This came up on another thread, and we haven't kicked this one around for a while, so...
Here's my biased and non scientific opinions. I will certainly get some dissent, and maybe some new ideas. Thanks in advance...
Back in the days when there was a good nickel cigar, well off shotgunners often owned two doubles.
One was a heavy 12,10 or 8 gauge of ponderous swing,used for waterfowl and heavy buck loads for deer, bear and hogs. Most of these ran 8 to 12 lbs.
The other was often a 16 gauge, sometimes a light 12,sometimes a 20, for upland game. It was light, swung like Zorro's rapier, and used 7/8 to 1 1/8 oz of shot. In the Deep South, it was more often a 20 and sometimes a 28 for quail.
The difference was in mission.The goose howitzers shot up to 1 3/4 oz or so of big shot,got carried little, and shot a lot in those golden times. Limits were often what the boat or wagon would hold.
OTOH,upland guns were toted hither and yon, often through thick brush, and were shot relatively little for each mile of travel. And, their chosen quarry didn't need a teacup full of 2s to fold them.
So the dichotomy started, and has gotten worse with time.
Today, it's not so clear cut. Many times the modern shotgunner has ONE shotgun, and expects it to do the full gamut of what a shotgun can do.And, like any other compromise, it won't do any specialized job as well as a dedicated tool will.
So here's my opinions on how much a shotgun should weigh when used for a particular purpose, which often means when used with a particular load.
And, I'll TRY to keep it objective. So here goes...
Going from lightest to heaviest.
The lightest shotguns are the subgauges, and larger bore single shots. These can be a joy to tote, pure H*ll to shoot, and hard to shoot well.
The little 410 and 28 gauges can be had in nice shotguns that weigh 4-5 lbs. These tote like walking sticks, have little kick, but are hard to keep moving when swung.
A friend had a 28 gauge H&H that cost more than my newest vehicle, was a joy to behold, and took work to make it work. He also had a 20 gauge Darne
that weighed well under 6 lbs, and often said that he shot them well only when he shot them only. Going to a heavier gun meant missing behind with the little ones for lack of inertia. When we hear the small bores called "Expert's" shotguns, this is why.
The big bore singles carry well, but can be gross violations of the Rule of 96. The Brits thought this one up, and it means that a shotgun should weigh 96 times the charge weight.IOW, a shotgun using a 1 oz charge should weigh 96 oz, or 6 lbs.
More than that, you're carrying excess weight. Much less, you've getting pounded with too much kick.
By and large, it's a good rule of thumb. Choose the right load for the mission, then pick a shotgun of appropriate weight.
The big bore singles often run way less than 96:1, and can kick like heck.Son's NEF runs 5 lbs, 9 oz, and yes, it has a 3 inch chamber.3" Mags? Not on a bet...
The H&R 16 that was both Pop's and my first shotgun was similar to that NEF, but had a more sensible 2 3/4" chamber. It still killed at one end and crippled at the other, and I had a flinch by my 14th B-day.
The good news is that these singles carry like a dream, and when used properly with good form, are deadly in experienced hands.
Next up, upland doubles and repeaters. Since there's little in the uplands that 1 1/4 oz won't crumple when placed correctly(and often an oz will do just as well) an upland shotgun of no more than 7 lbs is quite acceptable. And, this weight can be carried quite a ways by most folks w/o taking a beating each shot. Something like a Mossie 500 will work very well, with its alloy receiver keeping the weight down a hair.
Remington's Special Field 870s and 1100s are an attempt to duplicate the weight of a good upland double. They still run close to the limit, tho. An Ithaca 37 comes closer to this ideal.
Except for active and fit individuals who are stronger than average, a good practical limit for an upland gun is about 7 lbs. Minimum weight, SWEG, 6 lbs before getting into recoil issues and inertia.
Now we're getting into the high end when it comes to weight. Here are the gamer guns, the heavy upland "North Dakota/Spooky wild Ringneck/ Full Choke" guns and the waterfowlers. If you're wondering why I split the weights this way, you've probably never seen a wild ringneck slammed with a full 1 1/4 oz of 4s hard enough to puff lots of feathers, drop in front of a good running pointer and still get lost. Ringnecks in the wild can soak up hits like Marciano and run like the wind. A wild ringneck is to a preserve pheasant as a Tom Turkey with a 9 inch beard is to a Thanksgiving dinner. They share some DNA but that's about all they do.
As for the gamer guns, dedicated clay shooters of any persuasion go for over 8 lb guns for the most part. Light loads are the rule, but these shooters shoot a lot, up to a coupla hundred rounds a day.
So, a heavier shotgun reduces the FELT recoil, and adds a bit of inertia to the swing.
Next up, the waterfowlers. These have to deliver a massive payload, oft at longer distances, and use the big pellets in max weight and speed.
I'd go with a 7 1/2 lb duck gun, but would prefer 8. For big geese(and bigger loads), add another 8 oz or more.10 gauge, run it up to 10 lbs or even more.
What this means is that those newer 3 1/2 mags are not quite as heavy as they should be.Or, the shells are too big for the gun, you pick.
Special purpose shotguns should run heavy, because they tend to use heavy loads. Minor exception, turkey guns. They get hauled greater distances and are not shot a lot.
"Serious" shotguns should also run heavy, for recoil control and rapid re-acquisition of the target. And by heavy, they still HAVE to be manageable by the smallest adult that may need to use them. And sized to fit. I used my HD 870 with it's close to 9 1/2 lbs weight as a training aid for rookies, the tradeoff of heavier weight for less kick was all some of them needed to get over a mental barrier.Some still had probs with the stock, but some did better.
That's it, hope you wore your hip boots....
Here's my biased and non scientific opinions. I will certainly get some dissent, and maybe some new ideas. Thanks in advance...
Back in the days when there was a good nickel cigar, well off shotgunners often owned two doubles.
One was a heavy 12,10 or 8 gauge of ponderous swing,used for waterfowl and heavy buck loads for deer, bear and hogs. Most of these ran 8 to 12 lbs.
The other was often a 16 gauge, sometimes a light 12,sometimes a 20, for upland game. It was light, swung like Zorro's rapier, and used 7/8 to 1 1/8 oz of shot. In the Deep South, it was more often a 20 and sometimes a 28 for quail.
The difference was in mission.The goose howitzers shot up to 1 3/4 oz or so of big shot,got carried little, and shot a lot in those golden times. Limits were often what the boat or wagon would hold.
OTOH,upland guns were toted hither and yon, often through thick brush, and were shot relatively little for each mile of travel. And, their chosen quarry didn't need a teacup full of 2s to fold them.
So the dichotomy started, and has gotten worse with time.
Today, it's not so clear cut. Many times the modern shotgunner has ONE shotgun, and expects it to do the full gamut of what a shotgun can do.And, like any other compromise, it won't do any specialized job as well as a dedicated tool will.
So here's my opinions on how much a shotgun should weigh when used for a particular purpose, which often means when used with a particular load.
And, I'll TRY to keep it objective. So here goes...
Going from lightest to heaviest.
The lightest shotguns are the subgauges, and larger bore single shots. These can be a joy to tote, pure H*ll to shoot, and hard to shoot well.
The little 410 and 28 gauges can be had in nice shotguns that weigh 4-5 lbs. These tote like walking sticks, have little kick, but are hard to keep moving when swung.
A friend had a 28 gauge H&H that cost more than my newest vehicle, was a joy to behold, and took work to make it work. He also had a 20 gauge Darne
that weighed well under 6 lbs, and often said that he shot them well only when he shot them only. Going to a heavier gun meant missing behind with the little ones for lack of inertia. When we hear the small bores called "Expert's" shotguns, this is why.
The big bore singles carry well, but can be gross violations of the Rule of 96. The Brits thought this one up, and it means that a shotgun should weigh 96 times the charge weight.IOW, a shotgun using a 1 oz charge should weigh 96 oz, or 6 lbs.
More than that, you're carrying excess weight. Much less, you've getting pounded with too much kick.
By and large, it's a good rule of thumb. Choose the right load for the mission, then pick a shotgun of appropriate weight.
The big bore singles often run way less than 96:1, and can kick like heck.Son's NEF runs 5 lbs, 9 oz, and yes, it has a 3 inch chamber.3" Mags? Not on a bet...
The H&R 16 that was both Pop's and my first shotgun was similar to that NEF, but had a more sensible 2 3/4" chamber. It still killed at one end and crippled at the other, and I had a flinch by my 14th B-day.
The good news is that these singles carry like a dream, and when used properly with good form, are deadly in experienced hands.
Next up, upland doubles and repeaters. Since there's little in the uplands that 1 1/4 oz won't crumple when placed correctly(and often an oz will do just as well) an upland shotgun of no more than 7 lbs is quite acceptable. And, this weight can be carried quite a ways by most folks w/o taking a beating each shot. Something like a Mossie 500 will work very well, with its alloy receiver keeping the weight down a hair.
Remington's Special Field 870s and 1100s are an attempt to duplicate the weight of a good upland double. They still run close to the limit, tho. An Ithaca 37 comes closer to this ideal.
Except for active and fit individuals who are stronger than average, a good practical limit for an upland gun is about 7 lbs. Minimum weight, SWEG, 6 lbs before getting into recoil issues and inertia.
Now we're getting into the high end when it comes to weight. Here are the gamer guns, the heavy upland "North Dakota/Spooky wild Ringneck/ Full Choke" guns and the waterfowlers. If you're wondering why I split the weights this way, you've probably never seen a wild ringneck slammed with a full 1 1/4 oz of 4s hard enough to puff lots of feathers, drop in front of a good running pointer and still get lost. Ringnecks in the wild can soak up hits like Marciano and run like the wind. A wild ringneck is to a preserve pheasant as a Tom Turkey with a 9 inch beard is to a Thanksgiving dinner. They share some DNA but that's about all they do.
As for the gamer guns, dedicated clay shooters of any persuasion go for over 8 lb guns for the most part. Light loads are the rule, but these shooters shoot a lot, up to a coupla hundred rounds a day.
So, a heavier shotgun reduces the FELT recoil, and adds a bit of inertia to the swing.
Next up, the waterfowlers. These have to deliver a massive payload, oft at longer distances, and use the big pellets in max weight and speed.
I'd go with a 7 1/2 lb duck gun, but would prefer 8. For big geese(and bigger loads), add another 8 oz or more.10 gauge, run it up to 10 lbs or even more.
What this means is that those newer 3 1/2 mags are not quite as heavy as they should be.Or, the shells are too big for the gun, you pick.
Special purpose shotguns should run heavy, because they tend to use heavy loads. Minor exception, turkey guns. They get hauled greater distances and are not shot a lot.
"Serious" shotguns should also run heavy, for recoil control and rapid re-acquisition of the target. And by heavy, they still HAVE to be manageable by the smallest adult that may need to use them. And sized to fit. I used my HD 870 with it's close to 9 1/2 lbs weight as a training aid for rookies, the tradeoff of heavier weight for less kick was all some of them needed to get over a mental barrier.Some still had probs with the stock, but some did better.
That's it, hope you wore your hip boots....
My next foray into scatter guns came when I bought a 12 ga Stoeger Coach gun. Shooting that was more of the same, only double since it has 2 barrels. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I finally went back, bought a Rem 870 AND tried some light target loads that it became fun. At the time I bought the 870, I was still a bit unsure,,,so,,,being a lefty, I passed on the left hand model and bought a right hand model,,my thinking was that if I didn't like it, the right hand would be easier to dump. Turns out, the 870 has a better fit and my concerns didn't materialize. When I bought the 870, I also picked up a used BPS in 20 ga. Both have turned out to be fairly comfortable to shoot, even with heavier loads.