Gun Recomendation

[irishthunder50]

First off let me just say i am one lucky guy. My fiancee is a great gal. Loves sittin at home drinkin beer, shes a great cook, really enjoys shooting, likes to go fishing with me, and best of all she WANTS to hunt. Dosnt just want to sit in the woods or field with me but actually enjoys being out there and trying to get supper whether its squirrel, dove, rabbit, or deer. Well the only thing holding her back is a medical condition where she can not shoot a gun with much recoil. And I promised her next hunting season I would get her set up to be able to actually hunt with me. Well most everything has been pretty simple. I've already got a couple .22 rifles to hunt squirrel and rabbit with, On the lookout for a .243 to hunt deer that I'll slip a recoil pad onto. However I cant seem to think of a good shotgun for her to go dove hunting with me. My grandfather said just get her a .410 but what is everyone elses oppinion? I was wondering if a 20 GA semi would still have too much umph on the back end? Dove hunting is new to me this year and I really enjoy it but back home up north in Illinois i never got into it. So i dont know if a .410 is a good option or not. I always considered it just a squirrel and rabbit and fun gun. I will say this, she is a tall girl (6'1) so a youth model wouldnt work. And i am only looking to spend about 250-300 bucks. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mkburden]

I think you're on the right track as far as .243. As for shotgun, good luck. 410 for dove might prove to be a challenge. I never have owned one though.

 

[Rum Runner]

I can't comment on the effectiveness of a .410 or its worth as a dove gun. However lightening recoil is pretty straightforward. Consider a strap on shooting pad for her that will distribute the force over a larger area. Buy a heavier gun. Choose a semi-automatic. Limbsaver recoil pad. Seems like I had 1 more thing, but it has now slipped my mind. Good luck and have fun!

 

[TexasRedneck]

Personally, I'd highly recommend a 20 gauge. The added mass of the gun itself (which the 410 won't have) will do wonders for perceived recoil. A pump will increase mass, as well. From there, recoil pad - and a Shooters vest w/padded shoulder!

 

[hogrider]

Isn't a 28 gauge supposed to be the magical answer. May not be found for $300 though. I've never handled a 28 but I have a .410 and a 20. I can say for a fact the smaller caliber makes it a challenge for dove but there is hardly any recoil. There's not that much with a 20 but it may be more than she can handle. Just seems like the 28 would be perfect answer.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

If you want a traditional shotgun stock, but recoil reduction of the Knoxx they make a Compstock.

CompStock Shotgun Stock - BLACKHAWK!

I haven't used one, but you may want to research it. The regular "Spec Ops" one has some cheek slap I hear, but this one simply helps absorb recoil with the spring.

Maybe the combination of the 28 gauge with a Compostock?

 

[TexasRedneck]

One of the most disheartening things for a beginning shooter is coming back empty-handed from the field - both the 410 an' 28's will have a lot less shot than a 12 or 20 gauge.

 

[TXRanchMedic]

One of the most disheartening things for a beginning shooter is coming back empty-handed from the field - both the 410 an' 28's will have a lot less shot than a 12 or 20 gauge.

Yep, if she is to enjoy the dove hunt, she will need her own trophy to show off and cook. A good used pump 20 should be a good starter for her. She can practic and get accustomed to the gun with clay practice, and a pump would be less prone to firing a second time when she is not ready. I've seen younger shooters with a first time semiauto bump the trigger when they weren't ready.

 

[Fisherman777]

How about a good twice barrel 16 gauge? She can use it for the house as well.

When I shot dove, I had an 870 12ga improved cylinder. Brought back a few. Man they were tasty and the drippings made good gravy.

 

[TexasRedneck]

How about a good twice barrel 16 gauge? She can use it for the house as well.

When I shot dove, I had an 870 12ga improved cylinder. Brought back a few. Man they were tasty and the drippings made good gravy.

16 gauge is hard to find shells for compared to 12 or 20. And the lighter action of a double will result in higher energy transfer to the shooter, which he's tryin' to avoid.

And come to think of it...(dumb look) OP, if yer in the SA area, I'd be glad to meet ya at the range up here in NB, and she could try several different flavors - I've got 12's in both pump and SxS, a 20 pump, an' even a 16 x 16 x 8mm Drilling (once they get done w/the rebore on it, anyways).

 

[Fisherman777]

16 gauge is hard to find shells for compared to 12 or 20. And the lighter action of a double will result in higher energy transfer to the shooter, which he's tryin' to avoid.

You're right. A 20 would still be a lot better than a .410 for dove and still good for squirrel too. I would shoot squirrel with a .22lr. Doesn't tear up the meat as much.

 

[Fisherman777]

If you want a traditional shotgun stock, but recoil reduction of the Knoxx they make a Compstock.

CompStock Shotgun Stock - BLACKHAWK!

I haven't used one, but you may want to research it. The regular "Spec Ops" one has some cheek slap I hear, but this one simply helps absorb recoil with the spring.

Maybe the combination of the 28 gauge with a Compostock?

I have a question about those. I see the numbers for recoil reduction on the site but how does it really feel when you compare the factory stock versus the Compstock? Looks like an okay price but can you get them any cheaper elsewhere?

 

[Rum Runner]

16 gauge is hard to find shells for compared to 12 or 20. And the lighter action of a double will result in higher energy transfer to the shooter, which he's tryin' to avoid.

+1 In the normal places the amount of ammo for the 16 is anemic. And as stated, I swear my pump 16 has at least as much kick as my semi-auto 12.

 

[MR Redneck]

She can knock dove out of the air with a 410. I have done it for years, but unlike a 12 gauge, she wont be able to knock down 3 with one shot.
Now, you can make a 20 gauge pretty mild. I use to shoot skeet , no " Skeeter" ,with an 80+ year old man pretty often. He had some eye issues and couldnt handle recoil either. His sporting gun was a browning over and under, had some kind of recoil tubes installed in the stock and a nice soft pad. He let me shoot it one time and it had nearly no recoil at all.
As far as a critter gun, a 223 would be great. They dont kick hardly at all. A 243 might be better for deer. Dont rule out a .17HMR either. I have one of those and love it. At 100 yards I can tape a nickle to a tree and hit it with ease. She might love one of those because there so accurate. Use Hornady ammo for the best results. The CCI isnt as good.
Good luck............

 

[navyguy]

Back in the day, .410 was what a kid got around 12 years old or so, but in reality it's an experts gun. There is very little shot in those so to get any kind of pattern out past 15 yards, most have very tight chokes which of course makes shooting much more difficult. Couple that with the distortion of the shot you get from the thin column shot and you have a gun that's difficult to hit moving targets with. I've seen people be somewhat successful shooting dove with .410 but it's mostly on very early (opening day) doves that can be coxed in close, where shots are less than 20 yards, and at that it's still pretty difficult.

I think a 20 gauge is the best bet. Stick with low brass "field or game" loads, and get a nice recoil pad and it should not be a problem.

 

[irishthunder50]

16 gauge is hard to find shells for compared to 12 or 20. And the lighter action of a double will result in higher energy transfer to the shooter, which he's tryin' to avoid.

And come to think of it...(dumb look) OP, if yer in the SA area, I'd be glad to meet ya at the range up here in NB, and she could try several different flavors - I've got 12's in both pump and SxS, a 20 pump, an' even a 16 x 16 x 8mm Drilling (once they get done w/the rebore on it, anyways).

That is mighty kind of you and i might just take you up on it. She actually lives in new braunfels and I am stationed up at Ft. Hood. Grandfather lives in San Antonio though so i make the rounds. I think i may have been to the range in NB one time for her first range trip. Its off of 46 correct? Anyways, this was my first chance to get on the computer and i want to thank everyone for all the suggestions. Someone suggested the recoil reducing blackhawk stock and i actually have one of those on one of my mossbergs and they work very well. However i couldnt do that with what i got today. Some how the stars all aligned and for whatever unknown reason I actually got an amazing deal on a 20 guage pump. All i will say about the price was it was WELL below my 300 dollar mark. It is missing the magazine cap and has some rust all around but I think it should all just rub off. If not refinishing would not be a hard project. Here is a link to the model that fell into my lap for i must say again an incredibly good price from a fellow soldier.REMINGTON 870 SHURSHOT 20-GA. 26-IN. PUMP SHOTGUN I think she will be extremely happy and i think i should hopefully be able to find a magazine cap locally tomorow. What do you all think, did i do good? will try to post a picture of it up by the end of the night. here is a picture of my mossberg i mentioned earlier with the Knoxx Stock

 

[TexasRedneck]

I think ya did okay - and they're popular enough that you should be able to find the cap easily. Holler when yer headed down this way - an' yeah, Dietz is right there off of 46!

 

[Stumpy]

I have a 95 yr old Springfield side-by-side .410 shotgun, and I've been slaying dove like a crazy mofo this season with that gun. I love it, but ammo is crazy expensive.

 

[Texasjack]

They make vest pads that are specifically for women. A 20 gauge with dove loads, recoil pad, and vest pad will make the recoil very bearable.

 

[irishthunder50]

in all my excitement in the deal i was getting i completely overlooked to check the rest of the magazine tube. completely bare so i am goin to have to get the follower, spring, plug, and retainer as well as the magazine cap. Looks like a recent model so i think i am just going to call remington in the morning and i am sure they will be able to set me up with what i need. Once i get it, it'll take all of a minute to get the gun fully operational. Anyways, got the gun clean and it came out very nice. The rib on it was a solid rust color. but about a hour and 20 minutes with alot of scraping with a fine pick and i have the whole gun rust free and lubed up inside and out. Heres a pic of her all cleaned up.