What shotgun to get a kid for learning to shoot clays

An 870 in the 20 gauge youth variety would likely work depending on how big he is.

Yeah, the typical 10 year old can shoot a 20 ga with reasonable ease..... a .410 would be easy for him....

Keep in mind that a 12 ga throws out more lead, and therefore more likely hits (unless he is a good shot.... then it doesn't matter)... so if he can actually handle a 12 ga (my boy did at that age, but he's a bit on the large side), it might be less of a dissapointment than you think it might be..... hitting 'birds' was enough to get my son past any apprehension he had...

A good clay load doesn't need to be real powerful either...

any low brass 20 or 12... 16 ga if you can find a good one that fits him... I like em.

i got started on a 20 gauge single shot when i was 14 i didnt like it for the first box but once i hit the second i was hooked

oh.. yeah.. and plan the gauge around the format... depending on the action type, the gun will kick harder or not so much... keep that in mind... a single shot 20 gauge can be rough depending on the gun...(ie... a youth size!!!!!)

I made the mistake of shooting 20 gauge buck out of the aforementioned youth sized 20 gauge....Was surprised at the WHOMP my shoulder took from it.

yes as pt1911 said my 20 gauge single shot has 95 % of the kick of a 12 gauge pump because that rossi weighs like 4 pounds.

One option would be to buy him a shotgun that will last a long time. Maybe something in 12 with a recoil reducer.

My kids all like my 28 guage stevens single shot. Throws more shot than a .410 with not much more recoil.

20ga 870, light enough recoil to start out with, enough gun to hunt with

As is typical with me I have to disagree with everyone above. I DO agree that 20 MAY be the best gauge but based on his physical size he may be up for a gas operated and properly weighted 12. With either gauge I would stick to a gas operated semi auto. Felt recoil is a function of gauge and gun weight, the smaller the gauge and the more the gun weighs the less the felt recoil.
Tell us his physical size instead of his age. This past weekend I met a 13 year old that was bigger than me so age isn't any indication....

When my son was about that age, I set him up with an old Ithaca 37 that I shortened the buttstock on and installed a good recoil pad. He went through many boxes of 1oz. handloaded target loads with that gun.
We still have it and I had a heck of a time finding a decent full length buttstock when he got older. The Ithaca featherlight is still one of his favorites. The light weight of the gun makes it very easy to shoot for a youngster.

Get him a Remington 1100 new or used. The gas operation will reduce the felt recoil and allow him to concentrate on his technique. He/she will not have to shuck it for doubles a little later on. The 1100 is what all of the middle schools use around here to teach 6-7-8 grader trap teams for those same reasons. A good used 1100 can be found for around $400. It doesn't break the bank for parents.

IMO, the best - as far as recoil and having a shot charge that will do the job, is the 1100 in 28 gauge. Realizing that 28's are expensive, the 1100 in 20 gauge, youth stock, with the LIGHTEST TARGET loads you can find or reload should also work nicely. IF all you have is a 12, again - the youth stock and LIGHT TARGET loads

My 10 year old has a 20 ga 870 youth, he loves the gun and shoots skeet with it frequently. After about 75 rounds he does start to pull it off target, frankly I think the a good recoil pad would help a ton but I can't find one, the stock "recoil pad" Remington has on their is a solid chunk of rubber that is not worthy of being called a recoil pad.

The gun can shoot 2 3/4 or 3" shell so it is a little more versatile than some other youth models, a full LOP stock can also be put on in the future when he grows up a bit. The only complaint I have about the gun is rust, Remington should be ashamed of themselves for selling a gun that will rust that easily, but put oil on it EVERY time you bring it back inside and I guess it will be alright.

You need a good 20 ga Beretta 390 Sporting shotgun, light very comfortable recoil.
Choke tubes for any target...

A vote here for the Mossberg 500 "Bantam" models, again using the very lightest target loads you can find...or make if you 'roll your own'

cut-n-paste from Mossberg's site about the 'Super Bantam' 20-ga model:

Mossberg® now offers the 500® Super Bantam™ 20-gauge pump. Like the 500® Bantam™ it is geared for young sportsmen and smaller framed shooters. Its superior versatility however, is what makes this gun truly "super." Here's how it works: The Super Bantam™ features a standard 12" length of pull (one full inch shorter than the standard Bantam™) and it comes with an innovative stock spacer and extra rubber recoil pad to bring the synthetic stock to 13" overall. When the shooter is ready for a full-sized length of pull, (14"+) just turn in the certificate that came in the box, for a full 50% off the price of the full-sized stock.

I agree with Tom about the 20 Gauge 390. Can't even feel mine when I shoot it. It's easy to assemble and clean, and a 10 year old can master it (and won't cut his fingers doing it like on a Remington).

Don't cut the original stock, though. Get a new, short one and keep the standard one.

I don't reccomend a 410, kids like to hit things, so why make it harder. I would go 12 or 20 ga. I started with a 12 at that age. Buy the lightest trap loads, and let the training begin. I am starting my doughter with a 870 youth in 12 ga. She can handle the recoil of a .243, so I think the 12 with some light trap loads will suit her well.

Vote here for the 500 Bantam models.

I taught my fiancee to shoot my 12ga. 870 using Winchester AA low noise/ low recoil target loads, and they really help. She's only 5'3" and new to shotguns but she's never complained about the recoil. I've shot off a couple myself and the difference is pretty amazing. I'd say a 10 y.o. boy could probably handle the recoil of those if he's already got some shooting experience. They are a fair bit more expensive than regular target loads though. Of course this would be more of a temporary "try it out" type solution since your stock won't fit him, but you could see what he thinks of it before you drop money on a shotgun for him. They're by far the easiest recoiling 12ga. shells I've ever shot.

At ten my grandson shot a friends little 28 ga single shot had a youth stock on it modified choke, could break 13-14 birds on a skeet range all singles of course, next he shot my 20 ga O/U skeet gun, one day shooting together on station 7 I had him try my 12 ga O/U he was a freshman in high school then the recoil never moved him after that he shot what he wanted always in the high 20's.

a .410 would be easy for him.

Click to expand...

easy for him to MISS a lot......a 410 is an expert's gun, especially in skeet - a 28 or 20 with a proper stock will allow him to do much better

I'll buck the trend here. My very petite (18 yo) daughter tried a rental 11-87 at our skeet club and couldn't hold the thing up, it was so muzzle heavy.

I saw online that the Charles Daly VR-MC youth autoloader is more than a pound lighter. I took a chance and ordered it, and the 18 oz difference doesn't tell the whole story. It seems all the weight came out of the muzzle end. It's wonderfully balanced, recoil is manageable, she doesn't have any trouble holding it up, and she loves shooting it.

The out the door price, with tax, on the special order was $437.

My very petite (18 yo) daughter tried a rental 11-87 at our skeet club and couldn't hold the thing up, it was so muzzle heavy.

Click to expand...

I've seen that often, with children and grown women of slight build. It's net even a matter of strength, necessarily; it can be simple balance. Too much weight out front, and the shooter tends to lean back to compensate. Leaning back = missing targets = frustration.

The 11-87 Sportsman is a very heavy slug of a gun. However, there is a youth version with stock spacers to set it up for different LOP, with a shortened barrel and 6 1/2 lb. overall weight. Much as I still think the 11-87 Sportsman is a POS, it could be worth using for the kid until he gets bigger and his experience leads him to appreciate a decent gun -- but only if you can get the 11-87 Youth model for pretty cheap.

The Charles Daly, Weatherby, and Mossberg 20 Gauge semiautos are lighter and cheaper, and, while made in Turkey, they're apparently reliable and durable enough.