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My wife and I would like to get into skeet shooting and we both like over/unders but i like to have diversity in my collection, so i thought i'd get a side by side and she could get an over/under. The problem is i want us both to get a 12g. My father-in-law has her talked into a 20g saying it won't kick as much but all the reading i have done suggests 12g is the best to use to shoot skeet. Actually that a 20g would be harder to shoot with the spread differences between the two. I think she is a little worried about the kick because of my 18 inch pump i have for home defense by the bed. She's seen me shoot some heavy load in it and i won't say it didnt bruise me up a little.

anyway, what is your consences on gauges and skeet?
whats the preferred?
would a nice sissy pad help her not get bruised?
and side by side better than over/under ?

thanks in advance

Millerk420 wrote:My wife and I would like to get into skeet shooting and we both like over/unders but i like to have diversity in my collection, so i thought i'd get a side by side and she could get an over/under. The problem is i want us both to get a 12g. My father-in-law has her talked into a 20g saying it won't kick as much but all the reading i have done suggests 12g is the best to use to shoot skeet. Actually that a 20g would be harder to shoot with the spread differences between the two. I think she is a little worried about the kick because of my 18 inch pump i have for home defense by the bed. She's seen me shoot some heavy load in it and i won't say it didnt bruise me up a little.

anyway, what is your consences on gauges and skeet?
whats the preferred?
would a nice sissy pad help her not get bruised?
and side by side better than over/under ?

thanks in advance

I haven't shot skeet or trap in many many years, but I can point out that the loads you shot in your HD are most likely much heavier loads than you'd use in shooting clay pigeons. Typically 1 1/8 oz shot load in 12 ga and 7/8 to 1 0z in 20 ga. O/U is what I shot back in the days, though I broke in with a pump to start. There's nothing wrong with a recoil pad and most pro's have them on their guns. I put them on all my long guns because I need the extra LOP and when I shot a lot of skeet the shoulder can get sore, believe me. I'm 6'2 and 220# and I don't consider them sissy pads. When/if you shoot ten rounds of trap or skeet in a day you'll know what I mean. Correct stock fit makes a world of difference in handling recoil. Whether she can handle a 12 ga depends on a lot of things besides recoil. Weight of the gun, how large or small her stature, strength, etc. There were ladies that shot with us with 20 ga and 12 ga and I wouldn't want to be the bird they were swinging on. Maybe you can find a range that would rent guns for her to try.
Whether you shoot SS or O/U is personal I shot SS a few times, but preferred O/U. There's one option you may consider and that's a 12 ga automatic. Reduces recoil effectively and gets the most shot headed to the bird. Good Luck.

My wife shoots a 20ga. She don't want to shoot a 12 and neither do I want her to. There's a significant difference in recoil and what little one might gain in pattern size or density is just not worth her not enjoying the sport or becoming gun shy. Besides, if you're "on target" a 20 will kill just as many clays, or dove, or quail for that matter. Make sure her gun's stock fits HER or you may not have a shooting partner very long.

O/U is my preference.

20 ga. for her....would be excellent.

Thank you so much for the insight, we have a gun show this weekend so we will have a chance to handle some weapon systems and get her to hold some to find a stock that fits her. and with some of your experience i might just pick up the 20g as well to try out. I like having a mission when i go to a gun show, because if i dont have a list of things i am specifically tying to find, i end up trying to buy everything..

thanks

A lot depends on what you are calling 'skeet'. If you are talking regular field with high and low houses and 8 stations then...IMHO - the 12ga O/U is best although a low recoil Beretta 3901 or Winchester SX3 semi will be excellent - needs to be choked skeet/skeet fixed (skeet only gun) or have removeable chokes - a 26" or longer barrel is also preferable but weight comes into play for smaller shooters (occasionally). Pick a shotgun that has some weight if it is only to be used for skeet / trap (I have both skeet guns and field guns - shooting a straight 100 shells (four rounds of skeet) with a light field gun will wear you down a bit). Make sure the gun fits well - if adjustable comb, great. You need the gun to have the right amount of drop, cant, etc., so that your cheek rests comfortably on the stock and your eye is looking right down the rib at the bead without having to raise your head, tilt way over, or squeeze down (you don't aim, you 'look'). LOP needs to be right and the type of forearm (beavertail, schnabel, splinter on some like SxSs) will impact someone with small hands. Shoot the normal target load of #9 shot (#8 will work as well) from a 2-3/4" round 1oz or less and 3 dram equiv or less (preferably less for your wife). If recoil is still an issue - a good skeet / trap vest or PAST shield will help a lot. Pull the gun in tight. Now - if you are going to pursue regulation skeet in competition matches - remember, it is shot with four different bores - 12ga, 20ga, 28ga, and a .410 bore - 100 shell (four rounds) in each gun. You can shoot a smaller bore in larger bore contests (i.e. a .410 could be used during the 12ga rounds) but it would be a big disadvantage. Side by sides are romantic, and still are super field guns - but the last world competition win of a SxS at skeet was in 1936. Skeet/trap can be frustrating if you don't have some help when you start out - getting the leads right and where to hold the gun and look, etc. Great fun when you are hitting stuff though so stick with it.

My buddy and I shoot skeet at least once a week. I use a 12ga SX3, he has a Beretta 20ga. They both smoke clays! We trade guns all the time and I never notice a difference in recoil at all. 12 ga ammo also seems to be more plentiful and easier to find on sale.

Awesome, this is very good information. I guess I am not all up on my terminology. We watched some guys shooting clays at the range one afternoon and my wife thought it looked like fun. I called it skeet, but maybe that is the wrong term. We are new to shooting and my son is old enough now to hold a gun on his own and i think he would have a good time too. He is 11, but has a .410 single shot he got from his Pawpaw. We are expanding on the things we can do together at the range as a family. We all target shoot and I'd like to try other things like a moving target. I think my wife also watched Sarah Palin shooting at some clays on her show and want to give it a try.

Have at it - busting clays is just fun - and addictive. No matter whether it is skeet, trap, five stand, sporting, or bubba billy hand pichin clay birds out in the cow pasture. If you are near me - be glad to take you out for a couple rounds of skeet (uh - regulation skeet...).

I love the look and feel of an O/U. The 20 gauge is still ok for skeet, trap, and sporting clays.

I still prefer the 12gauge. If you are real serious then get a sportig gun with ported barrels. Berretta makes an nice one.

Plus...

good vest, recoil pad, and appropriate loads.

I know O/U's are very popular, but to help ensure your wife enjoys the experience, consider a semi-automatic for reduced recoil.

I was actually at boarders the other day reading on skeet shooting. They said in the book that professionally the scores between a 12 gauge and a 20 gauge were practically the same. Although the recoil is significantly less with the 20 gauge. Also, they said that a semi automatic shotgun will tend to spread out the recoil as to make it more comfortable as opposed to a double barrel, O/U or pump.

i do skeet and trap with my benelli supersport. i am thinking of buying a supernova just to have a pump. i dont like the sights on a lot of shotguns. FIT is more important then anything in my opinion.i dont honestly think it matter if you buy side by side,over under,auto or pump.I see people with cheap remmington pump or 20,000$ kreighoff.

I shoot 2 3/4 1 1/8oz remmington nitro sporting clay shells

FWIW:

In regulation skeet there are four classes: 12 ga, 20 ga, 28ga and .410 bore. All are shot at the same targets from the same stations in seperate events. The smaller the shotshell, the more difficult the target. My choice would be the 28 ga for skeet but bullets are expensive and kinda' hard to come by. Therefore, the 20 ga O/U would be a good choice for the lady, IMO. A light 12 ga load has perhaps the same recoil as a regular 20 ga load but the gun and {bullets} are not as heavy. If you're not interested in recovering your MT's for reloading, a semi-auto has the least recoil of all of 'em.

BTW, regulation trap is almost an exclusively 12 ga full choke event.

Enjoy!

My wife wanted to start shooting skeet and sporting clays with me years ago so I got her a 20 ga Remington 1100 youth model (shorter stock for shorter person 5'2") to start with. She shot this gun for about 6 months until she decided all on her own that she wanted to move up to a 12 ga. She decided (not me) that she wanted an O/U which is what I was shooting. She has always shot light target loads and has had no problems with recoil. The only problem we have had is that she runs of to many of my shootin' buddies because she out shoots most of them. If you are considering a 12 ga, which of course would be a good choice as my wife can atest to, I would definitely not overlook a semi-auto for the reduced recoil.