Youth shotguns

Philt

Member
I have been looking for youth shotguns for my 2 boys. I was thinking 20 gauge Remington 1100 or 1187 but ran across this Wetherby sa08 but don't know anything about it. The boys are 7 & 4 neither of them are ready to hunt yet but guns aren't getting any cheaper.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Phil
 
Side by side Ranger 410 or Ithica if you can find one. Easy on the shoulder, does squirrels and rabbits correctly and makes a really good bird hunter due to the skill needed to down them with a small bore. Jim
 
I bought 410's for first gun. Simple, easy and relatively
inexspensive to shoot. Later on advanced up to 20 ga. pump.
After that, men of their own, purchase what they want. 410"s
are valued guns for snake and varmit control now.
 
Might want to take a look at a Savage Mdl 49 over and under, .410 & .22. It'll let them learn to shoot fairly cheaply because a .22 is cheap to shoot. The 410 gives them a nice little rabbit and squirrel gun. I believe it's also available in a 20 gauge and a few other caliber rifles. But they're not expensive and a well made gun for a first gun.
 
Can't help with that gun Phil, but I do have 1100's and an 1187.
No problems with either. Trouble free except replacing the O-ring.
For a youngster though, a semi-auto may make them trigger happy
instead of taking the time to aim and shoot correctly.
Ionia County MI here.
 
Just got one of the Rossi youth, matched pair models for our 9 year old daughter. She got it as sort of an early, combined, Christmas and 10th birthday present ((((birthday not until the end of Dec)))They have several different combinations, and adult sized models as well as youth sized models. The one we got her has a .22 LR barrel and a 410 shotgun barrel. I didn't realize it until I got the gun and noticed it, but the gun says both Rossi, and Taurus on it, both well known name brands.

Based on appearance and shooting it it's a well made gun. With the interchangable barrels it makes it very versitile. The good thing is that changing them out is as simple as unscrewing the sling swivel in the foregrip and breaking the gun open just like any other break action single shot. This is something so simple that a young shooter will have no problem doing themselves once familiar with the gun.

Out of the box her .22 still needs a bit of tweeking on the sights to get them dead on, but the 410 holds a pretty decent pattern out to at least 30 yards which is as far as I've tried it. The shotgun still has a bit too much kick for her to shoot, but she loves the .22. Both barrels offer auto ejection of the spent cartridge which is nice. They also have both the regular, in use safety as well as a special parental safety that locks the hammer with a sepcial key that comes with the gun.

Price wise I found them all over the board, but Wal Mart beat everyone else I tried on price by nearly $100 selling it for $169, plus tax.

The 4 year old will, more than likely, be a bit small for this gun, but there are other .22's on the market that are smaller in size that would probably work. That said, if it were me, at that age I'd be more inclined to get him one of the very real looking airsoft guns to begin teaching him basic gun safety before putting a real one in his hands.

Good luck and I hope your sons both enjoy their new gun, whatever you decide to get them, as much as our daughter enjoys hers.
Rossi
 
Bang for the buck you just can't beat the Rem 870. I just got one for my wife, youth (she's 5'3") 20ga. Not too expensive.

I love 410s but my dad almost ruined me for hunting because of them. A 10 year old, not allowed to practice, and yelled at for every missed shot. Squirles and rabbits were no problem but quail, pheasant and grouse were just beyond what I could do. I was about to tell my dad I wasn't interested in hunting anymore when he gave me a pump 20. Next weekend I bagged my firt bird on the wing.

Rick
 
I would start them off with .410 and work them up to the 20 and 12 gauge. If start them on a gun with to much kick they may end up not wanting to shoot at all.
 
I stared with a 1100 20ga at age 8. It was a good fit. Went to a 870 12ga at 12. Still my main gun. I think a 410 is more for expierenced shooters, not beginners.
 
how about a H.&R. single shot in 20 gauge? an autoloader might get the kids into the spray and pray mode of shooting
 
Bought a Remington 20 guage youth 870 years ago fore my son and daughter. I love the gun, but it kicks [b:1ce7f4c468]HARDER[/b:1ce7f4c468] than my 12 guage 870. Also got a Stoeger .410 youth and I don't think you will find a better gun for the money. single shot, vent rib barrel, at the time just over $100 (7 years ago).
 
Start kids with a single shot gun, it will teach them to aim well and to make the first shot count.

Consider replacing the recoil pad on an older shot gun. Old recoil pads get hard and ineffective.

I hope you will be always be there supervising your kids with a shotgun. Seven year-olds still enjoy shooting at each other with toy guns and they will shoot at each other with an "unloaded" shotgun too. Do they really comprehend that a gun is not a toy yet?

Why not start with a weak BB gun when they are mature enough to be responsible and safe with guns? You will loose enough windows, have vehicle damage, holes in the house siding and have other property damage with young kids and just a BB gun.
 
Royse;

Where do you live in Ionia County? I was around Lowell a couple of days ago. I like to fish Sessions Lake--not jetskis or big outboards tearing around.

Larry
 
Purchased an H&R .410 for my son when he was 10,did
mostly backyard shooting till he was 13 when his
first shot in the woods he bagged an 8 point buck
at 40 yds. We are taking him to Cabelas on Sunday
to purchase his Traditions Pursuit Ambush .50 cal.
inline muzzleloader.
 
The youth Remington 870 is a real nice gun that they can use for years. I would just light load it and move that up as they get used to it. I think a 410 is a waste of money, as they will outgrow it quickly.
 
I wouldn't buy a young shooter an auto loader, too easy to forget to put the safe on after the gun already chambered a live shell risking a discharge that threatens them or a friend, get them a good single shot, not one of those cheap ones like an H&R where you push the barrel release down, too easy to accidently trip the barrel instead of cocking the hammer and ejecting the shell losing a shot
 
Skip the .410 too hard to learn to hit with. Other than non moving targets.

20 and 12 ballistics are very close, it's the oz. of shot that's a little lighter in
the 20. It's a myth the 20 kicks less than the 12. Typically the 20 guns are
lighter than the 12's so felt recoil is the same or more. Chamber a 12
gauge weight gun in 20 and now that's a sweet shooting rig.

With a new shooter you need to keep them comfortable, low recoil, and
next consideration is weight of the gun. They have to be able to lift it.

Put them into a Browning gold auto or Beretta 391 gold. Both of those gas
operated semi auto guns shoot very soft. Couple that with Winchesters low
recoil loads and you'll get them addicted instead of turning them off.

Skip the pump guns. They are the best as far as durability but also kick the
hardest. Single shots are even lighter in weight which means they kick
harder.
 
Sometimes it takes years to "fix" the damage a shingle shot does to a young shooter. Usually they are light, poorly padded and kick much harder than pump shotguns, leading to poor shooting habits by the kid.

Buy a Mossberg 500 youth 20 gauge pump or something similar.
 
Stevens 310 double in 20 or 16 gauge.
My first gun was a Topper .410 and I wasn't allowed to walk with it cocked, and I wasn't able to cock it on the draw. So I never even got a shot off at a pheasant the first year. I did pretty well on incoming ducks though, where I could cock it before I shouldered it. But I wasn't a threat to pheasants until I got a double 16 ga.at age 12.
When I was 23 I bought a new Belgian Browning Superposed 3 inch 20 gauge at the base shooting club. First time I put a few three inch copper Federal 6's through it I knew I was onto something special.
That Topper is in my gun case and it has taught about 5 youngsters safe gun handling and basic marksmanship for one season. . Then they get a real gun.
 
Good to know somebody is making a decent combo. I have an ancient Savage .22/410 which drops partridge and spruce hens . Would purchase another in a minute.
 
(quoted from post at 15:37:57 11/30/12) Sometimes it takes years to "fix" the damage a shingle shot does to a young shooter. Usually they are light, poorly padded and kick much harder than pump shotguns, leading to poor shooting habits by the kid.

Buy a Mossberg 500 youth 20 gauge pump or something similar.

I think if you compare the mossberg and remington side by side, you're going to go home with the mossberg. A few little things that favor a young hunter on the mossberg plus it's a proven military design.

That's what I did anyway and my girls love it.
 
i honestly have been impressed with those maverick shotguns.sort of a "500" clone. i shoot a weatherby,mine has been a really excellent gun.much lighter to carry around than the old 1100 i have. If your looking at a single shot,try finding one of the bakail (sp) shotguns, made in russia,by one of their best/oldest gun maker and really tough old guns.what i like about them is they are hammerless,and have a real safety,so its much easier for a young person to handle safely than one you have to cock the hammer on..sold by remington now as their spartan line. really good guns for the money.
 
I bought my 8 year old a Rossi 410/22 combo and he gets along with it fine. It is a well built gun. I also in the past had bought a charles daily (remmington owned) 20 ga. pump. On the daily when the child grows up you send the stock and forearm into the company and they will replace them for free with adult sized. I haven't done this yet but when the youngest gets to needing it the adult sized I will.
 
Just don't mess up the sights on it. My son watched me adjust the sights then decided to "tighten" the rear sight and pulled it out of the dove tale. When you get Rossi to answer their phone (took 4 months of calling before I finally got a hold of someone - they don't answer emails or voice mail) they never have the part. I ordered a new rear sight in early September - still don't have it.

You can't order replacement sights because the dover tale size is specific to Rossi.
 
Grew up shooting a 20 gauge single shot with metal butt plate. When we got a clay thrower and an 870 we cut the stock down on the old 20 gauge and added a rubber recoil pad. Sure made it a lot nicer to shoot for an hour.
 
As for the folks who say an autoloader makes a kid trigger happy,all i can say is nonsense. Simply give them one shell. Ive taught many many young folks to hunt. What I do,is they carry their gun unloaded,until they are able to keep up. When they are able to keep up bird hunting behind dogs, they get one shell. They still carry guns unloaded and open until dogs point,then they step up,load, and shoot. If they miss,gun is safe and i am behind them watching for the reason and am able to coach them better. Once i am really assured they are safe,know the rules,etc then and only then do we hunt together. One very important thing you want to watch for is simply buying a gun too heavy, and especialy too muzzle heavy, for a young person. If they cant lift it and point/swing it. They will sort of put the gun to their shoulder,and arch their back to lift the muzzle.( watch yours,youll see them do it)besides being a nearly impossible angle to hit from since they cant swing,or KEEP swinging,very often they will pull the trigger at the same time,and are liable to shoot the dogs..THATS the reason most folks call single shot guns youth guns. Any hammer type gun REGARDLESS of brand is inherently less safe than a hammerless regardless of who tells you otherwise..simply because its all to easy for a person to hold the trigger down while they are cocking/decocking it,especialy a young person with weak,small hands. The safety factor was a big selling point for hammerless guns years ago. next time you go bird hunting,try this. try carrying your shotgun open .when a bird flushes simply close the breech as you mount gun.bet you find you dont miss anymore birds unless your in extremly thick cover.and you may be surprised to find you kill more birds per number of shots.no gun can fire with a open breech,thats the only true safety you have. teach you young ones never to load their guns untill they are ready to fire,and youll never have to worry about them in the feild,simply because a unloaded gun is safe.
 
one other thing,NO child regardless of age is too young to take to the field!! i just spent a week in deer camp with a 11 week old baby and a breast feeding mother.two deer with the baby in a carrier proves it can be done,IF you make allowances for it.either one or both your kids can hunt with you now,IF YOU really want them to. theres no age limit whatsoever. when their young your their hero, take them now, make allowances,bond with them a little. teach them the discipline it takes to be still and listen to you now while doing something they get excited about, and youll often find your more of a hero and less of a zero later on... well you DID ask for opinions!LOL
 
I grew up with a 16 guage, and it worked great for me- but would never buy one now, its just getting too hard to find ammunition. I think a 20 would be a better fit for a young kid. .410 is pretty useless, IMHO.
 
my 1st gun was a savage .22lr .410 over-under. got it when i was 7, and still have it. fun to shoot, and really accurrate. my wife and daughter shoot clay birds with it and are real good with it. real handy varmint gun too.
 
Jack,I commed you for all you stated. The fact you have a baby tells me that you are young and undouptly had/have (hopful he's still around) an EXELENT mentor. Far too many feel that if you don't plan on filling the sky with lead and smoke,may as well stay home. Oh,and we must also guage our sucess by how many and what size we haul back home.
 
Went from Stevens single shot 16 gauge at age 11
to a ultra light 12 gauge Benelli at age 76. Now
this is a shot gun. Easy carry, adjustable stock,(for drop and cast off)
milder recoil. Went through 12 ga side by side
Crescent, 20 ga 870 rem pump, 20 ga M5 Browning
(Belgium) auto, Stoeger 12 gauge side by side
(crude stove pipe), 1187 rem auto 12 ga. Hammer
cock is hard for youngster and totally unsafe if
allowed to carry cocked. Pumps are harder to carry
for short arms, 1187 is heavy and they soot
everything up with one shot. Still have the 1187 (good gun) and sold my browning auto to son for 5 times what I paid. (his idea, not mine).
 
jackinok, I admire your hunting, gun safety, logic and common sense you have used in a noble cause although those of us on a tighter budget might have to approach it with a pump. Although I have mainly shot a 12 gauge for the last 50 years, about 5 years ago I bought a 20ga Charles Daly semi-auto at Wal Mart for less than $300. I think they are made in Turkey, but it weighs, balances and swings a lot like an 1100 (IMHO). It is a lot easier to carry than a 12 gauge 1100 although the recoil from a lighter gun seems similar. Congratulations again on your Hunter Safety concept!!
 
that was my thoughts behind the auto loader also my 7 year old already has a BB gun and as I previously state is not ready for a shotgun but I would like to purchase one for each child now. I'm wanting an auto loader because it reduces recoil.
 
I think a 20 Ga would be a good choice for a young child.

When small, my father bought me a 410 but it was choked down so much that I became discouraged.

I was in high school before I realized that some shot guns do not shoot like rifles.

Dean
 
being too weak to cock the hammer is like being too weak to run the clutch on a tractor, when they can prove they are strong enough and responsible then they can drive the tractor and shoot the gun
 
My grandson wouldn't shoot the 410, his buddy told him they kick like a mule. There is a story behind it, but I bought him a Mossberg 20 ga youth model combo at 11 years old. Took natural to that rifled slug barrel. Not one word about recoil. He will be 16 in Jan.
 
I got a NEF Pardner for my kids - Nice little gun. However I would not recommend a .410. Too light and ammunition is far more expensive than it should be. Were I to do it again, would get a 20ga. Guess if I wanted to spend a few bucks, (less than a hundred) I could get it rebarreled. NEF/H&R rebarrels their guns in a large selection of guages, rifle calibers, depending on the particular action. So your gun can grow with the needs of your shooter.

Have several NEF/H&R guns, Love them. Fun to shoot, far more gun for the money than they ought to be.
 
I agree with being able to cock the hammer,BUT theres a mental process that has to take place there.Especialy when DECOCKING the hammer.it has to either be done enough its second nature, or it takes serious thought process to do it safely. either one is liable to be overlooked or forgotten in the excitement of the hunt.especialy for a young person or a inexperienced hunter. i bet if you checked ,probably 99% of the accidents that happen with these guns happen when they are being decocked. hammer block safeties have all but eliminated not getting the hammer all the way back and gun firing,but to make it safe decocking you have to pull the trigger on a live round,while holding the hammer back,releasing the trigger, letting the hammer fall, then in most cases recocking back to half cock.lots of stuff for a excited young person to remember,and quite honestly ive seen several grown folks just plain not coodinated enough to do it right.to me a single gun is for a seasoned hunter.if you honestly believe these guns are for you or yours,start off teaching your children to carry them with the action open. cocked or decocked then makes no difference.teach your young one to open the action before decocking, and you know gun wont fire.
 
if i were today looking for a pump, for a young persons gun,i wouldnt look any farther than one of those maverick shotguns.they are cheap,reliable guns,good quality for the price,and are realitively lightweight in 20 ga.modeled basicaly after the model 500 which isnt a bad gun by itself.later on when a chid reaches full grown, invest in a gun made to fit them if they remain interested.thats my opinion of course.
 

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