12 ga. for a short woman in newer types

If you like the Mossberg 500, get the Magpul furniture for it, you can set length of pull to whatever us comfortable to you.
 
12 ga won't give you anything more than 20 ga offers.
The "power" difference between the two was a byproduct of case capacity limitations in the black powder era. But we no longer have those limitations. Today, you can load anything in a 20 ga shell that you can in a 12 ga, unless you are talking 3.5" mags. (But I assume not, since if you're afraid of recoil being an issue, 3.5" shells would likely be an issue anyway.)

So don't go for 12 ga thinking it'll be more powerful.
It will simply be different.
Anything you have expressed a need or desire to do, 20 ga can do just fine.
Find the shotgun that you want, and then see what gauge it is chambered for.
 
My wife and SIL are both 5’2” and 40yr ago were both about 110lb. I bought my wife a Rem 1100LT 2.75” 20g. She has 21” special field VR-FC barrel & slug barrel. She did 7 deer in 7 seasons, no whammies and many squirrels. My cheap ass Bro tried to cut down a 500 moss 12g for his wife. It booted her bad. After couple of years she got Browning BPS 12g and she likes it. My wife has stuck with the 20g. She hasn’t hunted for 20yrs since we sold camp but still guns down anything that aggravates her in garden.
 
12 ga won't give you anything more than 20 ga offers.
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I beg to differ. There are times when the larger bore of the 12 ga makes a difference, and when you look at slugs, 12ga slugs are significantly heavier than 20ga slugs. Of course, there's more recoil, you do need to live with that, there's no free lunch. :D
 
For the “average” person shooting skeet regularly, a smaller person is looking around trying to find the 7/8 oz skeet loads in 12 that are stock standard in 20.

The OP has a Benelli Montefeltro which is a fairly nice semi auto 20. The next significant step up is syrenusa.com the branch of Fabarms that specializes in women’s fits for serious women competitors and hunters. $2k and up, and go take a trip and have it fit right.

Otherwise find a gunsmith that can cut down something used. Just because I think all this “tactical” stuff is ridiculous nonsense doesn’t mean it don’t usually go bang when you pull the trigger. Shop used, cut it down.
 
Last Fall (before Covid) and before the bears finished gorging for winter, I asked at the ranger station in town about what I should carry. He said definitely bear spray (They must say that. They love their bears and there are already enough people.) He told me to leave my 20 ga. and 9mm at home. Those would just irritate a bear and bring down trouble.

Two friends of mine live on separate ranches not far from town and they turn on the barn spotlight and carry 12 ga. shotguns to go out in the yard at night- just in case. No one did that two years ago, but there have been too many sightings recently.

Some of the shotgun recommendations are good, but too pricey for my depleted budget right now. I can swing the $550 plus tax for the Mossberg. Also, they are common and have a ton of aftermarket stuff to fit.

Thank you for your suggestions.

Kate
 
May I suggest an Ithaca Model 51 semi?

They have a quiet background but suffered from too many shells and no maintenance, due to the need to REPLACE buffers.

Wood stock that can be shorten.

Go to www.shogunworld.com and menu to the Ithace forum, search for Model 51.

A old Browning A5 in 12 or 16ga., be an alternate.

Recommend using BRENNEKE slugs in either.

Hope this helps.
 
Same load

Yes, a 20 can throw the same weight of shot that a 12 can. What the 20 can't do is throw a superior pattern.
The 12 will have the superior pattern, the weight is the same, the length of the shot column is not.
Since the pattern is a three dimensional event, the length of the column of shot is important to the pattern.
 
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