Youth shotgun?

[TheCougar]

My son is turning 10 and I finally get to take him hunting as a shooter. I’m tossing around the idea of getting him a 20ga shotgun. In my simple mind, I like the idea of an over/under because I think it is safer to operate and manage than a semi or pump for a youth hunter. Plus, he is the only kid who is left-handed and an over-under is an ambidextrous weapon that all the kids can use. Is a 20ga a waste of money? Should I just wait and get him a 12ga later? Is an over-under a good choice? Any recommendations for a good youth shotgun?

 

[black dawg]

What is he going to hunt with it? I have a youth sized 20 gauge 87, that was to much recoil for my son when he was that age. A single 410 worked much better

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

20 vs 12 isn't a huge deal depending on what you're hunting, you can use 3" shells, most people use 2 3/4 for 12ga anyways. .410 can be a little light and not as versatile as a 20/12.

I have a H&R Pardner single shot. Love it for turkey and grouse. they are cheap so it won't be a huge investment holding you back from a nicer 12ga in the future. Great youth gun imo.

 

[Grumman]

I am in the exact same boat and am trying to find my son a 20 gauge Browning BPS. Those are ambidextrous.


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[R H Clark]

I'm not very fond of inexpensive O/U shotguns of the made in Turkey variety because of inconsistent QC. It takes a little more skill to properly build and align barrels to POA on a double barrel than on a single. I think it's easier to get a quality shotgun in a semi for less money than in a double.

Another advantage of many of the better semi auto's on the market is the ability to adjust the stock with a shim kit that comes with the gun. It can be adjusted in length of pull, drop at heel and cast. Another advantage is that a gas gun will shoot softer for him.

Look at some guns with him and see if you can find one with a youth stock that will fit him. Have him hold the gun so his finger can pull the trigger. The butt should reach just to the bend of his elbow. That's how short the stock will need to be to fit him properly. With that in mind, you might wind up just getting him one of those smaller very cheap single barrel guns that will be light enough and small enough for him to use right now.

I have also always set my kids up with a good shooting vest with a padded shoulder patch. With my girls I stitched padded pot holder on the inside of the vest at their shoulder. Replacing the recoil pad with a better,softer one will also help. Also make sure they have good ear protection. I always found that those plugs that you have to roll up and put in their ears don't fit their smaller ear holes very well at all.

As far as safety, I made all my kids carry a BB gun the first year they hunted with me, just to teach them to always be aware of where their gun is pointing. The next year I made them carry their gun but I carried their ammo and it was only loaded when we sat down and I could be within arm's reach to keep them and me safe.

Hope you find what you want and good hunting to ya'll.

 

[Ridge Runner]

I went with the Winchester pump 20 for my son so far so good. Read some negative reviews on the 870 and didn't like the Mossberg.

I just went through hunters ed. field day with my son and a couple of the younger kids had over-unders for the gun handling demo. They had a difficult time with muzzle control with the action broken open. Even though safe when broken still don't like a gun barrel staring at me.

 

[Cant hit em]

Size of your son will definitely play a part. My daughter is a small 11 yr old no way i was going to make her gun shy with a 20 gauge. Ended up with a Mossberg 510 youth in 410. Its good and small for her to learn on


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[JollyRoger]

When I was a kid my dad bought me a 20 gauge New England single shot shotgun. Although I really wanted a pump cause they were cool, his reasoning was that I'd outgrow it in a few years and when it was time to get a 12ga I'd likely get a pump of my own. I quickly became a really good shot with the single shot and grew to love it. There wasnt a pheasant or duck around that could fly fast enough to escape me

Added benefit of the NEF single shot: You can swap barrels on some models to have a decent rifle caliber (.22lr to .30-06 if I remember correctly) with the same platform. Also, they are pretty inexpensive and basically bomb proof.

 

[id450]

My daughters 11 and loves her 20g Remington 1187. She was very worried about recoil. I bought some low recoil shells; told her it was a 28 gauge .
she shot it and loved it. I came clean and she did not care it was a 20.
I think her fear came from a 20g pump I had her try. It kicked pretty good.


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[TheCougar]

Thanks all!

 

[N2TRKYS]

I started hunting with my Dad's Remington 1100 20ga 3" when I was 6. I killed a lot of deer and squirrels with that shotgun.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I am fond of 20ga semi auto shotguns for the kids. If I could have afforded it I would have gotten them Ithaca 28ga pumps cause they are so freaking awesome.

 

[Jskaanland]

I picked up a used 20g a-5 with a lefty safety on it for my kids. The oldest 2 are left eye dominate and want to let them try both lefty or righty. I have also been looking for a bps and Ithaca (both bottom eject).


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[id450]

I got her the remi 1187 youth semi auto 20 Gauge.
She loves it. Thanks for the help


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[N2TRKYS]

I got her the remi 1187 youth semi auto 20 Gauge.
She loves it. Thanks for the help


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Congrats!

That'll probably be my next shotgun purchase.

 

[nagibson1]

that's a great choice. I am a lefty myself, and I have dealt with all of the left-handed issues with shotguns and pistols. However, I have not found a lot of trouble shooting right-handed guns. For anyone else reading this thread, the Browning BPS is a great ambidextrous gun, and is my backup duct gun. But it sure is heavy. And it also has fairly tight tolerances, making it a little touchier than a 870. It's a very solid gun however. Ultimately I ended up buying a super Black Eagle for myself, but those guns have gone up a lot in price.

Ultimately I think the solution of a semiautomatic 20gauge is a great choice for a young shooter. I grew up shooting a semiautomatic 12gauge 1187, and I had no idea how much a 12gauge could kick until I started shooting a pump action weapon.

 

[TREE ‘EM]

Take a look at the Stevens 555 over under. They have a youth model that’s a fairly size and weight appropriate, with good balance . Pretty good quality gun for the price.

 

[quailybirds]

I would not go straight to a 12ga. Might form bad shooting habits early on due to being too much gun. I grew up on O/U 28 and 20ga. Very easy to operate as you said and even better in your situation with multiple kids that are not all right or left handed. That being said you will probably spend a few more $ on a well built O/U. Something like a well used browning O/U might be a good option.