More recoil can mean less control, greater fatigue and fewer X’s. Dan Schindler and Stan Peter explain why choosing less can produce better performance.

Good judgment comes from experience,

and experience comes from bad judgment.

~ Barry LePatner

In our case, incorrect judgment shines light on a truth. And the truth is, more is not always better.

Here’s just one of countless examples. 13 years old, she pulled the trigger and the 12-gauge shotgun slammed into her. A painful event she will never (ever) forget and very understandably won’t want to repeat. We just lost a shooter.

In the rifle world where precision is King, everyone knows, lower recoiling rifles / cartridges are shot more accurately. That fact’s been proven a few million times and is no longer sensibly debated. That same lower recoil principle applies to us in the shotgun world, both clays and hunting.

A few years back it was Friday in the Prelim, and I was on deck behind a young man on my squad, maybe 15 years old about 140 lbs. Station after station, I couldn’t help but notice Michael fighting to control the heavy recoil. As his struggling visibly increased, so did his missing. To his credit, on a challenging course, he shot an 81.

Personally, I follow a strict policy of not offering unsolicited advice to anyone. Round over, Michael and his father drove by in their cart. I’d thought about it and chose to make this an exception and respectfully asked for a moment of their time. 

I very politely asked Michael if he wouldn’t mind sharing his ammunition choice. He showed me the box, 1 1/8^th oz, 1,350 fps. He admitted that he thought the heavier, faster loads were simply better. More had to be better, right? 

Dad was kind enough to allow me a few words on why it wasn’t and why the punishing recoil Michael had experienced had indeed cost him the score he deserved. Again, politely, I asked them to consider Michael trying a lighter load, something a lot closer to 1,180 fps, not exceeding 1,200 fps.

Day 1 of the Main, as I was waiting on station for my round to start, dad and Michael drove up beside me, both smiling. I stepped out and we all shook hands. Dad thanked me and said all the heavier loads were gone and Michael had shot 4 or 5 practice rounds yesterday with his new ammunition and later, won a 50-bird event. Before leaving, Dad handed me four complimentary boxes of 1 oz. 8’s, 1,180 fps.

Late Sunday afternoon—no surprise, none—the score board showed Michael placed 2nd in AA with a 90 and a 92.

Which brings us to a few ammunition truths. 

1. Recoil is not your friend. The heavier the recoil, the more difficult it becomes to shoot the score you are capable of. Why? A simple truth: when the recoil from the first shell onward punishes, that punishment adds up fast as do the consequences! Managing comfortable recoil looks like this: XXXXXX. Fighting recoil: OXXOOO.

2. The heavier the weight of the “shot charge” sent down-range—1 1/8^th oz vs 1 oz or 7/8^th oz—the greater the recoil. Not an opinion. Physics.

3. It takes more powder to push the 1 1/8^th oz load. Again, more recoil.

4. Due to air resistance on the pellets—the faster the pellets leave the muzzle, the faster the pellet’s velocities  decrease. Meaning? Pellets leaving the muzzle faster slow down faster. By 35-some yards, your 1,200-fps load is catching up to your 1,350 fps load. What did you gain with your 1,350+ fps load? More recoil; more difficulty guiding your gun; more RGM (Random Gun Movement); more missing.

5. Your shotgun “pattern” out there where the bird is flying—the more pellets hit the clay the better—right? Yes, absolutely. Then know, those ultra-high-speed shells deform your pellets, blowing your patterns. Meaning? As shot distances increase, those fewer pellets remaining in your pattern lower your chances of hitting your target. Opposite that, slower shell speeds keep more pellets in the pattern out there where it counts. Add lower recoil and better gun control = more X’s.  

Bottom line? 

With gun control, 1 1/8^th oz, 1 oz and 7/8^th oz loads at reasonable speeds can consistently, dependably break every fair target ever thrown on a clays course. The shooter—not the ammunition—will always decide X or O. Which asks: more and faster pellets in the wrong direction are helping you how? Lighter loads make your swing more accurate and believe me, that precision counts. Pick the shotshell load that:

1) Delivers the least amount of felt recoil (1,150 to 1,200 fps).

2) Allows you to build an X swing with minimum RGM and maximum precision.

3) Places the most pellets in your pattern when they hit your target.

4) Minimizes fatigue during your shooting event. 

I assure you, the wrong ammunition will spoil a lot of your hard work and good intentions. For a better performance and higher scores, choose your next box of shells wisely. 

Dan Schindler's Paragon System in Print

Written in plain language. No mystery. No opinions. Three books that build on each other — and work.

Book One — Take Your Best Shot — The required fundamentals. The gold standard primer used by shooters and teams worldwide.

Book Two — To The Target — Gun management and a trustworthy swing. Builds directly on Book One.

Book Three — Beyond The Target — Methods and the mental game. The second-best thing to a lesson. Dan Schinder's shooting books are highly respected and recommended by shooters around the world.

Thousands of shooters around the world begin with the books to build understanding — then accelerate dramatically once the system is confirmed in a lesson.

👉 Order all three Excellent Books

Be safe. Shoot well. And thank you sincerely for spending time with us.

XXXX

Want to Experience Your Very Best Shooting?

1 Target. 1 Shell. 1 X.

The System. The Process. The Understanding.

Trusted by Shooters Worldwide for More Than Three Decades.

Many shooters start their Paragon journey with Dan Schindler's books and audio programs before working with Dan personally. These trusted resources have helped shooters in more than 30 countries better understand their shooting, solve problems, and build greater consistency.