Need some advice for a shotgun for my fiance

M

marine6680

New member
My fiance wants to try clay shooting. Nothing big, just informal shooting at a local range. So no need for a high end gun... Just reliable and good value. Around $500 or so, maybe more.


Some info:

She likes a lighter gun. We tried a few, and the lighter ones were the ones she prefered. She also liked a thinner grip area, as it fit her hand better.

She shot my old winchester pump in 12ga using target loads, and did not like it. The recoil was the problem, but it is a wood stock with a pastic but pad, not the best combo for shooting comfort.

She has shot an AR in .308 and the recoil was fine, she has also shot a G3 and didn't mind the recoil. So if we can get a shotgun that recoils no more than that, I think she will be happy.


I was thinking of getting her a 20ga, for the lower recoil. I am a little worried that the ammo selection is not as wide as 12ga.

I was also thinking a semi will be better for recoil as well.

If a 12ga can be had that will soak up recoil, then that is an option.


We looked at a Benelli Montefeltro, that she liked a lot... but it was a grand for a basic model.
A Franchi, she liked it ok. I was about $750.
An 870 pump in 20ga, she also liked it ok. It was about $375 I think
A Tristar G2, she liked this one a lot, about as much as the Benelli. Very similar in feel to the Benelli. It was $470

They had, but we didn't look at, a Stoeger, They are about $500.

The Benelli, Franchi, and Stoeger all use the Inertia system. The Tristar is gas operated.

I am concerned about the oring in the gas system of the Tristar... I know a few other makes use them, seems like they might wear out quickly. Should I be worried about that?


So, is a 20ga a good choice, or is 12ga better? Can the 12ga semis with a good but pad tame the recoil?

Any barrel length I should look at? Some of the models she liked best, the shorter stocked "youth/compact" was her preference, the Benelli and Tristar were standard stocked though, and still her favorites. Length of pull was better she felt.


Thanks
 
Take a look at the Benelli line and find one she likes in 12 ga with the Flex Tech stock. It cuts close to 40% of the recoil. I have the same stock on a TC Encore 12 ga slug gun. It meets the claim for recoil reduction. One of my hunting buddies has a Benelli with the Flex Tech stock, shot it with 3 1/2" shells and it felt like 2 3/4" reduced recoil loads.
 
A gas semi auto will be the softest shooting. Hard to beat a Remington 1100 LT 20. In your price range used in very good shape, not too heavy, and soft on the shoulder. If you need a shorter length of pull, they have youth stocks available too. No way an inertia gun will shoot as soft. There are some lighter 20s, but they don't have that steel action sleeve that really soaks up recoil.
 
The only Benellis I seen with that stock at a resonable price is a Nova pump model
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If she likes the feel of a Nova, it will make 12 ga loads easy for her to shoot. The semi-auto guns you are looking at don't come close to reducing recoil half as much as the Flex Tech stock. And a Nova is higher quality than a Rem. 870.

Other options are thick soft recoil pads. Limbsaver has some good ones.
 
I will look at the Nova then.

If she likes a pump, then that may work.


It really comes down to getting recoil to a level she is comfortable with.
 
They make nice stuff... but so do others.


So long as it works for her, I'm not brand particular. Price is the main thing, this is going to be a low use gun for occasional time at the range. If the price is right, and the quality is good, then that is what we want. A cheap gun that breaks or runs poorly is no good... A mid priced gun that runs well, though maybe not as smoothly as the high end guns... that will work
 
I see the Benelli Kool-Aid is still about
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If the model he mentioned was a Wingmaster or American Classic I would spit the Koolaid out and agree with you and PetahW. However at a price of $375 he was obviously looking at an Express. The name on the tag is not the only measure of quality.
I have only know a very few ladies I didn't like enough to start them with a 12 gauge pump gun - from anybody
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So...just wondering...what action type is more lady like. And why.

I start many beginners off with a pump, many of them are ladies.
 
We have looked at several, we have a few more to look at before we make a choice.


I am less worried about availability ammo for 20ga now, went and looked around and found plenty, even in other than basic target and game.


A gas operated is looking like the way to go so far. One with a good recoil pad as well. Still not set on a 20ga yet, a good 12ga will work if it will fit right.
 
Hard to beat a Remington 1100 LT 20. In your price range used in very good shape, not too heavy, and soft on the shoulder.
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Where do you gents back east find these used Lt 20s?? I have seen one for sale in a shop in about four years...
 
In my opinion, a gas operated 20 gauge semi is far friendlier on the ladies. A Remington LT20 is not as light as some, but it shoots as soft as you can get.
Anytime one is looking for a particular gun, I recommend GunBroker, GunsAmerica, or GunsInternational. You can burn up a lot of gas looking at gun shows and shops and still not find what you are looking for. I think my last 10 or so guns have come long distance.
 
I know a gun shop owner, he lets me know if he gets things in I am looking for, he has used as well. He is a little far out to just stop in though, so knowing what he has helps.

I'm usually at one of the gun stores close by on weekends, so no big deal there.

I don't go hunting down gun shows, but when they are close I like to stop in.

All this is for fun on top of the search, so I don't feel I wasted time.


But if I know something is hard to find, or is significantly cheaper online, I definitely check there.
 
Yes, a gas operated semi-auto ...will probably be your best bet. You need to find the right combination of length, weight, barrel length to suit her. What suits her will depend on how long her arms are and how much upper body strength she has ...
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Browning....makes an entry level priced gun / in their Silver series of gas operated 12ga and 20ga models...

Silver Hunter model is versatile ...and a good buy / in my area, they sell new for around $ 900 - $1,000.

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?fid=020B&cid=011&tid=350

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Beretta is another choice on gas operated semi-autos...

this is one of their more affordable guns....

http://www.berettausa.com/products/beretta-a300-synthetic-12ga-28-mc3/
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Stay away from fixed breech guns ...like pumps and Over Unders...they will increase the felt recoil significantly. Weight is your friend in terms of reducing recoil...and while the 7/8 oz of shot is the traditional load for a 20ga...there are a lot of 12ga loads around in 7/8 oz as well ...and keep the shells at 1200 fps or less...look for light recoil ( 1150 fps as an example)...and she'll be fine. 1 lb difference in terms of weight of the gun - with a given shell - will reduce the recoil about 15%...( so adding a pound to a gun / picking a 12ga over a 20ga - if you can use the same shell ( same charge weight, same velocity ) like 7/8 oz at 1200 fps...in a 12ga that weighs a pound more than a 20ga will give you about 15% less recoil for that same shell ( you can't shoot a 20ga shell in a 12ga / but you can shoot the same charge weight /same velocity ). A lot of us, on our 12ga guns have even gone down to 3/4 oz of shot at 1200 fps ..( like a typical 28ga load )...especially if we reload for the 12ga.

If you go with a used gun ....make sure it has changeable screw in chokes ...so its versatile.

There are a lot of 20ga used guns out there....Remington 11-87's, Remington 1100's, some of the older Beretta models...but you need to know what you're buying so you can inspect and maybe repair ....

In the semi-auto gas gun world....at a reasonable price...I'd stick with either Browning or Beretta / both will give you a lot of gun for the money. A lot of the other entry level priced guns...have very mixed reviews...some are ok / some aren't --- and you can't tell by looking at them.

I'd also stay away from Benelli --- they're all Inertia guns / but unless you can afford to go with a model that is a synthetic stock and it has the "Comfort Tech" system in it, like the Super Sport model, in a 20ga ( they retail for about $ 1,900 in my area )...or unless you find a used one ...its not your best option. They are fine guns ..they're light /shoot clean / very reliable...( I have the SuperSport in both 12ga and 20ga -- and my younger teenage grandkids(boys and girls) like shooting them / 20ga is about 6.2 lbs.../ 12ga with a 30" barrel is about 7.2 lbs...)...but unless you find a used one / $2K is probably too much for a first gun.
 
Having extra guns.....for the grandkids to shoot.....has put a lot of extra guns in my safe over the years....of course I keep them here....for all the kids to use( or for me to use )... / not give them to the kids

( same with you / if you want, for your fiancée)....a good gas gun is never a terrible idea.../ gas guns take a little more maintenance than Inertia guns, but its not that big a deal.
 
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