Advice for shooting without aggravating a shoulder problem…

Time Well Spent June 15, 2022

What cartridge size do you recommend for shooting average lowland pheasants? I have a shoulder problem and I don’t want to aggravate it… Will Edwards replies

Q: What cartridge size do you recommend for shooting average lowland pheasants? I have a shoulder problem and I don’t want to aggravate it, but at the same time I want to make sure of humane kills…

WILL EDWARDS replies: I have a lady client who had surgery on her shoulder just a couple of months prior to the start of last season, and the last thing she wanted to do was to knock herself about and have to cease shooting early on. We found a great way of ensuring her comfort and confidence, and a great bird-busting cartridge to boot.

First of all, she was able to find a thin gel-filled recoil pad at the local gun shop that fitted over her shirt. Her regular shooting vest had suitable padding on the shoulder, too. (None of these factors hindered her gun fit or mount.) We chose a 25g load with no.6 shot, which was superb through her 20-bore choked ¼ and ½. They ensured good kills at sporting bird ranges.

In a 12-bore I’d recommend the same 25g cartridge, or if it feels comfortable, you could step up to a 28g. Don’t be tempted to use a smaller shot size as it is the shot size that gives the knock-down power for a clean dispatch.

(Try a gel filled recoil pad to aid comfort, like the one pictured from Browning)