Son’s first shotgun

[Sean1]

Before you buy a shotgun, determine his eye dominance and teach him to shoot off of his dominant eye. I'm a buy once, cry once kind of guy. Both of my right handed sons shoot left handed Benelli M2's I bought them as kids. They are still going strong many, many cases of shells later.

I’m pretty positive he is right eye but we have not tested that for a few years. Good advice

 

[Rich M]

Nothing wrong with a 20 ga.

I bought my first gun - moss 500 when i was about 12, money from my paper route.

Ended up w rem 870 shortly thereafter. But 500 is a good gun. Should last a lifetime, keep an eye on shell ejection.

Id let him shoot a 20 and then a 12 and let him choose. I always thought 20 kicked more.

 

[Dust Rider]

Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 are great guns. I still have both from my youth.
Ugly, but a work horse pump is the Benelli Nova. Very nice rifled slug barrels. Benelli comfort tech stocks work good on recoil for a pump.

 

[Ferrulewax]

Not sure what age I was but got a rossi single shot 20 that made me want to cry as a kid. If you are comfortable with him having an auto that might be the move for reducing recoil. Otherwise I would strongly consider starting him with low recoil loads if you think he could be recoil adverse at all. All it takes is a wallup or two to develop a bad habit (ask me how I know). Ultimately you know your son better than we do.

 

[butcherboy]

I started with a single shot 20 and no recoil pad. Just the stock plastic plate. I was 13. Stole my dads 20 pump when I could. Worked hard all summer before I turned 15 and bought a 12 Remington 870. I hunted with that gun pretty hard in all kinds of weather. Finally cracked the wood stock and I replaced it with a synthetic one. I don’t duck and goose hunt anymore so I added a fiber optic type bead sight and now use it as a dedicated turkey gun. Bought the 870 over 30 years ago.

 

[Holocene]

What's your budget? What's your use case? I assume some clays, a little upland or waterfowl, and maybe deer or turkey?

Either the Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 in 20 gauge would be a good start in all those cases.

Both are built with rather universal dimensions and shoulder naturally for most people -- which is more than I can say for a lot of current production guns. There are plenty of after market parts for both, including slug barrels with cantilever or open sight mounts (your choice, both available).

Aesthetically, I'd favor used guns in both as machining tolerances and quality are lower now than they were for both companies. That's not always true about a company.

Someone said it above, but 100% agree on starting with 3/4 oz trainer loads and then working up to full throttle 7/8 oz loads in 20 gauge.

If you end up with a 12 (not a terrible idea if the gun is right), Fiocchi make a good 7/8 oz trainer load that is inexpensive and low in recoil too.

There are dozens of other guns that would work depending on what your son anticipates using the gun for. Glad to add more insight or PM with you to create a short list.

 

[2531usmc]

If you're interested in sticking with a pump gun, a Remington 870 in either 12 or 20 gauge would be my vote. Simple, affordable, dependable, lots of aftermarket support. I don't have a ton of experience with many other pump guns however, so I may be a bit biased.

Back in the day, the 870 was probably the best pump shotgun ever made. Then Remington went through waves of bankruptcies and the quality went in the toilet. I bought an 870 express during this period and it was junk.

They are currently being produced again and I think the new management is trying to make as a very high quality shotgun…..as high a quality as back then. Does anybody have any data points on the new ones.

 

[summs]

Just start with a normal pump 12g. He's average adult male height, and a mass produced gun is made for averages.
Shooting low brass is very recoil friendly, 7/8oz load. Slugs kick but it's not a plinking round, or they make reduced recoil slugs.

In 6 years, if he keeps growing, a 20g might feel to small and not get used, and least a base 12g never goes out of style. I have nicer, but still the gun I choose to beat bushes for rabbits.

at 6'8", 20 gauges are very cramped.

 

[NNK-Hokie]

Bought a 870 during the coivd stuff and it aint all that. Not sure if the new ones are any better or not. I would probly grab a clean old wingmaster off of gunbroker first.

I shoot 20ga far more than I do my 12's

My coworker was a duck guide for a long while and his choice of a marsh gun is a 12ga Wingmaster

 

[Yoder]

You can't go wrong with a Remington 1100 12ga. The only thing you have to worry about is a $2 O-ring for the gas seal. They just work and they are pretty reasonable.

 

[LongWayAround]

I would look at any of the inertia driven 20ga automatics.

Pumps are great but eventually he will probably want to "upgrade."

Even at his height, he's 12. I believe it would be a mistake to get him a 12ga as some have suggested. That's just asking to develop a flinch. I had a couple as a kid and remember the recoil.

With modern shells, there's not a lot of reason to start with a 12ga.

 

[gbflyer]

I would look at any of the inertia driven 20ga automatics.

Pumps are great but eventually he will probably want to "upgrade."

Even at his height, he's 12. I believe it would be a mistake to get him a 12ga as some have suggested. That's just asking to develop a flinch. I had a couple as a kid and remember the recoil.

With modern shells, there's not a lot of reason to start with a 12ga.

I bought a 20ga Montefeltro for my son about that age. It’s OK but a gas gun is way softer shooting.

 

[mcr-85]

My boy is 10 and is shooting a youth rem 870 in 20 gauge right now. It is actually my wife's gun and not his. He's killed a grouse and a handful of doves with it and missed a rooster a couple weekends ago.

I do have to look for a new shotgun for him next year though. He's made a goal to do 100 pushups a day for a year, prior to wrestling season starting. I told him if he sticks it out and completes it I'd buy him a new gun. When he doesn't want to do pushups I tell him thanks for saving me money and he cranks them out.



Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

 

[SloppyJ]

There's a Belgium made (1972) A5 Light 20 at one of my local shops for $700 and I'm strongly considering picking it up for my son..... he's 6...... yeah it'd be for me but who cares?

My first was a single shot 20ga. I think a youth model 870 in 20ga would be perfect. He's a pretty big kid at almost 6' so I'm sure he can handle it. He can always switch the buttstock out later.

 

[KurtR]

870 wingmaster

 

[Stalker69]

Op, this didn’t get you anywhere did it ?

 

[Sean1]

Op, this didn’t get you anywhere did it ?

I certainly got some ideas. I do agree an auto would be better on recoil but can be a little finiky if not properly cared for. Pump will generate a little more felt recoil but they are simple and will almost always work.

I am not even really sure about the slug barrel option being needed but certainly nice to have that option.

 

[bayangler]

“Santa Claus” gifted my oldest son a new 870 20 gauge a few years back when he was 12. The action is a lot more finicky than my 12 gauge 870 that I’ve had forever, occasionally jamming. I’m happy with the fact that he had to learn to take a moment between shots but If I were to do it again, I’m not sure I wouldn’t try something different.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I had a hang fire once with a pump action, the action unlocked and partially opened before the powder charge lit off, blowing out the side of the shell and throwing all of the shell's contents out through the ejection port. Fortunately, only my dog was with me, and he was heeled on the other side, but because of that event I'll never shoot another pump action again. Unnecessary risk with zero upsides.

gas operated semi-auto's for the win when it comes to shooting things that are moving. the modern designs are super reliable, recoil is reduced, and they cannot open prematurely. fixed breech guns (O/U, SxS) are fun too. I can't comment on slug guns, except to say that I use an inline muzzleloader instead of a slug gun for deer hunting.

 

[SloppyJ]

I had a hang fire once with a pump action, the action unlocked and partially opened before the powder charge lit off, blowing out the side of the shell and throwing all of the shell's contents out through the ejection port. Fortunately, only my dog was with me, and he was heeled on the other side, but because of that event I'll never shoot another pump action again. Unnecessary risk with zero upsides.

gas operated semi-auto's for the win when it comes to shooting things that are moving. the modern designs are super reliable, recoil is reduced, and they cannot open prematurely. fixed breech guns (O/U, SxS) are fun too. I can't comment on slug guns, except to say that I use an inline muzzleloader instead of a slug gun for deer hunting.

I'm sure that was a scary moment. Not sure it's worth throwing all pumps out by the wayside though but I certainly get where you're coming from.

For me, I don't want to start my son off on an auto. Firstly, they're more expensive and I don't have high hopes that he's going to keep it from getting banged up and all of my autos are either sentimental or expensive. Secondly, I don't want him to rely on always having another shell on tap ready to roll. I think it promotes picking your shot a little more when you only have one. He will get my old single shot 20ga to shoot squirrels and such to get used to it. When we move into dove, it'll be an older 870 or BPS 20ga.