Looking for a new shotgun. Wanting a 20ga lowest recoil possible. Rabbits, doves and Quail mostly. Clays once or twice a year.

Hi Paul.

I think the Beretta A400 is about as soft a shooting 20-gauge as you will find.

Dave

That looks interesting
Thanks

ramrod 340--I started with a 20 gauge Win Mod 12 when I was about 9 and never graduated. I did get 12 gauge when I was grown, but like my 20 better. To me, recoil about the same with the exception of mechanical auto's and they seem to kick harder.

I was 15 when I upgraded from my mosberg single shot to my Spanish double. I will still grab it. However, thanks to some surgery I was thinking of trying something lighter. Might pull out my 410 double for rabbits.

My post may have sounded like I was saying 12 gauge and 20 gauge about the same recoil. What I meant was recoil among various shotguns of same gauge about the same, but mechanical autos seem to smack you more.

X2 on the A400. A has operated 20 will be the best bet for low recoil. That’s what we use in Argentina and our clients are shooting thousands and thousands of rounds per day.

quote:

Originally posted by DCS Member:
X2 on the A400. A has operated 20 will be the best bet for low recoil. That’s what we use in Argentina and our clients are shooting thousands and thousands of rounds per day.

YEs, the Beretta gas guns are fantastic.

Technically the auto absorb more recoil but Ive never found the 20s to be much different..stock fit perhaps..but if recoil was in question Id go for a 28 ga. my favorite shotgun gage..I can't tell much difference in the 28 and 20 as far as successs on Upland birds, rabbits etc..Ive shot a lot of blue quail, in West Texas with both, came home with about the same number of birds....410s eat my lunch except for Bob whites over dogs but even my average goes down a little.

The Beretta A400 is great as noted. But I think my Remington 1100 may actually shoot softer.

Also, I'm sure you know, but with 7/8 ounce or even 3/4 ounce loads, even a fixed breech 12 gauge is a pussy cat. Might kick softer that the auto-loaders running 1-1/8 ounce loads.

I think you will find the gas operated guns to have the lightest recoil. A heavier gun with longer barrel will help too.

Find a 1970's to 1980's Rem 1100.

I dont know how soft it is compared to the A400, but my wife and I put a couple of thousand shells through a benelli montefeltro 20ga on a high volume dove hunt in Argentina last year.. and never felt a thing..

I know gas guns generally speaking shoot softer than inertia guns, but if youre talking about shooting typical rabbit/dove/quail loads out of a 20ga, I honestly think any difference you might feel would be negligible.. (whereas if you were comparing a 12ga gas gun vs inertia gun shooting 3 1/2" mag turkey loads, there would likely be a noticeable difference)

My recommendation would be just to go find a semi-auto gun you like, that shoulders well, etc..

Thanks for all the suggestions. Ended up buying a used Silver Pigeon 1 combo 20/28. While I won't be taking it on a S American dove hunt. My shoulder can handle it for a couple rounds of clays in an afternoon. Didn't need the combo but couldn't pass up the deal.

I recall several years ago hunting squirrels with a Superposed 20 ga loaded with Super X 1 oz loads. Sitting on the ground, back against a tree most squirrels came into view from the side and in some situation the only available way to shoot was to hold the gun, one handed, pointed to the side, basically as one would shoot a handgun. the recoil was insignificant. Other times I was shooting 3" magnum 1 1/4oz ammo and these would get your attention. I didn't try and shoot these one-handed. I am inclined to think that with a 20 ga the answer isn't so much seeking a gun that has some system of reducing the felt recoil, but in using ammo specific to the task. If all you need to do is break a clay and you're going through a 100 round course then chose light loads, possibly of high velocity that are easy on your shoulder. Hunting pheasants- few shots, big birds- go with heavier loads. Recoil won't be an issue.

Physics suggests the energy must go somewhere so a lot of the opinion is "impressions of recoil" as opposed to measured, mathmatical recoil.

Gunfit makes a huge different also.


If you want light recoil, get a vintage English SxS (cabelas has many) that were high quality guns when made 50-100 years ago. One with proper cast and drops will make it comfortable for your wife.

Second, since you selected a break open shotgun you can shoot any shell without worry for jams, feed problems, insufficient power to make the semi-auto functional, etc. Thus, you can shoot a 2.5" shell with a 1oz load at 1125fps for hunting at 8900psi, and for targets or doves a 2.5" shell with a 7/8oz load at 1100 for a pressure of around 6000psi.

My 8 year old daughter used such loads above in a 12 gauge for turkey hunting with no ill effects. Way less recoil than say, a modern 28gauge autoloader...and the pattern was better demonstrably because each gauge you go up improves a pattern by 7% and reduces stringing.