12 or 20 in a single shot?

[bdjansen]

I'm thinking about getting a single shot shotgun to casually shoot clays with friends and family.

All I'll be shooting is low power cheap target rounds. So should I still get a 20 for less recoil in these light guns? Or will a 12 not be bad with light target rounds?

 

[elryanoo]

Target loads in a 12 gauge don't hit very hard you should be fine.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I took a single 12 out with the boys to bust clays last week. Due to the recoil nobody wanted to shoot it more than a few times.

 

[DaleCooper51]

Single barrel shotguns are light and tend to kick a heck of a lot. A good number of them use a hard plastic butt plate instead of a recoil pad which also doesn't help. The 20ga guns are lighter than the 12ga and do NOT recoil any less. The felt recoil is the same if not more on these handy little guns. The Bulk pack shells are not the lightest loads. I learned to shoot on a 16ga as a kid and currently have a 20ga youth model that I use as a cabin gun. I think that the singles shine in areas, but casual clay shooting isn't one of them.

In my opinion there are better low cost choices to get started in shotgunning. For a new gun under $200, I would suggest a Maverick 88 with a 28" barrel. It is a good solid pump gun. There are also racks and racks of used pump guns that can be had at reasonable prices.

 

[BullRunBear]

I used an old H&R Topper 12 ga. for years. Even with a slip on recoil pad and my lightest reloads, it kicked pretty good. I'm a big guy and can handle recoil but it was never comfortable and left a bruised shoulder. The suggestion about an inexpensive pump, 12 or 20 ga., is a good one.

Jeff

 

[Old Shooter]

I used to have a 20 gauge single kept in the barn for snakes or other vermin, worked nice but never used it much for targets. Most I ever shot thru it in one session may have been three or four rounds at stationary targets just for practice.

For gun games we always dragged out the Mossburg 500 or the Remington 870 Express in 12 gauge, low brass, and shot all day.

For a family use gun on clays I'd go with a pump action and low brass shells.

 

[One_Jackal]

I would advise you to look into a Mossberg pump. The 500 has been proven reliable for over 50 yrs. In my opinion it's the most reliable gun on the planet. Our local Walmart has the 500 for $215. You get a 28 inch vent rib barrel, 3 choke tubes. For around $300 Mossberg make a security and a deer hunting model. The security model has a 20 inch smooth bore barrel included with all the above. The deer combo has a very accurate 20 inch rifled barrel included.

Once you own a Mossberg They have great customer service after the purchase. Refinishing starts at $60 and machine work starts at $35. The new model Mossbergs don't need any machine work unless you really get into trap. To win competitions you need the barrel over bored.

I know the Mossberg is more than you were planning to spend. Shooting singles gets boring real quick. You just as well get a versatile gun that will make all your shotgunning dreams come true.

 

[Dave McCracken]

I love single shots. There's been at least one here for most of my life.

But, they work well for when shots run scarce and walks long. For standing in one place and running a few boxes through it in a short amount of time, there's better choices.

The 12 gauge H&R here runs a hair over 5.5 lbs. For clays, I prefer something around 8 lbs.

 

[bob9125]

I have a 16 gauge H & R Topper 188 that I have fitted with a Limb Saver slip on recoil pad. The recoil is not too bad for one box of shells, but I would not want to shoot a whole lot more than that. I, also, have a 28 Gauge single barrel that I have shot two boxes at a time through without any problem. I don't even need a recoil pad with that gun. As long as you limit the number of rounds you fire and you use a recoil pad, a 20 gauge would work okay. But like others have said, a single barrel is great for hunting when you walk a lot and shoot a little. I would not want to shoot a 100 rounds at a time through one.

 

[Needles]

What's the drop at the butt on your single shot? Too much and the gun will kick like a mule. A straighter stock with a drop at the butt of around 1-1 1/2" will lower the felt recoil a whole lot, plus the gun won't tend to rear up as much. Standard for most is about 2 1/2", as they come from the manufacturer. My uncle had a 16 with a 3" drop at the butt, back in my youth--- guaranteed to bruise a shoulder and bloody a lip or nose, though it pointed well and was right on for ducks. (Which was good, because you wouldn't shoot it more than once!)

 

[snooperman]

I have 2 single shot guns that I enjoy hunting with. One is a Winchester model 37 12 ga and an old Stevens for turkey that is choked full. But like Dave said, they are fine to take for long walks in the field but not much fun to shoot a lot at clay birds. Get a good Remington Wingmaster 12 ga that weighs 7.5lbs and you will have a more pleasant experience at shooting clays.

 

[MCgunner]

I bought a 20 gauge H&R for my daughter when she was a teen. Mistake, kicked like a mule. Too light. She much preferred my Winchester 1400 gas gun in 12 gauge, much less felt recoil. She shoots it well, but I won't let her have it. She's 29 now, she can buy her own, but I think she's waiting for me to croak.

Tell ya the truth, I'd rather shoot my 10 gauge H&R (9 lbs) than that little 20.

 

[MCgunner]

What's the drop at the butt on your single shot? Too much and the gun will kick like a mule. A straighter stock with a drop at the butt of around 1-1 1/2" will lower the felt recoil a whole lot, plus the gun won't tend to rear up as much.

I've had shotguns with too little drop that beat up my cheek, cut me, would bleed and look like I went 5 rounds with Mike Tyson except that my ears were unaffected. The stock must FIT. I'd rather have too much drop than too little where my cheek bone is concerned. Fortunately, a H&R can be adjusted with shims made from plactic bottle material. That won't help the weight thing. You could add lead to the stock, but that will mess up balance.

 

[snooperman]

+1 on what MCgunner said about a gas gun. The Winchester 1400 which are reasonable in price , or the Remington 1100 can be found used too. If you really like a single shot for breaking clays, then the Single shot trap gun is the way to go. They weigh 8 plus pounds or more and are not cheap.