Lowest recoil round?

wild cat mccane · April 21, 2017, 07:48 AM

Hello,

What is the lowest recoil commercial round out there? I know, I know, "ultra light," "super lite," etc. But really, which one has the lowest amount of recoil? I am asking for someone who has tried them all and think they have clearly found the lowest recoil

Buck and bird.

Thanks a million.

Targa · April 21, 2017, 08:13 AM

Target loads are the lowest I have used in a 12guage. I would like to try some of the Aguila shorts but they are hard to come by. I found them at Budsgunshop but I just refuse to pay the shipping.

g.willikers · April 21, 2017, 08:24 AM

Try some Winchester Low Noise, Low recoil ammo.
Very mild and accurate with the suitable choke choice.

Wyosmith · April 21, 2017, 09:45 AM

Well it seems obvious that it would be a standard field load, 2-1/2" 410.

FrankenMauser · April 21, 2017, 11:39 AM

.22 LR Shot

Did you have a different gauge in mind?

wild cat mccane · April 21, 2017, 11:43 AM

Since this is the shotgun forum, I guess shotgun and not rimfire or even pistol for that matter.

Since 12g is the most available, I guess it shouldn't be too much of a leap to assume 12g.

But yes. 12g shotgun

T. O'Heir · April 21, 2017, 12:35 PM

Felt recoil is a subjective thing. Has more to do with the shotgun than just the load too. And what the ammo is intended to do. Alone with the gauge and physics.
Go here. http://www.chuckhawks.com/shotgun_recoil_table.htm
.22LR Bird Shot out of a rifled barrel flies in a spiral sending the shot all over creation and has big holes in the pattern.

BigJimP · April 21, 2017, 06:35 PM

Don't go try everything out there...do the math..and read the box...

Lowest recoil for a 12ga.../ the shell with the least amount of shot ( 1/2 oz if you can find some...or go to a 3/4 oz load ).....and at the lowest velocity...around 1000 fps is probably the slowest you will find...

a. least amount of shot...
b. lowest velocity...
c. ( and weight of your gun ....add weight to it, if you can ) and it will help a lot. An extra lb in the gun will reduce recoil at least 20%.

FrankenMauser · April 21, 2017, 07:57 PM

You know what assumptions do...

There were smooth-bore .22s produced in the past (such as the most recent Rem 572 "Garden Gun"), specifically for use with shot shells.
Rimfire. .22 caliber. Still a shotgun.

Just because 12 ga used to be* the most popular, doesn't mean that that's what everyone asks about.

*(Some reports claim 20 ga has overtaken 12 ga for shotgun sales. ...But not all.)

Blindstitch · April 21, 2017, 08:47 PM

The only ammo I know that's the lowest recoiling is snap caps. Very quiet and doesn't even kick.

I have used Winchester AA low recoil and it wasn't bad.

TXAZ · April 21, 2017, 11:36 PM

Aguilla MiniShells.
Won't work in an auto, and will jam in some pumps while loading, but for a shell about 1.75" long, you can put more of them in a tubular magazine.

If you want to minimize the recoil on a shotgun, add a mercury or hydraulic absorber, or add a rail and 10 lbs of weight.

wild cat mccane · April 22, 2017, 08:28 AM

20g more common than 12g?

Not by quantity of shells available (ammoseek.com), variety of shells offered by manufactures (ammoseek.com), nor by number and variety of shotguns for sell (slickguns.com).

Ha, I thought I made the biggest flub by not saying I was looking at 12g...but then I was saved by someone thing 20g is more common

FITASC · April 22, 2017, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Just because 12 ga used to be* the most popular, doesn't mean that that's what everyone asks about.

*(Some reports claim 20 ga has overtaken 12 ga for shotgun sales. ...But not all.)

Not even in the same ballpark.
12 outsells all others combined, whether for hunting, target games or HD/SD/Zombie slaying

Winchester makes a nice light training load that runs sub-1000 fps.
With a break action gun you can reload your own as light as a recipe you can find. I can reload 3/4 oz for 12 gauge guns that actually work nicely in a gas-operated semi..

Two other factors affect recoil; the weight of the gun and the FIT of the gun.

Heavy gun plus light load equals lowest actual recoil. Gun that fits the best has the lowest perceived recoil (aka "kick")

FrankenMauser · April 22, 2017, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Ha, I thought I made the biggest flub by not saying I was looking at 12g...but then I was saved by someone thing 20g is more common

I'm not going to walk away feeling like an idiot, just because that's your goal.

There may still be more options for 12 ga ammo, but it is no longer the king for new shotgun sales.

wild cat mccane · April 22, 2017, 07:29 PM

On slickguns.com, the most viewed shotgun in one week gets 5,700 views

https://gun.deals/product/mossberg-5...l-71-50778-299

A 20 gauge never makes it on the list of views....

B.L.E. · April 23, 2017, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJimP

Don't go try everything out there...do the math..and read the box...

Lowest recoil for a 12ga.../ the shell with the least amount of shot ( 1/2 oz if you can find some...or go to a 3/4 oz load ).....and at the lowest velocity...around 1000 fps is probably the slowest you will find...

a. least amount of shot...
b. lowest velocity...
c. ( and weight of your gun ....add weight to it, if you can ) and it will help a lot. An extra lb in the gun will reduce recoil at least 20%.

True. However, it's an exponential, not a linear relation. A 7/8 ounce load does not kick 7/8 as much as a 1 ounce load, it kicks 7/8 X 7/8 as much or a little over 3/4 as much as a 1 ounce load, velocity being equal. 7/8 = .875, .875 squared is .7656.
Reducing velocity is also exponential. Double the velocity and you quadruple the kick. Load to only 90% of the original velocity and the kick will be 81% as much.

1150 fps 3/4 ounce loads kick so mildly that they sometimes fail to reset the inertia trigger on my 12 gauge Browning over/under.

When a double barrel doubles on you when you pull the trigger, the recoil is 4 times the recoil of shooting a single barrel.

the possum · April 24, 2017, 02:24 PM

Gauge reducing chamber inserts will let ya shoot .410 or 20 ga ammo out of your 12 gauge break action. That aughtta reduce the kick, too.

When I started making black powder shells for my antique LC Smith, I was amazed how little they kicked. I used 3 1/2 drams of Pyrodex RS, and 1 1/8 oz of shot in the all-brass Magtech shells. Maybe they're not moving as fast as I figured, but I thought the first shot was a dud. I still thought something was wrong for several more shots. Anybody else noticed that, or am I crazy?

B.L.E. · April 24, 2017, 07:51 PM

I dunno, seems that my 3 drams of Goex FFg (80 grains measured volumetrically using a black powder measure) and 1 1/8 ounce shot loaded in regular 12 gauge hulls kick just as hard as smokeless loads.

Have you shot those black powder loads in a modern shotgun so you can do a real apples to apples kick comparison with smokeless loads? It could be that your L.C. just fits in a way that makes the recoil comfortable.
Or it could be that what you think is 3 1/2 drams is actually smaller. A dram is 1/16 of an ounce or 27.3 grains.
When using Pyrodex, don't load by weight. Pyrodex is a volume for volume substitute for black powder, not a weight to weight substitute.

An old rule of thumb for black powder shotgun loads is to use the shot measure to meter the powder. Set your shot measure to 1 1/8 ounce and use it to measure the powder. This comes very close to 3 drams.

the possum · April 25, 2017, 09:02 AM

Yeah, I have an antique adjustable dipper that is marked for oz of shot on one side, and drams of powder on the other.

Deja vu · April 25, 2017, 07:47 PM

there are some really light 410 shot shells or even some 22LR snake shot.

for 12ga the winchester subsonic 7/8 oz bird shot are super light. they are only doing like 950 FPS.

B.L.E. · April 25, 2017, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the possum

Yeah, I have an antique adjustable dipper that is marked for oz of shot on one side, and drams of powder on the other.

I use a plastic Lee adjustable shot dipper. When it's set to measure 1 1/4 ounce shot, it will hold about 85 grains of black powder which is a little over 3 drams.
A lot of the muzzle loading shotgun shooters I shoot with use those Lee dippers to measure both powder and shot, an equal volume of shot and powder is considered by many a good starting point.

Rifletom · April 25, 2017, 10:42 PM

Why not just try some of the lightest, lowest velocity low recoil rounds available in said shotgun[that fits you properly], and see what actually works.
What works for one shooter, may not work for another. Trial and error and lets see what you come up with.

Bluecthomas · April 27, 2017, 09:45 PM

I got a Marlin 39a, can't hit a soda can at 10' with shot shell .22 in it. Stuff works fine out of my .22 revolver.
But in a well rifled long gun, useless.

Target load lowest recoil 12g I've tried. Federal has a low recoil slug it's suprising easy on shoulder.
Haven't tried any low recoil buck.

April 21, 2017, 07:48 AM	#1
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,623	Lowest recoil round? Hello, What is the lowest recoil commercial round out there? I know, I know, "ultra light," "super lite," etc. But really, which one has the lowest amount of recoil? I am asking for someone who has tried them all and think they have clearly found the lowest recoil Buck and bird. Thanks a million.

April 21, 2017, 08:24 AM	#3
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Try some Winchester Low Noise, Low recoil ammo. Very mild and accurate with the suitable choke choice. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

April 21, 2017, 11:39 AM	#5
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	.22 LR Shot Did you have a different gauge in mind? __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

April 21, 2017, 12:35 PM	#7
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Felt recoil is a subjective thing. Has more to do with the shotgun than just the load too. And what the ammo is intended to do. Alone with the gauge and physics. Go here. http://www.chuckhawks.com/shotgun_recoil_table.htm .22LR Bird Shot out of a rifled barrel flies in a spiral sending the shot all over creation and has big holes in the pattern. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

April 21, 2017, 07:57 PM	#9
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	You know what assumptions do... There were smooth-bore .22s produced in the past (such as the most recent Rem 572 "Garden Gun"), specifically for use with shot shells. Rimfire. .22 caliber. Still a shotgun. Just because 12 ga used to be* the most popular, doesn't mean that that's what everyone asks about. *(Some reports claim 20 ga has overtaken 12 ga for shotgun sales. ...But not all.) __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

April 21, 2017, 08:13 AM	#2
Targa Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2014 Posts: 2,084	Target loads are the lowest I have used in a 12guage. I would like to try some of the Aguila shorts but they are hard to come by. I found them at Budsgunshop but I just refuse to pay the shipping.

April 21, 2017, 09:45 AM	#4
Wyosmith Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2010 Location: Shoshoni Wyoming Posts: 2,713	Well it seems obvious that it would be a standard field load, 2-1/2" 410.

April 21, 2017, 11:43 AM	#6
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,623	Since this is the shotgun forum, I guess shotgun and not rimfire or even pistol for that matter. Since 12g is the most available, I guess it shouldn't be too much of a leap to assume 12g. But yes. 12g shotgun

April 21, 2017, 06:35 PM	#8
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Don't go try everything out there...do the math..and read the box... Lowest recoil for a 12ga.../ the shell with the least amount of shot ( 1/2 oz if you can find some...or go to a 3/4 oz load ).....and at the lowest velocity...around 1000 fps is probably the slowest you will find... a. least amount of shot... b. lowest velocity... c. ( and weight of your gun ....add weight to it, if you can ) and it will help a lot. An extra lb in the gun will reduce recoil at least 20%.

April 21, 2017, 08:47 PM	#10
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,692	The only ammo I know that's the lowest recoiling is snap caps. Very quiet and doesn't even kick. I have used Winchester AA low recoil and it wasn't bad.

April 21, 2017, 11:36 PM	#11
TXAZ Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2010 Location: McMurdo Sound Texas Posts: 4,322	Aguilla MiniShells. Won't work in an auto, and will jam in some pumps while loading, but for a shell about 1.75" long, you can put more of them in a tubular magazine. If you want to minimize the recoil on a shotgun, add a mercury or hydraulic absorber, or add a rail and 10 lbs of weight. __________________ Cave illos in guns et backhoes

April 22, 2017, 08:28 AM	#12
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,623	20g more common than 12g? Not by quantity of shells available (ammoseek.com), variety of shells offered by manufactures (ammoseek.com), nor by number and variety of shotguns for sell (slickguns.com). Ha, I thought I made the biggest flub by not saying I was looking at 12g...but then I was saved by someone thing 20g is more common

April 22, 2017, 07:29 PM	#15
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,623	On slickguns.com, the most viewed shotgun in one week gets 5,700 views https://gun.deals/product/mossberg-5...l-71-50778-299 A 20 gauge never makes it on the list of views....

April 24, 2017, 02:24 PM	#17
the possum Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2004 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 555	Gauge reducing chamber inserts will let ya shoot .410 or 20 ga ammo out of your 12 gauge break action. That aughtta reduce the kick, too. When I started making black powder shells for my antique LC Smith, I was amazed how little they kicked. I used 3 1/2 drams of Pyrodex RS, and 1 1/8 oz of shot in the all-brass Magtech shells. Maybe they're not moving as fast as I figured, but I thought the first shot was a dud. I still thought something was wrong for several more shots. Anybody else noticed that, or am I crazy?

April 24, 2017, 07:51 PM	#18
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	I dunno, seems that my 3 drams of Goex FFg (80 grains measured volumetrically using a black powder measure) and 1 1/8 ounce shot loaded in regular 12 gauge hulls kick just as hard as smokeless loads. Have you shot those black powder loads in a modern shotgun so you can do a real apples to apples kick comparison with smokeless loads? It could be that your L.C. just fits in a way that makes the recoil comfortable. Or it could be that what you think is 3 1/2 drams is actually smaller. A dram is 1/16 of an ounce or 27.3 grains. When using Pyrodex, don't load by weight. Pyrodex is a volume for volume substitute for black powder, not a weight to weight substitute. An old rule of thumb for black powder shotgun loads is to use the shot measure to meter the powder. Set your shot measure to 1 1/8 ounce and use it to measure the powder. This comes very close to 3 drams. __________________ Hanlon's Razor "Do not invoke conspiracy as explanation when ignorance and incompetence will suffice, as conspiracy implies intelligence and organization."

April 25, 2017, 09:02 AM	#19
the possum Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2004 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 555	Yeah, I have an antique adjustable dipper that is marked for oz of shot on one side, and drams of powder on the other.

April 25, 2017, 07:47 PM	#20
Deja vu Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Border of Idaho & Montana Posts: 2,584	there are some really light 410 shot shells or even some 22LR snake shot. for 12ga the winchester subsonic 7/8 oz bird shot are super light. they are only doing like 950 FPS. __________________ Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull. all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well...

April 25, 2017, 10:42 PM	#22
Rifletom Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2011 Location: So-Cal Posts: 786	Why not just try some of the lightest, lowest velocity low recoil rounds available in said shotgun[that fits you properly], and see what actually works. What works for one shooter, may not work for another. Trial and error and lets see what you come up with.

April 27, 2017, 09:45 PM	#23
Bluecthomas Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2017 Posts: 102	I got a Marlin 39a, can't hit a soda can at 10' with shot shell .22 in it. Stuff works fine out of my .22 revolver. But in a well rifled long gun, useless. Target load lowest recoil 12g I've tried. Federal has a low recoil slug it's suprising easy on shoulder. Haven't tried any low recoil buck.