Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

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Todd
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Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by Todd » Wed Oct 10, 2012 10:37 am

My son is ready to graduate from his hr single shot .410. He is 10 yrs old and 95 lbs. looking for all around shotgun upland waterfowl and turkey. Was thinking 870 youth model in 28 or 20 ga little worried 20 may be too much or cz 28 ga side by side. Any suggestions appreciated.

kensfishing
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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by kensfishing » Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:04 am

20 gauge will take anything he want to shoot.

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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by rinker » Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:08 am

I don't know how big your son is, but the problem with a pump is reaching the fore end. The stock is a little shorter on a youth model but reaching the fore end is the issue. My son never was able to shoot a pump when you was younger. I bought him an 'off brand' used gas operated semi auto that he used for a couple of years and did really well with.

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DogNewbie
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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by DogNewbie » Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:11 am

What're you going to be doing most? I think the 870 20ga is the way to go for a couple reasons. 1) Pump action will slow him down and help teach him patience in his shot. I feel like young kids tend to rush their shots and a pump might help him take his time on that second shot rather than just pulling the trigger again. 2) 20ga will help him learn the real way to duck hunt (aka drawing birds into the decoys...none of that outdoor tv show passing shot bs.) Although you'll probably have more influence over that than the gun :) 3) He'll have more than 2 shots for duck hunting, 4) he'll grow into that heavier gun really fast and 5), I'm no turkey hunter but my understanding is that they are a tough bird and smart as heck. 28ga might not be realistic for turkey. The only way I see a 28ga or sxs as the best option is if you are doing over 75% upland hunting.

Todd
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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by Todd » Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:27 am

Will be squirrel turkey dove and occasional grouse and duck hunt. This will be his only shotgun for a while. I don't even mind using a pump with one shell until he proves he can handle multiple shots. Is there much difference in recoil 20 vs 28? They say automatics are better for recoil just quite bit more expensive.

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DogNewbie
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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by DogNewbie » Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:30 am

Todd wrote:Will be squirrel turkey dove and occasional grouse and duck hunt. This will be his only shotgun for a while. I don't even mind using a pump with one shell until he proves he can handle multiple shots. Is there much difference in recoil 20 vs 28? They say automatics are better for recoil just quite bit more expensive.
Have him use his 410 for squirrel and dove and get a 870 20ga so he can duck, grouse and turkey hunt.

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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by Todd » Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:34 am

Sounds like good advice thanks

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GrayDawg
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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by GrayDawg » Wed Oct 10, 2012 1:26 pm

Get a CZ Bobwhite SxS in 28Ga. and never look back...... I did, no regrets.

Rob
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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by bigeyedfish » Wed Oct 10, 2012 1:46 pm

One nice thing about a youth 870 is you can replace the stock with one of normal size when he outgrows the youth stock. And it will be cheap.

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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by P&PGunsmith » Wed Oct 10, 2012 2:05 pm

remington 870 & mossberg both have youth pumps. Both great choice that will last forever and can grow with the child.
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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by JIM K » Wed Oct 10, 2012 2:42 pm

870 in 20 ga :wink:

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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by Hunt1Fish2 » Wed Oct 10, 2012 3:19 pm

I have been shooting a 20gauge benelli nova since I was 12 and I was small. I'm 17 and lift and play sports and I still only weigh 130 but then again I'm only 5 ft 8 in. I love it, it isn't real heavy, I've shot deer,turkey, waterfowl, varmints and upland game with it. I've shot almost every brand of shells out of it and they all perform great. My younger cousin also uses it when I take him dove hunting and he is 10 years old 70 lbs. Hope this helps.

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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by P&PGunsmith » Wed Oct 10, 2012 3:35 pm

I should have added that i think a 20 gauge is a good gauge for kids. You can get some light 20s for them to start with and eventually get to 3" 20's if necessary. Again it is a great gauge to grow up with and not be handicapped by say the .410.
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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by ezzy333 » Wed Oct 10, 2012 5:01 pm

My boys all started when they we twelve with a bolt action 20 gauge without the clip. None of them were ready physically and especially mentally to be able to be dependable with a gun before that time. Teaching the grand kids now and find the same thing, very hard to handle physically in the field and even more so mentally when unexpected things happen. There are a lot of years ahead of them and no point in pushing it when they are young.

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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by Fester » Wed Oct 10, 2012 5:08 pm

My vote 870 youth

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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by GrayDawg » Wed Oct 10, 2012 5:22 pm

ezzy333 wrote:My boys all started when they we twelve with a bolt action 20 gauge without the clip. None of them were ready physically and especially mentally to be able to be dependable with a gun before that time. Teaching the grand kids now and find the same thing, very hard to handle physically in the field and even more so mentally when unexpected things happen. There are a lot of years ahead of them and no point in pushing it when they are young.

Ezzy
That's why I recommended the CZ Bobwhite SxS in 28ga.

It's light enough for a youth to carry and it's safe because the young hunter can walk with the gun broke open, over their shoulder, holding the barrels. They could be 40 yards across a field from their Dad and with one quick glance, their Dad can be rest assured the gun is broke open and unfireable. Try discerning THAT with a pump gun at 40 yards! When a dog goes on point, the adult can position the young hunter, instruct them to drop a shell in one tube and close the breach. Very safe. My 13 year-old son is on the smaller side (super tough though- he wrestles), he's only 95 lbs. I want him to have a positive experience & not beat his shoulder to heck if he winds up shooting a few rounds in an afternoon. 3/4 oz loads out of a 28ga. pattern beautifully.
The gun is balanced so well for him & he really enjoys shooting it.

But for me- the safety aspect of knowing he's walking around with a gun broke open makes me feel great.

Rob
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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by SetterNut » Wed Oct 10, 2012 7:27 pm

Started my son with a 20ga 870, at about 10 years old. He was not 95 lbs at that age. Its a great choice IMO.
Steve

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Tejas
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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by Tejas » Fri Oct 12, 2012 1:47 pm

Single shot 20 gauge, cheap, safer and disposable.

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Christopher
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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by Christopher » Fri Oct 12, 2012 2:07 pm

I'd go with the SxS too. You can get a 12 ga. but then use 7/8 oz or 1 oz loads for now. 28 gauges are great too. I like a SxS for a lot of reasons, they are light, easy to carry and safe with an action that is broke open. But remind him to be careful, upon closing the action on a SxS it can be easy to hit the trigger, especially if you're in a hurry.

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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by prairiefirepointers » Fri Oct 12, 2012 3:14 pm

Go with a 20 or 12 gauge gun that FITS him. A 28 is a sweet little gun but as per another thread on here costs a lot to shoot unless you reload. I can only imagine what Steel costs for a 28 if you can even get it? (I'm sure somebody makes non-toxic factory ammunition for it)
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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by TChism » Fri Oct 12, 2012 6:42 pm

I am currently looking for a gun for my daughter who is 11. She has been carring my old Mossberg 500 youth 20, but it is a bit heavy and clunky for her. ( I never liked that gun and still don't) I am looking for an inexpensive, break open single shot,... that is hammerless. One that has a thumb safety instead. I have found two of them in pawn shops around town, 20 ga's. Both for about $150. Both were brands I had not heard of, and both were old but still seemed to be in working order.

I am not a fan of starting a youngster with a hammer gun. I had a few accidental discharges when I was young, while trying to let the hammer back down with wet hands. Fortunately I always kept the muzzle in a safe direction. I also like to have a break open gun for safety, and thing that giving them only one shot and letting them learn to make it count helps them in the long run.

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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by GrayDawg » Fri Oct 12, 2012 7:05 pm

Image

Like I stated previously, my son is only 95 lbs..........
This 28ga. is just perfect for him and this is exactly how he walks around while we are bird hunting.
No accidental discharges, very easy for him carry around & I can see that he's safe from a distance
if we get spread out.

Only when the dog goes on point does he pull a shell out of his pocket and prepare to take the shot-
under my direction.

Look hard at the CZ Bobwhite SxS in 28ga.
You won't be disappointed. Wouldn't it be nice if your child could pass down the gun you buy them
to their kid!

Rob
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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by Trev054 » Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:38 pm

If he is small, take the original stock off the 20 gauge and put a smaller one on. When he grows some, put the original stock back on.

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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by GrayDawg » Sat Oct 13, 2012 4:52 am

Trev054 wrote:If he is small, take the original stock off the 20 gauge and put a smaller one on. When he grows some, put the original stock back on.
Won't this affect the balance of the gun for the young shooter?
Basically rendering the gun too "front heavy" and a bit more sluggish to swing.

Rob
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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by winchestermodel50 » Sat Oct 13, 2012 7:37 am

I was looking at gunbroker.com and there is a Tristar 28 gauge semi auto listed for under $500 new. It has a 26" barrel. I have found that barrel length bothers children and women as much as length of pull. A 28 gauge is remarkably effective and has virtually no recoil in a semi-auto. There is no need to develop a flinching problem in a young shooter. Noise and recoil affect beginning shooters more than we realize. I would consider a 28 gauge restricted to close range on ducks and turkey, but it is remarkably effective on upland game and breaks targets on par with larger gauges. I would take this as a next step on a young shooter and teach him how to shoot targets comfortably and confidently before I put him into a heavier gun. The starter gun I would consider for a woman or a young shooter would be the Tristar Viper. It seems to have a pretty good reputation and when the boy grew out of it, you and the rest of the family could all enjoy it.

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Re: Best shotgun for 10 yr old son

Post by RayGubernat » Sat Oct 13, 2012 9:21 am

I bought a 20 ga. Winchester 1300 youth pump for my son whe he was about 9. He was slender and not very tall back then. It has a short throw on the slide. Other than the front mounted saftey switch(which I hate) it has been an awesome gun for him and he could hammer targets and birds. It now currently sports the adult length stock and a set of sights for slugs. The youth length version is around somewhere. He got so that could work that short throw slide like a champ and hit multiple targets. He still picks it up every once in a while and he can still work that trombone pretty good.

I had purchased a Mossberg youth model and it literally fell apart in his hands during his second hunt. The slide detached from the action. That gun went back.

If I had to do that one over again I would have gotten the youth Remington because of the safety placement. I am a bug on not pushing off the safety until the gun is in the process of being mounted and the front mounted safety release means that a youth shooter will have to move their hand to push the safety release and then move it back. my son did seem to adapt to it pretty well, but it took some practice.

The Winchester 1300 is a little on the heavy side, but for a youngster that is not such a bad thing. A heavier gun has a much lower felt recoil and is a whole lot more fun to shoot. I remember as an adult that the meanest kicking gun I ever shot was a single shot H & R topper in 12 ga. it was light as a feather. That SOB HURT when you pulled the trigger with a high base load of birdshot! Don't even ask about a load of buckshot! I imagine the 20 ga. version would be pretty mean for a youngster.

I bought a 26", 28 ga. CZ O/U for my grandson as his first birthday present from his Poppy. If I am still around I will take the gun to a GOOD gunsmith and have the stock sawed off to fit when he is 9 or so(and keep the stock piece). As he grows, pads can be added and spacers can be added to fit. Right now it points well, carries well between the hands and handles like a dream. I shot a couple of rounds with only a T shirt on and felt almost nothing, maybe a tad more than a 3" .410.

Incidentally, Wal-Mart carries Wincheser AA loads in 28 Ga. They are a bit more expensive than their 20 ga. AA loads but not that much.

RayG

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