Hi I'm new to this forum and to shotguns

2

27Veer

New member
My wife was raised in a Hispanic household and is used to guns and can shoot my 1911 as well as me. Her sister is a LEO with the county sheriff's office, and has her convinced a shotgun is the way to go.
I was in the 82nd (B/1/505) in the 90's and we are shooters, but I don't know anything about shotguns.
She is an athlete, smallish but strong 115 lbs.
Which direction should I go in shotguns?
 
When I started shooting shotgun, I used a .410 and/or a 20 guage. They are both great for beginners and don't have a bad kick to them. Then she can gradually move up if she wants. I shoot anything and everything now but still break these two out just for a change once in awhile.
 
A 12 gauge shooting reduced recoil LE/HD rounds is going to kick similar to a 20 gauge. For practice I like the cheap clay target/ dove rounds from walmart at ~$20 per hundred. Less variety in 20 gauge ammo so I would steer you in the 12 gauge direction either a pump (Remington, Mossberg and Maverick being the most affordable in american made offerings) winchester and ithaca have a lot of fans too. An auto loader may be a bit softer shooting but may require a bit more upkeep to maintain 100% reliability.
Brent
 
it depends on how much your willing to spend

i would say a 12 guage mossberg 500 or remington 870 with a knoxx recoil reduction stock which gets alot of good reviews and claims to take care of most of the recoil, using this stock with low recoil buckshot or just birdshot should work fine
 
I just saw a 20 ga. 870 express synthetic HD youth version at the gun shop yesterday that should fit her like a glove. #2 Buck (Federal Premium 3") is the largest shot I've ever seen in 20 ga. but it would be nearly ideal for SD. #3 and #4 Buck is also very common and would also be a good choice.

A lot of people are going to recommend 12 ga. since there is much more variety in ammo and I can't argue with that. 2 3/4", 00B, reduced recoil is plenty powerful and easy to shoot. Ammo choice is nearly unlimited if you decide to go with something else. The reason that I recommend a youth gun is that a 5'5" woman is going to have shorter arms and probably be more comfortable with a shorter stock. I don't doubt that an athletic woman can handle a 12 ga. but a 20 ga. youth gun should fit better and therefore be easier to handle, even if the recoil is comparable.

As always, YMMV.
 
Welcome - you'll find a lot of experience here on the Tactical side / on the clay target or hunting side - I fall in the latter.

A 12ga is by far the most versatile shotgun gague / you can buy shells with 7/8oz in them so balistically it performs like a 20ga. A heavier gun means less recoil / as long as her upper body strength is sufficient to handle a 7 1/2 - 8 lb gun you will have a lot of options.

Personally, I'd recommend you start with something you can go to a Skeet, Trap or Sporting clays range with - and both of you, get used to the action types, the concept of shotgunning ( feel the lead, don't look at front sites, etc ) ... It will give you a lot of repetition with a shotgun / have some fun / really decide if she or you like the Tactical side of shotguns.

I'm a 1911 guy as well - and personally I rely on a Wilson Combat CQB 5" chambered in .45 acp for my primary carry and defensive weapon ...shotguns are a backup to me.


There are 3 "primary type" of action types in shotguns ( but OneOunce is correct, I did ignore Side by Sides, and single shots "...

In pump guns - lots of them out there - Remington 870 family, Benelli Nova, Browning BPS, etc . For an all around pump gun, I like a 28" barrel / good clays starter gun / will work for defense as well - maybe not the perfect "fighting weapon" - but being defensive, doesn't mean she or you need a "fighting weapon". A good all around gun for me is Browning BPS hunter model - 28" barrel - with screw in chokes retailing for around $ 500.

Semi-autos fall into 2 camps - gas operated Beretta, Remington, etc / and inertia operated ( Benelli, etc). Lots of pros and cons / I like the inertia gun - shoots cleaner. But lots of good entry level semi-autos out there like the Beretta 390/ 391's for under $ 1,000. Benelli makes a nice gun / some with comfort tech recoil supression system in them / Benelli super sport is a nice model but retails in $ 1800 range now. Lots of good used semi-autos out there too / if you know what you're looking at ( like Rem 1100's, etc ).

O/U's - break open guns. Most of the O/U's worth keeping long term ( shooting over 10,000 shells ) are the B guns ( Beretta and Browning ). Their entry level guns used are around $ 1,250 / new $ 1750. I would not recommend an O/U as a primary gun right away / although they are my primary hunting, sporting clays guns - and I'm a Browning guy, I like the Citori, XS Skeet model, 30" barrels in 12, 20, 28ga and .410 - but that's a $ 3,000 gun new.

Tactical shotguns / lots of them out there - Benelli M-4 is a nice gun / Rem 870 has kind of been the go-to tactical weapon for a long time / Mossberg is doing some decent things .... lot of options / you can hang all kinds of stuff off them / if you want. It isn't that I don't think they're effective / they are - but so is a good 1911 ...

If $ 500 is you budget limit - stay with the pump guns.
If you can go to $1,000 - look at semi-autos.
If you can go to $3,000 - look at some O/U's.

To me, each action type has its place / use. I use and like all 3 / but I use my O/U's a lot more than my semi-autos or pump guns. The key is practice / I shoot clays weekly / practice courses of fire with my 1911's weekly as well.
 
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a 20 gauge can, and often does, have greater recoil than a 12 gauge because the gun is lighter.

What's the intended use - just HD? or will you be shooting lots of targets?? hunting?? Makes a difference which way to go. No matter which style of gun you choose, it will need to fit. If she is small and slight of stature, a youth/ladies stock can be had for a variety of shotguns.

If it is mostly targets and upland hunting, I'd opt for an over/under first, semi second

If it is mostly for HD, I'd opt for a good pump or semi first, o/u or SxS second

If it is mostly for waterfowl hunting, I'd opt for a semi first, pump or O/U second.

JMO, YMMV


There are 3 action types of shotguns:
Click to expand...
you forgot side by sides and single shots
 
my apology OneOunce ( I edited my note ) ......... but I left out the Bolt Action 16ga I've had for 50 some years too ....

but only us old guys care ....
 
Forgot about those....don't forget the old marlin Goose Gun - bolt action, 34' barrels, weighed a ton and a half!.....:D

While I appreciate the new folks asking questions, (the main reason these places exist), it is easier to try and help when you know the intended use.

Shotguns are, IMO, the type of gun that can be used for such a wide variety of scenarios - more so than other long arms or even short ones........probably why I like them so much

and BigJim - don't let momma catch you with your arm out of that sling! :eek:
 
a well designed 12 ga semi-automatic is both reliable and has a soft kick due to the gas piston operation.

I recommend, the benelli m4. its the softest 12 gauge i ever shot. downside, its very heavy
 
Doing good today guys - thanks .... ( where he repaired the bicep tear, it hurts like heck - he went into armpit area to reattach it somehow ... / the rotator cuff seems good / bone spurs being gone - seems to help a lot ..).

Overall, I have way less pain than before I had surgery last week - and its only been 9 days ...

She's already caught me today ...... she's threatening to quit feeding me / making me dress myself ( now that's a mean woman ..). So the sling is back on .... and typing a note takes me forever ... but there is peace in the office...
 
Greetings 27Veer, and welcome aboard,

Your question "Which direction should I go in shotguns?" is quite common in our little corner of the web. And, as frequently happens, you don't give us a clue what you want to do with your shotgun, should you get one. Shotguns are designed to do such a wide variety of tasks, that there is none that will do everything reasonably. One with the absolute minimum length for shooting geese is going to be way too long for home defense (HD).

I like BigJIm's approach about getting an all purpose 12-ga hunting and sporting gun. And, like Jim, a shotgun doesn't fit into my primary HD scenario. Oneounceload's summary of what guns for what tasks is good food for thought.

Since both you and your wife are comfortable with the 1911, you may not consider a shotgun for HD. In Las Cruces for shotgun hunting, you'll probably be likely to be going after rabbits and quail instead of ducks and deer. A general purpose gun like BigJim mentioned would work well in your area.

For those plagued with indecision, gun manufacturers offer what are called combo guns, a gun with a spare barrel. They can be a general purpose gun with a HD barrel or bird gun with a deer slug barrel. Generally extra barrels for popular pumps and auto-loaders are inexpensive and readily available. Adding a barrel to an O/U can be costly and require a gunsmith's services.

Before you decide on a specific gun, try to shoot as many different ones as possible. You mentioned that your wife is smallish, a gun that fits one of you may not fit the other.
 
Thank you all, by Hispanic I just meant that her Dad and Brothers are hunters and she isn't afraid of weapons.
I'm thinking of a 20 gauge 870.
 
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