16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

Recoil ? Who out there hunting, after shooting at a pheasant, goes "...wow, that was some recoil, I better slow the velocity down..."

200fps is not wasted, might be the difference from a wounded pheasant dropping a few feathers to one my dog is bringing back in its mouth.

Lot of garbage out there about velocity and blown patterns too. Velocity can be jacked up without pattern degradation.

Now I would rather see the load at 1oz, but will take 1 1/8. But guess what, I will pattern that new Federal load through my Citori and sweet 16 before I use it hunting.

Can say what you want, speed kills. I do my best not to hunt with any load under 1300 fps. If I could get a load to 1500fps I would be smiling ear to ear. Have a couple that reach 1400.

Recoil, if I read recoil on this forum one more time I am going to scream!
Anyone ever do the math? If you are that recoil sensitive what the heck are you shooting a shotgun for?? Even a mild 16ga load will kick like a mule compared to any rifle. I dont have pads on any of my shotguns either except the parker, it came with the pad and I want to keep it there, for length, not comfort. (my two 10's have pads, but that may change when I get them fitted!) I have a Browning silver too that has a pad, and I need to shorten length on it too. But with the synthetic stock, may have to use a pad.

Member Joined: 07 Jan 2008 Posts: 348 Location: Missouri

Hootch,

I disagree with you when you say "Even a mild 16ga load will kick like a mule compared to any rifle."

My .300 Win Mag kicks a lot harder than any shotgun I own except maybe for my Mossberg Turkey Gun with a Hot Load. I can't imagine shooting it 25 times in a half hour like I shoot my shotguns on the skeet range.

Member Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 1975

Joined: 06 Mar 2008 Posts: 596 Location: 17603

Don't own no high falutin' "Mags", but I can guarantee that a 45/70 loaded up with a 400gr boolit at 1800fps kicks pretty good too. Very Happy

Guest

Every shotgun has its' loads that pattern well and ones that don't. There is no one constant that makes shotguns pattern good or bad. The combination of load, powder burn rate, pellet quality, chamber and forcing cone dimensions, barrel dimensions, choke dimensions, porting, etc all effect patterns. Air density has an effect on patterns, try patterning at 80 degrees and then try the same load at 20 degrees, the pattern will change.

Not every load is going to work in your shotgun and just because they don't doesn't make them a bad load. Just a bad load in your individual shotgun.

My guess is that in a shotgun with .010 to .020 of choke the 5's and 6's will be great. The 4's can be tough.

Thanks Federal!!

Just have to thow in my thoughts regarding recoil.

I agree w/16gg that while hunting (wild birds in MT), I'm too excited in the moment to worry about recoil. My shoulder often does hurt, but, I think about that AFTER the shot. Truthfully, it's not the load but my rushing the shot and not pocketing the stock properly in my shoulder. Doesn't happen during a round of skeet, because, I'm not excited. Someday I'll learn to slow down and shoot (hunt) better. Always room for improvement Razz

Regarding comparing shotgun vs rifle. I'm a guy who big game hunts to fill my freezer. Usually multiple deer, antelope and if I'm lucky an elk or two. My tool of choice is a 270 Weatherby Mag shooting 130gr at 3,300fps. Trust me; the recoil is harder and "sharper" than any shotgun I've ever shot. I'm not complaining, just commenting. I don't pocket that gun improperly Crying or Very sad

Also, in agreement w/16gg I've found #5's to be good, especially a week or two (or more) after opener. Young/"easy" birds fall nicely on opener to 7 1/2's or light 6's. Me, I get too few shots on roosters (Montana isn't South Dakota Razz

, not even close!) More FPS and 5's (even 4's sometimes) - as Martha Stewart says "It's a good thing" Smile

Thanks Federal

best to all

PS, my previous choke suggestions are merely guidelines, not absolutes. However, I came to these guidelines through trial and error. I've found that when shooting heavier loads of bigger pellets, approximately the same amount of choke works well enough for hunting in the overwhealming majority of the 16 ga guns I've tried.

A pheasant is not a clay target, so what is an effective pattern is also subjective. Four or more #5 pellets through the vitals will dump any rooster dead as a hammer. I'm betting a good 60% pattern of a 1-1/8 ounce of #5 shot put on the money at 40 yards will kill every bird that flies through it. Tighter patterns might improve things on paper, but we probably will not see any great differnce in how well the birds are killed. Overly tight patterns would only serve to chew the birds up too much for table fare IMO.

I'm also fairly sure a few points of actual choke either way way will not matter greatly either. The .024" choke tube size is one I have a couple of for a couple of different guns and barrels. This size tube works well in all the barrels I've tried the two in. These barrels range from .662 to .669 bore. So 18 to 25 points of actual choke should work well enough for longer ranges. Once a certain point of constriction is reached, it takes much more to significantly affect patterning. 18 or more points in a 16 is fairly tight to begin with.

All I'm doing is offering up some info to save time, effort, and shells to those who would like to try these loads. If the suggested chokes work right off the bat in your gun and produce effective pattrerns out at the longer ranges, then that too is a good thing. You've wasted nothing by trying them. Your results will guide you like mine have guided me. Good luck.

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

Recoil is physics. Do the math. Second, take your 16 or guage of choice, sit at your shooting bench, aim it, and shoot it, do this 10x. See if you would rather shoot your 7mm or whatever.

If I would go out and shoot 100 clays, yes my shoulder is going to be sore, but geez, people would rather stomp out to the field with an underpowered shotgun shell because they are afraid of recoil?? BS.

Come on Federal, step up and get a 16ga load up to 1500fps.

Guest

Recoil???

This is 2009. No one should get beat up by a shotgun. There are so many good shotguns, with proper stock dimensions, good recoil devices available, machining methods that reduce recoil and stock fitters to properly shape stocks so that we shoot straight and comfortable. I can take any of my shotguns and shoot 100 rounds of clays with 1 ounce loads at 1300 FPS and never feel sore and that is with 16 or 12 gauge. Back in the 90's I shot a lot of trap 300 clays a day plus, without getting beat up. At 52 I am not exactly a spring chicken.

BTW I don't shoot million dollar shotguns either, Remington 1100 - 16, Model 37 - 16, Model 12 - 16, Beretta Onyx - 12, and Benelli Super Sport - 12. As you can see with one exception these are all field guns. Light and whippy? NO, but there aren't any 8 lb guns either. None have added weight or appendages either.

I think we are still discussing loads suitable for upland hunting with a 16 gauge game gun here are we not? This really limits the choices compared to the rest of the spread does it not? Now who is off topic there DC?? Laughing

Just kidding!!

Seriously though (but not all that seriously Razz

), I personally would rather dress up in a Santa suit while bird hunting rather than hang or install any recoil device in or on any of my 16 ga guns. I like a 16 that weighs 7 pounds or less, because it handles and carries so nicely and yet is far more effective than a 20 or a 28. I can take the recoil of any safe 16 ga hunting load you can come up with while upland hunting. Why ruin the weight and balance of any perfectly good game gun by sticking a sissy piston in the stock. Geez Lueeze. That kind of stunt is for trap shooters. (I know. I is one.)

If I start getting 'beaten up" by the recoil of any of my 16s while bird hunting, I'll wander back to my vehicle, suck my thumb, and sulk. I would no longer be fit enough to be out there in the first place. Life would lose considerable meaning for me. Cool

Member Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 1975

As long as we're talking about recoil. I bought a Stoeger M2000 12 gauge. Don't ask me why. A friend of mine hunts with one and I heard the action was the same as a Franchi. Beside I got a real good buy on it. Anyway finally tried to shoot it and pattern it. The worst I've ever shot. Cheek slap and as much felt recoil as my 7mm. I took and measured the 16 gauges that were fit, and took the stock off the stoeger and fit it as close as I could get to the 16's. The damn thing won't work with lite loads so you have to use heavy loads. They say they break in and work better. Well after fitting the stock, it made all the difference in the world. Now I know it's better, but I just won't use it anyway.