"new" H&R Topper 20 gauge youth :)

[goon]

I've always appreciated the simplicity and pure function of the H&R single barrels and lately I've been kind of curious about the 20 gauge.
I've never owned one before but they seem like a good balance between the full power of the 12 gauge and the minute payload of my .410.
Long story short, I picked up a used and slightly neglected H&R 20 gauge youth model for $69 the other day and I'm glad I did.
I love the light weight and quick handling of the youth model. It also doesn't beat me up, courtesy of its smaller bore.
Altogether, I think it was money well spent.

 

[sm]

Congrats!

My shotgun is a H&R Topper, Youth, Single Shot 20 ga, with the factory recoil pad and fixed modified choke.

Due to me, there are countless others with these.
I grew up with one behind the back door, "we" all grew up with these.
Quite a few members of THR have one handy as well.

Mine is 36" total length, the barrel is 22" and this sucker has felled 15 doves with me only using 12 shells, felled ducks, small game, deer and I have shot 25/25 shooting regular skeet.

I paid just under $100 for mine new, you paid $69.

Hey, what else can one get for these prices and have this much fun with, and still serve for more serious use?

Oh...mine and those like mine, toss some of the best pellet, buckshot and slug groups!
And I have patterned a lot of guns, over a lot of years.

Enjoy!!

Steve

 

[JShirley]

I grew up using a 20 gauge Topper, Jr. Light, handy, shot well.

Kicked like hell.

It was stolen in 1991.

John

 

[goon]

I kind of think the recoil is light on mine - but I've only tried 2.75" loads and most of my shotgun experience involves full power 12 gauge shotshells with a lot of buck and slugs. I may get a bit of an eye opener when I try some 3" loads out of it. Right now it shoots about 4" low at 25 yards with standard remington 5/8 oz slugs - I'm hoping I can bring the POI up with a more powerful slug load. I'd like to find one that hits about where the shot pattern is, which is dead on.
If I can get that I'll have one hell of a neat little woods gun!
My first shotgun was a topper .410 and I still have it. Over the years I've had a few shotguns but all the rest were 12 gauges.
I learned that the .410 does pretty well for most of my uses but it is too light to really feel comfortable using it for woodland defense (against critters) or on deer in a "situation". The ammo for a .410 is also crazy expensive.
I also learned that single shots are great, sweet handling guns for hunting. They're cheap enough to USE and come on target fast. And I learned that with a pump, since I can shoot three shots I might do just that, regardless of whether I need to or not.
Single barrels have always been just as productive for me without the extra weight and it's pretty much one shot for one squirrel or rabbit.

Anyhow, this little 20 gauge will care of pretty much everything I'll need a shotgun for. It's a great gun to stash behind the seat of the truck or next to the kitchen door (like sm, I also grew up with a shotgun and a rimfire within easy reach at all times). Hunting is covered and eventhough it isn't "tactical", a well placed load of buck or slug would still do the job. Probably the most use it will see is just as a compact, reliable little knockaround gun that I can take along on hikes through the woods or on camping trips. On top of that, it's a great balance between ammo cost and performance.

Although I have a lot of respect for shotguns, I also am not one of those guys who thinks that they're the best thing since micromave pizza.
I've even come to the conclusion that I'd be better served with a Marlin or Enfield to accompany my 9mm than with my Mossberg 500, which will probably get put up for sale to help finance a rifle.
Having said that, I think this little scattergun will probably see more use than any other gun I've ever owned.
It might just be the first one I manage to wear out!

 

[Bud Tugly]

For just general knocking around in the woods I like to keep things simple. Hard to beat an ol" break-open single to bring shotgunning down to basics.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Just like I think everyone should have a pumpgun (especially an 870), I think everyone should have a single shot, usually in a smaller gauge.

Useful as a SAK, light as a walking stick, and cheap enough you can give it to some kid just because you can.

 

[briansp82593]

grew up using a 20 gauge Topper, Jr. Light, handy, shot well.

Kicked like hell.

It was stolen in 1991.

John

Wow, really?
Same story... but mine was my first gun, and it was stolen in '01
we called it the hip gun, no one ever shot it at the shoulder

 

[JShirley]

It wasn't the first firearm I shot, but it was mine since about first grade.

 

[goon]

That sucks.
I've had mine since fifth grade. I was so excited when I got it that I went to school and told everyone about it.
That would probably get a kid expelled now.

But I'm still much happier with a little H&R single barrel than I would have been with a Nintendo.

 

[plumberroy]

My 1st gun a H&R 410 was stolen out of the hunting camp when I was 16-17 my everyday roaming around the wood shotgun is a 28 ga youth that I put synthetic stocks on
Roy