(The following is a copy paste of a PM I sent to the gentleman I purchased an 21" 870 Express Magnum 20ga from. NOTE: The last time I'd touched a shotgun was more than 30 years ago at the age of 18yo when me and a brother bought some single-shot break-action Stevens)
Took the boy out today for his first time using the Remington 870!
We hiked-in a bit on some public lands (me carrying a box of clay pidgeons to, my forearms and fingers were less than please by the time we arrived at the spot, HaHA!)
Don't have a sling for his yet so he had to hold it in his hands during the hike-in/out. I was grinning hearing him whine about his arms. I remember when I started hunting few years back and always just carried it in my hands too. Since figured I needed the exercise. So I just grinned and told him his arms are just not used to it yet
First shot I just placed a clay in a bush so it was stationary. ...Boom! (w Winchester sporting clays load, so as to not be so strong as the waterfowl loads purchased from you) "Owwwiiieee!" He exclaimed... but I was proud of him because he clamped down on himself to not whimp out. I think it was like the 3rd or 4th shot when I could tell it was stinging his virgin shoulder pretty darn good. Told him to put back on his puffy jacket.
Then I took a try with his. Trip out!... it was more sharp of a recoil then my Benelli SuperNova 12ga shooting 3" BBB Waterfowl loads!
Wisely... I'd changed the choked on his out to Improved Cylinder figuring it would widen the pattern a little to increase likelihood of him having success hitting clays in the air. That was a great call. I noticed I was a degree more adept at hitting the clays with his 870 with Imp Cyl, then how much I was with my Benelli w/ Mod Choke. (We were just throwing them up by hand, so maybe only 20-25yds of flight I'd guess?
But yeah, definitely noticed my Benelli shot softer though. I remember reading their literature and how they claim their stock design and recoil pad claim to reduce recoil by 35% and I DEFINITELY believe that to be true now.
My lil guy was a trooper though. He hung in their for about maybe 20 shots. And then he conveniently wanted to have fun throwing the clays for me
And I do have to admit later on when I switched over to using his 870 with an Imp Cyl, that I was much more ninja with that slim, light, short barreled 20ga. Plus my brain was starting to figure it all out a lot better by then since this was about my fourth box in of the day by that point. But yeah... I definitely started to notice that the 870 was starting to create some soreness in my shoulder that wasn't there before, especially after I switched over to those 3" waterfowl Kent loads.
So then I inspected the difference between the two shotguns recoil pads and right away noticed how the 870's was much less pliable.
So a Quake Claw sling, and some kind of aftermarket recoil pad are definitely in the future for his "new" 870!
We had a great, quality, Father-Son day today. So I wanted to share that report with you and hope it brings a smile to your day too
-G
Took the boy out today for his first time using the Remington 870!
We hiked-in a bit on some public lands (me carrying a box of clay pidgeons to, my forearms and fingers were less than please by the time we arrived at the spot, HaHA!)
Don't have a sling for his yet so he had to hold it in his hands during the hike-in/out. I was grinning hearing him whine about his arms. I remember when I started hunting few years back and always just carried it in my hands too. Since figured I needed the exercise. So I just grinned and told him his arms are just not used to it yet
First shot I just placed a clay in a bush so it was stationary. ...Boom! (w Winchester sporting clays load, so as to not be so strong as the waterfowl loads purchased from you) "Owwwiiieee!" He exclaimed... but I was proud of him because he clamped down on himself to not whimp out. I think it was like the 3rd or 4th shot when I could tell it was stinging his virgin shoulder pretty darn good. Told him to put back on his puffy jacket.
Then I took a try with his. Trip out!... it was more sharp of a recoil then my Benelli SuperNova 12ga shooting 3" BBB Waterfowl loads!
Wisely... I'd changed the choked on his out to Improved Cylinder figuring it would widen the pattern a little to increase likelihood of him having success hitting clays in the air. That was a great call. I noticed I was a degree more adept at hitting the clays with his 870 with Imp Cyl, then how much I was with my Benelli w/ Mod Choke. (We were just throwing them up by hand, so maybe only 20-25yds of flight I'd guess?
But yeah, definitely noticed my Benelli shot softer though. I remember reading their literature and how they claim their stock design and recoil pad claim to reduce recoil by 35% and I DEFINITELY believe that to be true now.
My lil guy was a trooper though. He hung in their for about maybe 20 shots. And then he conveniently wanted to have fun throwing the clays for me
And I do have to admit later on when I switched over to using his 870 with an Imp Cyl, that I was much more ninja with that slim, light, short barreled 20ga. Plus my brain was starting to figure it all out a lot better by then since this was about my fourth box in of the day by that point. But yeah... I definitely started to notice that the 870 was starting to create some soreness in my shoulder that wasn't there before, especially after I switched over to those 3" waterfowl Kent loads.
So then I inspected the difference between the two shotguns recoil pads and right away noticed how the 870's was much less pliable.
So a Quake Claw sling, and some kind of aftermarket recoil pad are definitely in the future for his "new" 870!
We had a great, quality, Father-Son day today. So I wanted to share that report with you and hope it brings a smile to your day too
-G
