Any and all advice on a good youth model for hunting

G

GmcGy76

Inactive
Deer hunting on Maryland's Eastern Shore has been a family tradition of ours for generations. You can imagine my excitement when both my son and daughter starting showing signs of the "fever" last year. My son is 6 and my daughter is 9, both are average height and weight for their age.

I would like anyones advice on what is the best starter shotgun that, hopefully, they both can use. Maryland does not allow .410 slug hunting, wouldn't do it if they did, but I am looking at 20 gauges in semi-auto.

Any advice???

GmcGy76
 
Well, my hollow advice, but ages 6 and 9 are probably still a bit young for deer hunting.

If you're bent on doing that, yes, the 20-gauge is probably the best. It could also be used for upland game hunting and sporting clays as they get older.
 
RevolverLover

I started at 6, just sitting with my father. I graduated to hunting in my own stand with my 16 gauge side-by-side Sears and Roebuck at age 9. That shotgun would bruise me with every shot, which gave me some bad shooting habits that only the USMC could get rid of.

That's why Iam looking for the smoothest shooting shotgun to start both of them off with. Suggestions????
 
I did not know any State allowed youths to hunt at that age. Nevertheless, It is wonderful they have the bug. I guess it is too bad there are no 28 guage slugs available. It looks like a 20 is about your only choice, but even the 20 can kick a youngster pretty hard. I would suggest something like a Rem 1100 as a first gun. It is a lot softer shooting than most everything else and coupled with a soft gel recoil pad, just might be the ticket. I learned a trick from an old stockmaker named Harry Lawson. He would "flare" the edges of the pad when he ground them. They were not straight back along the stock lines,but got wider closer to the shoulder. He said "it is in the grind" meaning that as it got bigger to the shoulder, it got softer along the edges as there was no support for the pad and it softened the blow better. It does work, if you can find a gunsmith to do it that way. Great luck with the youngsters..
 
As long as they can pass the Hunter's safety Course in Maryland, any kid can legally buy a huntin licsence. I am not aware of any age limit. Both will have a couple more years sitting with me in the stand before I turn them loose on their own.

Thanks for the info. I found a 20 gauge 1100 Rem. today that has a customized youth stock, that will work great. My 9 year old handles it good, but my 6 year old son may have to wait a year or two.

Thanks to all.
 
Fantastic. I am glad you found a gun for your sons to play with. You can always get a full size after market stock for it as they grow up. Sometimes just sittin there with Dad, is all it takes to make a bond that lives forever, I know,, been there ,, done it. We both look back on the "times".
 
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