So I picked up my new Stoeger 2000 12g yesterday and went shooting today. First, let me say that I LOVE IT!! Shot about 25 shells of various sizes, low brass, and high brass, etc. and did pretty well considering I'm totally new at this. I was shooting over my target so with some coaching about getting my cheek down more and my stance proper, I was smoking those targets up.

 

But guess what? My shoulder is really really sore and a little bit of swelling. Not bad, but it is there. Would it be a good idea to invest in a padded shooting vest? Anyone use them? Are there better ones than others? Thanks for any input.

Mikeythumbs actually just posted about this...

 

I suggested this:

http://www.amazon.com/Past-350010-Field-Shield/dp/B0009TRNRK/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1358735779&sr=8-6&keywords=shooting+pad

Peel the strip off of a Maxi-Pad and stick it to your soulder under your shirt... You'll be fine... :girlwacko:

Stock shouldnt be on the shoulder. Should be between shoulder and pectoral.

Don't worry, in time it will become a hardened wall of muscle that not even lasers could penetrate. Also, what blksheep said.

Everything you need to know about shotguns you can learn from Herger the Joyous: Grow stronger.

 

If your shoulder feels sore from the buttstock, just imagine what it feels like on the other end!

 

The Stoger 2000 is recoil-driven. It needs the recoil to cycle. Pads don't actually lessen the recoil, just spread it out over a wider area, although a limbsaver pad could help the felt recoil.

 

You could also make the gun heavier. The stock has to be held onto the receiver in some fashion. My guess is that there should be a screw underneath the recoil pad. If the stock is hollow, you may be able to fill it with some lead shot held in place by small pieces of packing peanuts.

 

Welcome to the world of shotgunning. It's a fantastic platform.

Peel the strip off of a Maxi-Pad and stick it to your soulder under your shirt... You'll be fine... :girlwacko:

 

Funny thing... My WIFE was reading this over my shoulder and said almost the same thing! LOL! Touch crowd! 112# of redheaded Irish fury who wields a 12ga with authority!

 

RoxyTJ, definitely check and be conscious of your form. You may have good cheek weld and base, but may not be "planting" the stock snugly. You might even need a little length adjustment.

25 rounds was my limit as well with a 12 gauge.

Proper location of buttstock and stance are key.

25 rounds was my limit as well with a 12 gauge.

 

Pfft. I did like 200 and then another 50 rounds on a Mosin my first time.

 

...Yeah, I could barely move that arm without screeching the next day. And my brother kept punching me in the sore spot. :thsmiley_deadhorse: (I'm the horse)

You could even get a better recoil pad, Limbsavers are good! You might also want to look into low recoil loads. Many of the guys at the trap range shoot very weak loads.

Thanks everyone. Shoulder area feels pretty good today. I'll keep working on my stance, cheek, and placement and take it from there. I did LOL at the maxi pad comment. :girlwacko:

The first time I shot my Mossberg 930 I went through 200 rounds. I even shot a bunch of magnum 3in slugs. They made a big hole but kicked like a ****. I was a bit sore the next day but went and did it again and worked the soreness out. So just keeping shooting the gun and make sure your form is solid you will get used to it.

Shotties don't really bother me as much as mosins. A good recoil pad always helps but I don't like them either it changes the LOP and my short arms don't like 'em at all.

Been there and done that. Learned to let my body swivel with the recoil rather than try to stand still and let my shoulder be smacked by the shotgun. I did not find padded vests that helpful but I did change the recoil pads on all my shotguns to a recoil absorbing one and that did help a lot. After shooting it awhile I had no more problems with my shoulder but I took a friend with me one day and the next day his shoulder was a mass of black and blue. Since then I learned to handle a lot of recoil with no paid and got a 7mm rifle and some .44 mag handguns and even an 11 oz. .357 that actually was the worse of all.

not sure about all these guys but i love my browning padded vest with the recoil pad LOL. when i go shooting im normally shooting minimal 150 shells and without a vest or a nice recoil pad you can feel it and i have a semi which helps reduce recoil already. If your going to do a lot of shooting i would get a vest or a nicer recoil pad, in the past i used to not wear a vest and after a while the gun does not bother your shoulder "or area your mounting" but you will get a noticeably bigger hump area on your shooting shoulder lol.

Shotties don't really bother me as much as mosins. A good recoil pad always helps but I don't like them either it changes the LOP and my short arms don't like 'em at all.

I agree with you about the Mosin, other than the short arms bit... I start to really feel the shotgun after ~75 rounds, but that's typically pretty rapid fire with a pump. I don't bother changing or adding a recoil pad to the shotgun. Though if I were shooting 3 1/2" magnums through it all the time, maybe I'd change my mind.

 

A proper stance and placement certainly helps, and it's something I've had to demonstrate to newbies trying out my shotguns before they shoot them.

 

If you feel the need to add a recoil pad or use a vest, go for it...if it's uncomfortable to shoot, you won't shoot it as often, and where is the fun in that?

move the gun toward the center of your body more. keep it in the pocket and you should be able to get used to it. proper placement is key with long guns with a decent amount of recoil. your shoulder will toughen up after a while.