Rem 1100 for clays???

T

Tony S45

New member
Need your collective advise. I'm recoil sensitive because of arthritis. What is the lightest over the counter 12g shell ( dove load? target load?) that I can buy that will reliably cycle a Rem 1100? The gun I have my eye on has a fixed Im Cyl.

What else can I do to this gun to lighten the remaining recoil?
 
Something like a 1 oz, 2 3/4 dram load should function in an 1100, but YMMV.

If physical exigencies force one to reduce recoil extensively, I suggest, more or less in this order.

Make sure the stock fits.

Use a premium pad like a Decellerator.

Use a wearable pad, the PAST is excellent. Browning has a vest that takes a gel type pad also.

Use a gas gun. You're doing that.

Lighten the load. You're doing that.

Bring the gun weight up. Research the Archives here, there's various ways to do this. Some of the weight can be spring mounted in the magazine tube, or even the butt stock.Obviously, this approach has limits. I can use a 10 lb trap gun, but it'd be a disaster at Sporting.

Go in for the expensive stuff, Over/backboring, longer forcing cone, porting. Each one drops the kick a percent or two, together they may provide an appreciable reduction.

Hope this helps....
 
Thanks Dave--

Will try all of the above in your order! I refuse to allow advancing age to stand in my way of shooting. Handguns are still OK but a pump 12g really can be a problem.

Of course once I get my new/used Rem 1100 auto up to par, the next step will be to work on my skills. Had to conquer the recoil flinch first!
 
Rem 1100

While I agree with Dave on light loads in general , I , respectfully,
disagree in that I believe a recreational shooter is not gonna get any noticeable "felt" recoil reduction beyond light loads and a good recoil pad ; longer forcing cones may inprove pattern because of reduced pellet deformation ; overboring will reduce velocity slightly unless you reload and boost the powder charge ; porting can reduce muzzle lift , and increase noise , but you you won't feel less recoil .

The basic 1100 is a relatively soft shooting gun , add some weight
in the stock if you can handle the additional mass and the resultant change in ballance .

Use any money you might spend for "upgrades" on more practice
a good "fitting" and some instruction .
 
You could always get an 1100 in 20 gauge or even .410...I occasionally see a kid at my local range who shoots skeet with his .410 Rem 1100 and he does extremely well.
 
Hawk....

Both Brister and Zutz report overboring doesn't lower velocities, in some cases it goes up a little.

I put that list in that order becasue the first things are not only the most effective, but the best return for the money expended. Exception, the extra weight added to my 870 cost probably $1.

While porting,etc do not drop the kick a noticeable amount, they do drop it. Added in with other things, it may make a difference.

The shotguns I've had the cones done on pattern better with coarse shot. I'm not too sure it'll work the same way with fine shot,which is why my TB hasn't had it done yet, if ever.
 
Thanks for the info.

Hmmm. Bamf brings up a good point about a 20g. What would I loose going from 12g to 20g? Next question is this--are their any softer shooting semi's than a Rem 1100?? My local dealer says no but what do you guys say??
 
Tony,
I would say that your dealer is right. The Rem. 1100 is reputed to be the lightest recoiling semi-auto on the market with a given load. You can try the 20ga. but most 20s are built lighter so that the recoil issue is pretty much a wash between the two. The more weight the gun has the more recoil it will soak up. There are several brand of recoil reducers on the market that mount in the stock, the magazine tube and replace the forearm nut. You might look into one of these.

I would buy the gun and try it out for a while. Then try some light loads, Recoil pad, and recoil reducers in that order. Don't forget to make sure that the gun fits you.

Chuck Gaber
 
I have a 12ga 11/87 I use for clays, and my buddy has a 20ga Browning autoloader. We've decided we can't really tell the difference in recoil at all. We're both pretty new to shooting, though. So take it for what its worth.
 
I shoot trap with an 1100. I have gone back to it after flings with pumps, O/Us, single barrels, and other autos. Because it has less recoil. Its qualities include gas operation, weight, and stock fit. I think the 1100's gas system is more effective in softening recoil - Beretta fans are free to disagree. Remingtons are pretty heavy and you can always add weight, up to the most you can handle for a round or an event. I think plain weights added to butt or mag tube are as effective as the various gimmick recoil reducers. I am comfortable with the factory stock plus a thicker recoil pad to add a little length. I now have one of those angle adjustable butt plates, but don't think it makes a whole lot of difference. You might need that, and/or an adjustable comb if your build differs from me and the guy who designed the stock.

I could not tell any difference in recoil from lengthened forcing cones. I have not shot a strongly overbored gun. I think barrel porting is worthwhile.

Ammunition can matter. Discount house dove & quail loads are down to 7/8 oz of shot, with cheap wads and a 3 1/4 de load of fast burning powder to try to function autos in spite of the light shot load. Powder is cheaper than lead. They are loud, hard kicking and pattern poorly. Extra-Lite target loads, 2 3/4 de 1 oz of shot, will probably function a clean 1100 and have harder shot, softer wads and more progressive powder. Recoil is a bit less, patterns are better, and the hulls are better for reloading.
 
Some good points, Jim.

This is where the modest expense and effort of getting a reloading setup pays off big time. One of my trap picks is around 1100 FPS, doesn't kick much at all in my 870s and packs a full oz of 8 1/2 shot. I worked down to a 3/4 oz, 1150 FPS load for Son, talk about cream puffs!

Tony, with a MEC 600 or similar, you could tailor a load that shoots nice and tight for trap with excellent patterns but light on velocity. An 1100 FPS load has about 2/3 the free recoil of a 1250 FPS laod, if my mental math is accurate. Drop the payload to 7/8 oz, less than half the kick of a standard trap load. And 7/8 oz will not smoke them like a heavy laod, but will bust them pretty well.
 
Just follow a logical order and try the gun after each modification.

I too stepped down from a 12 guage to a 20 due to shoulder related problems. I quickly learned the truth that because of the smaller size and lighter weight, the perceived recoil is almost identical. BUT!!!! The 20 guage was easy to fit to me as I am a smaller statured person anyway. I bought a LEE load all and now have a winning recipe that consistently busts clays, cycles 100% of the time, and has less perceived recoil than factory target loads. What more could you ask for?

I shot a 22 on the skeet range the other day, my best ever and I still am striving for the perfect round.

DOC
 
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