Reducing Weight of 870 Express

[cpttimerestraint]

I am trying to reduce the weight of my Remington 870 express to make it more comfortable for my wife to shoot. It currently has the wood stock with a 28" barrel.

We are looking to use it for clay shooting. She is just getting into shooting and so I don't want to spend a couple of hundred bucks on a new gun just yet. Is there a light weight synthetic stock out there that would work better?

[-hanko]

I am trying to reduce the weight of my Remington 870 express to make it more comfortable for my wife to shoot. It currently has the wood stock with a 28" barrel.

We are looking to use it for clay shooting. She is just getting into shooting and so I don't want to spend a couple of hundred bucks on a new gun just yet. Is there a light weight synthetic stock out there that would work better?

The back side of reducing weight is increased recoil.

[shafferds]

Try and find a used lightweight rem 870 or a 20ga.

[axhoaxho]

A few similar ones in the market. For example, the 'Hogue 12" LOP rubber over molded stock set with forend', goes around $55 on Amazon. Won't break the piggybank, rather lightweight, came with a recoil pad (IIRC), grippy material, and the shorter LOP works nicely for most ladies.

http://www.amazon.com/Hogue-Remington-Overrubber-Shotgun-12-Inch/dp/B0019MWRW2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415557094&sr=8-1&keywords=hogue+870+12+stock+set

[The Last American Hero]

Weight of stock not the prob. You could wrap an extra 5lb weight on the stock and she wouldn't find it awkward or heavy, and like another said would help with recoil.

Holding a gun up in the air and tired arms are part of shooting. (so is learning to lower it except when actually sighting and shooting, lots of newbies seem to keep it pointed up in air like AAA awaiting the next wave of bombers).

It is the weight of long barrel/action. Nothing much to do about that with 870, except maybe don't load more that the 3 shells allowed for duck hunting. I could say "get short barrel" but most ranges don't allow (due to noise) and they aren't as good for clays, and just generally barking up wrong tree.


On the bright side, for FREE, and with many EXTRA BENEFITS, the best thing to do is a few targeted exercises in the back and shoulder regions. Doing them correctly(right resistance/reps etc) will not only get amazing results in less than six weeks, but will greatly improve posture, shape, tone etc, and tend to ward off the whole "aging process".

What the right exercises for holding up a shotgun are I'm not sure but should be easy to find out.


" She is just getting into shooting and so I don't want to spend a couple of hundred bucks on a new gun just yet. "

Don't think if of as "spending", think of it as 'investing' since guns hold value pretty darn good. There SHOULD be a o/u 20ga with a 'fully adjustable stock' (since fit is supposed to have much to do with success) at an 'entry level price point' but I don't think I've seen one.

[CSACANNONEER]

The lighter the gun, the more felt recoil.

If you really need to reduce the weight of a shotgun, I would suggest removing the 57 rounds on it.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1002211

[RNE228]

870 already has healthy kick. Make it lighter, there will be more felt recoil.

Since you are not ready to get another shotgun, have you looked for the lightest target loads available?

That, and check here and/or LGS, for a stock to cut down for her pull length, and a better recoil pad. Should be plenty of wood stocks available, since this is a popular shotgun to "accessorize". Should be able to find one cheap, then cut it down. When you are ready, you can put the standard length stock back on it.

Was at the range yesterday for skeet with 870....

[AragornElessar86]

Buy an O/U or SxS in 20ga. I love my Stoeger Uplander.

[Thefeeder]

I am trying to reduce the weight of my Remington 870 express to make it more comfortable for my wife to shoot. It currently has the wood stock with a 28" barrel.

We are looking to use it for clay shooting. She is just getting into shooting and so I don't want to spend a couple of hundred bucks on a new gun just yet. Is there a light weight synthetic stock out there that would work better?

Your going in the opposite direction.....Adding weight to a shotgun will lower recoil...but its how its added

Fit is more important to smaller body shooters than weight

I tuned an 870 Youth by adding weight in the stock to BALANCE the gun, the shock was shortened even more from the youth length and the pitch was redone ...the pitch really keeps the cheeks from being slapped and lowers barrel jump

Although it weighs 15ozs more, it feels lighter because the the gun is now balanced and the better stock diamentions also make it easier to hold up, also comfortable to shoot

[Stanze]

Get her a Maverick 88. Very lightweight and affordable.

[cpttimerestraint]

Thank you everyone for the responses. I am not as worried about the recoil. My wife seems to handle it pretty well. She feels like she has a hard time holding the barrel up.

That was a great idea to add weight to the back of the stock to see if that helps balance the gun better. I am going to start with that.

[CSACANNONEER]

I would suggest getting it properly fit to her. That will make some difference. Putting a 24" barrel on it would also help. She may just need to exercise her upper body a bit. Even though I'm a big guy with above average upper body strength, I get tired shouldering a shotgun after a while.

[Leagle8]

28" barrel is correct length for trap. Reducing the length to 26" would take off a little front weight, but not much. Trade off is shorter sighting radius if you have a back bead. As long as the choke is the same...modified or full. If she can handle a 12 ga. recoil, she will get more consistent hits than with a 20 ga. because of the denser pattern and longer shot string. I tend to agree with the gentleman who recommended building her body up to handling the weight. Also, I recommend that she spread her stance more to center the entire weight of gun and body over center line which will tend to make the gun feel less muzzle heavy.

Check her stance to make sure she isn't leaning too far forward into the gun (that will make it more muzzle heavy) Lots of us crawl all over it to absorb the recoil when arm strength isn't an issue. Upper arm strength is usually weaker in women so weight lifting dumb bells (8 pounders in each hand) will definitely make that shotgun feel lighter.

[Leagle8]

Check out her stance. If she is standing too straight, that muzzle will get heavy. She should develop a wider stance with the back foot. Make sure she isn't leaning too far forward too. All of us light to crawl all the way up on the stock to let the entire body absorb the recoil. On a woman, that slightly forward shift if weight can make that gun feel muzzle heavy when most of the weight is really back in the stock. Also check her forward hand hold. If it is too far forward and doesn't have a good crook in it, that barrel will get heavy. You may have to shorten the stock for her to get a more balanced forearm grip. I hope that helps.