16ga.com ~ View topic

Hello,
I've been reading the diferent posts here for several weeks and think I have found a place where a fella can get some sound advise.
My question is this:
I would like to get a 16ga shotgun for my wife to hunt upland game and shoot sporting clays and skeet. She is about 5'7'' and average build. She is now shooting a Ruger 28ga for clays and skeet and a 12ga Beretta 303 semi-auto for upland game, turkeys and waterfowl. The problem is that the Beretta is too heavy for her to tote around all day and still bring it up when a bird flushes.

She likes the idea of another double but neither of us has any experience with a side by side. Good fit and light weight are I think, the two biggest concerns. I will be reloading, so we can load up some light loads for practice and the few shots taken at live birds with heavier shells won't be much of a problem.

She likes the 28" Citori Featherweight she saw at a local gun shop. It came up good, balanced nice and the weight was acceptable. I wonder how different one with 26" barrels would be.

Any and all other guns you could recommend will be considered.

You can't believe how much having a wife that likes to hunt and shoot increases my ability to hunt, shoot, and buy another gun once in awhile. It's a beautiful thing.

Thanks in advance,
Rudy

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

Rudy, are you still a newlywed Rolling Eyes

The two inches MAY make a difference as far as balance ----take your time before buying and just kinda look around----hit the gun shops and clubs often enough and you will fing what you are looking for Wink

Member Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 446 Location: Wisconsin

Good luck! My wife tried hunting with me early on but after a few years of cold and lots of walking, no more.
A couple of year ago I purchased a 28 gauge Beretta QU from a dealer giving up his FFL hoping that she would reconsider. Gun is still unfired in the box as is the Beretta Parralel RL I bought her for Clays.
Probably the best and safest double would be a 28 gauge Beretta on the small 28 frame. Single trigger to make things easier and you won't lose an arm and a leg reselling. Biggest problem you will have is that no one makes stock double with a stock suited to a women. Just cutting down the stock is not great because you need the correct drop etc. Best to take her to a fitter and have her measurement taken which is what I did. Was going to get a custom stock from Beretta for the 28 gauge but with no interest, no soap.-Dick

Rudy - the Citori Featherweight is a very nice gun for money. You didn't mention what cost range that you are considering. Several of us here shoot Merkel 1620s which are SxS with 28" bbls weighing 6 - 6.25 lbs. Probably can find one used around $3000-3500. Charlie at Hill Rod and Gun has a sweet little Greener 16ga listed for $2200 if you are interested in English guns.

Good luck in your quest - John

http://www.hillrodandgun.com/invent.php

No, we are not newly weds. We've been married since'75 and she has hunted with me since '84. She has taken whitetails, mule deer, antelope, turkey, waterfowl and upland game. The deal is, the 12ga Beretta semi-auto is just too heavy as of late and she REALLY hates mechanical problems. The 28 gauge Ruger she uses for skeet and clays just doesn't have unuf for pheasants. We have an American Water Spaniel that is working out real good, but she is a flusher not a pointer and we don't have the time to get ready for a shot like you would with a pointer.

A lot of my pals say that they would rather not put up with the hastle of hunting with a woman. I have found that the women that are truly interested in hunting and fishing make just as good or better sports than a lot of men that I know. Makes it much easier to share a room also.

The Merkel 1620 sounds like just what we are looking for, although I don't know if she would be able to pry it out my own hands if we got one.

I would prefer to stay under $2,000, but you never know, if something real nice would come up maybe we could spring for a little more.

Thanks for the responses,
Rudy

Member Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 602 Location: western pa

Stop it Rudy. I am sooooo jealous. Very Happy

Your wife has been at this longer than my wife (2 weeks- 10 years ago) so my advice may not matter too much. Then again, those with children, take notice ... don't buy a gun that's too light! Unfortunately, easy to carry translates into "Kicks like hell". My wife is 5'2" and 105 lbs. My choice of 5lb.10 oz. 16ga. even with 2 1/2" RST's left a bruise on her shoulder that she still hasn't forgotten.

What ever you choose... good luck.

Joined: 03 Jul 2005 Posts: 370 Location: Amarillo, Texas

I had a Benelli 20 gauge semiauto with a black plastic stock. It was just under 5lbs-15 and very low recoil. I think the Benelli 20 gauge Montefeltro would also be light if she thought the black plastic stock is ugly. I also owned a 20 gauge Franchi Over and under that was 5lbs-13 and it kicked enough that it was unpleasant to shoot skeet with.

By the way does she clean birds too? Smile

mike

http://www.fieldsportltd.com/gunroom/gun_view.php?gunId=354

I've been drooling over this for a while. I have a Citori 525 16ga, and I would suggest one in either the 26 or 28" barrel. Mines the 28" and is very well balanced and lively.

Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Posts: 36 Location: Southern Indiana

I've found that a long barrel will get you better velocities and therefore get you better long distance shots. The longer the barrel the more powder burns up before your shot leaves the gun. However, if you are bird hunters and need a good snap shooting gun the short barrel may help. But, in the end, it comes down to what feels best for your wife. Sometimes the way a gun shoulders makes more difference than anything else.