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354 Posts
Hi folks,I'm the new guy here, just registered this morning.I've done trap a few times and have just rejoined a local club to continue with the sport. I currently shoot a Mossberg 500, and while this works, I'm kinda-sorta in the market for a new gun. While I'd love an O/U, I'm simply not willing to dump >$1K into a gun at this point, and at the urging of several friends, am foregoing the cheap eastern European O/Us that have become available (EAA, Baikal, etc). As a matter of fact, I'm pretty well convinced I want to go with a Remington 1100 semi. (Of course, that used SKB 20ga pump I saw yesterday for $175 didn't look too bad, but I digress...)My question for this august group is, should I stick with 12ga, or lighten up and go for a 20? The 12 can pound the heck out of my shoulder, and I'm usually not up for more than a couple of rounds of trap (or about a box worth of shells) before I have to pack it in. I'm willing to experiment with loads; I've been using mostly 7 shot with the Mossberg, and just bought some 9 shot to see if that helps. I'm also leaning toward the semi auto, since I understand the gas system absorbs some of the recoil. But what about dropping down to 20ga? I'm thinking the decrease in kick could make it downright pleasant to shoot. Would I be giving up too much in pattern or power at the other end?Comments, please!-- Sam