I'm turning 75 years old this year. I received some right shoulder, arm, and hand injuries in a 1970 Vietnam helicopter crash. I was the door gunner, and faired a little better than some of the other crewmembers. Anyway, those injuries have slowly gotten worse over the decades. Unfortunately I'm getting recoil sensitive, and end up with pain, plus black and blue marks when shooting anymore. I sold my 1969 made Remington 700 BDL, 30/06 bolt action rifle. It had a knurled, metal buttpad and was pounding me. Also sold my 12 & 16 gauge over and under shotguns. They didn't have recoil pads, and just kicked too hard.
I started looking for a semi auto shotgun that wouldn't kick me so hard. I found a Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey 20 gauge on the shotgun trader forum on here. I bought it. It's all camo, 24 inch VR barrel, takes Mobil chokes, and has the Kick-Off recoil reduction system. It shot nice and smooth. I noticed I could shoot the 1 ounce heavy game loads in it, and it kicked less than my 20 gauge Remington 870 when shooting the lighter 7/8 ounce target loads in it. The only thing I had to get used to was the thick, tacky recoil pad. It didn't slide up to my shoulder like the hard plastic buttpad on my 870. I have to move the gun up, and then back into my shoulder to keep that recoil pad from sticking on my clothes. No problem once I got used to that method.
So I sold my 870 pump, and am shooting the A300. I shot it all through this past 2023-2024 dove season. It did very well. That season came to a close, and I thought maybe I could sneak back into shooting a 12 gauge gun if it was the A300 Ultima Turkey with the Kick-Off. I bought one. I took it out to the sporting clays range the other day. I shot a 100 bird round using 2 3/4 inch, 1 ounce #7.5 shotshells at 1280 feet per second. Before going out I removed the bolt system, cleaned then lubed the moving parts. The gun shot flawlessly. No problems what so ever. I did try some light loads, and just like the 20 gauge, they fired, but wouldn't eject. Both guns have 3 inch chambers, and probably the recoil springs are a little stiffer, so light loads just don't work the action with enough strength.
And unlike when I shot my 12 and 16 gauge over and unders, there's no shoulder pain or black and blue marks on my shoulder after shooting 100 rounds.
So both the A300 Ultima Turkey shotguns are keepers, and I actually enjoy shooting again. I shoot from a low gun, so just adjusting how I mount the guns to keep those tacky recoil pads from sticking on my clothes.
And, these are the first Beretta guns I've ever owned. Always had other brands. I like them and will see how they hold up. They come with a Picatinny rail and the receivers are drilled and tapped if someone wants to put an optic or red dot on them for turkey hunting. I don't hunt turkeys, so won't be installing the rails. They come with an extended turkey choke, and a flush mount modified choke. I ordered some choke tubes for each gun for all my other shooting and hunting uses.
Got the guns cleaned up, covered with full length gun socks, and put away in their new home in my gun safe.
Rod
I started looking for a semi auto shotgun that wouldn't kick me so hard. I found a Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey 20 gauge on the shotgun trader forum on here. I bought it. It's all camo, 24 inch VR barrel, takes Mobil chokes, and has the Kick-Off recoil reduction system. It shot nice and smooth. I noticed I could shoot the 1 ounce heavy game loads in it, and it kicked less than my 20 gauge Remington 870 when shooting the lighter 7/8 ounce target loads in it. The only thing I had to get used to was the thick, tacky recoil pad. It didn't slide up to my shoulder like the hard plastic buttpad on my 870. I have to move the gun up, and then back into my shoulder to keep that recoil pad from sticking on my clothes. No problem once I got used to that method.
So I sold my 870 pump, and am shooting the A300. I shot it all through this past 2023-2024 dove season. It did very well. That season came to a close, and I thought maybe I could sneak back into shooting a 12 gauge gun if it was the A300 Ultima Turkey with the Kick-Off. I bought one. I took it out to the sporting clays range the other day. I shot a 100 bird round using 2 3/4 inch, 1 ounce #7.5 shotshells at 1280 feet per second. Before going out I removed the bolt system, cleaned then lubed the moving parts. The gun shot flawlessly. No problems what so ever. I did try some light loads, and just like the 20 gauge, they fired, but wouldn't eject. Both guns have 3 inch chambers, and probably the recoil springs are a little stiffer, so light loads just don't work the action with enough strength.
And unlike when I shot my 12 and 16 gauge over and unders, there's no shoulder pain or black and blue marks on my shoulder after shooting 100 rounds.
So both the A300 Ultima Turkey shotguns are keepers, and I actually enjoy shooting again. I shoot from a low gun, so just adjusting how I mount the guns to keep those tacky recoil pads from sticking on my clothes.
And, these are the first Beretta guns I've ever owned. Always had other brands. I like them and will see how they hold up. They come with a Picatinny rail and the receivers are drilled and tapped if someone wants to put an optic or red dot on them for turkey hunting. I don't hunt turkeys, so won't be installing the rails. They come with an extended turkey choke, and a flush mount modified choke. I ordered some choke tubes for each gun for all my other shooting and hunting uses.
Got the guns cleaned up, covered with full length gun socks, and put away in their new home in my gun safe.
Rod
