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In early January, I was trying different shotguns off a bench and sand bags and shot maybe 10 rounds total while wearing a heavy winter jacket

My savage 24 just absolutely hammered my shoulder with a heavy turkey load and my shoulder joint still aches.

Ive never experienced this before.

How long do you guys ache after a rough session?

I may have to use my 20 gauge this year if this low level pain persists and I dont want to aggrivate it.

Whats your experience?


Other than that, How was the show Mrs. Lincoln?
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Heavy loads through light guns off a bench hurt, plain and simple. Higher velocity loads do not help either. This is even more true with fixed breach guns without recoil pads. Couple all the above with a gun and hat does not fit well and/or a poor hold and one will hurt for a while.

To reduce recoil, shoot lighter loads at lower velocities. Add weight to the gun. And a good recoil pad. Do not shoot off a bench, most get too low and too much behind the gun which puts all the recoil on a rigid body. Instead, shoot standing off sticks or a rest. At least use a sitting position. That way your body can move with the recoil rather than remain solidly in place. Use a gas operated semiauto as the recoil is distributed over a longer period of time which makes the recoil seem lighter. Lastly, have the gun fitted to you so the recoil is distributed across the shoulder and into your body as much as possible. It will also put the buttstock more toward the body and not out on the joint.

Another point to consider is muscle mass in the shoulder. When I was younger and better built in the shoulders I could shoot more rounds from heavy recoiling guns than I can now. The loss of muscle mass in the shoulders is probably a major factor.

10 rounds is about the limit of 416 Rigby I can shoot from the bench comfortably and I don't shoot anything more than a 223 before and nothing after. I can do twice that off sticks and still shoot a 30/06 class cartridge from a typical hunting weight rifle comfortably. 10 years ago and a box of 416 off the bench wasn't a problem. Gotta love getting old.

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Yea... im feeling the change from a farm kid to a middle aged office guy.

Good suggestions WM..


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I ain't getting any younger either. And recoil still doesn't bother me a whole lot...………..so long as the gun fits me.

My LONG time turkey gun was a shortened up, tricked out BPS 10 gauge. 20-ish years ago, I set out to pattern 4 turkey loads off the bench. All Winchester XX loads. One each 2 1/4 oz. of #2, 4, 5 and 6 copper plated lead. I shot 3 of them. I never got to shell number 4. Felt like someone had swung an axe into my forehead. To this day, I can do a 20-round session with 500's in a .458 Win Mag or 250's in a light .375 Wby Mag. and not be much worse for wear. But that freakin' BPS...…………….. !!!!!!!!!!


I switched from that to the Belgian Winchester 3.5" gas guns for a lot of years. And now...………… I've moved on to an H&R 20 gauge single that's been well tweaked for turkey killing. A joy to carry and a little less hateful on the back end than the others.

Last edited by Yoder409; 02/04/19.

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With today's ammo, 20ga is the way to roll.

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I shot my Mossy 500 12 GA from the prone position at a turkey that came to the back door on an early April hunt. For whatever reason, I was still feeling my shoulder on Labor Day. Yikes!


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Shoot the shotgun off of shooting sticks, standing up.

Heavy shot carries a lot further, but patterning with less choke has to be done.

I shoot a Beretta 391 with the kick off system. The Kick off system is a shock absorb-er that is in the stock. The recoil is a push on 3" mags.

Gas operated autos kick a whole lot less than pumps and recoil operated shotguns.

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Humdinger------ I don't know what your 20 ga is but here is an example of what you can do------- I have a youth Mossberg 500 20 ga. Wood stock ---- I shoot Federal Heavyweight # 7--- 40 yd + Killer with factory full choke. I replaced the butt stock for turkey hunting only with a $ 60.00 Tactical Pistol grip type stock from Cheaper than Dirt. It looks like hell but hunting is not a fashion show. Very easy to train yourself to absorb most of the recoil with your wrist and arm . My main turkey gun , a NEF single shot 20 ga.( MR. Claymore) has the same style butt stock on it. Very easy to hold setting down. If all this fails --- see if it's OK in your state for X-bow


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That’s a no brainer man. I did the same thing about 15 years ago and have been using my 20ga since. I’ve killed birds at 49 yards with it.


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I have arthritis in my shoulders, and gave up shooting the big stuff. I loved the way my SBE2 3 1/2 patterned and killed turkeys, but hated the way it kicked. I shoot 20's now, although I'll sometimes sneak in a hunt with my first dedicated turkey gun, a Winchester 1300 3 inch gun.
The 20's will kill just as good as 12 will, without the pounding of the shoulder.

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I'm not gonna lie, easy to get flinchy with those heavy turkey loads. My father had one break his collar bone about 30 years ago out of a 12ga single. When I was younger, I shot an 835 for several years with the heaviest loads I could find. It was brutal. Finally got a beretta xtrema2 and it is actually quite manageable with the strong stuff.

My benelli m1 20ga will still pop you pretty good with a 3in turkey load. I'd say it kicks as more than my gas operated xtrema2. It's just light, recoil operated, and smaller stock. All that stuff factors in.

I'd suggest about anything gas operated.

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Quote
I'd suggest about anything gas operated.


Start here ^^^^ end here ^^^^. Maybe invest in a top end recoil pad. With a 20ga that's getting all the recommends it should be fun. NEVER shoot turkey loads off a bench with a fixed breach shotgun unless you find the odd one that allows an upright shooting position. 99% I've ever seen were way, way too low forcing the shooter to hunch over forward putting your collar bone, joints, cartilage, even your face in a bad position to take recoil. The further forward a shooter leans on a bench the more non-responsive to recoil he becomes. But you already learned that. As others have said shoot off sticks or sitting with elbows on your knees. Good luck this season. Hope you get one just a little smaller than mine smile


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Originally Posted by wldthg
Humdinger------ I don't know what your 20 ga is but here is an example of what you can do------- I have a youth Mossberg 500 20 ga. Wood stock ---- I shoot Federal Heavyweight # 7--- 40 yd + Killer with factory full choke. I replaced the butt stock for turkey hunting only with a $ 60.00 Tactical Pistol grip type stock from Cheaper than Dirt. It looks like hell but hunting is not a fashion show. Very easy to train yourself to absorb most of the recoil with your wrist and arm . My main turkey gun , a NEF single shot 20 ga.( MR. Claymore) has the same style butt stock on it. Very easy to hold setting down. If all this fails --- see if it's OK in your state for X-bow



I have a franchi affinity 20 gauge that Im putting my burris fast fire 3 on it. Its 6 pounds so it will still have some punch and I will wear my past recoil pad for now.

I was going to put the red dot on my 12 gauge franchi affinity, but this shoulder pain isn't going away after 4 weeks so I better not do the 12.

Sadly the 20 gauge franchi was supposed to be wife's rearley used grouse gun and my old age turkey gun. I guess I need it sooner than later. :-(


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Anyone whose experienced my pain ever go see the doctor?

get any PT exercises or need a procedure?

I've learned to go see the doctor when pain stays this long.

Its looking like a 20 gauge turkey year followed by light trap loads and dust off the 7mm08 or 3030 for deer hunting instead of my 3006.


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Originally Posted by tzone
That’s a no brainer man. I did the same thing about 15 years ago and have been using my 20ga since. I’ve killed birds at 49 yards with it.

Ditto. I downsized from a 12 to a 20ga 5 or 6 yrs ago, and I'll never go back. I'm using 3" Federal Heavyweight #7s and I've killed multiple birds over 40 yards, though I much prefer to call them into spitting distance. I have some 2 3/4" Fed. HW that I bought for my daughter and based on the patterns, I wouldn't hesitate to use them out to 35 yds.

When I run out of the Fed HW in a few more years, I'll swap to the new TSS loads which are even more potent from what I understand. No reason to take the pounding with today's shells and chokes.

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I shoot in an 870 12 gauge Turkey gun using the butt bench on top of the shooting bench.
That lets me stand up.
Also, once everythings lined up, I put a 25# bag of shot on my shoulder and let it slide down
between the gun and shoulder.

Set up like this, your wallet will get sore from shooting Turkey loads before your shoulder.

Those who recommend a gas gun are spot on.
A Beretta 390 with the same loads is much more comfortable to shoot than the 870.
Despite the 390 being a lot lighter.


The 20 gauge trend is funny as heck to me.
Many are using them because of weight or recoil.
A good gas 12 gauge can be light.
Look at the numbers between a 1 1/4 (high brass) 12 vs a 3 inch 20.
Pressure wise it is lower, so it tends to pattern better and it is not as loud.
Performance is better. If a premium load is the goal, there is more room for
buffer, more cushioned wads....

But no one makes a premium high brass 12 gauge for turkeys.
Because,
No one would buy a high brass Turkey load.

Now, if you reduce performance, increase muzzle blast,
But call it a magnum.

It's a Turkey killer.

Last edited by Dillonbuck; 02/14/19.

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.410 TSS loads are perfectly capable of turkeys at forty yards. Stevens is selling a five pound .410 turkey special to go with Federal .410 loads. That level of recoil is pleasant to shoot.

I do recommend adding the red dot sight. .410 TSS chokes pretty tightly.


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Originally Posted by urbaneruralite
.410 TSS loads are perfectly capable of turkeys at forty yards. Stevens is selling a five pound .410 turkey special to go with Federal .410 loads. That level of recoil is pleasant to shoot.

I do recommend adding the red dot sight. .410 TSS chokes pretty tightly.


410 illegal where I hunt.

my next focus is to heal versus changing my gun.



Last edited by humdinger; 02/14/19.

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I have several 20 gauge guns and the 1187 and sx3 (gas guns) are defiantly more comfortable to shoot. The m2 has more felt recoil to me than the 870s I have. I shoot 1 5/8 in all of them. All are very manageable but the gas guns with alttile more weight are a pleasure to shoot.
I have a 870 supermag that I haven’t hunted with since going to the 20 gauge as there is no need for it with the tss. I’m a decent size guy and still pretty young(33) but don’t see any need to beat myself up


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Not my best pattern as I changed loads but don’t have any pictures on hand.
Put dot on it to fix poi. What more does one need.


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