12G slug recoil?

[texasguy]

some people say shooting 12 Gauge slugs really tear them up.
I dont know how much the difference would be between a pump or an auto, but last christmas, me, my dad, cousin, and our friend, were hunting either wild pigs or deer, whatever decided to show up first. Anyway, I stepped out into a clearing on my grandparent's ranch in east texas and heard movement in the bushes. It was about 6:00 PM so it was getting dark and hard to see, which makes you nervous when you are hunting potentially dangerous game.

I saw a large sillhouette back in the treeline, and just then I figured that I was way too close than I wanted to be to the 400Lb. pig. I kept walking towards it to make sure it wasn't one of my fellow hunters, it wasn't. I had just cornered a huge pig about 50 feet away in a dry creek bed. It started to charge me . I clicked off the saftey on the remington 11-48 and touched off 2 slugs in the pigs chest/neck area. It did not get up.

My heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to explode. A few minutes later the group showed up, and looked at me, and the pig I was sitting on.

I got hi-fives, and pats on the back, and "How'd that happen? What happened? All I heard was two really fast shots. Did it charge you?"

I don't know, maybe I was so happy at the moment that no recoil would have hurt, but I told myself, "Wow. My shoulder is gonna feel like hell in the morning."

It didn't. It felt like I had been shooting a .22 all day (nothing). Basically, what the recoil felt like to me was about that of a .30-30, just a quicker push than a rifle. I'm 16, 5"8" 145 lbs, muscular, and am generally not afraid of recoil. But I really thought these slugs were going to hurt.

What happened? It almost felt like the recoil was non existant. There was NO recoil pad on that shotgun. Was I just so excited that, my mind was somehow blocking out the recoil? Or was in the miracle of the gas-operated semi automatic shotgun's action?

-tex

 

[Firehand]

That action will definately help. Plus, at a time like that recoil isn't real noticeable.

 

[byf43]

The reason you didn't feel the recoil is called, "Adrenaline."

Basically, from your accounting of the situation, you were focused on making the shot, not on feeling/anticipating the recoil.

 

[Wilburs Horse]

My 12 ga. slug gun and my muzzleloader kick the heck out of me at the bench but I never feel a thing when I am shooting at a buck.

 

[Cosmoline]

All slugs are not equal. Try Brenneke magnums out of an Ithaca deerslayer

 

[TrapperReady]

Felt recoil depends upon a number of things. These include:

- gun fit
- type of ammo being shot
- weight of gun
- shooter's build
- shooting position
- clothing
- type of recoil pad
- hearing protection or lack thereof
- what you are shooting at
- where you are shooting
- number of rounds shot in a session

This is a partial list, but should cover most of the major items. I've shot 3.5" hunting loads at geese and never felt a thing. I've also felt beat to bits with a poorly fitted gun and 1 oz light target loads.

The only time I've ever experienced REALLY bad recoil was with a bone stock 1300 Defender. The recoil pad was awful, and actually worked to concentrate the recoil into one very small spot. Trimming a little off the stock and putting on a premium recoil pad made it totally fine to shoot.

Frankly, I think fit is the #1 most important thing when it comes to reducing recoil. Then again, fit is the #1 most important thing when it comes to shooting a shotgun well.

 

[birddog]

Under hunting conditions, I rarely remember even hearing the gun go off, much less being bothered by the recoil. Any 12 gauge will have stout recoil, but as you found out, it's only a nuisance at the range, not in the woods.

 

[Byron Quick]

About the only game I've ever shot with a shotgun is birds, rabbits, and squirrels. But I've shot many deer and a few hogs with .300 Win Mag and .35 Whelen. I never notice recoil when shooting at game. Few people do.