First Shotgun for a Little Boy

[Starter52]

Lots of good comments, guys.

I'd go with the .410 break-open shotgun, single shot, exposed hammer. Cut the stock down if necessary. Make the gun fit the shooter.

 

[viking499]

I just bought my 10 year old a Mossberg 500 Bantam 20 guage with the adjustable stock. 2 different lop with one gun. It also is easy on his shoulder. He went to this after a single shot 410 youth model

 

[Fred Fuller]

ez,

Have you by chance ever read Ruark's The Old Man And The Boy? See http://www.amazon.com/Old-Man-Boy-Robert-Ruark/dp/0805002391 for more information.

My first suggestion is that you buy the boy a copy of this book, and read it with/to him if circumstances allow. You'll be missing a sure bet if you let him get hands on a shotgun without knowing about the stuff in this book, I guarantee you.

My second suggestion is that you make that first gun a single shot, a 28 gauge if he's small statured, a 20 gauge if he's big enough to handle it. And you might want to make it a 28 anyway. NEF/H&R ( http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Shotguns/pardnerYouth.aspx )makes great one-shooter guns for not much money, and they come in youth models too. The tradition of starting new shooters with single shots has a lot of good reasoning behind it still- and i suggest you not pass it by in this case, unless the youngster already has sound fundamentals in place.

Congratulations on having the opportunity to get a fine young man started in the sporting field, I hope both of you share many happy hours there.

lpl/nc (who knows where that little yellow house in Southport, NC is)

 

[ezypikns]

Lee, that was and still is one of my very favorite books.

It always reminded me of times spent afield with my own Dad and two Grandfathers. We did lots of upland and waterfowl hunting, and mixed in doves and deer. And one of my Grandfathers in Georgia owned an outstanding pack of beagles. Rabbit hunting over these little dogs is a real thrill.
What a great idea to read that with my own grandson. Thank You. As far as a shotgun, I believe all ideas offered have been excellent. I really would never want to handicap him with a .410. I truly believe they're delightful little guns, but probably belong more in an expert's hands. I'm really leaning toward a 20 ga. The first round of skeet I ever shot was with a 28 ga, and I realize that's also a good choice.
Thanks to all for the usual outstanding and thoughtful suggestions. They are greatly appreciated.

 

[lesgeaux]

Just a thought here ezy, you live in texas, Academy sports is there. I have picked up a fine 410 single shot from them, that is imported by them, that has nice fit and finish, with pretty walnut wood. It only weighs 3 lbs 9ozs and really does not kick that much, a 10 yrs old would be just fine. All this for the large price of 99.00 Go check it out, if he uses it and really needs something else the price prob won't be a biggie. I have a number of rifles etc and can recommend this as the quality is there. Good luck. It is made by Yildiz, which gets quite the acclaim at a few shotgun forums for their over and unders.

 

[Fred Fuller]

ez,

You're very welcome. Ruark has been one of my favorites since I was a kid reading his stuff in Field & Stream while waiting my turn at the barber shop. I was lucky enough to have a bunch of 'old men' around me who always had time to take a kid fishing or hunting, and i could relate very well to the life lessons in that book.

When one of my favorite cousins lost her husband to a nasty divorce, she was left with a young son who was just growing to love the outdoors. I didn't get home to AL much and it was making me feel bad to see this kid having as hard a time as he was with no dad around. I sent him a copy of this book, and he and his mom read it till the pages fell out. He and I carried on a long correspondence through those years, too. She told me later that book had a lot to do with getting him over the hump of that divorce, and keeping his head on straight through the hard times. He's still a good kid and still loves to go deer hunting on the family farm, when college, girls etc. allows 8^).

Whatever you decide on, to your grandson it will always be "the gun grampa gave me." You're home free on that one, you know. So just enjoy the process- it's riches, true riches.

lpl/nc

 

[Quickdraw Limpsalot]

Awesome advice, Lee. I've never read that book - may have to find myself a copy of it.

 

[Boiler_81]

I bought my 12 year old son (small for his age) a 20 ga. youth 11-87. Recoil is low and it it sized right for him. He is quickly getting to be a very good shot with it. Make sure you get something for your grandson that fits and with recoil he can handle.

 

[elric]

I started on a Rem. 1100LT-20ga, which I still have, and will start my son and daughter on when they are old enough.

Worked well for me when I was a skinny little 12 year old.

 

[308win]

The Old Man and the Boy by Robert Ruark is a classic that belongs with Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and others. I spent many many hours rereading and rereading and rereading those books. Although I didn't have the ocean in Illinois I had everything else that the Boy had in my youth including a grandfather and father who had time for me. If you haven't read it you need to get it.

 

[Marshall]

Vote me in with the Rem 1100 20ga. I started with a 20ga Rem Mowhawk 48 at ten years old. It was an average sized boy and the gun was a great pick. I still use it today to hunt quail and pheasant with. Use low brass field loads to start.

 

[sm]

Lee Lapin posted all that I would have posted - only better.

 

[WolfMansDad]

Nix the .410. I started out with one when I was ten or eleven, and it sucked. .410s throw really ragged patterns, and I had a lot of wounded game and not-very-clean kills. I went straight to a 12 gauge when I was 12, and while the recoil was unpleasant (I weighed all of 85 pounds), it would put a bird or a rabbit down clean.

I would also steer clear of a 20 gauge. They tend to be very light guns and have sharp, unpleasant recoil.

28 gauge is probably perfect. It has about the same recoil as a .410, but the patterns tend to be much more consistent. (Lower pressures and shorter shot column than in a .410, iirc, even though the payload is about the same.) Lots of grown men use 28 gauges for serious shotgunning and love them. Ammunition is expensive, but no ten-year-old is going to go through that many shells anyway.

Don't discount the 12 gauge, either. I started my son out on a mossberg 500 just after he turned 14. That is a soft recoiling gun and very pleasant to shoot.

 

[CZ223]

I did not read all the posts but...

If no one has told you this yet then I will , 20 guage guns are lighter and operate at significantly higher pressure than 12 guages. Lighter weight and higher operating pressures add up to more felt recoil in the 20 than the 12. I went through this with my little girl starting at age 9. I could go through the details but that would take too long so I will stick to what I learned.

1.) fit: Make sure that the gun fits properly, for my daughter that meant cutting about 2 1/2" off the stock of my, her, Norinco 97'.

2.) drop: Pump shotguns tend to have less drop than SXS shotguns and this leads to less felt recoil.

3) Buy some Winchester Featherlites. They are very mild recoiling and that combined with the weight of the 97 added up to pleasureable shooting for my daughter.

 

[lamazza]

I started with a .410 and shot the blue off that thing!

 

[mswestfall]

I'm with the 20 gauge Remington 1100 suggestion. There are other autos in youth versions but I don't know of a better value than the 1100.

I also agree with starting with a 20 gauge. A .410 is a difficult gun for a beginner to learn to shoot. It's great if you intend to start him on stationary targets. But not as good as a 20 gauge for clays or birds.

You might also look into a magazine for him to read about safety, technique, etc.

I just read an article in Field and Stream that shows how to convert an 1100 youth gun to a good turkey gun (for $55) after your son outgrows it.

Be safe, good luck and have fun!

 

[Ritchie]

If you end up with something like a 20 ga, consider using a sub-caliber
adapter cartridge for a few years. Supposedly they pattern according to
the barrel they're fired in.