The_Tomcat

My 12 year old just passed his hunters safety course in NY and of course he had to get his turkey and small game license. He is asking for a gun now. Can you guys/gals give me some advice on a decent (price and function) shotgun. I'm thinking of a 20 gauge but am open to suggestions. Also, do you have any suggestions of where to buy a used/new gun.

Thanks for your help.

jrbsr

It depends on his body size.
If he is a big hefty boy a 20 ga would be ok
If he is small boy like my 12 year old is,
I would go with a .410 and shoot at targets.
Then when he is bigger in size I would go to a 20 ga.
If you learn on a .410 and can hit with it,
Then you will be good with larger guns.

If you start with a gun to large it will cause a flinch.
Thats what happened to me.
And once you have a flinch it sticks with you a long long time.

Im 46 and I still flinch some times.

Go to pawn shops you can get sme good deals there.
But be carefull what you buy.

I hope this helps and Good Luck.

Zdeerslayer

I would go w/ the 20 gauge. For target shooting he can use the reduced recoil or skeet rounds. But he can still use it for turkey hunting, deer hunting and small game. The 20 gauge is great because he won't out-grow it like a .410 Also where do you live, because if there is a Gander Mtn. near you thats your best bet, if not try your local Wal-Mart or gun shop.

BuckBox Displays

I also agree with a 20 guage. I think it's a very appropriate choice. It's how I got started, and turkey's are a heck of a lot tougher than some give em credit for. That 20 will put em down.

The_Tomcat

He's pretty big for his age...5' 1" and 125 lbs...

Wal Mart is no longer selling guns effective April 28th here in NY.

We have a Gander Mountain in Erie, PA (45 minutes away) and was thinking of heading there...

Should I just get him a single shot? or one that holds 3/4 shells?

Thanks again for all your help people.

jepcho

If I was you, I'd get either a 20 or 12 gauge remington 870 pump. You can get them new most places for about $230-$240

Borch

My daughter shoots an 870 youth. It'll do anything the 12 does with less recoil and is smaller/lighter. With a Primos tight wad choke paired with Rem #6 Hevi shot she's getting an average of 15 hits in bone at a measured 40 yards. It'll get it done.

Bob H in NH

I have two boys, one has the 870Youth from remington, the other has the Bantam from Mossberg, both are great guns, both came with slug barrels as well.

The remington is a bit nicer of a gun, while the mossberg is a bit cheaper. The mossberg also comes with a discount certificate to "upgrade" the stock to a full sized model 500.

the mossberg slug barrel is also ported.

Ya 20 works fine on birds

buckoff15

I got started out on a Remington 20 gauge pump. Worked good until the birds got faster and smarter....lol....but then I jumped up to a 12 ga. pump and have been using it ever since. I always went by stock length, have your son put his shooting finger on the trigger (make sure its unloaded) and see where the end of the stock comes. If its short of his bicep, might want to get it shortend, but it should be snug or right up to it... as of umph...he should be able to handle the kick of a 20 ga. I was only 15 lbs heavier than him at that age.....good luck.

P.S. I would watch out at the pawn shops.....

mouthcaller

Tomcat

You will no doubt get a variety of answers here, but some important considerations will determine the right gun for your son. Here's my free advice and worth every penny :-). I faced your decision about 5 months ago.

1. How much money do you want to spend?

2. Do you have a preferred action (pump vs. semi-auto). I presume thata single-shot is nota consideration.

3. Will the gun be used for turkey exclusively or for othergame as well?

Without knowing your answers I'll suggest two shotguns which I have experience with andcan highly recommend:

Suggestion for a 12 gauge - Remington 11-87
I think you said that your son was 5'1" and 125 lbs. My nephew (age 11) isabout that sizeand easily handles a Remington 11-87 (semiauto) 12 gauge. He shot a turkey with it last w/end and used it effectively on ducks this past winter The gas-operated action of the semiauto will reduce recoil significantly. The 2 3/4" Remington Hevi-Shot load that he shot the bird with (hammered it from 37 yards) is very mild, and a ported choke (relatively inexpensive) will reduce recoil even further. Before buying a 20 gauge you should really stop by a gun shop with your son and see if he is big enough to handle this gun, which in a 12 gauge is a shotgun he can hunt the rest of his life with.

20 gauge Youth Guns
My son (age 10) is still too short to handle a 12 gauge, and I bought him a Remington 870 (pump) youth gun for Christmas. I have hunted with an 870 for 20+ years and I love it. It is a proven, reliable, well-made, simpleshotgun. It has never failed to shoot and I can take it completely apart, clean it, and put it back together in less than 5 minutes. To be honost, however,I wish I had gotten him the Mossberg youth gun. The folks at Remington just didn't seem to give this youth gun much forethought in terms of dimensions and design. The gun is lighter primarily due to the shorter barrel,but in every respect identical to the full-size 870 except for a slightly shorterstockand the 21-inch barrel. All of my hunting buddies that bought one for their kids had to saw the damn stock off, as did we. Even with as much of the stock taken off as we could my son has trouble reaching the forearm, which is the same distance form the action as the regular 870.

The Mossberg youth gun (pump-action) has a removable butt section and recoil pad, making it easier to adjust the length of pull (no sawing or gunsmith work needed). It also has a forearm that is much easier to reach (extended closer to the rear of the gun if that makes sense), which makes for a comfortable sitting position while turkey hunting. My son has to extend his arm completelyto reach the forearm of the 870 which makes it impossible to hold the gun for any extended period of time, even when supported on his knee. I had to get a monopod that attaches to the barrel so he could hold and steady the gun while turkey hunting. Had I gotten the Mossberghe stillmight have been forced to use the monopod, but the Mossberg is a better fit for him overall. We went to the NWTF convention in Nashville and he held and aimed the Mossberg, and it really fit him well. I recently started using a Mossberg 835 and it has worked well on the two turkeys that came in front of it so far this season. My Dad won one at a NWTF banquet and has been using it exclusively for turkey and ducks for about 3 years now with no problems. The Mossberg fit and finish doesn't seem as good as the Remington, but for a youth gun that your kid will outgrow I don't see that as a big issue.

Email me if you like and I'll be happy to help anyway I can. I willbe interested in hearing what you decide. Good luck this season.

Mouthcaller