

[entropy]

Probably, but she wouldn't. Her brothers thought it would be funny to hand her the farm .410 and say 'shoot it' without showing her how to. As a result she will not fire a long arm.
She can and will fire any of my pistols though.

 

[MedWheeler]

Mine had a hard time "hefting" a Heritage Rough Rider..

No way will she heft the shotgun I just got last week, a H&R Pardner Protector. She's away now, anyway, so cannot try it out.

 

[Frostbite]

You guys are lucky. My wife will not even touch a gun. She has been saying she would come to the range with me for a few years now, after we watched a popular TV show involving lots of shooting for a few seasons, but it never happened.

I would have her try a .22 before progressively moving up to the 12 gauge if she ever decided to come along, but since she is in very good shape, I do not doubt her physical capacity to shoot one.

At 5'7", she should be able to handle the standard length of pull of my shotguns, I think. As for the weight, well, I am not sure which I should favor. My 20 is a lot heavier than my 12, so recoil should be less, but there is no recoil pad on it, so felt recoil should be more. Some thick clothing might be the answer here. I do not really see a big difference, but I weight a good hundred pounds more than she does.

 

[oneounceload]

Her being 5'7" does not necessarily mean any of your guns would fit; women have different requirements. Adding thick clothing or a recoil pad can make it too long. While not ideal, it is easier to shoot a gun with a slightly shorter stock than a longer one.

 

[RMc]

Twelve gauge 8 pellet 00 buckshot load with less recoil than a standard 20 gauge buckshot load in guns of equal weight:

http://www.luckygunner.com/12-ga-2-...nforcement-flitecontrol-wad-250-round#reviews

 

[oneounceload]

Hodgdon's formula
Recoil Energy in ft. lbs. = (Bw Mv + 4700 Pw)2 / (64.348 Gw) where:
Gw= the weight of the gun in pounds
Bw = weight of the ejecta (shot and wad) in pounds
Pw = powder weight in pounds
Mv = muzzle velocity in feet per second

Example: Our shooter has an 8 lb. target gun with a load using 19.0 grs. of Clays, a wad weighing 33.0 gr., shot charge of 1 1/8 oz. and giving 1200 fps muzzle velocity. First we must convert the ejecta weight to lbs. (1 1/8 oz. = 492.0 gr.) Dividing grains by 7000 converts to pounds.
Gw = 8 lb.
Bw = (492.0 + 33.0)/7000 = 0.075 lb.
Pw = 18/7,000 = .003 lb.
Mv = 1200 fps

Substituting the numbers in the formula we find the recoil of the shooter's load = 21.05 ft. lbs.

Change the numbers as necessary to compare ACTUAL recoil. Perceived recoil is a function of gun fit, recoil pad/reducers, etc.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

I have taken her out on a few occasions to work the 590A1 with birdshot. She didn't care for the recoil. I told her buck had more recoil. Having said that, we have gone and done sporting clays and she enjoyed it. Her attitude is that if needed she could do it. We also keep a 9 mm pistol handy so there are options for her.

 

[Partizanai]

My wife's comfort level.........

My wife does not have a high comfort level with wheel guns, auto
loading pistols or rifles. I have a nice 12 ga. side by side with 20" barrels.
I load it with #4 (low brass) shells. It produces little kick but, it gives her
the comfort level that only a very simple, reliable shotgun can produce.

 

[oneounceload]

Not just comfort, but CONFIDENCE, and that mental aspect is key with someone who is not going to shoot a lot buy needs to be able to in a serious scenario, whatever SHE chooses, if she has the confidence and comfort, that is the gun to use".................even if it isn't what many here might say is too small or weak.

 

[PonyKiller]

my 5'2 wife has shot my mossberg 500 several times.

she will take her chances with the ruger pistol

 

[RMc]

Indeed there is a "low-recoil" 20 gauge buckshot load available that equals the basic 20 gauge 7/8th ounce load. How about 18 #4B pellets at 1200 fps.

http://www.wadwizard.com/ammo.htm