Youth model shotguns

6

69rrvert

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I am looking at getting my kids (daughter 12 / son 9) into the local 4H shooting club. What youth model shotguns would be good to get them started with? Thanks, Steven
 
You have many choices. A .410 is light with little recoil, but a bit pricey to feed. My boys, 10 and 12 shoot 20ga. We have an H&R single shot and a Remington 870 youth. The size of your kids has a lot to do with your choice.
My 12 yr old has been OK with the 870 since he was 9, however it is a bit heavy for the one who is now 10.
We spent Saturday out in the field for the opening day of the SC dove season. Both boys shot well.

Let them go some place that will let them hold a number of guns. Avoid the ego factor and have them start by shooting low brass target loads at a static target.

Good luck, shoot lots!
 
410s are fairly expensive to shoot. Get them into a 20 gauge as soon as possible. We started with a 410 single shot, but my 10 year old was ready for a 20 also, so we picked up a Mossberg 510. He loves it and shoots well with it. Just be sure to get a gun that they can handle. A gun that is too big or small will not be enjoyable to them. That is why I like our Mossberg, it is adjustable and will change to fit him as he grows.
 
I would go with a Remington 870 Express Youth model in 20 gauge. Good gun that will hold up. Get it in the synthetic stock. That is what I am getting my daughters.
 
I started dove hunting somewhere in that age range with a Harrington & Richardson single-shot. Learning to hunt with a single-shot teaches you to make that first shot count.
 
A 20 Guage autoloader greatly reduces recoil and makes shooting shotguns more enjoyable for kids and small framed people in general.

The Mossberg SA-20 is a good inexpensive choice.

Here is a link to an ongoing review I've done on mine:

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=143986

Fiocchi makes a great low recoil 20 Gauge shell, the specs are:
http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=89224
Mfg Item Num: 20LITE
Category: AMMO SHOTSHELLS
Gauge :20 GA
Type :Lead
Length :2 3/4
Ounces :3/4 oz
Shot Size :7 1/2
Muzzle Velocity :1075 fps
Rounds/box :25 Rounds Per Box, 10 Boxes Per Case
Drams :Lite

These are too light to cyle in most autoloaders but they do reduce the recoil even more...
 
I'm going to buck tradition, and suggest you get a 12-ga instead of the typical youth 20-ga. With today's emphasis on lighter 12-ga loads, you don't need a 20-ga for reduced recoil. With the loads available these days, a 12-ga gun can be downloaded to a 20 or 28-ga equivalent; however, if your try to up-load a youth 20-ga with hot 3-inch rounds, the recoil will be more punishing than an equivalent 16 or 12-ga gun.

If you're are concerned about a gun for a youngster, do them a favor and worry more about the stock fit (and making adjustments as they grow) than the bore being too big. I recall Olympic champion Kimberly Rhode, as a petite 11-year old, competing with a 12-ga gun.
 
Its about fitting the gun to the kid / and mostly about upper body strength....and getting them a gun they can handle.

Semi-autos scare me a little with real young kids / but I think you have to consider some of the gas guns in 12ga or 20ga / and probably 20ga. Remington has a number of options / maybe Beretta ....to keep your costs down.

Every 1/2 lb of weight is a big deal to young shooters - to be able to hold the gun up / and swing it level on the flight of the bird or the target ...so you probably need to look at guns around 6 lbs ...and work your way up to 7 and 7 1/2 lbs as they get more upper body strength.

A gun I use a lot for young kids / is a Benelli Super Sport in 20ga / and its only about 6.2 lbs ---but its an upper end priced gun at around $ 1,875 for a new one / and I don't see any around used ... and since its an inertia gun / its ok on recoil because it has their comfort tech supression system in it - and a good soft comb pad. Its a good option / if you're looking for an excuse to buy a 20ga semi-auto for yourself ...and buy some optional butt pads so you can adjust it for the kids ...
 
If you reload, (actually make THEM do it), a 28 gauge semi like the 1100 with a youth stock would be ideal - more pellets than a 410 (50%), easier recoiling than a 12 or 20............OR, reload a 12 or 20 down to 3/4 oz. loads - dropping an 1/8 oz of shot down to 3/4 will reduce recoil about 30%
 
OneOunce is right on the 28ga ...if you reload...its a great gague for a young shooter ( but Zippy made the point earlier that 3/4 oz in a 12ga or a 20ga ...is really the same thing.

Every kid is different ... at 12 yrs old - the kids in my family ....
one of my boys was 6' tall and 160 lbs ( poor kid, is a skinny version of me..)
one was 5' 10" and 115 lbs .../he had no upper body strength until he was about 15 or 16 ...
one grand-daughter is 5' 9" and 95 lbs/she's wiry but pretty strong
one grandson is 5' 4" tall and about 90 lbs .../he's short but very strong

and shorter / or taller --- doesn't mean they have the upper body muscle to mount and swing a full sized gun either ...some of them do / and many of them don't...

It isn't an easy answer ---but in general, go with the heaviest gun you can (to reduce recoil) / and the lightest load of shot you can(to reduce recoil) -- and no faster than 1200 fps( or even 1150 fps - "to reduce recoil") ...and a gas operated semi-auto will usually give you less recoil than any fixed breech gun ( like a pump or O/U )..."to reduce recoil". You might see a trend here ....reduce the recoil ...!!

The last option I would choose would be a fixed breech gun in 12 or 20ga / like a pump or an O/U .....especially with 7/8 oz or 1 oz loads in them ...until they had a lot of shells under them ..( like 1,000 shells at least ) ...
 
Thanks for the information. Why does the 410 cost more to operate? is it supply and demand on shells. I have to purchase them a gun until I know this is what they want to do. I have access to a Remington 11-87 410 SA and a Mossberg 500E 410 pump. Everything else is adult 12ga's. Thanks, Steven
 
the light recoil of a 410 is great for kids... but it is often confused as a good youth gun. They are typically tight choke (single shots) and the 410 is more of an expert gun. Try to find a small framed 20 ga. and use light loads, they will enjoy it more when they can actually hit targets.
 
69rrvert said:
Why does the 410 cost more to operate?
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IMHO: Greed.
And, yes, there is less demand for .410-bore ammo, but more than for the 28-ga. If you are going to shoot the .410, reloading is almost mandatory, then it's very cheap to shoot.

mwar410 said:
…the 410 is more of an expert gun…
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+1
Too many folks get a youth gun in .410-bore because it has little recoil and it's light and easy to handle; however, the young shooter often finds the .410 a major frustration. As I opined earlier, get a youth 12-ga and lite loads.
 
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IMHO: Greed.
And, yes, there is less demand for .410-bore ammo, but more than for the 28-ga. If you are going to shoot the .410, reloading is almost mandatory, then it's very cheap to shoot.
Click to expand...

Zippy hit the premise - DEMAND. Product tooling, production volumes, etc all dictate the price. Most companies run yearly 28 and 410 production once a year, maybe twice, while 12 and 20 are running all the time in between
 
A semi auto is nice because of reduced recoil, but they can be expensive. I suggest looking at a Benelli Nova youth 20 guage. My son's is a great gun. It was inexpensive and easy to handle. It was light weight, but handled the recoil very well...Illini
 
870 Youth twenty for the young one, and an Express twenty for the ten year old. I was shooting backyard trap when I was nine with a full-size twenty gauge.

In my opinion, you want your kids to understand that firearms aren't cute puppies; they go "bang" and kick back at you. They should understand that shooting should only be "so" comfortable.

And you should probably buy at least one gun that you're gonna keep awhile.
 
I occasionally work at a skeet range and I've gotten to see a lot of different shotguns in the last year.The one that impresses me the most as a gun for young shooters is the new micro pump from Mossberg.M510? We had a very small 8 yr old in and it had enough adjustment so that it was possible to fit him.It also can be lengthened about 3 in.from it's smallest configuration so that he will be able to use it for quite a while.While this one was a 410 I don't see why a 20ga with light loads wouldn't do for most youngsters.I would say that by the age of 10-11 almost any of the youth models should work.
 
Beretta 3901 Target RL 12ga - it will also handle the lighter target loads just fine. Recoil and weight is not so much that a 9 or 12 year old will not be able to handle it with a little muscle training and stock/comb/recoil pad adjustments (all standard on this beretta).
 
+1
Couzin's recommendation is pure gold.
The often overlooked Beretta 3901 Target RL is a youth specific gun that's an outstanding value at $1,000 [SIZE=-2]MSRP[/SIZE].
 
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