Bob The Great

I can relate. I'm not a huge guy, and I bought a Mossberg 500 in 12ga. not too long ago. The first time I took it to the range, I got through 10rds, and decided to stop because it looked (and felt) like I had burst every single capillary under the buttplate, with a nice dark bruise around it.

Stance matters a lot, but it's still a big ol' smack you have to absorb. I'm considering getting a thicker buttplate for it, or maybe a recoil-absorbing AR-style stock. Hopefully that will help a bit, cause as the OP said, right now it's just not fun to shoot the thing.

gregarat

5 years ago, I developed a "flinch" after geting "scope eye" while sighting in a scoped 12ga. I was using a bench, and was leaning too far forward.

I lost my "flinch" by shooting low recoil rifels, untill I got my confidence back.
I personly belive alot of felt recoil is phycological. Just belive that "recoil can not harm you".

Like many members have said. You dont feel recoil when shooting that counts.

__________________
“Little beat big when little smart. First with the head, then with the heart.” Geel piet. From the movie “The Power of one”

Colin

The 500 is a light gun and carried mine for bear defense hence the use of (ouch) 3"magnums. I bought a slipon recoil pad over the stock one, which helped, but for my new 590 I will be putting on the Specops recoil reducing stock. Also practice with the 2 3/4" slugs as opposed to the 3" guys.

Bud White

Also depend on the stock design not all 12 gauges recoil the same

Superhouse 15

Ammo matters. For practice, stick to low brass game loads. Try here:
http://www.federalpremium.com/default.asp?br=1
Search for Buckshot. The # is PFC154 (the low recoil version)
Use this for all my buckshot needs now. 2 or 3 inch groups at 60 feet (!) from the riot gun kept behind the counter at the gunshop.

As for technique, try Stressfire 2 by Ayoob:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/...s=stressfire+2
Great recoil management info.

This thing is magic! Works as advertised, at least a 50% reduction:
http://www.knoxx.com/kSTORE/viewProd.php?id=7
They have a good folding stock, too. Mostly my use of a shotgun is geared towards defense use, as if you couldn't guess, but they have good hunting, target stuff as well as "tactical".

Recoil reducers, but they add a lot of weight, that's physics for you:
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/sto...?c=1114&p=4807
No need to suffer with a shotgun that kicks too much.

buckeyeLCPL

A good stance and making sure you hold the weapon in tight is important. We had a female exchange student in trap class last quarter, first shot she didn't have it seated properly, and it nearly knocked her down, she didn't hit much the rest of the day. Just so I don't sound sexist, I have seen my younger brother do pretty much the same thing, one time somehow setting off both triggers on my coachgun.

Don't be afraid of the recoil, lean into it some. You will probably get a little black and blue, I'm a good sized guy and I always have a little bit of a mark. That being said, my 500 even with a factory stock was extremely manageable, even for rather rapid firing. Start with lower powered loads, don't be afraid of it, and have fun.

__________________
Fortes Fortuna Juvat

We're mules lad. Mules that kill.

JTR

Ride4TheBrand

Aw heck.. just saw the barrel down to 18"... you'll be fine

__________________
"Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom."

~ John F. Kennedy

retsupt99

Kicks like a mule...hold it tight...but 'roll with it'...

Only shoot it enough until you can't reach your glasses cause your shoulders and arms hurt too much...

or...buy a 20 ga...

OMO

ret

__________________
"That I cannot do."

"Give this to, uh, Clemenza. I want reliable people, people who aren't going to be carried away. After all we're not murderers in spite of what this undertaker thinks."


***********************************

NRA Life Member

SonofASniper

Well, what they all said.
I got a Benelli SuperNova with the comfortek stock. It does make a difference, especially with those 3 1/2" shells they have now. OMG I can't imagine shooting those without their new stock.

__________________
The unreasonable person will determine what the reasonable compromise will be.

obxned

Buy the lightest loads you can find. 1oz 12g loads are common, and some 3/4oz are available. If you feel the need, you can stick a mouse pad inside your t-shirt where the butt meets your shoulder. Also, wear good hearing protection. The startle factor of the noise make the 'felt' recoil greater.