Youth Shotgun

[MtnCreek]

I need a little more help looking for a Youth shotgun please. It’s for a teeny-tiny 13 y/o girl. Yesterday evening she shot an A5 light 20 ga. ~26” barrel and pretty light. Recoil was a little much, but not too bad. Was using Rem Gun Club 7/8oz, 2 ½ dr, #9. The shotgun is way too heavy for her. Assuming the weather allows, we’ll try out an 1100 lt20 and 28ga citori this weekend. That’s about all I’ve got that’s remotely close to her size.

I’m sure LOP is a factor and a better sized stock will help w/ handling and perceived weight. I’m just trying to figure out what direction to head. I’d hate to buy a new Youth gun and still not have anything suitable.

I started by looking at a Stevens O/U, but with some info from ya’ll I’ve shied away from that and have looked (online) at Youth model auto’s by CZ, Rem and Weatherby. I need to stay somewhere around 600. If I can get a shopping list together I’ll call around to see if anyone’s got a few options in stock for her to handle.

Any info from someone that’s been in a similar situation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Edit: The citori is really light / short. If there are shorter stocks available, I may let her have it. The only guys I know that's replaced their stocks spent more on the stocks than I would on a gun, so not looking for anything high-end. Thanks.

 

[Chevelle SS]

How about a 410?

 

[MtnCreek]

.410 is what you shoot after you master shotguns.

 

[oneounceload]

The issue with light shotguns is recoil is greater. You know her best - is she that small that maybe she need to hold off on a shotgun until she grows a little? If you reload, try reloading 3/4oz loads in 20 gauge. Use a gas gun with the youth stock, do not use a long recoil or inertia semi as they do nothing for recoil reduction.

What is most likely affecting her with the recoil is the stock doesn't fit her properly. If she is leaning back with the gun, it is going to beat the snot out of her, and it shows the gun stock is too long. With your $600 budget, look for a nicely used semi, most likely a Remington. If your gun club has try guns, have her try as many as possible; many places have youth guns so young kids can shoot something that might be close to properly fitting them

 

[orphanedcowboy]

There are several options, Beretta 390 20ga, there is one listed on Shotgun World for $6/700, can't remember. Then there is the Weatherby SA08 20ga and finally a 1100 20ga. The Beretta can be cut and fitted down to 12 1/2" and 24" barrels are readily available. The Weatherby comes in a youth model with a 12 1/2" LOP and a 24" barrel and the 1100 comes in a youth model with a 21" barrel.

IMHO, all great choices.

Delivered via the NSA

 

[Fred Fuller]

There's also an 11-87 Youth Model (20 ga.) that has a reputation as a soft kicker - later ones I've seen have an adjustable LOP stock, using spacers.

 

[MtnCreek]

Use a gas gun with the youth stock, do not use a long recoil or inertia semi as they do nothing for recoil reduction.

I didn't think about that. The Browning she shot is not a gas gun (I don't think). I stopped by a shop yesterday and they didn't have much. They had a Frenchie (I know that's wrong...); not available wood/blue and it's bolt op is the same as a Benelli. They quoted me an 11-87 wood/blue for just under $800 (they'll typ move if pressed). I'm going to call around and see what other folks have on hand before making a decision.

Thanks for all the info!

 

[ID-shooting]

870 20ga youth or 500 20ga youth? Fur budget/truck shotgun I also have a NEF 20ga pump in youth size. Cost me $200 at walmart.

 

[oneounceload]

Pumps transmit more recoil than a gas gun, and since she is so tiny, the OP is looking to max the recoil reduction. Shooting light loads in a heavy-as-she-can-handle gas gun that FITS will give her the lightest recoil

 

[Fred Fuller]

http://www.remington.com/en/product.../model-11-87-sportsman-compact-synthetic.aspx

http://www.hyattgunstore.com/reming...-21-barrel-modified-choke-mossy-oak-camo.html

 

[jmr40]

870 20ga youth or 500 20ga youth? Fur budget/truck shotgun I also have a NEF 20ga pump in youth size. Cost me $200 at walmart.

These guns all recoil harder than 12's. The guns weight is a huge factor in recoil. In guns of equal weight a 7/8 oz 20 guage load will have slightly less recoil than a 1 oz 12 guage load. But a 20 pump weighs about a pound less than the same gun in 12 guage. The NEF closer to 2 lbs. Both will recoil worse than a 12 with comparable loads.

Any gas operated semi is going to be the way to go. Almost any 12 guage load will have less recoil than a 20 guage load from a fixed breach gun or recoil operated semi. A gas operated 20 has almost zero recoil.

I wouldn't recommend a 410. When fired from common pumps and single shots recoil is still pretty stiff compared to a gas operated semi and hitting targets is far more difficult. A 410 is an experts gun, not a beginners.

 

[JShirley]

I grew up shooting a very lightweight H&R 20 gauge. I was scared to death to try my family's full-sized 12 gauge pumps- turned out they kicked considerably less than the shotgun I'd shot since I was six.

Benellis kick like the dickens. I shot about 60 rounds through one at a single range session- the combination of their very stiff recoil and over-long stock gave me one of the worst bruises I've had, from any cause, my entire life...

 

[oneounceload]

Ideally from a success and low recoil perspective, about the best gun out there is the Remington 1100 in 28 gauge. 20 gauge frame, short stock available, low recoil. The only downside is the cost of ammo, but if you reload, you can make ammo for about $3.50/box. While 410s can be reloaded cheaper, it is because you are using 1/2oz of shot which is really an expert's round. The 28 gives you 50% more pellets. Otherwise try reloading 20 gauge ammo down to 3/4oz using the ClayBuster wad. It SHOULD work the 1100, and make it even softer to shoot.

I reload 3/4oz (which is equal to a 28 gauge load) for both 12 and 20. It is soft, saves a LOT of money on shot (over 530 rounds per 25# bag) and crushes targets. Today I had some of mine and needed to borrow some from a friend. His are 7/8oz at 1300, mine were 3/4oz at 1210. The difference was VERY noticeable in the recoil department, and I was using a 12 gauge gas gun WITH a recoil device on it

Something to consider..........

 

[Deer_Freak]

Hogue makes makes a nice 12" LOP over molded stock for the Mossberg 500. If you invest in a Citori in 28 ga it is a gun she will pass on to her children. I have severe health issues. The 28 gq citori is my sporting clay gun. Like oneounce said you can reload shells for the 28 ga. It costs me less than $4 a box to reload a box of 28 ga shells. I don't cut any corners either. I use hardened shot and AA wads.

 

[drcook]

there is this 11-87 that is rolling off auction soon

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=351954463

as mentioned above, this would be a good one for her

here is one for the same price at a decent gun store kinda near me here in Ohio

http://www.woodburyoutfitters.com/product_p/2042.htm

I did a search to see if 870 stocks would fit an 11-87 because the specs that I found say the LOP is 13" with spacers to go longer.

Our daughter is 4'11" and needed a 12 LOP. We bought the 870 Gander Mt sells, ie: Remington 870 20ga 12" LOP 18" barrel. I wanted the 21" barrel, but couldn't find one in stock.

http://www.gandermountain.com/modpe...ngton-Model-870-Express-Jr-Shotgun&i=GM418248

I bought the same buttstock and put it on the other youth 870 we had from when my boy was young to replace the 13" LOP one.

There are posts out on the web that say people have fitted 870 stocks to 11-87 guns, but you could make some phone calls to Remington and find out if 13" LOP is correct and/or if a shorter stock is available, etc.

Prepare to spend some time on the phone as, while the person who I talked to was the most courteous helpful person, they don't know every part Remington has and it took some time to find the part nbr.

If your child is very slightly built, then buy the 12" LOP Remington 870 20ga for a little over 300.00 and have a mercury recoil reducer put in the buttstock.

this will keep you well within budget, make the gun shootable for her. provide the added feature that it won't keep going bang bang bang until the mental discipline of trigger control is locked into the brain.

that is another reason we chose a pump gun for her. even my wife only kept one in the chamber (none in the mag tube) on her 1100 20ga until she got the hang of making sure she didn't inadvertently shoot it again while she got the muscle memory for trigger control established.

there are even mercury recoil reducers that will go into the magazine tube, replacing the duck/waterfowl plug

I just built my wife some 16ga guns sized for her, and will get a recoil reducer if need be

http://www.brownells.com/shooting-a...ucers/mercury-recoil-suppressor-prod4927.aspx

 

[Deer_Freak]

Here is the 12" LOP Hogue stock http://www.midwayusa.com/product/169170/hogue-overmolded-stock-mossberg-500-12-length-of-pull-rubber-black for $59. You can get a Mossberg 500C (20 ga) at Walmart for $260. The 500C comes with a 13.5"stock she can grow into.

Mossberg also makes a youth model that has a series of shims for the stock. You add the shims as the shooter grows. You can even get a pink stock for the youth model if she is into colors.

The lowest priced stock I saw for a Citori is $350. It was a replacement stock, not a youth model.

 

[allaroundhunter]

Don't get a single shot or pump 20 ga... Regardless of if you can get a hogue stock for them.

 

[theblakester]

I would suggest a gas operated semi automatic youth model 20 gauge. My pump 20 ga youth 870 kicks pretty hard bc it is so small and light. A has operated semi automatic would reduce recoil and a youth model would fit her better.

 

[drcook]

I agree Citori stocks are not cheap !

http://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgwi/ctgy/C-15-2C

Unfortunately, given your parameter of 600.00, unless you can find a good deal on a used one, the guns I have seen 11-48 etc, exceed that, in fact by the time shipping and transfer fees come in (if there is not one local) you will be over 700.00 which is a chunk of money to spend and still have to buy another stock as most youth/lady model guns are 13" LOP. if there is one local, you have to figure tax of course.

that extra short (12" LOP) youth model 870 with a mercury recoil reducer in the magazine tube (or buttstock) would keep you under budget by a whole lot. Like I said above, I was in the same situation with our daughter and that is the best solution I found.