20 ga semi vs. 12 ga semi shooting 2 3/4 shells?

[LondonDave]

I've had it in my mind to buy a 20 ga semi for my wife to shoot for softer recoil and then I got to thinking what about a soft shooting 12 ga. semi shooting 2 3/4 shells? There seems to be a lot more decently priced higher end 12 ga semis out there vs. 20 ga. There is the odd lower end 20 ga (Weatherby SA-08 for example) around but I have mixed feelings about them. I've read good and bad.

Does anyone have any real world comparison info between the two?

Thanks

Dave

[chris1395]

20 ga guns tend to be a bit lighter than the 12's and so felt recoil can actually be worse. My wife can comfortably shoot an SXP with 3" steel loads, she calls my SX3 a sissy gun because it's such a soft kicker. Any nice gas gun in 12 ga I think she could handle even 3".

[Goosesniper]

20 ga guns tend to be a bit lighter than the 12's and so felt recoil can actually be worse. My wife can comfortably shoot an SXP with 3" steel loads, she calls my SX3 a sissy gun because it's such a soft kicker. Any nice gas gun in 12 ga I think she could handle even 3".

Agreed. Some 410s have bigger kick than 12 gauges due to the lack of weight in the gun. I'd buy the 12 and use lighter loads.

[Buzz Killington]

I can only compare a Beretta A400 12g vs. Benelli M2 20g.

The A400 shooting 2-3/4 is feather light. SO soft.

The M2 20g has less. its a bit lighter, so it feels almost like a toy, but there is little to no kick to it at all.

on to 3" shells:

almost equal. but if i had to pick - the 20g is still a softer shooting gun by a fraction.

if i had to choose?

12g with 2-3/4 shells. get a good soft shooting semi with 2-3/4 shells and you'll love it (she'll love it too)

[Utah]

I borrowed a 20 for my wife to try. We were shooting 2 3/4 skeet loads. She found my 870 12 had less recoil so we wound up getting an 11/87 12 and cut the stock down. She loves it

[Fox]

I got a 20ga for the fiancee, for her it is more the physical weight of the gun then the recoil.

Anyone can be built up to shoot heavier recoil, but if you cannot lift the gun up and shoot without fatigue you have a problem.

[LondonDave]

I got a 20ga for the fiancee, for her it is more the physical weight of the gun then the recoil.

Anyone can be built up to shoot heavier recoil, but if you cannot lift the gun up and shoot without fatigue you have a problem.

This is a very good point and definitely a concern with my wife. She is not one that is going to "build up" to the recoil. If it's not soft shooting from the get go she just won't shoot it. Weight is also a concern. I'm looking at a Browning Maxus 3" with a 26" barrel. It's a claimed 6 pounds 14 oz which I believe because I have one with a 28" barrel and it is a light gun. It is also soft shooting.

[Gadwall]

If recoil is the only concern (if she can handle the weight of the 12ga fine), I don't find the newer 12 guages to have any more recoil, and I find I cannot tell the recoil difference in my Maxus between a 2.75" or a 3.5" shell, the 3.5" is just louder. Recoil systems in the top end 12 guages are excellent now and the weight of the 12 guage guns has come down alot as well. I can only speak for Brownings, but my older A500 made in 1991 weighs over a pound heavier than the new Maxus or Silver, but the new guns have less recoil ... innovations have made them much more user friendly.

Another consideration as you spoke of price ... I expect to get good quality 20 guage rounds it is more expensive than good quality 12 guage rounds ... over time this will pay for the difference in a good 12 guage original price.

[Bluebulldog]

Get the 20 gauge semi.

I've got the similar model to the SA-08. It's a Mossberg SA-20, same gun, same manufacturer ( Armsan in Turkey).

Beauty gun, hardly any recoil, light and points well. I own 7 shotties, it's one of my faves.

[Bluebulldog]

Another consideration as you spoke of price ... I expect to get good quality 20 guage rounds it is more expensive than good quality 12 guage rounds ... over time this will pay for the difference in a good 12 guage original price.

20 gauge is not any more expensive than 12.

I buy 1000s of rounds each year. both.