"What load where you firing from a shot gun? I'm guess in it was a low brass number eight, skeet round. Try putting some three inch buck shot magnums in the ole scatter gun then come back and tell us if you feel a difference. Also if it's a double barrel, now this is really important, pull both triggers at the same time. This should at least change your ideas about the recoil of a shot gun, and please do not fire any buckshot rounds one handed."

"

A 7 1/2 lb 12 ga shooting light weight field loads is about 17 lbs and goes up to about 54 lbs when shooting 1 7/8 in magnums
1 oz slug loads are around 35 lbs which is about the same recoil as a .375 magnum rifle. I used to own a .375 and to me this sounds right

I think to shotguns recoil feels less because of how they are often shot. Normaly you are standing and not taking your time aiming like a rifle. Also many have recoil pads and good shaped stocks. The same load in my old double Parker kicks harder then shot out of my Remington 870"

"Okay, so I didn't read this all the way in detail because it's late, but there is one thing I have to ask: Have you ever shot a Mosin-Nagant and then a 12 gauge, or the other way around?

The MN is much, much more powerful. The 12 gauge is a gun you can fire one handed (just did it this weekend for the hell of it). The Mosin-Nagant would snap your wrist for even thinking about it. The first time I shot the MN (the longer barreled version, therefore less kick and quieter) I forgot about ear protection. I was deafened and couldn't hear out of that ear (at all) for five minutes. The first time I shot the 12 gauge, I went through roughly 50 rounds in 15 minutes and had relatively no problem with hearing. The Mosin Nagant is far more powerful than a shotgun.

Also, since we seem to be going off of the basis that your female members of the group appear to be stupid, slow, and poor shots, a shotgun would definitely be a better weapon of choice, whereas the stronger, smarter, and far better shots should have something that requires more than just a point and shoot technique."

"
A 7 1/2 lb 12 ga shooting light weight field loads is about 17 lbs and goes up to about 54 lbs when shooting 1 7/8 in magnums"