Shotgun recoil discustions gauges bores actions

[oldwheelieguy]

I have shot most any type shotgun type (not every brand) over my 50 plus years.
I just thought I would ask the crowd about recoil opinions.
I feel a heavy gun kicks less.
I feel a semi auto kicks less also.
I feel a double barrel IS THE BEST along with an UNDER/OVER!
Singles are the worst!
Pumps are next to worst.(although I love my pumps).
I bring this up because I am a wing hunter(dove, duck, geese) and tend to shoot many rounds as apposed to a turkey/deer buck shot type hunter that would shoot one ,two, three rounds on a hunt. Also a trap or skeet shooter should chime in here.
My shoulder is asking the question, not me.
Let the thoughts begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Virginian]

Recoil is, pure and simple, the reaction from the ejecta going out the front of the gun. A heavier gun will move rearward slower because of the conservation of momentum. All the different gun action designs and trick stocks and recoil reducing inserts all can to do something or nothing to reduce the perceived recoil the shooter experiences. Fans of inertia actions are huge proponents of gun fit in the equation, possibly because a lot of those models come with adjusting shims - I think they like their guns.
Fixed breech guns like pumps and break action guns do nothing to dampen the recoil pulse. Weight and recoil pads or add on recoil reducers are about your only choices for help.
All recoil and inertia designs require the receiver to move back to work the action. I don't think they do a thing to help felt recoil, and being an engineer I don't see how it is physically possible that they could, but I am sure the opposition will chime in with something to the contrary.
All the gas designs reduce the peak recoil pulse to some effect, with the different designs having a different effect. That is because components of the gas system start moving rearward even before the breech unlocks and this weight and speed reduces the speed the whole gun has to move to conserve momentum. Some of the newer lighter designs do not reduce the recoil pulse as well as say an 1100 because they don't have that steel action sleeve that gets moving and sucks up a lot of recoil energy right when the recoil pulse is at the peak.
That's the short version. Target O/Us and gas semis are the rule on the target ranges, and those O/Us aren't real light usually. Who feels recoil when goose shooting? I probably couldn't tell you what day it is right then.

 

[6x6pinz]

definitely a gas operated semi would have the biggest chance of having the softest felt recoil. The inertia style seem to "kick" almost as much as a pump. I really enjoy the Franchi 48al action and gun. It is light yet does not have the felt recoil of some of the other autos I have shot. I also use a variety of gauges depending on the birds I am shooting at the time. Something like dove I really enjoy my 410 autos, quail and pheasant bring out the 28ga while duck will see my 20ga (early season) and the 12 is reserved for later season duck and geese. I don't have to experience anymore felt recoil on my shoulder than is necessary to effectively take the bird I am hunting.

 

[oneounceload]

There are two recoils involved - actual and perceived (or "felt).

Actual is a physics computation involving the velocity, mass of the ejecta and the weight of the gun.

Perceived is how YOU think it feels, mostly based on fit, but also factoring in the type of action, recoil pad, etc.

Actual recoil does the long-term damage; felt recoil is the short term damage (bruises, etc)

Heavy gun plus lightest loads equals the lowest actual recoil. With a gun the FITS, a good pad and add a gas action into the mix, and you'll get the lowest perceived recoil.

A gun that fits will appear to "kick" less than one that does not
A gun that does not fit, even if heavy, will beat the snot out of you, even with light loads.

I shoot sporting clays for the most part, which means I shoot 200 rounds per outing. Using my heavy O/U and 3/4 oz 12 gauge loads, the recoil is reduced significantly enough that even after 200 rounds, I am not sore or tired.

My wife shoot a Beretta gas gun that fits. She is a novice shooter and did 200 rounds recently with no bruises or fatigue either.

I have a 20 SxS with a wooden butt plate. Because it FITS, shooting 200 rounds today was not painful of tiring...........gun fit rules

 

[cfullgraf]

When i shot competitive skeet in the early 1990s, my 20 ga average was better than my 12 ga average. There were a number of factors, but felt recoil was one of them. My tubed over/under had less felt recoil with 7/8 oz 20 ga loads than when un-tubed with 1 oz 12 ga loads. 3/4 or 7/8 oz 12 ga loads were not available back then.

After discovering 7/8 oz 12 ga loads a few years ago, I did not shoot much shotgun for a number of years, I find the 12 ga much more pleasant to shoot.

 

[rayman]

I learned that too. I'm sold on autos. My single shot 12 gauge is light as a feather but one can really feel the recoil even with 8 shot low brass walmart crap.

 

[oneounceload]

My single shot 12 gauge is light as a feather but one can really feel the recoil even with 8 shot low brass walmart crap.

Shooting that 1-1/8 oz stuff going 1250+ fps is why. Dropping down to a 7/8 target load going no more than 1200 fps will be significantly noticeable