New Scattergun in the family- Slug Selection?

[BigRedBowtie]

I took my wife to Gander Mountain yesterday, and somehow... we ended up in the gun section. She's been shooting borrowed guns for when we go shoot clays and deer hunting, so I had been trying to find her a shottie. I have a Mossberg 835, and she's familiar with the manual-of-arms on it, so that's a decent starting point. We looked at the 20g 500s, then at the 870s, regular and bantam for both. She settled on the Model 500 Bantam Combo with wood stocks.

With deer season fast approaching, we're going to need to get the slug barrel zeroed, but we'll need to pick a load. My wife *thinks* she's recoil sensitive. She hasn't shot much at all with long guns, but I'll certainly give her the benfit of the doubt- I don't want her getting scared of her own gun. So I'm looking for some slug loads- something we can put a dozen or so downrange without bruising her shoulder, but will still be whitetail-effective. The slug barrel is rifled.

Any suggestions?

 

[BigRedBowtie]

Shameless bump

 

[Fumbler]

I don't know how they will do in your rifled barrel, but I have shot Federal's Tru-Ball low recoil 1oz slugs out of my smoothbore Mossberg 500. Recoil was much like your standard 1-1/8oz dove load and accuracy was good (2-3" @ 50 yards with peep sights).

That's really the only low recoil option off the top of my head.
Hope someone else knows something.

I would imagine the majority of the sabotted slugs would recoil less than the 1oz rifled slugs just cause they tend to weigh less.
If I were you I'd just buy a couple boxes of different loads and shoot them, then give the lightest recoiling ones to your wife to try.

 

[nitesite]

It's generally considered a mistake to use a bench rest and bags to sight in a slug barrel. The recoil is more extreme due to the skeletal angles. It could lead to a developed flinch.

I would avoid benches, truck hoods, or the like where she would be leaning well forward and try other shooting positions. Perhaps standing, right elbow high, left knee flexed and weight forward (the usual shotgun pose) while bracing her new shotgun against a post or limb.

 

[HighVelocity]

while bracing her new shotgun against a post or limb

I second that. Shooting a shotgun from a bench is no fun.

 

[boo586]

My brother and dad have the same gun, but only in the 12 guage model.

I have always been told that when using a rifled slug barrel do not use the rifled slugs meant for smooth bores. What you need to try is some of the sabotted 20 guage slugs. DO NOT use the 3" shells, only use the 2.75" shells for your wife. Remington, Winchester and Federal all make sabotted slugs loads for the 20 guage. Look on the box and the web to find the slug with the lighest weight slug at the lowest velocity. This combination will produce the least felt recoil.

I have only hunted with a 20 guage for deer and any slug out there will reliably take deer out to 75 yards if she does her part. I second the recommendations about her sighting in the gun standing up and using something to help support or brace herself, such as a tree or shooting sticks.

Boo586

 

[BigRedBowtie]

The gravel pit we visit to shoot long guns has no trees- How's a sitting position for recoil control?

When we bought the gun, I picked up two boxes of slugs-

1. Lightfield Hybred EXP 7/8 oz, 1502fps- not advertised as recoil-reduced, but the 12ga variant shoots into 4" at 100yds in my 835

2. Federal Vital-Shok 5/8oz @ 1400fps. The stats look pretty good on this one, I just hope it shoots.

 

[sm]

Percieved Recoil is lessened by:

- Doubling up on ear protection.
Plugs and Muffs...find muffs that fit her so they do NOT interfere with...

- Correct Mounting of Gun to face.

-Gun fit to her. Ladies are built different.

-Use of P.A.S.T. slip on recoil pad - Caveat , LOP will change with its use as it will with heavier coats for hunting.

-Sitting usually works best, with Kneeling next for sighting in. Her body will "give" with the recoil better. Never let a new shooter, a lady, or kid benchrest a hard recoiling gun. Especially if the percieved recoil is a concern of theirs already.

Loads?

If this is the smoothbore, I would try a 5 pack of Fed, Win, Rem, Foster - in that order. Then whichever one shoots best, RUN back and buy more of that lot #.

I assure you, once the gun is fitted, correct form is learned, and starting with 15 repetitions a day, then 25, mounting gun / dryfiring - She will be a better shooter, and the whole idea of recoil will be just a memory soon.

 

[BigRedBowtie]

Well, last week my wife says "can we go out and shoot my new gun this weekend?"

(to those of you who don't yet have shootin' women... )

We were just shooting at hand-throwns, and when whe actually looked down the barrel, she hit most of the birds. Sometimes I busted her just looking real casually over the gun and asked if she looked at the beads "Nope, I forgot". After we got that out of the system, she was fine.

With the clays going ok, I asked if she wanted to try the slug barrel. "Sure" She wanted to see me shoot it first- to watch the recoil, I'd guess- then she shot it. I had shot the above mentioned Lightfields, so I asked which she wanted to shoot- "Those" She shot them without incident. I then gave her the lighter, slower federals.

"Why don't these kick as much?"
They're slower and lighter.
"Do they work as good?"
Well, not quite as good...
"Then I want those" (back to the lightfields)

So, I guess recoil won't be much of an issue. The gun fits her well and she enjoyed shooting it. She has decided to join me deer hunting this fall, and may even come bird hunting a couple times.