Recoil and aging

[Iron Worker]

I'm 66 and work out regularly; my Winchester 12 gauge SX3 kicks hard with heavy loads. I bought a Beretta 12gauge A400 Extreme Plus yesterday. So my first three shots today were 3" 1 3/4 loads. Guess what? This gun kicks hard; I think this "Kick-off" selling point is overrated. I don't regret buying this gun; it is an elite shotgun. Does it need a break-in period for its recoil system?

 

[FlGunner]

It's gas operated. I don't think there's much break in in terms of what you can feel.
Falcon Strike makes some nice recoil pads that are claimed to reduce felt recoil a lot. I shoot a lot of shotgun (waterfowl) and I can tell ya your fit is more important in terms of recoil. If your length of pull is off it will make you feel recoil more.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

I'm 66 and work out regularly; my Winchester 12 gauge SX3 kicks hard with heavy loads. I bought a Beretta 12gauge A400 Extreme Plus yesterday. So my first three shots today were 3" 1 3/4 loads. Guess what? This gun kicks hard; I think this "Kick-off" selling point is overrated. I don't regret buying this gun; it is an elite shotgun. Does it need a break-in period for its recoil system?

^^^^^^^^^^
Not going to get any better.
Length of pull and a good Packmeyer Pad will help greatly.

Thats why I got a 20ga years ago.
There are a few companies that make an internal hydraulic recoil system in their stocks. Not any help to you now since you already bought a SX3.
We started working on getting a Patten for a Magnetic recoil system, but still in the development stage.

 

[FlGunner]

Just a question…What you hunting? If waterfowl, might consider going with a 20…I have started using one for turkey mainly because it's so much lighter toting it around of I tear out after birds. The improvement in shot makes them just as lethal. Realistically the only difference between a 12 & 20 is pellet count. Your can get just as high velocity loads with the same size shot…just less total pellets. Comparing to steel, Bismuth and TSS is more expensive but is killer on birds. If I had to choose between a 12 gauge with steel or a 20 with bismuth or TSS I'd take the 20 every time. Don't let no one knock on the 20 and its capability. It's less pellet count but still very effective with the right load.

 

[Montana'eer]

Weight makes a difference. My 20ga Browning feather kicks like a mule with 3" shells. It's uncomfortable so I put a pad on it and only use 3" loads if the weather dictates. My Browning Silver 12ga doesn't recoil badly at all- but it's a goose and duck gun and pretty heavy. What I REALLY like is my new A5 in 16ga. It is both light and easy recoiling! I'll be using that more and more on feathers for sure. That kinematic system must work, because it is NOTHING like my old Belgium Browning A5 in 12ga. You don't hear that old tell tale 'KA-THUNK' when the action cycles, lol.

 

[Iron Worker]

^^^^^^^^^^
Not going to get any better.
Length of pull and a good Packmeyer Pad will help greatly.

Thats why I got a 20ga years ago.
There are a few companies that make an internal hydraulic recoil system in their stocks. Not any help to you now since you already bought a SX3.
We started working on getting a Patten for a Magnetic recoil system, but still in the development stage.

I've had the SX3 since 2011,its the Beretta I bought a few days ago

 

[Rick Richard]

You probably know this, but if you want to reduce recoil then get away from that 3 inch and go to 2 3/4. Also, there is NO breakin and hoping the recoil will be less. It is what it is.

 

[RB II]

Get the Beretta A-400 20 ga feather weight. I have a big boomer 12 ga like yours but got the 20 a couple years ago and it is very nice. But this year in SD in the corn fields chasing pheasant, the 12 reigned supreme with 3" Mag #5s.

 

[Handymike]

I'm 66 and work out regularly; my Winchester 12 gauge SX3 kicks hard with heavy loads. I bought a Beretta 12gauge A400 Extreme Plus yesterday. So my first three shots today were 3" 1 3/4 loads. Guess what? This gun kicks hard; I think this "Kick-off" selling point is overrated. I don't regret buying this gun; it is an elite shotgun. Does it need a break-in period for its recoil system?

I just turned 76 and while I don't work out I have been in construction my entire adult life so I'm fairly fit. I shoot several shotguns while hunting and shoot magnum loads in my Wingmaster and 1100. I also shoot my .270 and several other larger rifles. Recoil at this point in my life is nothing however all my weapons fit me well. Look into stock fitting.
Mike

 

[purpledragon]

Come on guys, at 65 I still shoot 10ga, a Browning BPS 30",
and a Century Arms 10ga 30" Double.........Will probably need shoulder surgery in a couple yrs....lol
Oh, I almost forgot the H&R 36" 10ga Goose gun, it recoils the most....
Now I'm Turkey hunting, don't think I'd be happy water fowling with um!!

 

[Quintus]

I'm 66 and work out regularly; my Winchester 12 gauge SX3 kicks hard with heavy loads. I bought a Beretta 12gauge A400 Extreme Plus yesterday. So my first three shots today were 3" 1 3/4 loads. Guess what? This gun kicks hard; I think this "Kick-off" selling point is overrated. I don't regret buying this gun; it is an elite shotgun. Does it need a break-in period for its recoil system?

What are you mainly hunting with this gun? Heavy payload shells like ounce and a half and up are going to kick hard out of any gun. There is no free lunch. If you want that 1 3/4 kind of payload your going to have accept the recoil. Some guns are a little better (heavier and or gas operated), but managing gas only goes so far and even the heavy guns are only so heavy and the A400 is no featherweight. Ammo makers have done a good job of convincing us we NEED giant payloads and or crazy velocities from our shotshells. What we really NEED is a consistent dense pattern, an understanding of effective range of our pattern and shot material (and the constraint to stay within that range), and enough practice to acquire the skill to put that pattern on the bird. An ounce and quarter upland load properly choked and placed will make old Tom just as dead to 40 yards as 2 1/4oz loads with a turkey on the box. And that's at half the cost and substantially less recoil.

 

[xsn10s]

It seems like a common trend for many that as we age recoil becomes more and more of an issue. I'll be turning 60 soon and have no issues shooting magnum rifles. However a few years ago I started noticing recoil more. It didn't hurt, but I did notice it. Which is why i bought the 7mm Rem Mag instead of a 300 Win Mag or .338 RUM.

 

[K9TXS]

Google recoil buffers for shotguns. There are several different manufacturers for these and the buffer does reduce the felt recoil. Lots of skeet shooters use something along this line.

 

[Hugnot]

A 12 GA recoil can hurt! My Rem 870 loaded with 1 OZ 00 buck or same weight slug had recoil, but the light weight 06 hurt more.



This is the olde kinetic energy formula E = ((m*v)^2)/2
where E is foot pounds,
m = mass in slugs (gun weight in pounds/acceleration of gravity giving slugs), acceleration of gravity = 32.163 fps/fps,
v = gun velocity in feet per second
^2 indicates values squared
/ Indicates division

The gun velocity is shown by:



The gun velocity is calculated by:

Vg = ((bullet wt. * bullet velocity) +(powder wt. * gas velocity))/(gun weight in pounds * 7000)

This calculates gun velocity by dividing total momentum by gun weight in grains.

Just guessing that gas velocities would be less with lower pressure 12GA loads than 06 loads.