After raising 6 children my wife decided to get her hunting license and today was her first day out. Not able to get a lot of shooting time in I let her pick from my collection of shotguns for one she would feel comfortable with. Her pick was my 35 year old 20 gauge Topper Jr. Although she missed her only shot at a squirrel she said she had a great time and can't wait for deer hunting in the Fall. I asked her about the noise and recoil. She said she barely noticed the muzzle blast and did not notice the recoil at all. So those of you with gun shy family members you may want to show them this to prove what you have been saying all along is true.