Been sitting around for a week with my arm in a sling and bummed I’m not shooting clays or fishing. I’m making progress in PT, but can’t speed up the healing time. I’m hoping to be GTG come dove season, should put me 5-6 months from surgery. With that in mind I’m looking to reduce recoil and have my eye on a few guns, one of which is the Beretta Ultima in 20 ga. I shot the 12 gauge and felt it was ridiculously light in recoil. My thought is combine the lower recoil with the lighter gun. I’m hearing weight is more of an issue than recoil.

Any of y’all get back to the gun in 5-6 months?

Had my first shoulder surgery while in college (4 dislocations) and do recall being a bit sensitive to recoil for several months. You might find that you are just fine as dove season rolls around. If not, always a good excuse to buy another shotgun. You might also consider getting a shotgun vest with a padded shoulder like they use in trap and skeet. I've never used one so not sure how effective they are.

I’ve never worn a thick padded vest, just the thin upland/dove vest ones. Thinking I’ll give o/u a break for a while and see about going back to semi autos, at least for a little while.

I put a slip on Limbsaver pad over the OEM pad on my 20g Benelli M2 and it feels like a 410 now.

I would suggest RST shotshells, i use them in several pre 1900 damascus barreled shotguns, they have zero recoil, but i have killed hundreds of dove w them, they wont work in an auto though, they come in several pressures for different gun types, i have several cases of them if you want to try some

They would work well in your o/u, no recoil and plenty of killing power

Roll your own. My comfy target load for 12 ga. Is 3/4 oz., 1200 fps and has very light recoil. Basically matching that of a 28.
Components are high but you can still save a buck or 2 per box.

I can tell you gun fitment has a lot to do with recoil. Whatever gun you decide on, take the gun and have it fit to you.

After PT, the therapist was saying that it may not just be recoil, but picking up and holding the gun at shoulder level for more than a snap shot might be tougher. I believe him, I started assisted arm raises yesterday with a pulley and I wasn’t able to sleep due to the pain.

I have a few 20 gauges, but the O/Us are light and my 11/87 likes 1oz or it won’t pick up the next shell, making it recoil closer to that of a 12 gauge.

That looks like a great time.

I had rotator/SLAP surgery on mine years back in April and was fine for the opener of dove season from a recoil perspective. You should be healed up enough. The last thing to come back is the range of motion, but you should be able to handle recoil in 6 months time no problem.

Still can't throw a baseball overhand worth a darn yrs after rotator cuff surgery by shooting isn't a problem. 12ga Barretta is a little heavy but the 20ga works fine. Biggest problem was holding anything 'out there'. Be sure to do the PT and keep it up after ins quits paying. Getting in or out of bed was the worst!

We do a ton of shoulder surgeries at the hospital where I work and this is a fairly common topic. And the weight vs recoil discussion is spot on. Way more people after shoulder surgery have problems lifting and shouldering the shotgun than they do with the felt recoil. Shotgun weight would be the first thing I'd look at. Might even consider a light weight single shot.

I'm missing my right arm and had my left shoulder replaced in Dec 2019. Hunted doves and deer 2020 season. Best advice I can give is do your therapy! I had an excellent therapist. She worked me hard and I've bounced back. I'm 65. Both recoil and weight will be an issue you just have to sort through it. I shoot 20 and 12 gauge Remington 1100s and Browning Citoris in 12, 20 and 28. Benelli's hurt me. Deer rifle is a 308 Remington 700 and Armalite AR10. I've become a fan of AR platforms because of the soft recoil. You just have to shoot a variety of firearms and see what works best for you. Best of luck and keep shooting.

Thanks! Icing right now after my homework PT.

Ice is your friend for sure. PT to get the mobility back then work on strength with the PT since it doesn't take long to loose some from being still so much not using the muscles for anything basically. I had rotator cuff and reattach bicep surgery last September on my left shoulder. I shoot right handed and the hardest part shooting for me was holding the rifle steady, missed a shot in early December that was a very easy one. I was still on 15lb weight restriction them but had not gotten back much strength. that would be easy now.

Wish I could still shoot left handed but defib in on the left side so no gunstock to that shoulder, for most of my life I shot from either side equally well even though shot right handed most of the time.

Get a little .410 and a MEC 600.

Right handed shooter. Has the left rotator cuff fixed in Spring 2009, I shot the following dove season. In Spring 2021 had the right torn labrum & rotator cuff fixed, shot the following fall. No real problems either time, I did switch to a 20 gauge the second time. Recoil wasn't the issue but the lighter gun worked better for me. Keep up with PT and work on some lifting when you are able.

I have a Beretta and a Benelli Supersport that are both 20ga that I would consider letting go. Shoot me a PM if you want to talk. They are in great shape, and it would be a little bit of a break from new pricing.

TLew, I’ll hold off on a new purchase for a bit. I appreciate the offer, maybe later this summer I’ll start looking once I can actually shoulder a gun.

Happy to let you try them to see how your shoulder handles it once it’s ready, just let me know