When she started Tristar, Marty researched Fajen’s records, culling the measurements collected for women clients. She came up with the size of the typical women shooter, and more importantly their unique differences from men. Women have longer necks, different chests, smaller hands and other distinctions that clearly indicated a need for a women’s shotgun.
So Marty created a shotgun with a shortened stock and length of pull so women could reach the trigger easier. The stock took on a Monte Carlo configuration to accommodate women’s longer necks. She also made the stock toe out, providing a better fit for the female shape. Marty then added a palm swell for smaller hands. In the end, you could argue that her Valmet 512 SC of fall 2004 was the first shotgun designed by a woman for women.
The Quest for the Perfect Women’s Shotgun
Marty’s quest illustrates how far many women must go to find a shotgun just for them. Women who struggle with an off-the-shelf men’s shotgun know the price they must pay: bruised shoulders, face and ego.
That’s because an ill-fitting shotgun heightens felt recoil. If you’re unable to properly press the shotgun against your shoulder and face, the felt recoil could hurt like crazy. Longer term, you could develop flinches, when the subconscious anticipates a jolt of pain at the pull of the trigger.
The cumulative effect is more than a patch of black-and-blue. Low self-confidence sets in as more and more targets are missed over time. Many women feel it, but what they may not articulate is that the female anatomy is simply not suited to men’s shotguns that populate the shelves.
For example, women’s breasts are not necessarily limited to the fleshy stuff confined in a bra. They continue over the clavicle to the shoulder, which is your body’s notch for your shotgun.
So when a woman mounts a men’s shotgun, the toe of the stock gravitates to the soft breast tissue. For most women, that hurts. And that means most women tend to mount the gun in the wrong place (or inconsistently) to avoid the discomfort.
Shotguns and the Third Law of Motion
That means women who want a good-fitting shotgun find themselves lumped in with the kids. You want a gun that fits reasonably well off the rack? Well then buy yourself a shotgun for 12-year-olds.
Search around for a shotgun and you find yourself up against the laws of physics. It boils down to Newton’s third law of motion -- for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Fire a shotgun and the gas from the ignited powder forces the pellets out of the hull, along the barrel and toward the target -- with an equal reaction manifesting itself as felt recoil.
If your shotgun weighed as much as your shotshell, the felt recoil would be unbearable. But your shotgun doesn’t weigh in at two ounces; it weighs six to eight pounds. The added weight of the shotgun absorbs most of the felt recoil -- but not all of it.
The way the math works is that if you increase the weight of your shotgun by 10%, you could cut felt recoil by about 10%. Conversely, if you opt for a lighter gun you will increase your felt recoil. This proportion is not always linear, but it does provide a satisfactory theory for your average shotguns and shells.
How to Reduce Shotgun Recoil
Gun weight is not the only way to reduce recoil. A reduction in muzzle velocity or shot load can yield impressive felt-recoil reductions. Trim your 3-dram, 1200 feet-per-second (fps) shotshell by 10% to a shotshell of 1080 fps, and you could find yourself trimming felt recoil by some 20%. The same with shot load. If you reduce it from 1½ ounce to 1 ounce you could realize nearly 19% less felt recoil. While shot-load correlation may not consistently be 2:1, it gives you a good idea of what’s possible with other alternatives.
Gun weight and shotshells are certainly a good place to start with your felt-recoil problems. But if your shotgun doesn’t fit properly, any gap between the butt stock and your body is going to aggravate that equal and opposite reaction -- regardless of anything else.
For many women, the problem with moving to a heavier gun is their upper-body strength. With the average men’s shotgun weighing 7-8 pounds, shooting a box of 25 shells at clay targets can be downright exhausting -- the problem compounded by the onslaught of that equal and opposite reaction.
Your score and your shooting form suffer. Try to shoot a shotgun that’s too long and you’ll find yourself leaning back -- the complete opposite of a well-balanced shooter who is supposed to rotate off her front foot. Try to shoot a shotgun that’s too short (let’s say a youth shotgun), and you could find your face creeping up the stock, and screwing up the alignment between your eye and the beads.
Good Form and Shotgun Recoil
Good form reduces felt recoil and improves your shooting -- in both clays and waterfowl. Imagine you’re in a duck blind -- it’s dark, cold and wet. The last thing you want to struggle with is a bad-fitting shotgun.
While the circumstances seem dire for women, there is good news.
Advances in technology are making shotguns for women more affordable and comfortable. Yes, there’s still a disregard towards most women shotgun shooters, but existing advances can easily be adapted.
Now bear in mind that you still may need a visit to the stockfitter. However, before you head down that path, check out these solutions first to see if they may be exactly what you need.
How About a Semi-Automatic?
Semi-automatic shotguns -- or autoloaders as they’re also known -- are prized for their low felt recoil compared with over/unders. A semi-automatic uses some of the expanding gases from the fired shell to cycle the next one into the chamber. So rather than you absorbing the full force of the shot, a semi-automatic puts that energy to good use.
Another type of semi-automatic is inertia-driven. Rather than using the gasses, this type of shotgun actually harnesses the recoil to reload the chamber.
Semi-automatics don’t eliminate felt recoil, but they can reduce it by up to 40%.
Will Porting Reduce Recoil?
Porting is designed to lower felt recoil by releasing shotshell gases through small holes near the muzzle of the barrel. Rather than forcing all gases through the barrel, the thinking goes that pre-releasing some those gases beforehand can cut the amount of energy escaping through the end of the barrel.
Whether or not porting actually lessens felt recoil is still up for debate. But there’s one benefit to porting that most insiders agree on: porting reduces muzzle jump.
The other thing that insiders agree on about porting is that it makes your barrel more difficult to clean. The holes throw off a residue that turns the surrounding area gray, and if you’re a fastidious shotgun owner you may need to clean out the ports with a tiny brass brush.
If you think porting is for you, get a shotgun already ported at the factory. Otherwise, aftermarket porting may be too pricy for the results you’ll see.
Should I Buy a Sub-Gauge Shotgun?
The smaller the gauge the lower the recoil. The 20-gauge shotgun is often a great alternative to the standard 12-gauge shotgun for women shooters. The 20-gauge shotgun provides nearly as much firepower, but with lower recoil.
Nearly every shotgun maker has a wide selection of 20-gauge models -- including everything from over/unders, side-by-sides and semi-automatics. You can find 20-gauge shotguns for clays and wingshooting at about the same prices as 12-gauge.
While 12-gauge ammo is typically the cheapest available, the price of 20-gauge is often comparable. Once you go below 20 gauge, however, ammo prices climb steeply.
For women unconcerned about ammo prices, the 28-gauge shotgun can be a wonderful experience. The 28-gauge shotgun typically has the recoil of the tiny .410 with the breaking power of a 20-gauge. Commercial ammo can be difficult to find, however. Since most big-box stores cater to waterfowl hunters, the bigger gauges tend to fill the shelves. You can find 28-gauge, it’s just that the selection won’t be as large and the price premium can be double.
So before jumping into a 12-gauge shotgun, explore the world of smaller gauges. They can often give you an extremely satisfying shooting experience without knocking you around.
Do Recoil Pads Really Work?
The answer is a resounding yes. But the benefits vary greatly from shooter to shooter.
Recoil pad and manufacturers claim reductions in felt recoil from 40% to 95%. The numbers are all over the place, not because they are misleading but primarily the measurement of felt recoil depends so much on the action of the shotgun, how the shotgun fits and the body of the shooter.
The science of shotgun recoil has become an industry. Some companies enhance your basic rubber pad while others use hydraulic technology that puts the principles of your car’s shock absorbers on the butt of your shotgun stock.
Then there’s the other kind of recoil pads that fit along the comb to cushion your cheek from felt recoil. Mostly, though, when the discussion turns to recoil pads the implication is that you’re talking about the kind that sit between your stock butt and shoulder.
The underlying physics of all recoil pads is that they compress when you shoot, absorbing the felt recoil and reducing the jolt to your shoulder. Instead of a sharp jab you feel a gentle shove.
When it comes to factory replacements, the recoil-pad market offers up either a soft rubber substance or a gel. The primary difference is that the rubber variants compress in a straight line while the gel can spread the recoil because of its different compression characteristics. Can you really feel the difference between the two? You’re the only one who can answer that.
Some pads will easily fit right onto your shotgun. They could be predrilled to fit into the existing holes. Better yet, you could buy a slip-on recoil pad that doesn’t need any tools. But if you want something permanent and less noticeable, you have to go for the rubber or gel pads that mount on the butt of the stock. Taking this route can be more expensive. Unless you manage to find a direct-fit replacement, the rubber pad in particular can be ground down for a perfect fit -- and that typically requires the expertise of a stockfitter.
The same is true of hydraulic recoil systems. This approach couples the traditional rubber pad with hydraulic shock-absorbing cylinders. The cylinders compress -- protecting you from the rearward thrust of the shot. Often, these systems let you adjust the amount of compression for maximum comfort and fit.
Hydraulic recoil pads are longer than the rubber or gel recoil pads -- making a stock cut mandatory in most installations.
Any time you add a recoil pad to the stock, unless it’s a perfect factory fit, you’re going to alter the dimensions of the stock --and in turn change the fit.
The same is true of cheek pads. They slip over the comb of the stock to cushion your cheek against recoil. The downside is that the cheek pad raises your cheek on the stock -- throwing off the line of sight between your eye and the beads. In effect, cheek pads made your stock higher.
They can be helpful if in fact you need a higher comb and don’t have a stock with a cut, adjustable comb. Use it for recoil, though,and you'll need to consider the implications of using one.
Fortunately, cheek pads are relatively inexpensive. Developments in adhesive also make it possible for you to apply and remove it without any damage to the wood on your stock -- think peel-and-stick.
Just remember, any changes you make to the stock of your shotgun will definitely impact your score. Be prudent in your choice, because some of them may be irreversible.
Are Mechanical Recoil Reducers a Good Option?
What we’re talking about here are products that use springs and mercury to absorb recoil. The difference between other recoil suppressors is that these devices fit into the stock of your shotgun.
If you remove the recoil pad from your shotgun, you’ll probably find a deep hole at the bottom which is the bolt that fastens your stock to the receiver. There’s usually enough room in that hole to insert a recoil reducer.
In the case of the mercury-based offerings, they shift the mercury to the rear of the cylinder when you pull the trigger -- in effect using inertia to counter the recoil.
It’s difficult to say which design works better -- springs or mercury -- but one is certainly quieter than the other. The spring products can “boing” -- a potential distraction.
Chances are you’ll find either a spring or mercury anti-recoil device to fit straight-away. Make sure you measure the hole in the stock first before making your purchase. In most instances, these are a do-it-yourself fix. You merely need to unscrew the recoil pad and drop it in.
You need to be aware that both these designs add weight to the stock and could significantly alter the dynamics of your shotgun. But since they are relatively low risk, you may be willing to make the leap of faith.
The other alternative is to buy a weight that fits on the barrel of your gun. The theory is that any extra weight serves to absorb recoil. For skeet and trap shooters, the additional weight gives you momentum when swinging your shotgun -- giving you a swing-through boost (especially helpful if you tend to stop your gun before completing the swing).
The downside is that suddenly you have a heavier gun, which poses a problem for longer shooting sessions.
Can Shooting Clothes Help With My Recoil Problems?
Shooting attire is design to be comfortable -- giving you maximum movement. But you’ll notice there are an abundance of vests, pads, jackets, shirts and pads that give you some smidgen of recoil protection.
With the exception of worn recoil pads, every other piece of clothing should be considered a minor gain in your battle against recoil. Shock-absorbing pads that slip into vests and jackets, shirts with stitched-in recoil pads or any other piece of clothing are not going to eliminate recoil. Clothing should be used in conjunction with anti-recoil products that fit directly onto your shotgun.
That said, women can benefit from certain types of clothing. You can find wearable recoil pads that are usually worn over clothes. They have a couple of adjustable straps to help you get that perfect fit.
You can also buy recoil pads that clip onto your bra strap. Both types of products are more robust than shirts, vests or jackets. But again, you must consider that anything coming between you and your shotgun jeopardizes the fit. You can always replace the stock on your gun…your shoulder, meanwhile, is a completely different story.
What About Low-Recoil Ammo?
You’ll find companies such as Winchester and Remington make special low-recoil shotshells. These are among the most successful solutions to make recoil livable.
In addition to low recoil, they are quieter -- delivering an overall pleasant shooting experience. If you’re going to experiment with these loads, they should be used for targets. These low-recoil loads can be upwards of 20% slower than your normal load. Use them on birds and you could end up with plenty of cripples.
Low-recoil loads get back to the basics of ballistics. They give you a more comfortable shooting experience with less powder -- or a slow-burning powder that doesn’t kick as hard as faster burning powder. The payoff could be a 50% cut in recoil.
You can easily break as many targets with these low-recoil loads as with conventional ammo when it comes to skeet and 16-yard trap. You may even find they work well on handicap trap up to about 20 yards.
But bear in mind that the velocity of these loads is typically no faster than 1,000 fps. You may find some low-recoil shotshells can travel in the 1,100-fps range, which is more than sufficient for clay targets.
Does it Pay to Reload?
When it comes to making your own shells to cut recoil, the economics of the whole process can really come into play for many shotgun shooters.
The beauty of reloading is that you can mix your own formula using an almost infinite combination of ingredients to come up with just the right shell that gives you maximum performance with minimum recoil.
There are a few books available that break down the entire process, eliminating all the guesswork. And with many reloading components available online, there’s nothing stopping you from making the perfect shotshell.
The economics of reloading weigh in favor of store-bought shotshells in the larger gauges. Given the economies of scale for shotshell manufacturers, they can outprice the individual consumer these days to provide cheaper 12-gauge and 20-gauge shells. The sheer volume of these particular shotshells will likely dictate lower prices than homemade for the foreseeable future.
But get down to 28-gauge or .410 and reloading makes a compelling economic argument. Even with the surging prices of lead, gunpowder and primers, you still may be able to save 50% on reloads versus store-bought shotshells.
(If price is a driving issue for you to reload, check out this wonderful Shotshell Reloading Cost Calculator. It will save you lots of time and AA batteries for your calculator.
http://10xshooters.com/calculators/ShotshellReloadingCost/)
Safety Guidelines for Reloading
Once you become proficient at reloading, you can crank out a flat of 250 shells (10 boxes of 25) or more in an hour -- depending on your machine.
Please adhere to these safety guidelines when reloading:
- Stick to existing shotshell formulas as provided by manufacturers. Don’t change the formulas. If you find a specific formula is not working for you, move on to a different one.
- Never try to experiment with a larger quantity of gunpowder than called for by the formula. Stick to the recommended bushing size for dispensing powder into the hull.
- Please don’t smoke while reloading.
- Don’t try to salvage a scrap shell for its components. You can either cut yourself with a sharp tool or accidentally ignite the primer. It’s just not worth the risk.
- Carefully inspect hulls before reloading for tears, splits and singeing.
- Avoid mixing hulls from different manufacturers. The volumes of the hulls could vary from brand to brand across the same gauge. Several directories are available for determining the right formula for each brand of hull.
- Always keep your work area clean. This is important to both maintain quality shells and for keeping your reloading supplies clearly marked and organized to prevent dangerous mistakes.
- Store your gunpowder in a cool, dry place.
- Never mix different kinds of gunpowders. Each gunpowder has its own properties, which can be altered when diluted with a different type.
- Always clean up spilled gunpowder with a brush. Vacuum cleaners are to be avoided, since the switch or cord can spark and ignite the powder.
- Keep your primers in the original package. Dumping primers into a bigger container risks detonation.
- Don’t argue with your reloading machine. If it won’t accept a primer, hull or other component, don’t force the press. Carefully investigate the source of the problem before continuing.
- Don’t over-lubricate your reloading machine. Too much lubricant accumulates residues that make the machine difficult and hazardous to operate.
- Pay attention! Your reloading machine can accidentally discharge too much powder or shot, putting the shooter at risk.
- Don’t substitute lead shot materials. For example, if a formula calls for lead shot don’t substitute it with steel. Different types of shot exert different pressures in the hull -- posing potentially hazardous conditions.
- Safety glasses are advised.
- Don’t eat while reloading. Your hands and your workspace have accumulated lead and gunpowder residue that easily could find its way into your food.
- Make sure the completed shell is properly sized.
- Keep children away from your reloading area.
- Always wash your hands after reloading.
For safety’s sake, please don’t carry different gauge shells in the same pouch. In the heat of the moment, it could be easy to accidentally grab the wrong shell and drop into the breach. Also, be very careful about shooting reloads made by another person. Their quality could be dubious and you end up the one suffering.
Safety issues aside, perhaps the most important concern when it comes to shotshells is having a comfortable shooting experience. Heavy loads will kick and could cause bruising. You don’t need a macho load to break a target. You simply need the right shotshell.
Do I Really Need a Women Shooting Instructor?
Here’s the way NOT to get into shooting shotguns…
Your significant other has been urging you to give shotguns a try for the longest time, and finally you decide to go for it. You bring your favorite sunglasses, foam earplugs and you’re wearing a tank-top. He marches you out to the trap field and gives you some old 12-gauge that’s been sitting around for a while. Since you don’t have a shell pouch, you carry the box from station to station, bending down for each one.
He hasn’t told you a lick about gun safety, so there’s a pretty good chance you’ll shoot off your foot before the day is up -- or you may endanger the shooters around you by swinging around with a loaded shotgun when someone calls your name.
Every time you miss (and you’ll miss a lot), he’s sort of in your face telling what you’ve done wrong. After all, he’s been hunting all his life. No one is going to tell him he can’t shoot. Of course he doesn’t realize that men and women actually stand differently -- no matter what he tells you is ultimately going to be wrong.
Twenty minutes into it, you have bruises on your shoulder and cheek. Your arms are absolutely aching from holding up that old shotgun of his. Your sunglasses are fogging up because there’s not enough air getting behind the lenses. The foam plugs aren’t very much help and you feel a headache coming on. And you’re feeling slightly dizzy from bending for the shells all the time.
Most professional instructors -- male or female -- would not put you through that terrible ordeal. Instead, they would take you step-by-step through the proper procedures in learning how to effectively and safely shoot a shotgun.
Of course there are plenty of excellent male shotgun instructors ready, willing and able to teach women. But is there something else?
“Women learn differently,” observes Vicki Ash of the OSP/Optimum Shotgun Performance Shooting School in Houston, Texas. “Women like to learn how it all works. Men want to hit targets immediately; women will get around to it.”
In addition, Vicki noticed another important difference. “Women see lead differently than men. They see it as inches at the barrel, not feet at the target. I try never to talk about lead, as that makes them look at the barrel, not at the target.”
Perhaps the most important aspect to becoming a great shotgun shooter is patience. Wait until you find that first good-fitting shotgun. Don’t immediately be put off by friendly men ready to offer conflicting advice to that damsel in distress (you). And find the best instructor for you.
In theory, women have the ability to become better shooters than men. Women have better hand-eye coordination, they’re better communicators and they don’t suffer from the kind of testosterone poisoning that turns shooting lessons into a macho battle of the wills.
Your chances of succeeding as a shotgun shooter will also improve if you can fall into a local group of other women shooters. Then you find the dynamics absolutely wonderful.
Helpful resources:
http://www.nrahq.org/women/index.asp
http://www.ospschool.com/
http://www.txdiva.com
http://www.mizmac.com
http://www.tristarsportingarms.com/
http://www.mynssa.com/
http://www.shootata.com/
http://www.ducks.org/
