doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com .410s and 28s

Gentlemen:

I have a dear friend who has undergone several surgeries for both of his bad shoulders (he's a retired carpenter who did lots of drywall work). He's thinking about joining me sometime this Fall "up Nort" to chase a few ruffed grouse but he's concerned about recoil and his surgically re-built shoulders. Since I'm completely ignorant of how a "rebuilt" shoulder actually works (or doesn't) I'd like to get some information of the subject from a few of the seasoned veterans here.

A .410 double comes immediately to mind as a solution here (& I happen to have one) but it that really a solution? This gun also has 28-gauge tubes and they seem pretty "soft" to me (w/minimal recoil) as well. Heck, even my English 16 seems pretty tame. Can anybody here speak to this subject and add a little clarity?

At the risk of bringing accused of blasphemy on a double gun forum, his best answer might be a gas operated 28 gauge automatic.

Failing that both .410 and 28 gauge doubles should work fine as long as he can get on to the birds quickly enough to deliver reasonable pattern density.

Why not a heavier 12 gauge double? Make up some light loads of 1 oz or 7/8 oz. Can he shoot well?

My for fun skeet load for my 12g is 11/16 oz of shot, a 410 equivalent load. For a really mild load, loading down can be very nice. A hunting load in a lighter 410 or 28 can actually give you a bigger punch in the shoulder. You do need to have double or mechanical triggers instead of inertias.

My 12ga waterfowl load is 7/ 8 oz and the 16 is 3/4 oz both in the 28ga range and they are under 1200 fps both mild. Mine are light to save money but surprisingly seem to kill just fine.

He might enjoy shooting his familiar shotgun instead of strange one.

I guess we posted at the same time.

This sounds like a question that he should ask his Orthopedic Surgeon, assuming the surgeries were successful. Then he should get a second qualified opinion.

It's likely an individual thing though, since every injury and every surgical outcome is not the same. Some football players have shoulder surgery, and return to the NFL taking hard hits and tackles, while others have lingering problems and must retire early. So it would be difficult for any of us to say what's right for him.

I use light loads in 12 and 20 but it seems to me the recoil in my 410, which is a BR 550 is noticeably less.

I have two new titanium shoulders and shared the same concerns as your friend. I have a shoulder shooting pad that works well, but I have also gone the route of smaller gauges. I can handle the 28 loads in my double as well as my Ruger O/U, but as Parabola mentioned I have also gone over to the dark side by frequently using a little gas powered auto in 28. It does well on early released pheasants and anything below that. I recently shot one my Ruger SFAR (black gun for those who are unfamiliar) in .308. The only thing I found I needed was a different butt pad and some more meat on my shoulders. I didn't realize how much muscle and tissue I had lost due to the surgeries. I am now in the process of building that back up. Soooo, I will stick with my recommendation for the 28 gas powered auto for your friend, at least for now. Of course, I also have acquired three or four new .410s JUST IN CASE!! I assured my wife when she caught me in my gun safe that the four new 410's were therapeutic!! She then assured me that her several new purses were the same!! Shoot the 28 routinely and learn to love it as you develop confidence in the new shoulder.

Any thoughts to a tube set for his shotgun, briley sidekick set is less than a new shotgun, even a cheap semi auto.

Since I have several guns he might use, he'll likely just arrive empty handed.

I had figured my Estate .410/28 was the best option for him as it's 5 1/4 pounds and it should fit him. He's not bird hunted for some time for a number of reasons (divorce, single dad, etc.) but we've been friends since high school and we used to hunt together so...this could be fun, eh?

28 ga Beretta a400 auto loader with kick off option...plus a Beretta jel pad under padded shooting vest...