My 12 Year Old - Part 2 - need help please

[The_Tomcat]

For those who responded before about which gun to get my 12 yr old son another "Thank You"

Updated: We got the Mossberg 500 20 gauge youth gun-came w/modified, improved and full chokes.

So wego out to sight in the gun. I shot a couple shots first-3" #5 shot,full choke...

Heres the thing...my son wouldn't shoot it! He was scared (I've never seen him cry over anything like this)...I had ear protection on him but I think the noise was intimidating for him. I wasn't too happy to say the least and didn't handle it very well.....I later apologized to him for yelling at him and told him we would try again at a different time.

Heres was my solution ....I told him we would shoot 2 3/4" with the modified choke and use some light loads....maybe something for clays.....would this help with the noise and recoil?? I think once he shoots it a few times he'll be fine. I made the mistake of putting in 3" to start with the full choke to start with....

Help me please, is this a good solution?

[Mastevt]

My son was the same, but when he had a real turkey in front of him, all was forgoten, he didn't even remember the recoil. You might want to approch this angle with him. Brandon didn't even remember the gun blast. Hope this helps. Goodluck.

[JW]

yes start with light trap loads.

Put milk jugs of water outthere and let him blow them up...a stationary target is btter than throwing clays.....that will come in time but you want to make sure he hits something...or try letting ballons float on the ground

always make sure he has hearing protection......and if he shows no interest and still refuses...you must say that is okay and walk away happy....


Full choke with light loads won't make a difference. Though a 20 pump kicks just as hard as a 12 auto IMO.


I have one child who does and one that won't...

JW

[mouthcaller]

Tomcat

Question: Has he ever shot a shotgun or centerfire rifle before?

First I'm sorry to hear about your experience. The choice of choke doesn't affect recoil or muzzle blast. Use the full choke for Turkey hunting and, if it patterns well, go with it. If not, get an extra full choke, either from Mossberg or an another manufacturer. The choice of a ported choke is more difficult in your case, as it sounds like your son is frightened by the muzzle blast and not the recoil. Ported chokes are louder because they disperse the gas at right angles from the muzzle, thereby reducing recoil but increasing muzzle blast.

My son (age 10) doesn't have a problem shooting rifles or shotguns,so I can't offer advice based on an adverse experience with him. He killed his first deer at age 8 with my 30.06, and since has takentwo more with it. I got him the 870 youth gun with a Primos Tightwad Ported choke. It is loud, especially with the 21 inch barrel,and it kicks a bit, but not excessively (that is a personalopinion however). Hearing protection is a must when target shooting.

My suggestions:

Absolutely use hearing protection everytime he shoots it other than while turkey hunting.

Let him take his first shots with light-load, low brass dove shells from a standing position (you can show him that the gun doesn'tkick with these shells by shooting it yourself). From a standing position it is easy to roll with the recoil. Throw some stuff up in the air like dirtclods or cansfor him to shoot and make it easy for him to have some success and positive feedback. You might also consider stationary targets like plastic 2-liter bottles full of water as someone mentioned.

Move up to heavy loads or turkey loads, again shooting from a standing position.

Only after he is confident would you let him shoot from a sitting position with the gun, aiming at turkey targets at 20-25 yards. Make it easy for him to hit the target squarely by using a rest of some sort or shooting sticks.

Consider purchasing a PAST recoil pad for him to use. It slips over the shoulder and is a great recoil reducer. Itmay give him confidence that he can shoot the gun without excessive recoil. I use it every time I shoot muzzloaders, centerfire rifles, or shotguns at the range. I even use it waterfowl hunting when a lot of shooting is expected. He could wear it under his clothes for turkey hunting.

Here is a link to the PAST recoil pad: http://www.battenfeldtechnologies.com/350010.html

You will have to take some baby steps to introduce him to the gun and establish his confidence. Take your time and let him have some fun.

Good luck

Mouthcaller

[BigLouie]

has he shot a .22, how about a .410? Start low and move him up. Make sure you got a good recoil pad on there and maybe even have him wear some extra clothing while practicing to help absorb the recoil.

[ryncam16]

well im 16 i consider my slef a kid kind of but yea id get oneof those slip on recoil pads so it softens it up and that way he doesnt devolpe a flinch or get scrae dof the gun becaause you got to be confident when you shooting and if your flinching like i used to and it hurts itsa not as fun but deffinitly let him shjoot at like water jugs full of water because this way he will be blowing somthing up and thinking aobut that rather then the recoil and sound.

[HStomslayer870]

hey, im 17 now, but i remember being in your sons position. i shot a turkey round once and the gun popped me right in the nose and the tears followed shortly. trap loads will def reduce recoil. thats how i practice for turkey, there is no sense to me to take a pounding from heavy loads. practice with the lighter ones. i think that will be much more enjoyable for your son. another thing i wanted to say is that like some of these other guys have mentioned, once a turkey is infront of him, he wont feel a thing. something else you might want to try, if you get a super full choke made for turkey hunting, even a trap load can be deadly, even if its at shorter ranges. some of the other guys may think im nuts to suggest going after a turkey without a turkey load, but to me, if your son doesnt enjoy it, and is scared to pull the trigger, whats the point? hunting is supposed to be fun. give it a try, find a nice tight choke and put some 6's or 7's through it, see how it goes. good luck!!

[Adirondack Hunter]

Well i would say give him a light load and encourage him, tell him you will take himfor icecream if he shoots the gun. Also do something fun like take clays out and set them up for him to shoot, or fill sodacans with water and let him shoot them. Once he is used to the lighter loads, ask him if he wants to try the turkey load, but still encourage him to do it. If he still doesnt want to do it, then dont force him into it.

[The_Tomcat]

Thank you all for the help, Please keep the advice coming...

THANK YOU

Are you guys saying it would be easier for him to be standing? Because I had him sitting in his turkey seat against a tree.


And he's shot a .22 a few times...but we can't hunt with that in NY

[mouthcaller]

Tomcat,

The reason I suggested having him stand to initially shoot the gun is that from a standing positionhis shoulder canmove to absorb the recoil. If you sit him with his back up against a tree where will his shoulder go with the recoil - right into the tree. That hurts. My Dad, a stocky ex football player, reallyinjured his shoulder with a Mossberg 835 one year. The turkey came up on his right and his shouldergot pinned between the gun and the tree. When he pulled the trigger his shoulder absorbed all the recoil because it couldn't move with the gun. He had to make two trips out of the woods, one with the gun and another with the Turkey, because he couldn't lift anything with his right arm.

Standing is the easiest way to absorb the recoil from any firearm.

Once he is confident shooting light loads from a standing position you can sit him down to simulate turkey hunting, just make sure he isn't against something that would prevent him or his shoulder from moving with the recoil of the gun.

For what its worth I wouldn't advise shooting light loads for hunting. Having a wounded turkey get away is the worst feeling in hunting, and more likely if you are undergunned. It has happened to me twice, years ago,and I am still not over it. You don't want to start out like that. If he gets a shot at a live bird I assure you, he won't even hear the gun go off.

Mouthcaller