I'm going for my MRI tomorrow at 7:00am. Surgery is going to be within two weeks. The doc said I should do whatever I can to lighten up the recoil on my guns. I'm not worried about my big game rifles. I can put muzzel brakes, mercury recoil reducers and limbsavers on those. I can also just sight in and hunt with the larger calibers and paper punch and plink with the smaller ones.
My question is about shotguns. I go through a ton of rounds every year with upland game, dove, duck and goose. Shooting 3 1/2 inch BB's for several months goose hunting gives a guy a pretty good pounding. How much less recoil will I have if I switch all of my 12 guages for 20 guages?? Does anyone have an idea? Thanks in advance for any help on this matter.

Bryan

I believe these will help with the shotguns as well. I couldnt stand my 870 w/ 3in turkey loads; picked up the Rem supercell recoil pad, and it felt like it cut the recoil in half. A twenty gauge with a good pad, especially in a semi, would be a smooth shooting SOB. If your going to be shooting an O/U the pad and mercury should keep it at a tolerable level as well.

I would put the mercury recoil reducers in my shotguns and add a good recoil b\pad there too,beofre I sold them a downsized.Also, take a look at some of the recoil shield shirts that are padded.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=367156#enlarge

#1. you don't have to shoot 3.5" shells when you go goose hunting. A 2.75" 12 ga shell will hold the same weight shot as a 3" 20 gauge shell. Choose a smaller size shot for a denser pattern at longer ranges... maybe something likeheavyshot #2's.

#2. A 12 gauge gun will be heavier than a 20 gauge gun of the same make and model so the extra weight will help with recoil.

#3. You didn't say what shotguns you have but you should be able to install at least one mercury recoil reducer in the gun and probably two. One in the stock and one as a mag tube cap.

#4. you can get any make of recoil pad for as shotgun as you can a rifle.

Every bird that I have ever killed with a 20 wouldn't be any more dead if it was shot with a 12.

I would stick with the 12ga, shoot lighter loads, install the mercury recoil reducers, and a recoil pad. If you have a hollow stock instead of an expensive mercury recoil reducer you can fill it with a bag full of lead (or something heavy). Just fill it full so you do not hear or feel it rattling around.

Using the formula for determining recoil will let you compare various loadings in both gauges. A 3" 20-ga. with 1.25 oz of shot will recoil the same as a 12 using the same amount ofshot. In addition, with the right dimesions in the tube a 3" 20 can give patterns of over 70%. There is no way a 20 is going to give the recoil of a heavy 3"-3.5" 12 ga. It will kill as well as a 12, but at 25% shorter ranges than the 12s.

Given identical shot payloads and velocity, the 20 gauge might actually recoil MORE, since 20 gauge shotguns tend to be lighter than their bigger brother.

Mike

Sorry to here about your troubles. As stated above BigBull has pretty much nailed it on the head. I will also say that a limbsaver pad will reduce felt recoil as good if not better than any of the other after market pads. Also as stated from anothe post 2 3/4 shell loads will cleanly kill as well as the super mag 3.5 loads. Now I'm telling you it is a mind over matter issue and it improves your shooting skills and protects your wallet a heck of alot more, too! JMO
Hope things go well for you under the knife. You may find that shouldering and swing is alot more of a limiting factor from some of the other people I have dealt with over the years that have had this type of surgery? Not trying to scare you jusr want you to know there are other drawbacks that might occur?
Again good luck and if I can help, don't hesutate to e-mail me.

Geese are pretty easy to hit. When I had shoulder problems I shot left handed sure I missed some birds but what the heck its still hunting
RC