28 gauge shotguns
 

I want to get my boy a shotgun, he is 7. I don' t want to get him a .410 because it' s too small, wont kill anything, and I think a 20 gauge would be too big right now.

Does anyone know anything about 28 gauge, like if the kick much harder than a 410 or what kind of ammo I can find?

RE: 28 gauge shotguns
 

Hmm, tell that to the 100s or squirrels, rabbits, varmints and birds I have killed with a single-shot .410 bore shotgun. The .410 is a killer, but I will agree it is not the best choice to start a child with. I wish I had started on a 20 gauge instead because you normally point the other shotguns, but have to aim a .410.

RE: 28 gauge shotguns
 

Like frizzellr said, a .410 has harvested many a squirrel for me and my grandfather. He started me out with that gun. I was also 13 at the time thought, and like frizz said again you have to aim it. A smaller kid needs to be able to point. I don' t know anything about 18 guages except that I never see any 28 ga. ammo in the stores.

RE: 28 gauge shotguns
 

You won' t be sorry if you buy a 28 gauge for your son. About 15 years ago I did the same for my boy and it was a great purchase. On the surface one wouldn' t think 3/4 oz. of shot would pattern much better than 1/2 oz or 11/16 oz of shot but there are a couple of key differences that play an important role that makes the 28 a better choice than the 410.

1. The shot column itself is a huge difference. The .410 caliber is longer and narrower than the .28 gauge. Check out the bore size and you will see what I am talking about. This factor alone helps in a tremendous way when it comes to patterns. For this reason I have never found that the 3 inch shell (11/16 oz.) in the 410 patterns that much better than the 2 3/4 inch shell (1/2 oz.).

2. I think the wads for the 28 are also a key. The 410 wad has no padding as it sits on the powder. Everything is crammed in real tight and because of this and the narrow bore you potentially have a greater chance of shot deformation and bore scrub with the shot column. This of course decimates patterns.

Recoil for the 28 is also very light. Of course it is greater than the 410 but very manageable even for younger shooters. It is certainly noticeably less than the 20 gauge.

I haven' t had a problem finding ammo at any gun shop.

Good luck.

RE: 28 gauge shotguns
 

I' m against the .410. They wound far too much game unless you' re right on top of them. The 28 would be better with a 20 gauge better yet, but as you said it may be too big for him.

A friend of mine who' s shot competitive skeet and trap for years told me he didn' t allow his sons to shoot a shotgun till they could handle a 20 or 12 guage. He felt the 410' s caused too many missed shots on the range. He was afraid this would lead to confidence problems. I' m not saying he' s right, but all three sons are now grown and extremely good wing shots.

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: 28 gauge shotguns
 

I started my son out with a 28 and he' s actually stuck with it.We hunt mostly upland birds over pointing dogs and the 28 is just fine for that.It has minimal recoil, great patterns and kills birds far better than you' d think 3/4 oz of shot would.The only downside is the availability of shells.That' s why I reload.You can get a Mec JR for around $85-$100 and using 13grns of powder and 3/4 oz of shot per shell you can shoot alot for just a little.

RE: 28 gauge shotguns
 

The 28 shoots about the same shot charge as a .410, so it recoils about the same also. The 28 generally has a little better pattern because the larger bore diameter damages shot less, and gives a shorter shot string also, so is a little better than a .410. But both are specialist' s guns, best left to the wingshooting experts, and are NOT beginner' s guns....

RE: 28 gauge shotguns
 

This is just a thought......Get your son a youth model Remington 870 Express in 20 gauge and handload some light loads for him until he gets used to the gun and recoil. If you are not currently a handloader, it is fairly inexpensive to purchase the equipment to load shotshells and a good way to pass some time. Or, you may know someone that is experienced and has the manuals to work up some loads for you. I started out with a .410 30 years ago and still have it. But, it wasn' t until I got a 20 ga. that I really started putting meat on the table.

RE: 28 gauge shotguns
 

I think the 28-gauge would be a great choice. The 20-gauge is a close second.
I own a Beretta 20-gauge & 28-gauge two barrel set over/under shotgun. This shotgun fits me very well. I have shot several thousand rounds with both the 20 & 28 gauges. There is very little difference in the felt recoil between the two gauges. The ammo for the 28-gauge is harder to find & more expensive than the 20-gauge. If you find a great buy on a 20-gauge I would buy it and pass on the 28-gauge. Either way you go you will have a starter gun for a young boy.