Originally Posted by jaima (Post 960485)

I loaded and shot it all by myself. I'm glad I used the ear plugs!! It was a little hard on my bad shoulder but I survived.

I did NOT like it. Nope, not at all. Its something I do not think I could get used to and pray I never have to use it. :no_ma:
On the other hand I also shot the 22 rifle and loved that. My accuracy was pretty good.

Originally Posted by jaima (Post 960514)

20 gauge mossberg, the fit was perfect but thank goodness I didn't get a 12 gauge because this one was way more then enough. It was very uncomfortable and scary. I don't want to ever have to shoot anything. I did kill the tree stump I shot dead today and that was hard enough.

Originally Posted by Elijah (Post 960722)

Well, I'm rattling on, just got back from a gun show, can't help myself. My idea of a handgun is, "It's the gun I have on me that I might need to fight my way back to the rifle I shouldn't have left behind." :D

Originally Posted by Twisted Avatar (Post 960753)

Great quote.....I gotta keep that one Elijah, consider it snatched!!!


T

Originally Posted by jaima (Post 960955)

I picked the 20 gauge mossberg because it was a comfortable fit. I didn't feel comfortable with the Remington and the 12 gauges didn't feel right. I am shooting cheap Byrd shot for now and will try some of the Federal Tactical and see if that helps. I will definitely have to get a "Decelerator" pad. I don't think the kick back was too bad and would have been fine if my shoulder was not already compromised.

As far as the psychological aspects go I will have to work on it. It just felt like a very violent weapon. Life isn't suppose to be violent.

LT Dan, this makes me rethink the 38 handgun I was going to buy. I might need a little 22 pistol instead.

Originally Posted by Elijah (Post 960722)

Hopefully you will never have to shoot it in defense of self or family. The fact that you do know how and can do it is very important in and of itself. If you want to hunt you would be better suited to have a rifle, even something like .243 would make anything up to deer size game a good choice. You're right about the recoil in any shotgun other than the .410. If only we were allowed to use rifles for deer in my state.

Yes, a .22lr will serve just about all small game needs as long as your aim is true. Practice is cheap. I never try for game over 100yds as I don't like to wound animals. Some people say 50-75yds for the .22lr and i would to with opened sights. I have a few options in .22lr. My brother always liked the .22mag better as you have better range and it's a step up in power. If you had to choose only one, and I hate that idea, go with the .22lr every time. If you ever butcher your own livestock, as I have, the .22 is all that's needed, but in that case you're at point blank range. Takes a cold side to your nature to be able to hold the muzzle right to the head of an animal you've raised from birth or weened age and pull the trigger.

When you're confronted with a situation where it's kill or be killed, you had better not stop and think about it. That's why when you get a handgun, you need to practice with it until it becomes second nature to bring it into action. It had better be the best, most reliable, easiest to reload, etc., you can afford.

For a lot of reasons I don't mess with shotguns for self/home defense. I do own several, just don't care for them, especially the recoil and I'm fairly big and relatively strong. I will shoot several hundred rounds in a range visit over the fourth of July shoot out with an M1 Garand, and/or an M1A.

Well, I'm rattling on, just got back from a gun show, can't help myself. My idea of a handgun is, "It's the gun I have on me that I might need to fight my way back to the rifle I shouldn't have left behind." :D

Originally Posted by jaima (Post 960485)

I loaded and shot it all by myself. I'm glad I used the ear plugs!! It was a little hard on my bad shoulder but I survived.

I did NOT like it. Nope, not at all. Its something I do not think I could get used to and pray I never have to use it. :no_ma:
On the other hand I also shot the 22 rifle and loved that. My accuracy was pretty good.

Originally Posted by Elijah (Post 962236)

Unclad, I think we may have had this discussion over on another board and you do have a point about the primer method. Different user names.

However after several years at the gun range, I've also noticed a lot of center fire (live rounds) laying around where someone cleared they pistol and neglected to pick up their unexploded rounds. Sometime it looked like light strikes or just plan duds. I've experienced this same issue in center fire high power rounds. So my conclusion, if I may, is that while misfires or duds seem to occur a lot more in .22lr, it may just be because it gets shot so much more than other ammo. Also, quality control seems to be much better today than it was 40-50 years ago.

One thing with a rimfire round the head space is the measurement of the thickness of the rim itself. If a gun is worn a bit too much for the ammo being used you'll get misfires. You'll think its the ammo, but unless you try to shoot it in something else you'll think it's the ammo and it could be the gun. I can't explain why ammo that won't fire in my 10-22 will fire in my S&W revolver. The match ammo seems to not be designed for the 10-22, or at least not mine, while it shoots just fine in the revolver.

However, the great thing about the .25 auto is it's reloadable.

Originally Posted by jaima (Post 962640)

I dont knwo much about a 22 except my husbands is over 35 years old and has been sitting in a storgae shed. Its never been cleaned once and it fired every time we shot it.

Originally Posted by Unclad Lad (Post 961596)

One more option I don't usually add is: A pistol-grip shotgun. In your case it might make sense, especially with the low-recoil shells.