Recoil Question

S

SteelChickenShooter

New member
I'm not seeing the accuracy I expected out of my H&R Ultra 20ga single shot trying to dial in sabots for deer this season. I doubt my ability to take a deer at 150 or 200 yards like I intended. A zeroing session begins fine, but the more I shoot the worse I get. I've failed to take a long distance shot because I'm so bad at 100 yards. Kicks pretty hard. I noticed when shooting trap that guys with autoloaders don't get so much kick at all. Granted we were shooting low brass trap loads- but still, the autoloaders appeared easier on the shoulder. Would the same be true if I were to buy an autoloader for sabot type slugs? Maybe if I wasn't getting kicked like a mule I'd be able to shoot it more accurately. The ballistic charts and the makers info for the slugs I'm using suggest 150 to 200 yards should be Ok. Maybe I could get that with a different gun, but I seriously doubt I can do that with my present single shot. Deer hunters, shotgun shooters, muzzle blasters, please share your experience along this line.
 
Take a break, don't shoot so many at one time and you wont flinch so much.
Light shotguns shooting slugs kill on both ends.
Once you find the ammo it wants and get her sighted in, it'll be fine, you will not notice any recoil during the hunt!!
 
Spend the money and get the semi-auto, you won't regret it. The difference in felt recoil is huge and there is no reason to punish yourself, plus it can lead to very bad shooting habits.
 
A combination of a horrible stock design and a lightweight single shot gun will multiply recoil. Break action guns are among the least accurate as well.
 
Is a shotgun required for deer hunting where you live or are you just trying to go the cheapest route possible?

Single shot shotguns are the worst for transmitting recoil - too light, stock fits no one and coupled with a heavy payload -as mentioned above - hurt on both ends.

A gas gun will weigh more - that will reduce actual recoil
The gas action will slow the recoil pulse - that will reduce the perceived recoil
 
Another point is your anticipated range, you may be overly optimistic. What kind of groups are you serious slugsters getting at 200-yards? What guns and loads?
 
and Zippy said ...." , you may be overly optimistic. What kind of groups are you serious slugsters getting at 200-yards? What guns and loads? "...

or with a 30-06 for that matter...unless you're using a scope ...
 
Punish Myself?

I think there is some truth to that and that could be a big part of my inaccuracy. Apart from this forum, I've also been talking with the guys and they seem to agree with what has been said here. I'm inclined to pop for the gas operated autoloader. I've wasted $100 in ammo and today would have been the fourth attempt to zero it if I would have gone. I opted to cut my losses, let the bruises heal and research the autoloader option instead.
One thing about my hold if you guys can critique it: I tend to pull hard back and down in what I think is an attempt to secure the gun on the sandbag when it goes off. Would I do better if I did not do this? I mean just rest the forend on the bag, support it at the rear on target and let her rip? With no hold on the forend holding it down and tight to the shoulder at all?
Thanks for helping.
 
Beating yourself up - with any shotgun - is counterproductive to shooting it accurately - whether we're talking about slugs or in Trap or Skeet.

Bruising and getting beat up - are a big indication / that you have some fundamental flaws in mounting the gun and/or it doesn't "Fit" you very well. Because shotguns don't have a rear sight / when we mount a shotgun - our eye becomes the rear sight ...so the concept of "Fit" is making sure the gun hits where you look. You have to get "fit" figured out - so this gun does not bruise you ...or you will be flinching so bad ...you'll have trouble hitting a 10' by 10' barn door consistently ...

There is nothing inherently bad or inaccurate in a break open single shot shotgun. If you sandbag / ransom rest the gun - barring any wind or weather effects - any deviation you see in the grouping is probably a function of the ammo you've selected. Trying to sight a gun in at 200 yds - is pretty difficult. I would sight it in at 50 yds / or maybe 100 yds....then shoot for a group at 125 yrds, and 150yds and 175 and then 200 yds ...to figure out how much drop I got at each longer range...so I could figure out the elevation. Eyesight is a big factor ...some guys have the eyes of an eagle ...and some of us are as blind as a buffalo ...with me being more the buffalo ...

I don't know what range you expect to kill a deer at ....and like I said, I think your issues are ammo related ...or fit related --- and you're flinching / and you can't flinch and sight in a shotgun or rifle very well. But bench resting a rifle on a sandbag - ought to work fine ( as long as you are consistent on the trigger breaking ).

I suggest you try and borrow a gas operated semi-auto -- and give it a try and see how you do with it - before you invest in another gun / because it may not help.

If you have a buddy with some experience in shooting slugs at this range - ask him or her to shoot the gun for you and see what they think.
 
Being a wimp, here's what I do for shotgun recoil:
Add weight to the gun, like filling the stock with lead.
Add padding to the gun with a thick and spongy recoil pad.
Add padding to me, with a good and thick recoil shoulder piece.
I even add a piece of gel under that.
( I said I was a wimp, didn't I?)
Shooting off the bench hurts worse than when standing, so raise the support, off the bench, so you are upright, instead of leaning way over the gun.
Try the isometric technique where, with the right hand, pull the gun solidly and firmly against the shoulder pocket.
And with the support hand, push forward at the fore end as the trigger is pulled.
Kind of like what pistol shooters do, pushing the gun forward to counter recoil.
This combination should help and allow you to keep your present shooter.
If not, this all works even better with a gas operated gun.
 
I have a 870 with rifled barrel in 3" mag, shooting it at paper is NO fun.
She shoots deer very well though and I don't even notice the boom.
When you shoot from a bench it's gonna hurt, you have to take it, don't bunch up either or you wont be able to group very well.
Just relax hold it like it's any other rifle and shoot, take the punch, shoot maybe one or two more times and then stop for the day. If you do this a few times you will get her sighted in where the slug will go when you are hunting, otherwise she will never be right.:)
I wouldn't let that gun get too me, I'd show her who's master no matter what.
Bruises don't last long anyway:D
 
IMHO shooting ANY slug gun off a bench as if it were a rifle is just begging for a flinch to set in. Hunching over the gun at the bench is going to magnify recoil, and even if the gun fits you, if the bench isn't a good fit it'll be pretty brutal. I know you need to isolate the gun from the shooter's wabbles and weebles as much as possible when zeroing, but there are better ways to do it. Look into a Lead Sled ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1M9HH3J7DYZFJNTKR8YQ ) for example. If you are satisfied with the gun you have in other respects, once you get it zeroed to your satisfaction I doubt you'll be shooting it enough in the field for recoil to be a problem. And if you're like most of us, you won't know there was recoil when you squeeze the trigger with a buck in the crosshairs anyway.

And I bet the little 20 will carry better afield than most anything else...

fwiw,

lpl
 
Either the published specs for your 20 gauge are wrong or a number of folks believe 8 pounds is a light weight gun.

I've done this before and it worked good enough to get a scoped dialed in. Simply take a sand bag (I use 25# shot bags filled with playbox sand) and place it between you and the shotgun. Granted, your length of pull with be off but shooting from a bench, you should be able to compensate for it. The felt recoil should be notably reduced. (it was for me)
 
I get the impression that a lot of people have outdated notions of what H&R/NEF shotguns are like and don't realize that A) many of them are fairly heavy and B) they come with a variety of stocks that fit better than they once did.

Do you have an "ultra slug hunter" or "ultra light slug hunter?" The ultra slug hunter is listed at 8-9 pounds which is actually heavier than most hunting shotguns. A gas auto would still help, but if it's a choice of a 7-lb. auto or a 9 pound single shot, the difference may not be significant.

Now if you have the ultra light slug hunter (listed at 5 1/4 lbs.) then you should definitely consider something else.

Lastly, I would personally be happy with any slug gun that allowed me to take deer out to 150 yards. I think 200 would be a real stretch.
 
I get the impression that a lot of people have outdated notions of what H&R/NEF shotguns are like and don't realize that A) many of them are fairly heavy and B) they come with a variety of stocks that fit better than they once did.​
Glad to hear they are making better single shots. You're correct, my first thought was based on old experiences: a lightweight single shot with a fence board stock. As my friend, 1-oz, aptly said about typical single shots -- "hurt on both ends."
 
Those guns have very shallow rifling that doesnt engage some sabots well. I helped a friend fight the same battle. None of the newer space age sabots shot well. What we finally got to shoot extremely well was Brenneke's and Remington Buck Hammers. We were shooting 2" groups at 100 yds off the bench. They are great little slug guns for the money, they just take some work to get to shoot correctly. And yes, they do kick a bit, no way around that.
 
"shallow rifling"

Well now this is an interesting post. This concept of "shallow rifling" and not engaging these premium modern sabots well. I'll have to learn more about that. Granted it could be an important variable. I might be able to shop for a different shotgun that does not have have shallow rifling. And if it proves to be true, I may very well end up with my expected accuracy. Lets grow and expand this thread to see what we can learn about this rifling question. How can you tell? I suppose just look into the bore with a light and try to keep a mental image of what I see regarding lands and grooves, then compare that to others as I browse shotguns. But browse what? Let's begin with these other shotguns as possible choices: Remington 11-87 deer gun, Savage model 220, bolt action, rifled barrel 20 ga., Remington 870 20ga deer gun.
Browning A-Bolt, 12 ga deer gun. Others as you guys may suggest.
 
Your gun will shoot fine once you find the slug it likes. In fact I'll wager it will shoot as well as the bolt guns you've listed and outshoot the pumps and semi autos. I'd try the Buckhammers and Brennekes before I bought another gun. A slip on Simms pad will help with recoil as well.
 
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