Looking for advice on 20 gauge semi auto

[gk67]

I am a small frame female looking to shoot clays with my husband. I having been researching my options for some time now and could use some advice. I am leaning toward a 20 gauge semi auto to cut down on the kick. Some of the guns the fit me best weigh about 6lbs. I understand that as the weight goes down, the recoil goes up. I have been checking out the Franchi 750 and the Benelli Ultralight, but have not fired any of them. I'm open to any advice or suggestions on what would work for clays without bruising my shoulder.

Thanks in advance.

[24/7dude]

I just got a Benelli M2 Tactical 12 guage semi auto. It doesn't really recoil at all even with the regular stock. You can get a Comfortech stock which is sopposed to reduce recoil but I don't think it is even needed.

[SauerGrapes]

My humble advice is, buy a semi that is gas operated. If you have the money, Beretta is my first choice and Reminton would be my second choice. If the Franchi is gas operated, and you like it they are fine guns. Browning Golds are also great guns. They use to make a "Gold sporting clays" model for women. I see them for sale used from time to time. 20ga. Reminton 1100 and 11-87's are very popular as is the Beretta. Unless you are going to shoot a ton, used guns will also serve you well.

I just picked up a used Remington Mod. 11-87. It is a soft shooting gun. Gas operated guns are designed to reduce recoil more so than an inertia or recoil operated shotgun.

Gas guns require more cleaning but are worth the extra effort IMO.
Best of luck, hope this helps.

[seoulstice]

On a clays field, 12/16/20 ga guns are pretty much equal and in true competitions they shoot in the same class. 20ga are perfectly suited for Sporting Clays, I use one myself right now though I am saving up for a Beretta 12ga O/U.

I bought a Franchi 720 Competition this summer which is much like the regular Franchi 720 Field[I'm pretty sure you meant 720 as they don't make a 750] except it has nicer looking wood, factory extended chokes and a ported barrel. I would recommend the 720 model to anyone who is looking for a light recoiling 20ga semi. Since you say you are smaller framed you might want to look at the 720 Youth, same gun as the 720 Field except it has a shorter LOP[length of pull] which makes it easier to handle for smaller framed people. I would pass over the Benelli since it is inertia driven which lends to more "felt recoil" than a gas driven gun.

Where do you shoot SC at? I think I will be busy this weekend for early duck season[I'll be taking the 720 out for it's first hunt] but most of my shooting is done up north of Pottstown, you're welcome to give it a try sometime, just supply the ammo. The gun shoots very sweetly.

As for the recommendation for a tactical 12ga shotgun when you asked for 20ga recommendations...I don't get that. Entirely impractical for sporting clays, no need for extra shell capacity in SC since you can only load 2 at a time and not to mention the M2 will recoil more than a gas driven 12ga due to its inertia driven action.

[seoulstice]

Some good advice from SauerGrapes, if this gun's only purpose is to shoot 2.75" target loads then I would look at an 1100. They can be more finicky due to issues with their design[o-ring failure] but they have been around forever and have proven themselves. However, they are heavier. No need to buy a Beretta since the Franchi has the same gas action as the Beretta without the higher price tag.

The Browning Gold is a good shotgun, I looked at both those and the Browning Silver[Browning no longer makes the Gold in 12 or 20ga, they have been renamed as Silvers] and while they are very nice I was not a fan of the design and it was also heavier and not as pointable for me as the Franchi was.

From what I've been told and read the Franchi/Beretta and Browning gas actions are the most reliable with the 1100 coming in 2nd only due to very occasional o-ring failures.

[24/7dude]

Originally Posted by seoulstice

As for the recommendation for a tactical 12ga shotgun when you asked for 20ga recommendations...I don't get that. Entirely impractical for sporting clays, no need for extra shell capacity in SC since you can only load 2 at a time and not to mention the M2 will recoil more than a gas driven 12ga due to its inertia driven action.

Wasn't really recommending that specific one. Just saying I recently got it and the recoil is nothing compared to an old Mossberg 500 pump I used to have (The OP was worried about the kick). As far as the comfortech stock, you can get them on all Benelli models, but again, I don't see the need for it but you may. As for shooting clays with it, why can't you? I do it. I hit more than my friends do shooting their 870's and 500's (sporting models forget which ones), and I have a shorter barrel. It's mostly the shooter, not the gun, as I can't hit crap with theirs compared to mine. Probably because I'm not use to theirs.

More capacity = more fun in the shooting world
You can load 2 at a time if you desire for competitions, but then you also have the option for loading up 8 and whipping a handful of clays out there, so blast away.
And on an unrelated note, you'll have a better HD shotty, but if it's for that then I would seriously recommend a 12 gauge. If you're really unsure you can't handle the kick, you can come over and I'll let you shoot mine. Always looking for someone to shoot clays with.

[seoulstice]

Oh ok, gotcha - a 12ga semi certainly doesn't recoil bad compared to a pump. Is that M2 Tactical fixed choke? It would be fine for an informal session of busting clays with friends in an open field but it wouldn't be suitable for shooting on a SC field, at the distances some of those targets are at the pattern would be spread so big, you really need a modified to hit some targets.

[24/7dude]

sure does have a choke in there. I don't know a ton about it, weather it's fixed or removable since I got it used and didn't come with any instruction manual. Heck, I don't even know how to take it apart yet, lol. I probably should learn since I put about 300-400 shells through it and I'd imagine it could use a good cleaning.

Longest my range goes out to is about 50 yards before the tree line, but I always try to bust em within 25. I don't shoot competitions, just for fun. I may get a longer barreled one for hunting and sport down the road... but even though those Benelli's are nice, they are expensive!

[Charlie De]

You should go to shotgunworld.com and check out their forum. There is a whole lot of useful information there.

You never said what type of clays you want to shoot, trap,skeet, sporting. A lot of people use O/U for Clays. Target loads have the least recoil of any shot shells. Have you shot your hubbies gun? Remember hunting guns are lighter as they are carried a lot and shot little. Target guns are heavier to absorb recoil and are less punishing to the shooter.

If they rent guns at your range rent a couple and try them out or borrow from the other ladies at the range. What do you need, three shots to find if you like it. And don't forget 28 gage

And most important is the fit. You will get a lot of info about fit at Shotgun World forum.

[Tomcat088]

I really like several different semi autos. Some of my favorites are the Remington 1187 and 1100's in 20 gauge. I think that the Remington 1187 and 1100's are some of the softest shooting semi-auto's around. As others said, their gas systems can sometimes be a bit finicky, but once you find what works, or flip the ring over for the lighter loads and play with it a bit, you shouldnt' have any problems. I've shot a few semi auto franchi's and always really liked them as well. They're soft recoiling and nice shotguns. I really love the Beretta 391's as well, they're very thin and comfortable. I'm a bigger guy, so none of these shotguns recoil much at all to me, and it's difficult to tell the difference; they're all quality shotguns. I have some friends that own Browning golds and they love them; they're beautiful shotguns but I don't know how they recoil.

As others said, I would DEFINITELY stay away from the intertia operated shotguns. They use the force of the load to make them cycle, whereas the gas operated shotguns bleed off some gas to cycle the action and tend to be much lighter recoiling. Benelli shotguns use intertia, and while they're good shotguns, I'd stay away from them for your purposes. Hope that the suggestions helps.