20 GA Rem 1100 for youth: Thoughts?

[JNewell]

Subject line pretty much sums it up. 15 year old boy, 5-8, 125#, shotgun interest. I am thinking that the Remington 1100 in 20 gauge might be perfect? I am also thinking of the youth stock, not because he's short but because I prefer short stocks even though I'm 6-5 with a 36" sleeve.

I think I can get one of these for about $450 new from a local dealer. Is there another, similar SG I should be considering? Should we just go right to 12 ga?

Thoughts welcome.

 

[Jim Watson]

I hate to use dirty words on the Net, but what is it FOR?
There are a lot of things falling under "shotgun interest."
A 20 gauge auto will do many things well, Skeet, handtrap, doves, quail, rabbits, squirrels.
But if he (you?) leans towards Trap, ducks, geese, turkeys, a 12 would be better.
The youth stock will be fine, so long as he doesn't bump his nose with his thumb upon the shot.

 

[45crittergitter]

Excellent choice, and I agree with Jim.

A gas 20 is the way to go if he's recoil sensitive. It's even enough for ducks and turkeys with 3" hevi-shot.

Getting a 20 now gives him an excuse to buy a 12 later...

 

[akanotken]

Could go with a 12GA?

I think the 20 is fine, but another way to consider would be to get a 12GA.
You can set it up as a youth gun (shorten the stock).
You can stick with light loads and work your way up. Better yet, get a reloader and make some of your own, you won't save much money with the current pricing, but it's a great hobby.
This way you'll be able to expand into the area's best left for a 12GA that Jim mentioned.

Just food for thought. The only thing you give up with the 12GA is the size/weight.

 

[Mark]

41 year old. I love my 20g 1100, but all I use it for is grouse, clay pigeons at the gravel pit, or just blasting for the fun of it. No recoil. My 12 year old daughter and 14 year old son have no problem shooting it.

I am not sure, but I think the 20 1100 is only available in 2 3/4 chamber.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Excellent choice. Since he won't be 15 long, a 12 gauge gas gun also would be a good choice. That's if he can handle same, gas actions are not the lightest. Some weight lies forward so short armed folks find these tiring to hold up.

IMO, an 1100 with a youth stock for now and a standard one for later(Which comes fast with teenagers) should cover the bases nicely.

 

[308win]

My dad bought me a Remington Sportsman 58 (predecessor to the 1100) 20ga new in 1958. I still have it and it still shoots like the champ it is. I wouldn't cut the stock back as he will grow into it. The 20ga 23/4 will work for anything as long as you remember you don't have the pattern/range you would with a 3" or a 12ga. The recoil is manageable (actually negligible, it is light so you can carry it in the field all day, and if you take care of it you have a friend for life. (In 45 years, I have had to have a stud in the bolt replaced. Not bad.)

 

[Gary G23]

Here's my two cents. YMMV. If you are going to get a gas gun I'd go with a 12 gauge since gas guns don't have much kick anyway. Concerning the stock I'm 5'9" and shoot a lot better with a 15" LOP stock than I do with a short one. Also I've found that resale value isn't as good on a shotgun with a short stock.

 

[Clemson]

For what it is worth, I will weigh in on this one too. I have two 20 gauge 1100's. One is a youth model that I bought for my boy when he was 12. I could not have made a better choice. I had thought that I would put a longer stock on the gun when he grew up. Instead, however, I have kept the short gun the way it came from the factory, and I have used it to introduce many kids and women to shooting. Right now my 5'2" wife considers the 1100 Youth Model to be "her" gun. The son, now 24, takes the regular 1100 or one of the pumps or doubles when he hunts now.

Regarding the choice between the 12 and the 20. It is true that the 12 does not kick any worse than the 20 with appropriate loads, but it weighs a pound and a half more than the 20. That extra weight is hard for a young shooter to handle. He will develop better form with a lighter gun.

No charge for opinion.........

Clemson

 

[JNewell]

Many thanks. Uses -- yup, should have specified skeet and/or upland birds. No trap, no ducks, no turkeys. Pretty much exactly the uses Mark mentioned. A few follow-up Qs...

21" vs 26" -- Big Green has two 1100/20 ga synthetic stock options. Since it's easy and relatively cheap to swap buttstocks -- and since the dealer prices them the same (not sure why, the MSRP is somewhat different) -- I compared the rest of the specs. The 26" comes with three choke tubes vs. only one with the 21" youth, so that's a slightly better deal. The real question is whether the 26" wouldn't be a better choice, since it will swing better? 21" seems awfully short, and as several pointed out, the 20 ga doesn't weigh much to start with -- 26" seems better???

Beads -- both the syn-stock shotguns come with a single bead. I really don't have enough experience with sporting shotguns to know if the middle (second) bead would be much of a plus? The wood stocked version (more $) comes with two beads; much cheaper to have it installed on the cheaper shotgun.

12 vs 20 ga -- The posts mentioning the 12 ga make a good point, but I'm thinking that having the super-mild recoil of the 20 ga is probably a plus, and for the given uses presents no handicaps. Obviously if uses change, or if someone gets really competitive with skeet, a 12 ga might be in order (I believe our club level shoots mix the 20s in with the 12s) -- but that's not really a big concern at this point unless someone has a compelling rationale to go for the 12.

So the conclusion I'm moving to is to get the 26" and a separate short buttstock in 20 ga...but would be interested in any gaps in my logic here.

 

[Jim Watson]

26"
A middle bead is little or no help, don't worry about it.

 

[JNewell]

OK, 'nother question for you all...

Checking around locally...found a Benelli M1 Super 90 in 20 gauge. It's about twice the price of the 1100! I have to say that I like the shim gizmos that they include for fine-tuning the angle of the comb. Also, FWIW, the Benelli will apparently shoot 3" shells.

These are nice features...but I could buy two 1100s for the price of the Benelli. Would any of you spend the extra $ on the Benelli?

Thanks!

 

[TrapperReady]

JNewell - I've got a Benelli M1 Field in 20ga. It's a great-handling light gun that functions flawlessly. I shoot it very well. That being said, I don't think it's worth twice the price of an 1100. If the difference was $100 or less, then I'd probably lean towards the Benelli, but not for more than that.

I've shot 20ga 3" magnums. IMO, they are an abomination. Lots of kick and I've yet to see one pattern decently.

 

[kudu]

My first shotgun was a 20ga 1100. It has a 28in modified barrel and a whole lot of shells through it. I have put two or three sets of gas o-rings in it but other than that it has worked flawlessly. Get the 26in barrel, you won't be sorry if you shoot any clay targets at all. Benelli, good gun, but not for the money IMO. Personally I would get a standard length stock on the 1100, but whatever feels most comfortable to your boy.

Good luck and happy shooting!!

 

[Jim Watson]

Benellis have more recoil than gas guns.

 

[Gila Jorge]

At 12 years old I started withy a Winchester 1897 12ga pump. Latter added a 16ga Remington 870 for tramping around after Ruffed Grouse. Pheasants and ducks were my main usage for the 97 Winchester. Loved that old gun. Oh yeah, I am 5-10 and weigh 165 today...was nearly that at 12. Would consider a Browning 2000 (used) as he can switch barrels and have a 3 inch 12 with that change.
Also the Browning 2000 recoils less than the 1100 Remington. Blessings.

 

[mnrivrat]

It realy IS becoming apparent to me why there is so much variation being offered by gun manufacturers in barrel lengths, and everything else as everybody seems to have a little twist on what might be the "ideal" gun for this or that. Some like wood stocks , some like composite, some like 3 inch chambers, and others see no need, some like pumps only and others like the lower recoil of an auto. Some would never use a 20 ga. and some wouldn't be without one. I will be of NO additional help I'm sure in answering the questions asked. Just another opinion : I like the idea of the 20 ga. for a starter gun on youth because of the lower recoil, lighter weight , and improved handling characteristics for youth and smaller frame persons. I would guess if you let your son be part of the process he will end up with the 20 ga. rather than the 12 ga. no matter what the intended use. In fact there generaly is a good market for used 20 ga. so it can always be traded in on a 12 ga. in a few years (I'm betting it will become too hard to part with to trade). Stock fit should be determined by the persons physical stature in my opinion, if a shorter stock is called for than it should be either purchased that way or shortened in order to fit - trying to shoot a shotgun that doesn't fit is a lesson in frustration and after all you wouldn't buy his pants two sizes larger so he could grow into them - he just wouldn't want to wear them that way !! ( although with teenage fashion being what it is I'm not positive on that point) .

 

[JNewell]

The resale point really seems to be true (though I bet you're absolutely correct about not ever wanting to let a good 20 go). I've tried to find used ones locally and all the dealers say the same thing: they go out the door almost as soon as they come in.

 

[Ron L]

FWIW, I bought a Remmie 870 Youth model in 20 gauge for my son last fall. I fell in love with the gun. It's shorter and a bit easier to shoot with a lot of clothing on, the shorter barrel seems to swing much nicer for me, and the recoil isn't any problem at all. I think I'm gonna have to buy another one. The 20 will be a very sweet shooting gun, but consider your use before you decide on which gauge. We use this one for small game and with slugs for deer season.

 

[JNewell]

Well, to report here: I happened across an essentially new Remington 20 ga today at a very attractive price. Hadn't even been in the store long enough to get a proper tag! It's an 11-87, though, not an 1100 -- much nicer than I'd been shopping for, but the price was not much higher than a new synthetic 1100! Very, very pretty gun, and nicely balanced for a repeater. With luck we'll get it out this weekend and give it a try on the skeet field. The only issue is that the stock may be a little long right now for my 15 year old, though it doesn't look bad when it's mounted.

So that's the story -- thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[Dave McCracken]

Congrats, J. A coupla things...

First, length can be adjusted somewhat by moving the forward hand. A stock longer than optimum can be adapted to by placing the forward hand back a tad. Most of us do exactly that every time we switch shotguns. And,if your son eats like mine, the standard stock will fit VERY shortly.

Second, due to the gas action, this will have little kick with 7/8 oz loads. Stick to them for now, the heavier stuff isn't needed for evil little clay targets.

Now, BA/UU/R and have fun...