Hunting the North

I have been starting to do a little trap shooting and my wife is acturally starting to get interested in shooting with me. I would like to get her a shotgun but she has a couple of issues. She isvery petite5'-2" 105lbs. Here is the kicker, she is left handed and left eye dominant.

I was thinking of getting a Browning BPS Microin 20ga 22" barrel (has bottom cartridge eject), or a Stoeger Condor over and under youth 20ga also has 22" barrel.

Anyone have any other suggestions. One more thing, I would like to stay under $500.00 if possible.

Thanks in advance.

Retaks

Get her a Mossberg or Remington Youth 20ga.My little brother is the same way and shoots right handed guns just fine. He is not big on semi auto rifles or shotguns because he cant move the gun to eject the shell but anything else he shoots as good or better then me. Only better with iron sights though.

bronko22000

I too am left handed and I have Beretta O/Us and 3 Remington 870s. The 870s are right handed and I never had any trouble shooting them. Occasionally in a duck blind I had powder blow back in my face when the wind was just right but that's about all. And for trap (doubles excluded) I don't see a problem getting her one in a youth model. The 870 has a reputation for being a smooth action reliable shotgun. The Browning BPS is also a very good gun for her.

JeffS

A friend of mine had the Stoeger 20 O/U and it shoots really well. We have a thrower at my buddies place and everybody likes using the stoeger even though we have several other guns to chose from.

e4c4ever

I'm left handed/left eyedominantand had doubt of right handed shotguns. I own a Remington 870 express now. The gun shoots smothly and no shells even touch my face. A 20 gauge will suit her fine. The O/U's are good too.

outdoorslover

That Stoeger is great. I would say that the Rem 1100 or 870 would also be great choices. The 1100 kicks very little and I believe you can get it in a youth version.

moose1915

if you are shooting out of a real trap house and not some backyard setup, i think you would just be handicapping her with a 20. a 20 in the hands of an expierienced shooter works, for a newbie it can be frustrating.

my children both shoot, and i started them out with some managed recoil loads (12 guage) and they are doing fine. they are 11 and 12 years old. they are up to full power loads after just a few weeks and if the gun fits, recoil shouldnt be a problem...

the 12 gauge bt-99 micro is an AWESOME gun.

benelli SBE and SBE2's have short stocks and don't kick a lick. my SBE eats light ammo no problem and is a PLEASURE to shoot.

good luck with whatever you decide.
moose

Mignolafan

Hey moose,

I'm in the same situation as this guys is. My wife is also showing interest in shooting and hunting. She didn't dig the 12 ga. at trap the other day. So, we're looking at an Rem. 870 youth 20ga. for her. But, what are the managed recoil 12 ga. loads you spoke of. We used Federal 71/2 shot size, 1 1/8oz the other day (with a Limbsaver recoil pad) and she didn't want any part of it. Thanks for any information.

G

mightyoakwildlife

As another left-eye dominant Southpaw, I can only agree with e4c4ever. As for the powder issue mentioned by Bronko, that is an extreme oddity, and should be checked by a competent Gunsmith (not the guy at Gander Mtn. who cleans guns & mounts scopes, but the honest to goodness trained Armorer/repairman). The breach of a firearm is designed to contain any & all safe chamber pressure. If debris or powder is escaping past the breach block, there is a problem and asafety issue.

Pay attention to what Moose said. Although his taste is a bit pricey for your budget, his selections arebeyond reproach. Hit the used racks to save on cost. Autoloaders tend to be gentler, as 1) they're heavier, 2) cycling the action absorbs some of the recoil impulse. Pump actions tend to be less money, therefore more common. Don't worry about second shots, light loads not cycling the action, etc., as you will be using this piece as a single shot for quite a while. By the time either of you is ready for Doubles or Skeet,the recoil sensitivity will be gone and/or this "entry level" set up will have been modified and/or changed significantly.

Managed Recoil& Trap loads tend to have far less energy, and energy produces recoil. Clay pidgeons don't have heavy feathers or adrenalinprotecting them, and ANY noticeable chip, break, etc. counts as a "dead bird."

Lighter weight of the 20 ga. Youth models leaves less to counter-act the effects of felt recoil, and the lesser recoil generated by the smaller guagecomes froma smaller payload of shot. Targets are less likely to be hit, as you are sending fewer pellets and a shorter shot string down range.

Back to that used pump orauto... If it's one of the "Big Name" models, you can pick-up an aftermarket stock for cheap. Add a little more weight in the butt, the best recoil pad you have handy, find your Sweetie a decent recoil shield (ie: PAST, etc.), make sure the length of pull suits her, and you're good to go. And, you're well under the $500.00 you mentioned.

moose1915

the remington managed recoil loads (check out the details on thier website) are VERY manageable...and i noticed no change in broken birds.

a 20 gauge can punish you worse than a 12, if not matched to the shooter. i have an old ithaca 20 gauge O/U that kicks worse than my SBE with 3-1/2 turkey loads!

i will say this... there is NOTHING more frustrating for a newbie than having a gun that does not "come up" nice or that kicks the heck out of 'em.

if you've gotta scrimp and save up a few extra bucks (like i had to) to get the RIGHT gun the FIRST time, do it. the many rewarding YEARS of love for the sport will be the payback.

An 1100 rem with a shell catcher can be picked up used reasonably priced... but if it's target shooting you're gonna be doing, a field gun just is'nt the same as a trap gun.. dont get me wrong, you can break clay with ANYTHING, but why not make it easier on yourself?

Kinda like brook trout fishing with a muskie setup, it can be done, but it's not as fun!


let me know how you make out!
moose