El P at Remington’s All Ladies Range Event, Gunsite – Day One

I am in Paulden, AZ at the first ever Remington “all ladies” event. While normally I shy away from all-female courses, this one has not disappointed thus far. I spent yesterday [Monday] shooting the Versa Max Tactical shotgun at Arizona's legendary Gunsite Academy alongside 12 badass ladies of all different shooting skill levels. We were led by instructor Il Ling New who had a refreshingly pragmatic approach to home defense and integrated ways to train for defensive situations on the range (stay tuned for more about that later).

One of the highlights of the Versa Max for me included its very manageable recoil. While I still felt the kick from this 12 gauge, it was much lighter than I’ve experienced previously with other shotguns (and more fun to shoot because of that reduced recoil). The oversized bolt release button and extended charging handle allowed for more ease with manipulations. Once I got used to the bright green fiber-optic front sight and small mid bead, I found that sight picture helped with target acquisition. For us left handed shooters (four of us out twelve in the class), the cross bolt safety can be easily reversed. You can read the preview of the Versa Max Tactical here, and learn more in RECOIL Issue 6.

At 7.75 pounds and with a 22 inch barrel, I did start to feel the size and weight of it after shooting with it all day, but I’m planning on keeping my eye on Remington as they have some new modifications in the works for the Versa Max. Some of these will be different barrel sizes.

Coming up next: Day 2 with AR15s and EOtech optics.

Editor's Note: Ellen “El P” Pucciarelli is the newest contributor here on RECOILweb. She is staunchly pro-Second Amendment and brings a unique perspective to her articles and reviews; though a increasingly proficient and tactically savvy shooter, she has gotten that way by virtue of applying herself in training and study. She has no professional background in the military or law enforcement, rather she's a mom who decided to learn to defend her family.  I hope you'll agree with our decision to bring her on. David Reeder