rent for mi-tier end shotguns?

[high_revs]

for bay area/silicon valley calgunners, is there a place that can rent ones for youth/petite women but also semi-auto mid-tier end like benelli or browning semi-auto models (like benneli SS or performance SS models?). i was informed 16 gauge might be a good compromise for the SO (petite) to not get too frustrated not hitting anything and nothing less than 26". but i want her to try 20ga and some 22" or so barrels. this is for trap.

i heard of birds landing and cayote valley that have some youth models for her to try out. wondering if there are any mid-tier ones to try?

is it possible to try/rent for the actual purpose we'd use them, i.e. in action and not stationary like indoor ranges.

[CSACANNONEER]

Proper fit is much more imporant than the little difference between 20g and 12g. She should be able to shoot a properly fitted and properly mounted 12g with target load all day long without any discomfort.

BTW, if you end up getting her a 12 or 20g 391, I've got a hard to find wood, youth stock for sale.

[TZL]

If you go 12ga, try the beretta A400 xtreme

Very very low recoil, it's a gas gun with three shock absorbers

[CSACANNONEER]

I didn't think that the A400s had anyway of adjusting LOP. At least the ones I looked at at SHOT didn't.

[Ribkick]

Forget 16ga. Stick with a 20 for her. Gun is lighter and easier to handle if fitted correctly. 16's are very limited in selection.

[high_revs]

that was in my mind also. i'm not ready to reload since i can't even get back on track to my pistol/rifle reloading.

for those that shoot the 20, how much difficult is hitting the target over the 12 given less pellets?

also, any thoughts on where to try out mid-tier shotguns like benelli and browning? (the "me" portion of the post ).

I got a responder here who is an instructor so that migth just be her b-day gift and try out shotguns for youth/petite folks.

[Ribkick]

for those that shoot the 20, how much difficult is hitting the target over the 12 given less pellets?

I shoot both and there is no difference, basically. 1-1/8 oz. of shot is 1-1/8 oz. of shot, pellet count is approx. 390 (the same in both). The velocity of a 20ga is approx. 1175 fps and a 12ga is approx. 1220 fps. These are averages, of course.

[TZL]

There is a buttstock spacer, the guns comes with the 1/2" installed and a 1" in the case, you can remove the 1/2" to make it shorter if you choose, or in my case I installed the 1" spacer

I didn't think that the A400s had anyway of adjusting LOP. At least the ones I looked at at SHOT didn't.

[bug_eyedmonster]

Proper fit is much more imporant than the little difference between 20g and 12g. She should be able to shoot a properly fitted and properly mounted 12g with target load all day long without any discomfort.

BTW, if you end up getting her a 12 or 20g 391, I've got a hard to find wood, youth stock for sale.

OP, I would consider getting her the shotgun, I'd consider the 391 that CSACANNONEER has for sale. My fiance started shooting trap with one of these we borrowed from a friend. She got used to it within the first three trips to the trap range. She did very well with it off the bat, and she started to get frustrated with longer shots because of the smaller amount of shot. She felt that by the next trip out, she was ready for a 12 gauge. As CSACANNONEER mentioned, this is the most important thing at this time is to make sure the gun fits her properly, more so than with the 20 gauge for my fiance. Fast forward to now, and she's shooting a cut down Browning XS Ultra with adjustable comb and stock, and was fitted locally by Bill Martin. Gun shoots like a dream for her, she easily breaks between 18-23 out of 25 depending on how many rounds she shoots. She's only been shooting for about a year, but we both had a five month hiatus.

Jerry

[AAShooter]

I am unclear what problem you are trying to solve (other than trying guns).

Petite/small folks may have several problems:
1) Just need a gun that fits (short stock/LOP, etc)
2) Needs a light gun because they lack the upper body strength and strain to control the gun.
3) Low recoil--heavy recoil is too abusive due to their light mass.

Needless to say, #2 can be addressed and will be less of an issue the more you shoot. Using smaller gauges don't always help in all these areas.

[alfred1222]

coyote creek has citori's for rent, and they have 20 gauge models.

[Barry]

High_revs,
Shotgunners are a friendly bunch.
Post where you live/shoot and see if you can wangle an invite to try some different toys.

An example might be my Son's youth sized Sarsa. It's a cheap 20ga with a 12.6" LOP but it weigh's in at less than 5.75 Lbs. Try beating that for a light weight 20ga!

All the best

Barry

[high_revs]

thanks a lot for the responses. we'll be visiting cayote creek and at the same time get her lessons as a b-day present. i got a friend who'll be tagging along with us with his SO also since she's in the same boat.

pretty much all 3. i figure for 3, the lighter it is the more tendency for more recoil.

I am unclear what problem you are trying to solve (other than trying guns).

Petite/small folks may have several problems:
1) Just need a gun that fits (short stock/LOP, etc)
2) Needs a light gun because they lack the upper body strength and strain to control the gun.
3) Low recoil--heavy recoil is too abusive due to their light mass.

[AAShooter]

thanks a lot for the responses. we'll be visiting cayote creek and at the same time get her lessons as a b-day present. i got a friend who'll be tagging along with us with his SO also since she's in the same boat.

pretty much all 3. i figure for 3, the lighter it is the more tendency for more recoil.

I think if you are trying to solve all three, you need to be looking a sub-gauges. The problem is less shot in the air so more tendency to miss.

[BigDogatPlay]

Forget 16ga. Stick with a 20 for her. Gun is lighter and easier to handle if fitted correctly. 16's are very limited in selection.

^^^ This ^^^

16 gauge, while a pleasant shooter, is virtually obsolete in North America. Shooting it in any volume would require reloading to keep ammo cost down. I love my old 16 but I rarely shoot it because ammo is such a pain and I can't bring myself to buying another reloading set up for just one old gun.

One thing on youth guns .... if your lovely bride is seriously petite then a youth model might work out. Generally you sacrifice barrel length which isn't always a good recipe for success. Swapping barrels out, if the model allows it, is always an option. If recoil is an issue, mounting the gun properly solves nearly all of that.

Sub gauges, 28 and .410, are generally more along the line of expert's guns. I'd not recommend a new shooter going to a gauge smaller than 20 to start out.

The pro shop at Coyote Valley can definitely hook you up. Most clubs, the one I belong to included, has several guns in different sizes, 12 and 20, to use for finding what works.