When my daughter-in-law Elizabeth (who has only pulled the trigger on a shotgun a handful of times) mentioned she wanted to try upland hunting, I knew I had to do everything I could to make it happen. My first step was to find her a suitable shotgun, so I reached out to David Miller, CEO of Akkar USA. I’ve known Dave for many years and trust his shotgun expertise.
Dave’s a champion clay target shooter with over 25 years of competitive shooting experience, a two-time Guinness World Record holder and a Level 3 shooting instructor. Plus, he’s an avid upland hunter with whom I’ve had the experience of joining in the field.
When Dave mentioned that Akkar USA had the perfect shotgun for Elizabeth, I had to know more. He said the Akkar Ladies Country shotgun in 28-inch is a hybrid field version, specifically designed for women. When I asked him what made it a lady’s shotgun, he shared these bullet points:
- Tighter grip radius -This allows for greater control and stability of the shotgun.
- 13.5-inch length of pull – A smaller LOP is more suitable for smaller/shorter shooters.
- Six degrees of pitch – Pitch is the angle of the butt pad’s back surface, measured from a perpendicular line drawn down from the rib. The Ladies Country shotgun’s butt pad is angled at six degrees, which provides a higher pitch (or “down pitch”). That helps increase surface contact for larger-chested individuals, reduces muzzle lift and minimizes felt recoil in the face.
- Half-inch of cast off at the heel and toe – This amount of cast off is beneficial for a shooter with a larger chest or wider face, allowing her to correctly align her right eye over the center of the gun.
Some of the other key features that I think make the Ladies Country shotgun perfect for female shotgunners, especially a novice . . .
- As Dave mentioned above, the tailored stock dimensions offer a close fit right out of the box. However, those who need a slightly more precise fit can easily use the adjustable comb to get the job done.
- The tang safety is automatically moved to the rear “safe” position every time you open and close the breech. This intuitive safety makes switching between the safe and fire positions easy.
- Five extended choke tubes, which come with the shotgun, are easy to swap out when moving between various shotgun sports or into upland fields.
Aside from the mechanics of the Ladies Country shotgun, there’s the visual appeal. And it’s a looker! The elegant engraving offers a touch of femininity to the design, while the cowgirl on the bottom adds some whimsy. Then there’s the high-gloss, durable OxyCap finish (a proprietary surface-hardening process) that offers resilience against wear and tear.
Akkar USA also offers the Ladies Country shotgun in 20-gauge with a 28-inch barrel, and for those looking for a shotgun more suitable for target shooting, a 12-gauge with a 30-inch barrel.
Now that we have the shotgun, it’s time to get Elizabeth comfortable behind the gun.