Female Shotgun Advice

[Gunner46]

I whole heartedly agree with the Cush Man. I've toted a Moss 500 20 ga since I was 15 (45 yrs) and they have never, Never, NEVER let me down. I say 'they' because I wore my 1st one out with a few thousand rounds in my youth. Easy to disassemble. easy to clean, no fancy engineering.It just simply works every time.

Pheasant, duck, quail, doves, bunnies, "Squirrel" !, turkey, and yes, deer, have all graced my families table thanks to a Moss 500.

If anyone thinks a 20ga is too light....'splain that to the 3 whitetails I dropped in a row, with one shot each.

Just remember, you have a bit less shot, so you may consider either shorter range, or up-ing the choke a tad, but it's all about practice. A hunting guide friend used mine to make his lifetime longest shot on a dove hunt in NC.

I never felt at a handicap, but I did always feel a bit of one-up-menship when I was with the 12 ga die-hards and walked away having equaled, or bettered them.

 

[katqanna]

female here 5'7", thinner frame. I was given a 20 gauge, shingle shot break action when I married, about 30 years ago, which is what I used all those years. But recently I have been skeet shooting with a friend (having dislocated my right shoulder a little over a year ago, worried about kick) and have been using his beautiful 12 gauge, over/under double barrel break action with a nice pad on the end. And though the stock is about an inch longer than I would like, I love this gun, with less kick on my shoulder (pad is key) than my older shotgun and my accuracy on the skeet range increased (part of that was the choke).

 

[88man]

20 ga auto is the way to go. All about your budget. Berettas are really nice

 

[BrokenWing]

we have many Escort Shotguns that would fit the bill. All are affordably priced and many different options to choose from.

My 10 y/o daughter shoots an escort youth semi auto 20 ga. Great gun. I take it into the timber sometimes.

The weatherby SA-08 20 ga youth gun is also a solid performer.

Regardless, I'd go semi-auto.

 

[Don Fischer]

I went to a 28 ga and I love it. Only problem with it is expensive field loads buy 7.5 target loads should work well on most birds. I load mine and use target data and simply change the shot size to what I want. Very light guns and very light recoil. Not sure what they cost anymore but the 28 is about all I shoot anymore.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Find a used old 870 twenty gauge in wood and cut it down for her. See how she likes hunting before making the leap to anything expensive. Twenty gauge trap loads at the range shouldn't bruise her. She should spend some time there before heading to the field anyway. 26" barrel with chokes is desirable but don't sweat it if you can only find a fixed choke used gun at a good price. There's lots of affordable aftermarket barrels available for 870. Similarly, don't worry about cutting the stock down. If it doesn't work out for her or she decides to move on to something nicer, eBay always has a ton of those stocks on hand to make it "normal" again for resale.

I should add, 870 is one of the best pointing shotguns ever made. It is as one size fits all as you can get. Cut it down to correct LOP and it will point for her.

 

[BrentD]

Best bet is to take her shotgun shopping and find one she likes and fits. Most gun shops should be able to help with the fitting.

As for which gun - at your price point, I'd look at the used rack before thinking of new. Some great deals on classic shotguns can be found, and they're a lot nicer than new guns. I'd also not be afraid to spend a little more if the budget allows if she finds a gun she likes.

20 gauge is never a bad choice for upland. Neither is 16 or 12.

Here's a decent blog post on the issue of selecting the proper shotgun: http://georgiapellegrini.com/2013/1...women-on-getting-the-right-gun-fit-and-mount/

I agree with this 100%.

I'll add that guns that have long ammo tubes and heavy forearms are hard for women, even if the stock is cut shorter to fit. Cutting the stock will also move the balance point somewhat forward making it even more muzzle heavy. Having to reach around the dreadfully long receivers of pumps and semiautos can be awkward and supporting the weight of the gun with the off-side hand overextended, is tiring.

Thus, it would be really hard to beat a break action gun. Side-bys being my personal favorite of course, are also slightly lighter on average than O/U and better looking

But whatever you do, make it fit and keep the weight further back.

FWIW, I cut down and padded an Ithaca SKB 100 20 gauge for my wife.

 

[ammo]

I have a 20 and a 12, I started on a 12. Have to disagree with much of this thread on pushing ladies towards 20s for recoil. We can handle it, dudes What matters more is the shot size. I accidentally picked up some Prairie Storm shells last year that rocked me.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I agree with this 100%.

I'll add that guns that have long ammo tubes and heavy forearms are hard for women, even if the stock is cut shorter to fit. Cutting the stock will also move the balance point somewhat forward making it even more muzzle heavy. Having to reach around the dreadfully long receivers of pumps and semiautos can be awkward and supporting the weight of the gun with the off-side hand overextended, is tiring.

Thus, it would be really hard to beat a break action gun. Side-bys being my personal favorite of course, are also slightly lighter on average than O/U and better looking

But whatever you do, make it fit and keep the weight further back.

FWIW, I cut down and padded an Ithaca SKB 100 20 gauge for my wife.

This was especially true with old corncob style fore ends but no one makes pump shotguns like that anymore. Virtually all now have extended fore ends that allow the shorter person to grip further back. I'm not sure I see the balance logic in a pump with one barrel extended beyond the sliding fore end vs a double gun with the weight of TWO barrels extending ahead of the fore end. Seems to me if anything the latter would be more muzzle heavy. I will have to get out my 870 and Citori and see how the balance points and overall weight compare. You are right in that many women, including just about all of them I've coached, tend to lean back away from the gun, usually because they're gripping its fore end too far forward. Since they see larger men grab it there, they think that's where they should be holding it too. Choke up on that thing! Shortening the stock will help adjust balance point but it won't make the barrels any lighter.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I have a 20 and a 12, I started on a 12. Have to disagree with much of this thread on pushing ladies towards 20s for recoil. We can handle it, dudes What matters more is the shot size. I accidentally picked up some Prairie Storm shells last year that rocked me.

It wasn't the shot size that punished you. It was the weight of the payload and exaggerated velocity. Those shells are definitely overkill and counterproductive (= flinching).

A twenty gauge is built on a lighter frame with a lighter barrel making it easier for a lighter person to carry and point. My daughter can handle my big twelve gauges just fine but she is definitely not a "lighter person." We are presuming if cutting down the stock is in order, this fella's wife is on the small side.

 

[Dakotakid]

Another option you might consider is a try fit clinic. I have not attended one but did research a little as an option before I decide on a competition shotgun.
Our local club has explored having a person come do the clinic which might be worth doing before buying.

 

[ammo]

It wasn't the shot size that punished you. It was the weight of the payload and exaggerated velocity. Those shells are definitely overkill and counterproductive (= flinching).

A twenty gauge is built on a lighter frame with a lighter barrel making it easier for a lighter person to carry and point. My daughter can handle my big twelve gauges just fine but she is definitely not a "lighter person." We are presuming if cutting down the stock is in order, this fella's wife is on the small side.

In my case, my 12 (a semi auto montefeltro with a cut down stock), is lighter and easier to carry than my 20 (a browning sxs).

I'm small - 5'2, 115 and there is something nice about having a gun that has a bit of weight to it. The 20 (heavier) has a nice follow through to it and the weight of the gun itself can also absorb the kick. I'm just saying that there's a lot more for us midgets out than smaller gauges to consider.

Also this thread is from 2016

 

[seeth07]

Being female really has nothing do with the choice.

When looking for a shotgun that is a "good fit" you need to consider these things:
1) Stock length
2) Gun Weight and balance
3) Forearm hold length from butt of gun

That is really it and based on your body type, height and arm length, there is a shotgun out there for you.

Secondary to that is when you can get into discussion about gun use and gauges. Given the above fit criteria, the gun choice would likely be totally different if its a person just looking for a turkey gun vs someone who wants to shooting sporting clays in a league every week.