Youth Shotguns...?

T'Una Mas · Oct-09-2006, 03:31 PM

My son just turned 11, and he got his hunter safety card last fall. He got his license this spring for turkey, and this weekend I took him on his first pheasant hunt. Last year I bought him a NE Arms single shot hammer action 20 gauge for turkey shooting. Now I want to get him a more useable wingshooting gun. (We got a brace of pheasant Saturday on his first upland hunt, but he didn't do so well....) I'm leery of a pump for safety and ease of use reasons with a young, starting shooter. A gas recoil semi may be the way to go, but I'm leaning towards an over under. Will the recoil knock the snot out of him? Stoeger has a youth 20 gauge (22" barrels) that only weighs 5.5 pounds, suggesting it will kick a bit. We use 6s for pheasant, so I can't just load him up with 7 1/2s and 8s and call it a day. I'm concerned that a 6 1/2 pound gun may still be too heavy for him to carry and comfortably swing hunting upland birds for several hours. What's a good youth gun for pheasants and puddle ducks? (Not dove, quail...etc)

Kurt · Oct-09-2006, 04:09 PM

I used a single shot .410 as a punk and didn't lose hardly any birds with it cause I kept the range close. Personally I would stick with a single shot .20 gauge, this gets the lad to be a good shot and make that first shot count. With a semi you have a tendancy to spray shot around.
Would be light, not kick too bad with the right load and cheap

Why the fear of a pump gun? Easy to use and reliable. A pump gun is a lot safer gun than a semi-auto imo.

You can vary the load of a 20 to equal a 2 3/4 12 G load and you can load em way down too.

I've got a side by side and an over under and the double trigger setup is complicated, for that matter even the single trigger setup is another thing to mess with when you are at that 'happy' state of anxiety, glee and terror

Afry · Oct-09-2006, 04:12 PM

Check out the new Benelli M2 20 gauge handles 2 3/4 & 3" shells. It is the same action in the SBEII with the recoil absorbing stock. The action takes most of the hit out first the the stock does the rest.

My 125lb gf shot 100 rounds skeet in less then an hour with my 12 gauge SBEII and said it felt fine. I imagine this same action and stock in a 20 will be even better.

The only problem is right now they are available but hard to get as they are a new model. I want one for my next Argentina trip (perdiz, pidgeon, dove, duck, corhlada) or Nebraska ringnecks it will handle it all.

The actions are longer so the M2 with a 24" barrel is the same length as most 26" O/U's.

T'Una Mas · Oct-09-2006, 04:27 PM

Pump or Semi-Auto? I agree that a pump may be safer in the hands of a "bigger" person, but I'm concerned with him waving it around while preparing the second shot? I've only shot pumps on occasion, and I've never had trouble, but my main gun is a semi-auto that's seen several thousand rounds over the past 15 years! Can young kids handle pumps safely and quickly?

chevypickle23 · Oct-09-2006, 05:17 PM

i grew up using a 20 gauge mossberg and it worked out just fine. i don't think safety should be an issue over pump and auto if you think about it his hand is just as far forward on both only one comes back and one has a round in it before he knows it. Pump are also nice due to the fact easier to unload for kids. I wouldn't spend a lot on a youth shotgun remington 870 or mossberg 500 is probably the way to go when he gets to be about 15 or 16 move him up to a nice shotgun. I don't think I would want my 11 year old carrying a 1200 dollar benelli in the woods. Mistakes happen and a 200 dollar pump is a lot easier to forgive. Good luck can't wait to have a kid of my own to take hunting with me. Glad to hear he likes going out with dad and enjoying the outdoors.

Kurt · Oct-09-2006, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T'Una Mas

Pump or Semi-Auto? I agree that a pump may be safer in the hands of a "bigger" person, but I'm concerned with him waving it around while preparing the second shot? I've only shot pumps on occasion, and I've never had trouble, but my main gun is a semi-auto that's seen several thousand rounds over the past 15 years! Can young kids handle pumps safely and quickly?

I've used an old Browning highwall 12 since age 10, it was heavy and awkward a first. Waving a gun around is something you have to drill into their heads no matter how old. Took an accidental discharge by me that killed some leaves to get the idea completely in my skull.

Sluester · Oct-09-2006, 07:31 PM

What did you expect at 10? Do you take him to the range to shoot every week? They seem to always have ceritfied instructors there, sometimes Olympic shooting coaches.

There's time. Don't rush him. He'll let you know if/when he's ready. YOU have to feel just as comfortable as he does with the situation. Let him develop physically and mentally before you take the next step.

I hope I don't sound like I'm busting your balls. They grow up too fast now...why rush it.

spearboy321 · Oct-09-2006, 09:10 PM

You might want to look at a synthetic stock gun if you want to go as light as possible. I was shooting a Browning BPS 12 guage at 12 years old and I shot twice a year. I am sure he will be fine for any 20 guage. I remember shooting skeet with a 20 guage o/u and it hurt a little when I was 11. I agree with sluester but I remember wanting to shoot a 12 guage as soon as I could do so all day with out it completely killing me when I was little.

michael mclough · Oct-09-2006, 11:42 PM

I have an Ithica Model 100 20 gauge SxS that my boy out grew. This one is 6 1/2 pounds and has a nice recoil pad. Clean gun with no rust pm me if you are interested.

Baja Dreamer · Oct-10-2006, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T'Una Mas

I'm leery of a pump for safety and ease of use reasons with a young, starting shooter. A gas recoil semi may be the way to go, but I'm leaning towards an over under.

Quote:

Originally Posted by T'Una Mas

Pump or Semi-Auto? I agree that a pump may be safer in the hands of a "bigger" person, but I'm concerned with him waving it around while preparing the second shot? I've only shot pumps on occasion, and I've never had trouble, but my main gun is a semi-auto that's seen several thousand rounds over the past 15 years! Can young kids handle pumps safely and quickly?

Waving it around while preparing for a second shot? I have been hunting with pump guns most of my life and I can tell you that this isn't a real problem. For a follow up shot, the gun stays shouldered and the "pump" of the slide is straight back. If your young man is trained properly and given ample opportunity to practice, this shoud not even be a concern.

Another thing, pump guns as a rule have far fewer problems than any auto. And as was mentioned before, the likely hood of a safety issue is greater with an auto in inexperienced hands than with a pump.

My wife and 11 year old daughter both use the wife's Remington Express 20 gauge. If weight is a concern for your son, get the shorter 22" barrel at first. There are a wide variety of chokes available for it. Later on you can order him a 26" barrel and a standard size stock, or even a synthetic stock and fore end for his gun so that he can grow with it!

He also won't be as likely to waste ammo in a BangBangBang manner with a pump as he will with an auto.

FISH HARD!

Chris

BillyFun · Oct-10-2006, 09:44 AM

Browning used to make a very nice 20 ga. youth model auto loader. It ejected out the bottom also so it was nice for left handed shooters. I don't know if they still make it, but you may be able to find a used one out there for a decent price.

Radoncrazy · Oct-10-2006, 06:45 PM

I think a little 28 gauge would be fun and fine if you are hunting planted pheasant. It could be light for wild birds, but will be just fine for plants. It works well when quail hunting. I shoot a 28 for quail early in the season and move up to a 20 then a 12 as the pressure mounts on them.