Turkey guns shooting magnum loads can kick like a mule. Try some of these tips to ease the pain.
All About Recoil
One of the most rewarding activities I’ve participated in over the last few decades is teaching novices how to shoot. I’ve had the pleasure to instruct more than 500 youth and women turkey hunters and have learned quite a bit in the process. Paying attention to recoil and its effect on shooters was a lesson learned early on in my position as a teacher.
I recall one 12-year-old young man as he stood in line at a National Wild Turkey Federation youth field day learning station. The lad watched several larger-framed teenagers step up to the firing line and take their shots. Many of the older kids had some experience shooting 12 gauge turkey guns and avoided the wimpy .410s and 20 gauge turkey guns.
When the little guy stepped up to the bench for his turn I already had a .410 single-shot in hand to begin his one-on-one lesson. He confidently informed me that he was going to shoot the 12 gauge instead of the “kid’s” gun. I tried to talk him out of his decision, and even asked if his parents would approve his decision. I made a mistake that I have not made since when I reluctantly allowed him to shoulder a Remington 870 and fire a 2-ounce turkey load. He yelped like a beagle and the tears flowed. The over zealous tike spent the rest of the afternoon with an ice pack on his bruised shoulder.
That young man’s painful experience taught me several lessons, besides the obvious. First, he taught me that no matter what a novice says, their mentor should never subject a young or small-framed shooter to heavy-recoiling turkey loads. At best, it will create a turkey-missing flinch later in the field. At the worst, it will turn them off to the idea of shooting and turkey hunting. Second, shotguns that kill on one end and wound on the other are definitely reserved for advanced shooters and experienced turkey hunters.
On the other hand, ample time spent at the range patterning a turkey gun is vital for becoming acquainted with the gun’s handling characteristics. Even more important is the faith and confidence that the shotgun and load you will carry into the field is performing at its top potential to make a sure, ethical shot when a gobbler steps in range. Several methods exist for reducing the punishing recoil that often stands in the way of turkey hunters putting enough rounds down range to become familiar with their turkey guns.
What is recoil?
To get a handle on firearm recoil let’s start with the basics. Understanding the difference between actual recoil and felt recoil is a good place to start. Actual recoil is the measurable energy, typically in foot-pounds, that a fired cartridge produces from a particular gun. Some basic laws of physics¾ for any action there is an equal and opposite reaction¾take over when a firing pin strikes a primer. Burning powder gasses expand and drive the projectile in one direction and the gun in the opposite direction.
Actual recoil is determined by a lengthy mathematical equation that considers projectile weight, projectile speed and the weight of the gun. In application, the same gun shooting two loads at the same velocity, a heavier load will produce more actual recoil. The “foot-pounds of energy” produced is a standard reference that equates to a 1-pound weight dropped 1 foot and the energy produced by the impact. A 12 gauge shooting a 1-ounce field load produces approximately 20 foot-pounds of energy, or a 20-pound weight dropped on your shoulder from 1 foot.
On the other hand, felt recoil takes into consideration several factors that might alter the perception of actual recoil. Spreading the absorption and duration of actual recoil will reduce felt recoil. Learning a few tricks about reducing actual, and more importantly felt recoil, become even more important to turkey hunters when sighting or patterning their guns that produce recoil on par with an elephant gun. Taming recoil will make you a better shooter, too. Turkey guns shooting magnum loads can kick like a mule. Try some of these tips to ease the pain.
Taming Recoil
Starting with the gun itself, weight and action type has a lot of bearing on how much recoil you will feel when you pull the trigger. Lightweight, single-shot or double-barrel guns can be almost unbearable when shooting high-velocity turkey loads. By virtue of their total weight, pump-action shotguns will weigh 20- to 30-percent more than a light-weight double-barrel. A heavier gun will impart less actual recoil. A trick I learned is to keep the magazine full when patterning to add a few extra ounces of weight.
Compare a pump to a semi-auto shooting the same load and you venture into the realm of actual and felt-recoil differential. A recoil-operated or inertia semi-auto, such as the Benelli Super Black Eagle, uses some of the recoil energy generated to cycle the bolt after the gun is fired, which means that your shoulder receives less of the kick. A gas-operated semi-auto, a Beretta Extrema or Remington 11-87 for example, uses the gas pressure from the fired cartridge to cycle the action. Using some of the cartridge’s energy reduces the actual recoil, and it spreads out the time the recoil is absorbed, which reduces felt recoil.
After firing thousands of rounds of turkey loads, I’ll have to say that I prefer testing semi-autos to any other action type. If I have a choice when testing various loads, I’ll do my load comparison with a gas-operated 12 gauge. The reason gas-operated or recoil-operated semi-autos kick less is that they bleed off some of the energy supplied from firing the shell into operating the shell ejection and reloading process. Any energy that gets used up in working the action of the gun doesn’t get transferred to your shoulder and cheek.
The shape of a gun stock also influences felt recoil. A big part of felt recoil is what your cheek soaks up when you pull the trigger. Less drop in the butt stock means that the gun will rise less at the shot. If the gun has a lot of drop in the comb of the stock the sensation of recoil becomes even greater. Fitting squarely into this category are “youth” 20 gauge single-shots that are chambered for 3-inch loads. If you are introducing a new shooter to the sport be sure to stick with light field loads during practice sessions. An experienced adult should pattern the gun with the magnum loads and save the turkey loads until the appropriate time for a new hunter.
To measure drop, draw a line along the top of the barrel and compare it to a line drawn along the top of the stock. The greater the distance between these two lines the more a gun will rise when fired. A gun with excessive drop will punch you in the face and may actually increase felt recoil.
Comb height and shape also influences felt recoil. Most shotgun manufacturers build stocks with combs that gradually rise from the butt forward to compensate for different size shooters. Shoulder your shotgun and slide your cheek back and forth along the comb and you will see a difference in the sighting plane. When I cheek my 11-87 Remington all the way forward on the stock I look down on the rib instead of parallel to it. A shotgun that is stocked to fit your face shape and neck and arm length, and has as little drop as possible is the ideal for reducing felt recoil.
More Recoil Tamers
Nearly all turkey guns come equipped with a soft recoil pad. Most factory pads offer some recoil absorption, but switching to a larger after-market pad will cover a larger area on your shoulder and spread out the shock. More advanced gel-type recoil-absorbing pads are available from sources such as Brownell’s gunsmithing supplies. Ask your local gunsmith for advice on which pad will help absorb more recoil than your factory pad.
Other after-market add-on items are mercury-filled recoil-absorbing devices that can be installed inside of the butt stock as well as the magazine tube. These nifty gizmos work on a principal of hydraulics and added weight that helps spread out felt recoil over a longer period, much as the result you get when shooting a gas-operated semi-automatic shotgun.
Porting can also reduce felt recoil. Shotgun barrels with ports cut into the top of the barrel counteract muzzle rise and keep the gun in straighter as it recoils into your shoulder. It also minutely reduces gas pressure, which helps tame recoil further. Ported choke tubes don’t produce the same effect as a ported barrel since they are venting gas in all directions. They do little if anything to reduce recoil.
If you wish to reduce recoil further, check with you local gunsmith about lengthening the forcing cone in your shotgun. An elongated forcing cone reduces chamber pressure and recoil, and it might improve patterning performance, too.
Form
Shooting form is one of the simplest things that will help you shoot more consistently as well as feeling less recoil. Whenever I am working with children I emphasize that they mount the gun in their shoulder pocket instead of lower on their arm. Just as important is how they hold their face to the stock. The mouth should be closed and teeth should be lightly clenched to firm cheek muscles.
When the comb of the stock is pressed firmly to the face it should rest against tight cheek muscles in the same place for each shot. Face surface area contact with the stock is the key to comfortably “facing” stout-kicking guns. If you try to just lightly press your face to the stock to mentally avoid the inevitable recoil it allows the gun to pick up momentum at the shot and punch you in the cheek. On the other hand, if you are firmly in contact with the stock it becomes more of a push as the weight of your head helps absorb the blow.
Whenever I am checking shotshell velocity across a chronograph, I stand and shoot. I rest the forearm on a camera tripod to get steady for the shot. I find the standing position the most comfortable for shooting guns that kick like a Missouri mule.
Extra padding isn’t just for show
Past recoil pads are a real help when attempting to tame recoil. These pads are worn over the shirt and put a layer of leather and foam between you and the gun. When I’m shooting I regularly wear a thinner shotgunning pad under a second, thick rifle pad.
Another trick I learned from experience is to place a sand-filled bag between the shoulder and the butt of the gun. This will lengthen the effective pull of the stock, but it has not made any difference in accuracy when shooting from a bench. The bag I’ve been using for years was fashioned from a discarded denim pant leg, a couple of Ziploc bags and a few pounds of dry sand.
Take a Rest
Recoil absorbing rests have their merits when shooting turkey guns. Several years ago a company called Zero-coil made a shock-absorbing device that mounted on a shooting bench to arrest recoil. It used heavy springs to tame the backward inertia created by big kickers. Another company debuted its recoil-absorbing device at SHOT Show several years ago. I got my hands on a model for testing at the same time I was testing the 10 gauge Remington.
I fired a couple of rounds and first thought that it wasn’t helping that much. I took it off the bench and replaced it with an old Outers Varminter Rifle Rest. At the next shot I knew that the Recoil Buster device was definitely worth the trouble of strapping the big 10 in its cradle. I finished the day’s shooting with the Recoil Buster in place. The way this piece of valuable equipment works is by an internal spring that is attached to a strap. The strap is firmly placed around the butt so that the spring helps absorb the reward movement of the gun. Although it is somewhat cumbersome, the benefit is worth the trouble.
One more thing to keep in mind is hearing protection. Whenever I’m at the range I wear foam plugs and a set of ear muffs. The added hearing protection helps me better focus on the task at hand. Give some of these hints a try. Taming recoil will make you a better shooter, and raise your confidence level in the field next season.