20 Gauge Mossberg Youth?

[marklbucla]

I'm really starting to dislike the weight (and also recoil) of my 12 Gauges. I noticed that the Mossberg 20 Gauge youth model is really light and is comfortable to hold.

The question is: Will the ACTUAL recoil of the 20 be as bad as the bigger 12's, considering the lighter weight of the gun?

 

[Preacherman]

Because the gun is lighter, less recoil is absorbed, so a Youth model 20ga. has a felt recoil not much less than a full-size 12ga. However, you can accommodate this with a better recoil pad, etc. Personally, I prefer the Remington 870 Youth model over the Mossberg (I've owned and shot both), because the Remington stock seems to fit me rather better than the Mossberg, and it's a little bit heavier: but YMMV.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Unless good fit and form are used, the youth models tend to be hard kickers. Besides the lighter weights, the shorter stocks tend towards smaller pads, thus concentrating the kick's energy in a smaller area.

Since you have shotguns already, I suggest you work with those to better handle the weight and recoil.

25 mounts a day will accustom your muscles to the weight better, light loads will kick less and still do the job.

My bird 870s run 7.25 to 8.25 lbs. Using them at clays with milder loads tune and tone my muscles and the kick doesn't bother me except when patterning turkey and waterfowl loads. At trap, the most precise and longest range clay game, 7/8 oz loads give me the same breaks and scores as 1 1/8 oz loads do. Use light loads whenever possible, modern ammo has more bounce to the ounce with hard shot, one piece plastic wads, etc...

My slug shooters double as "Serious" shotguns and they run 8.5 to 9.25 lbs, IIRC. After long use, they handle like 20 gauges and there's little kick with standard slugs and 9 pellet 00 loads.

However, if you want a 20 gauge, far be it from me to discourage you. It might not be what you're looking for though.

HTH....

 

[Onmilo]

Again, not enough information is provided in the original post.

Do you shoot 1 1/4 oz field loads in your 12 guage and intend to shoot 3" 1 1/4 ouce loads in the twenty?
If so, the recoil will be similar between the two guns.
The lighter weight of the 20 guage will make it the more pleasant weapon to carry around all day though.

1 ounce light target and 7/8 ounce super light target loads will actually provide less perceived recoil in the heavier 12 guage than 20 guage 7/8 ounce target or 1 ounce field loads wil provide in the 20 guage.

For general field use a 12 guage gun is hard to beat considering the choice and options available in modern 12 guage shotgun shells today.

The only reason to choose a smaller guage gun is to carry even less weight afield.

The real test of perceptive recoil is in the shooting of deer slugs.
Time and time again, serious 12 guage deer slug shooters are giving their old faithful deer guns up and going with the lighter, just as effective on deer, and far less perceived recoil, 20 guage guns.

Todays modern sabot slug loads provide enough energy and penetration to cleanly kill anything in the Big Five, African, Asian, or American.
Hunters are learning they really don't need that kind of power to kill a whitetail deer and with these modern sabot loads the 'little' 20 guage does the job remarkably well.

 

[marklbucla]

My wallet and I thank you all for the replies.

I guess this will get me to hit the weights a bit more to handle the 12 gauge for longer periods of time.