First Sporting Clays Gun for My Son

H

hopeisnotastrategy

New member
I am going to introduce my son to sporting clays as an activity that we can do together. I don't want to spend a fortune on his first gun not knowing how seriously he will take the sport.

He is 13 but small for his age and all skin and bones so the bigger guns I don't believe would be a good option for him.

He has a .243 bolt action rifle and loves to shoot, so this is not his first introduction to firearms.

Can you recommend an over/under in a 20 gauge that would serve as a great first shotgun for him to use?

Thanks in advance!
 
First, the really cheap O/Us are not a good idea. Oft there's regulation issues and soft parts that wear too fast.

In your shoes and with my heart set on a 20 gauge O/U, I'd look for an older SKB, 101, Miroku, etc and live with fixed chokes,etc. I would get it fitted to the child and set up with spacers for later on.

I'd also invest in a decent reloader and set it up for 3/4 oz creampuff loads so a smaller child will NOT get pounded and traumatized by harsh recoil.

HTH....
 
Every kid is different....but at 13, if he's smaller....I'm not sure a 20ga is a smart choice / especially in a lighter gun - the 20ga can give as much recoil as a 12ga.

Staying with a gas operated semi-auto ...like a Rem 1100 or 11-87 in a used gun is probably a smart choice. If you can go to an Inertia gun...Benelli super sport is about $ 1,900 or so these days ...but a good choice because its light and even kids without much upper body strength can swing it effectively ..in a 28" barrel its about 6.2 lbs...and mine, will cycle loads of 7/8 oz at 1200 fps...but it will not cycle loads at 1150 fps...

An even better option might be to consider a 28ga ...there are some 11-87's or even 1100's out there....or an Over Under...but the least expensive I would go would be the Browning Lightning O/U in 28" barrels...and then get a MEC loader ( Grabber or the 9000 GN model ) in a 28ga....

All of my grandkids ...if they were lacking a little in terms of upper body strength - started with the 28ga O/U.
 
Find a good used 20ga Remington 1100 if you can. As BigJimP said it's gas operated and he should be able to handle the recoil on one.. Design has been around a long time and they're very reliable.
 
If I were going to get a semi, I would be tempted to get that A400 that Slugo just got, but the anodized blue receiver makes me want to puke. It is also kind of pricey for a kid's first gun. Heck, it's pricey for me!:eek:
 
Ditto for Dave McC on the SKB!

The older SKB is the way to go. Cheap over unders are punishing as far as recoil goes. SKB's are sleek, light, have fiber-optic sights and are easy on the shoulder. My buddy's dad bought him a NEF 20ga single shot when we were in middle school and I shot my grandad's SKB when we started shooting trap and skeet back then. That little twenty really subjected the guy to some real martyrdom since no gas bleeds off. The SKB was 10x easier to fire and pain free to boot!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top