doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Punishing recoil

Hi, I'm new to the forum and to double guns although I've always loved them. I just got my first one night before last, a J.P. Sauer & Sohn 12X12X30.06 Drilling. Thought it would make a great river gun and especially a good turkey gun. Its choked full and half and is a 2 3/4 inch gun. Took it to pattern it yesterday and shot a 2 3/4 inch Remington #5 Turkey load. My God!!!! I had a 3 1/2 inch Benelli pump that didn't kick as bad. Is this normal?

European guns weren't made for such heavy loads as your turkey load, plus the gun is probably on the light side in weight. If you reload your own, make some up that are in the under 8,000 psi range and be kind to your gun and shoulder.

Probably you can find a recipe for 1-1/8oz of #5s at 1,150 or 1200 fps that would be effective and endurable. Other thing is that every gun I have patterned kicks ten times as much at the pattern board as it does when shot at game.

My opinion - the 1400 fps 1-5/8 oz turkey loads and the special turkey chokes are all marketing hype designed to increase the effectivenss of the factory sales department. I have jumped turkeys while out quail hunting and killed them with an 1-1/8 oz of #8s at 25 yards. I don't do it anymore but I have done it.

Best,

Mike

Makes a lot of sense guys. You're right about recoil on the bench vs. when shooting game. I usually not only don't feel the recoil, I never hear the gun go off. The '06 recoil wasn't as bad as the turkey load or so it seemed. I dread seeing a good buck in the river swamp and knowing I have to shoot buckshot! I'll look in to a better choice for turkeys.

I agree the weight/load ratio is probably off. I had a 16 ga. J. P. Sauer that weighed about 6.5 lb. and fit me well. I could shoot 1 oz. at 1200 fps all day. Put 1 1/8 oz. at 1300 in it and it hurt.

Take care,

Milton

hahahaha....All these new "turkey" loads are actually better at---"Increasing the effectiveness of the factory sales department"--- for ammo makers.

Indeed. Load your own or buy regular 1100-1200 fps ammo. No need for that extra charge to deliver the new benchline of 1400 or so fps. It is rather like with the more recent slugs for shotguns: If a hunter listens to all the hype you'd think you HAVE TO HAVE 2,000 or more fps or the slug will just darn bonce off any animals hide.
So, in closing: 1100 to 120 fps loads have worked for decades to harvest platters full of Turkeys... well that is up until 4-5 years ago when the new models of Turkeys had armor plated feathers and now.... well... you know.....

Remember this joke? Patient: Doctor it hurts when I do this. Doctor: Well don't do that!

You just played the joke on yourself. The faster and heavier the load the more recoil. Try 1 1/8oz loads at 1100 to 1200 fps for which the 12ga was intended. The birds will never know! (JDW the pressure has nothing to do with recoil!!)

Jerry, are you trying to tell me that a 8,000 psi and under load isn't going to be more gentle than a 10,000-12,000 psi on your shoulder and gun. Pressure might not have anything to do with recoil but the amount of powder certainly does to give you the reduced amount of velocity which equates to recoil

Jerry this sounds good. Off the top of your head, are there factory loads in turkey sized shot that duplicate those numbers or are they roll your own types? I have found some in the 1260 fps range but I'm not sure how that compares to what I was shooting yesterday. I'll have to wait till I get home to get the specs on those.

You're wrong a second time, JDW. Pressure has nothing to do with recoil, as Jerry stated. Now, if you're going to start talking about reduced velocity, you're on the right track. Also correct when you talk about fewer grains of powder. However, when you are achieving the SAME velocity with the same payload, but only different pressure levels, recoil will be the same, regardless of what the pressure is.