Female advice for sporting clay gun

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vikinggirl

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Hello all,

I am recently getting back into sporting clays. In the past (college years) I had the convenience of having a roommate whose father liked to shoot clays, but have no idea what kind of gun it was (didn't pay attention). I currently have a Mossburg 500 12g for home defense and admit it gets mighty painful to shoot multiple times. I am a lightweight at 125lbs, 5'10" - so think long skinny arms.
I know the best gun is the one that is comfortable but was hoping that someone could at least point me in the right direction as to what I should be looking at. I recently was at Seven Springs in PA and used their Beretta 20g - some type of autoloader which I had never used before.

Any advice would be helpful, thank you.
 
Welcome to the world of sporting clays! :D IMO you just used one of the most popular shotguns, the Beretta semi auto.

If you liked the Beretta you just shot, you can't go wrong with it. I have a Reminton mod. 11-87 which I like also. Stick with a gas operated semi and you'll find the recoil factor is deminished more as opposed to a recoil operated semi auto.
 
I shoot clays with gas operated shotguns mostly. You really can't go wrong with a 20 gauge Beretta semi auto, or a 20 gauge Remington 1100.
 
There are two main schools of thought when it comes to sporting clays guns - the semi and the over-under. Current estimates seem to indicate about 25-30% use a semi, the rest an O/U.

Primary concern for anyone in this game is FIT. Buy a QUALITY gun that FITS, and your sporting days will be enjoyable and successful. Buy a cheap, breakage-prone gun that doesn't, and your days will be filled with a lot of angst.

In the semi arena, the hands-down choice is one of the Beretta gas guns - 390, 391, even the older 303, and the new A400.

In the O/U arena - basic quality guns start with B - Beretta, and Browning, the 68X series and the Citori and Cynergy series respectively.

Price-wise, the semi will be about half the cost of the O/U. If that is a major concern, it would, IMO, be a better choice to get the good quality semi than a cheaper quality O/U.

When you factor in years of targets and ammo, the price of the gun becomes negligible, so buy quality once instead of cheap over and over.

Sporting clays can be shot with a variety of different bores, but the 12 reigns supreme - and with good reason. You can buy ammo from 7/8 to 1-1/8, slow and light recoiling to thunderous pigeon-loads and everything in between, making the selection of ammo to use much greater.

Get the gun that comes to the closest to fitting you properly, ( a session with a fitter may be worth the investment if you're not "average size") as might a lesson or two. The closest the gun comes to fitting, the less the tweaking to achieve a perfect fit will be.

You might want to go to your local gun clubs and beg, borrow, or rent as many types of quality guns to see which ones not only come to your shoulder well, but also allow you to hit some targets.

To get reacclimated, you might also want to do a few rounds of trap AND skeet - that will help you get your form and swing back in the groove. Since those are constant target flight paths, the learning curve is quicker.

Welcome back to a great addiction - ask questions, whether here or at your club, and have fun!
 
oneounceload:

Do you think Beretta semi autos are better than Remington 1100? If so, in what way?

I have shot both a lot, and feel the 1100 fits me better. I shoot the 1100 better than the Berettas. The Berettas look nicer, and have more pride of ownership I would say, but I have never been able to tell a difference in performance.
 
Balrog- MY 1100 is a 28 gauge, my wife's semi is the new A400. I like that Beretta...several reasons I believe Beretta is the favorite - the Remington design is now 50 years old and really hasn't changed - it has more parts that can be more prone to breakage, it can be harder to clean than most of the Beretta gas guns, and it seems that it needs cleaning more frequently to run flawlessly. I'm NOT saying that an 1100 can't be used - I still see them now and again - but the Beretta is THE semi on the sporting course. many believe it has better balance due to a gas system that is less cumbersome than the Remington.

Point though, still comes down to this - if YOU have a Remington, and YOU like it, and YOU are happy with its performance and yours, then shoot it and have fun.

IF someone is looking for a new or different semi to shoot, IMO, it would behoove them to shoot both guns side by side to see which one they really prefer - that should be easy at most local gun clubs - and then they can make that determination for themselves. I don't know anything about the new Remington semi, nor have I even seen one, let alone shot it.

A gun writer friend of mine, back in the 60's and 70's was an alternate for the US Olympic Skeet team. 1100 ruled the day then. A few years later the Beretta 303 came out, followed by the 39X series and the 1100 was back in the 60's. He likes all his gun, but I just saw him last week and he was tuning up one of his gad guns for pheasant - his Beretta 391 Urika (I believe that was the model). With his LM choke and light 7/8 oz loads, the 5-stand targets didn't have a chance.

(OP - hence the suggestion about a 12 and the ammo versatility, even the semis now like, light loads)
 
The Beretta 390, 391 and I assume the A400 have adjustable stocks that can be made to fit most folks that are within the "normal" range of dimensions.
Click to expand...

The A400 has shims that can finagle dimensions a little for a RH or LH shooter - but in any case, even if you need MAJOR tweaking, adjustable combs, adjustable recoil pads for pitch, cast, LOP, even shock-absorbing devices, can all be fitted if necessary
 
Did anyone mention that the o/u can choose the choke at each trap? I assume you are not talking five stand but walk around the circle sporting clays.
I know when I shoot SC, an old 8 hole shotgun tab is on my belt full of chokes. Just sayin.........
 
Thank you all, you are a font of knowledge ( I think oneounceload is leading the pack!)
So there are no shotguns designed for those of slighter build? Just a matter of how the gun operates? I was reading in the archives about stance having a lot to do with handling recoil. Also I wondered if there were guns that were designed to weigh less since I do not have a lot of upper body strength.
 
VikingGirl -

I live in FL, which means I shoot with a LOT of retired folks - 4 of which are females, two of which are 5 foot maybe and in their 70's. One shoot a 9# Kreighoff, the other a 8-1/4# Browning with great success. Their guns FIT them and they balance just the way they like them. Point is, get a well-made gun that fits and balances, and you won't realize the weight until after you're done shooting and your shoulder isn't sore.

Shoot the heaviest gun you can manage with the lightest target loads and your ortho surgeon will curse you for not making his Mercedes payment.

MY gun is 8-1/4# Browning - I went from 1oz load (hence the screen name), to 7/8 and I am now working on a 12 gauge 3/4 oz load - going from 1 oz to 3/4 oz dropped my actual recoil (all other things the same) by over 40% - it is now a gentle nudge to my shoulder and I can shoot 300-400 rounds in a day.

If your gun fits, light loads WILL smash targets but not your shoulder.....

Good luck!
 
Well vikinggirl, there is no denying the laws of physics. A lighter gun means more felt recoil to your shoulder. So, everything is a trade off. There are certainly guns made to smaller dimensions, generally so called "youth" models, but you are 5"10" and thin. I am 5'8" and well let us say portly. I shoot a somewhat largish gun, an over / under with 30" barrels and a weight just south of 9 pounds. The weight and the good fit make it a very pleasant shooter for me. You might not find it so. The gun I was shooting before the O /U was a Beretta AL390ST with a 30" barrel. It is somewhat lighter, but the gas operating system makes perceived recoil seem less.

Bottom line is to try several different types, weights, etc. and find what works best for you.
 
And I'll add this to clarify the recoil issue - there are two types.

One is ACTUAL recoil - a mathematical calculation based on the mass of the ejecta (powder, wad, shot), the velocity of that payload, and the weight of the gun. Heavy gun plus light load equal low recoil.

The other is PERCEIVED, or FELT recoil, also called by some as "kick". That is directly related to gun fit, action type, use of shock absorbing pads or devices, etc.

A gun with a very light recoiling load that doesn't fit will still have that "kick", whereas, a gun with a more robust load but that fits perfectly will not.

Actual recoil, like UVA rays is the long-term, deep-down damage. Felt recoil, like the UVB sunburn rays, is the immediate hurt and bruising that goes away, but you remember.
 
Hey, I think they might have forgotten another "B", Benelli. I think they are nice guns as well and fit someone about 5' 10". I have a couple of Brownings and a Benelli. I shoot my Citori best (but I've had it the longest) then the Benelli. I gave a link to the supersport but you might also like the Montefeltro as well. You didn't state but if you need it in a LH model the Montefeltro has one for you.
 
Benelli's, (owned by Beretta), are indeed VERY good guns, albeit more than the Berettas. One issue that comes up from time to time is the use of LIGHT target loads in them. It is NOT a gas gun, but inertia (think blowback recoil) operated gun, so while it is light in weight, it does not have any of the recoil dampening that a slightly heavier gas operated gun does.

But it is one worth considering as far as quality and reliability goes without question
 
For the past few years I've helped out at an annual all-women's shoot. The participants are once-a-year shooters or complete newbies ranging in age from late 30's to mid 60's.

What I've noticed is that the newbies initially are concerned about recoil but gun weight and fit are more of a problem. The shooters often don't have sufficient forearm strength and as fatigue sets in the stance and mount get sloppy and felt recoil increases.

My go-to gun for these sessions was a 28 gauge Remington 1100 Skeet but I became tired of replacing parts in it. I switched this year to a 20 gauge 391 Beretta Sporting (wish they made one in 28 gauge.)

It's light enough, soft shooting although not as soft as the 28. The 20 gauge can sometimes have more felt recoil compared to a light 12 gauge load because the guns are lighter but it is the light gun that is more appreciated by female shooters.

The final point I'd make to the OP is to find a shooting instructor or mentor who can teach her proper stance and ensure the gun fits. These go a long way to reducing felt recoil.
 
My go-to gun for these sessions was a 28 gauge Remington 1100 Skeet but I became tired of replacing parts in it. I switched this year to a 20 gauge 391 Beretta Sporting (wish they made one in 28 gauge.)
Click to expand...

I believe Benelli just announced one in their line up, but at 5# and inertia-driven, IMO, it's gonna deliver a nice solid PUSH compared to a gas gun.
 
late to the party, but real pleased to see the 28 mentioned so often
(didn't know there were so many others who knew what too few apparently do know)

unless they have changed the rules, a 28 O/U makes for a nice sporting clays gun, any gender.. but as oneounce said, "FIT" rules all else
 
I believe Benelli just announced one in their line up, but at 5# and inertia-driven, IMO, it's gonna deliver a nice solid PUSH compared to a gas gun.
Click to expand...
Yes they have. But as noted at 5lbs. I doubt it will feel much different than a heavier 20 gauge 391.
 
I am a smaller although rounder shotgun shooter! I've been shooting a Benelli Montefeltro 20 GA for quite a few years now. It is not of the gas system type, but it does come with a bag of stock fitting shims to get the gun fitting like is should. Fit means a lot with a shotgun! It is fitted with a good recoil pad that helps recoil too. My forearms are weaker than some, that is why I like the light weight of this gun along with the ability to be fitted to you. Is the recoil more than say a Berreta 391 20 GA, probably, but with the fit, I would say that you'd be hard to notice any difference between them. By the way I shot sporting clays a least once a week for ten yrs, I have tapered off of that for a few years now.

Jimmy K
 
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