What's the softest shooting auto loader

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downlow411

Inactive
I have a bad shoulder, was fixed but told that no heavy recoil shooting as it can not be fixed again. I shoot my 270 and SKS with no problem, is there any auto loader in 12 or 20 ga that is softer shooting by design than the others?
 
Among the target shooters, the Beretta gas guns are popular because of low recoil. If you are looking for a serious recoil reduction consider getting your stock done. I'm happy with JS Air Cushion and Shockmaster stock conversions. There are other similar units available.
 
I've owned a number of quality autoloaders, but find the tried and true Remington 1100 the softest shooter of all...
 
I've had a complete shoulder repair as well last yr / including cutting the bicep and reattaching it to the arm bone ....because it was torn too ( it sucks by the way ) ....

Gas operated guns will generally be your softest shooters overall - but recoil is primarily a function of "the weight of the gun" - and the shell you pick ( so go to less shot - like 1 oz or 7/8 oz in a 12ga / and go to a slower velocity shell like 1150 fps or certainly no faster than 1200 fps ).

Pick the heaviest gas gun --- and that will give you the lightest recoil. Today most of the better gas guns - will handle "light" shells ... meaning lower velocity like 1150 fps ...so the Beretta 391's, Browning silver series, Win, Remington ...are all good choices.

As I've been working thru my shoulder issues / and I started shooting Skeet again about 6 months after my surgery ....the weight of the gun became a big deal ....and I find it more difficult today / to mount and shoot 150 shells in a day with a gun over 8lbs ...so I started shooting my 28ga and 20ga Over Unders a lot more ( 7 1/2 lb guns ) ....and now I'm back to the point where I can shoot my primary 12ga O/U ( 8 1/2 lb gun ) with 1 oz loads. But honestly, I've kept shooting my 20ga and 28ga a lot more ...and don't shoot the 12ga too much since I'm still working on breaking down the scar tissue / lifting weights to get my surrounding muscles a little stronger ...but its a long process my friend ....and you have my empathy !!

I've also had pretty good luck with my Benelli super sport in 12ga / which is an inertia gun / but it has the comfort tech stock in it too .... but its light ( a hair over 7 lbs / with a 30" barrel ) and it was fine with 1 oz loads at 1200 fps as well ( and it cycled them fine / but some of the inertia guns won't handle lighter loads very well ). I also added about 1 lb of gross weight to my Benelli / about 8 oz under the forend / and 8oz in the stock ( using golf club lead tape ) ...and it reduced the recoil about another 20% and gave me handling characteristics similar to my O/U's.

I'm just not a gas gun fan --- but a good gas gun should be just fine .... and good luck with the shoulder.
 
The 1100 is the heaviest gas gun, so it should be the lightest recoiling - all other aspects being equal. The Berettas with their Kick Off system are also right up there in the low recoil department.

IME, Berettas are more tolerant of lighter than normal loads compared to either the Remington or Jim's favorite - Benelli.

You want a load as light and slow that will still work your gun.

An O/U can be heavier and still shoot loads that a semi won't handle - something to consider - I shoot a Browning weighing 8.25# and have some reloads I use that have 3/4oz loads - the size of a 28 gauge. They will work my wife's Beretta semi MOST of the time, they will work my Browning EVERY time
 
let me preface with I haven't shot every shotgun made.

I shot my fathers new Benelli 20 Guage with the comfortech stock with target loads I found the recoil to be very light.
 
Most gas guns, in my experience, feel about the same, *depending on weight.* Others made that point.

Recoil-operated guns are all heavier and/or sharper than gas guns. The Browning design long recoil guns like the A5 and the Franchi AL48 are not bad but not as gentle as the gas guns.

The Benelli inertia guns (also a recoil design, but different than the long recoil design) are the least pleasant, in my experience. That includes the M1 and M2 and similar guns, as well as the Beretta 1200/1201.
 
The softest shooting auto loader I've ever fired is the Browning Auto-5. It was also available as the Remington mod 11 and the Savage mod 720.
 
Berettas are popular because they are reliable and easily maintained. They arent the softest shooting gas guns. The Remingtons and the new Winchester/Brownings shoot softer IMO. That said I shoot a 390 and 391, because malfunctions will cost you in competition.
 
I keep telling you guys! The one and only...

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I shoot 3.5" Kents out of my Beretta Xtrema 2 with the Kick-off system and I think it's a pussycat to shoot.

With 2 3/4 magnums shooting upland birds you can barely tell it's there.
 
Slugo - nice 1100 - if youu add an 8oz weight from Jim's Ear and Eye (mag cap replacement - it makers it even softer shooting and easier to swing - worked real well on an 1100 in 28 gauge I had.....;)
 
1ozL - I just picked up a like new 26" skeet barrel. Do you have a URL for the forearm guys!?! Great suggestion, especially with a shorter barrel.

Thanks... Mike
 
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