.20 , .28 or .410 for the youngins?

My wife is 4' 11" and 100 lbs. With a recoil pad I bought her for $30 that is put on over your sholder; she has no issues with the recoil from her 20 gage(youth mossberg). That might an option to think about if you decide on a shot gun.
 
Recoil is different for every kid ....some kids have the upper body stregth at 10 yrs old ...and some don't .../ but its more about upper body strength than anything in my opinion ( can they hold the gun up ..to keep it on target...and follow the flight of the bird with the gun ...or are they leaning backwards at the waist at 30 degrees because the gun is too heavy ...or its too long ...or both )...

Desire in kids to do everything ...and do it well..is very high in all kids ...but if they aren't strong enough ...you just have to wait.

I like a 28ga a lot for a new shooter...in an O/U ...so you can see when they break the gun -its empty. But a good pump gun ...like a Browning BPS is made in a 28ga in the Hunter model for around $ 600 ..and its a good long term gun ( but Rem 870 Wingmasters are also made in 28ga as well ) ...or go to a gas operated 28ga ...maybe a Remington 11-87 or something...

I think, for the most part ...these single shot guns ...in 28ga or .410 are a waste of money. Get a good used pump gun or semi-auto or an O/U that they can handle and you'll be way ahead.

But like others said ...if you reload ...you can load a 20ga down to 3/4 oz like a 28ga and slow it down to 1150 fps ...to keep it real light.

28ga Estate ..or Rio's ...in my area are selling for around $10 for a box of 25 -- and they're decent shells for a new shooter to practice with. When they start wanting to shoot 8 boxes a week ...its probably time to buy a good loader anyway ...
 
My friend olddrum1 hit it perfectly: "Keep it fun for them."

If a kid is being hurt by recoil, or is fearful of the recoil, he's not going to be having fun. I recall an incident when a father was forcing his two young sons to shoot a round of Skeet. After Station 1, the younger one (quite small) had had enough. At Station 2, he was crying and having tantrum, and the older one wasn't a happy camper, either; but, the father made them continue shooting. I suspect neither youngster will ever want to shoot again.
 
When I was a kid, I never really got to go to the range. I think the first time I went I was 10. The only time I ever went to the range was right before deer season and that was just to make sure the guns were still sighted in. we might be there for 10 minutes. I hated that. I wanted to spend hours there. Now that I'm older, I do just that. When I was a kid, I'd of loved it if Dad had took me to the range just to shoot. I try to do it as much as I can now and it's a great stress reliever.
 
I wouldn't overlook the .22. They're great to get children to learn their bearings and the auto-loaders hardly recoil at all. Cheap to shoot and even through adulthood they're a blast.
 
For ammo cost, check your local trap shooting clubs some have members who reload for sale at the clubs. They might reload for you at a fraction of the cost of new.
 
My grandfather has an extremely beautiful and comfortable 28 gauge that is an absolute joy to shoot. The recoil is negligible and for some reason I hit clays with that just as well as I do with a 12 gauge. I'd say that's an excellent starting point if you're willing to reload or spend the extra money.
 
If they are doing that without the proper Federal licenses and permits, it is a felony on both sides of the law ​
+1 to 1-oz -- good point

You need the appropriate licenses to sell ammunition or ammunition components. You can't even sell home cast bullets with immunity.
 
reloading is a very satisfying part of the gun hobby ....and I've done it off and on for over 50 yrs ....and I'll keep doing it for awhile / and its my pleasure to be teaching my grandkids how to reload now ....but selling reloads, no way .../ its against the law ...and its a risk I'm not willing to take from a pure liability issue...(even if my load was not to blame / when someone gets hurt / it'll come back on me...).

but buying reloads ...from someone else....is like playing russian roulette.. /there is no way to tell if they have good practices or not...and if they screw up - and you get hurt / or blow up a $3,000 gun - do they have any insurance to cover their error ...( probably not )....

Selling reloads is a bad idea .....

Buying reloads is ..another bad idea...
 
I am wanting to get into reloading and am currently reading about it. Seems like the quite the investment to be set up for pistol/rifle and shot shells. I may do it, but not all at once. Good stuff guys! Thanks.
 
Its not an insignificant investment...but if you buy good loaders...they will often appreciate over time ...or you can pass them down in the family for many generations. The savings / or return on your investment is very quick - especially on metallic or on shotshells like in 28ga...but in reality most of us just shoot more with the same dollars.

Personally for shotshells...I like MEC loaders...( the Grabber is a good basic machine - or you might consider the 9000GN model for an auto indexing machine - or the 9000 HN if you have room for the hydraulic ) ...

In Metallic ...I prefer Dillon equipment...their 650 press is my choice ...

But all the big name companies is loaders....Hornaday, Dillon, Mec, RCBS, PW, Spolar, etc ....all make good equipment these days ...the differences are subtle ...but there is a difference - but its hard to pick a bad one.
 
I think it should depend on what the kid wants not what you think he/she can handle. My skinny little 11yo started off at an even skinnier age 8 with a 410 single shot (my bad). At the first family skeet shoot we went to, he put away the 410 and picked up an 1100 20ga. This created a shooting monster. He will now shoot any gun you put in front of him including 12ga autos, pumps, and doubles, and high powered rifles like my .308 and .35 rem without hesitation. (He LOVES AK's by the way :D)

My long winded point is this: Just because you think the kid can't handle a bigger gun doesn't mean he/she can't. I was proven wrong and I suspect you might be too.
 
For that young, a .410 will suffice. Otherwise, it they are a heafty child, perhaps a 20 guage. Weight, length and kick-back are the main issues. A .28 will limit your search for ammo these days.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top