Youth 20 ga. opinion/advice

[luv2hunt]

OK, a question to the masses:

My daughter is soon to be 9 and my son soon to be 7. They both LOVE to shoot the 22 and I have a single shot that they have tried to waterswat a duck with and my son used it for turkey hunting this past season.

I'd like to get them an auto 20 ga. and buy an extra stock to cut off for them to use now and then to put back on after they 'grow into it'. I'd love to pick up a Remington 1100 for them to use. Any other semi auto's that y'all would recommend?

Something to be concerned with is my daughter is right eye dominant & my son is left eye dominant and he can't shoot right handed. Am I looking to buy 2 guns; possibly an O/U with a good recoil pad(Sims Vibration) to put on it?

Thanks in advance.

Ted

[cusportsman]

my brother has a stoeger 20 ga. O/U, but he doesn't like to shoot it b/c he has trouble getting the safety off (i don't have a problem with it, sure it could be easily fixed) it's the top thumb type safety

anyways, i would recommend an O/U if you want them both to shoot the same gun, my brother is left eye dominant and my dad didn't want to spend the coin on a left handed gun

if my 1100 didn't have sentimental value i might would sell it, they are sweet guns

[highballing22]

i used to shoot a remington 870 20 gauge and i loved it. i know its not an automatic but it is still a sweet shootin gun. it isnt bad on recoil and it is a good bit less expensive than the 1100(i think)

hope this helps

[adk]

browning gold 20 gauges are sweet

beretta, benneli, remington, etc. all good brands.

[saltynut]

Ted I have a 20ga 1100 magnum I would let go. 1971 model 26" modified barrell.

[luv2hunt]

Rob, PM on the way!

[cajunwannabe]

Mossberg youth 20 ga.

Paid $200 so they're CHEAP!

Safety is on TOP...FOR ALL TO SEE
Pump action release is BEHIND the triggerguard (vs. in FRONT on most others)
Shorter Reach to the forearm.
Shots 2 3/4 and 3 inch shells (started each of them on low brass and finished them on high mag. 3" shells) My youngest still hunts with his.
Vented Rib barrel
Various screw in chokes (you must use anti sieze on the threads tho')
Drilled for a SCOPE.
Available with sling swivel "eyes"

I chose to steer clear of semi auto's for NUMEROUS safety reasons.

You can start them out shooting a single shot without the worry of them pinching their fingers in the semi auto action OR a hammer style single shot.


Both my boys have killed dove, ducks, deer, turkey, rabbit, etc with these guns. I have two of these guns and with a load of #8's....AWESOME home protection.

They are an excellent beater gun for hunting rabbits in the briars too! Bottom line, they were all I could afford at the time and I got plenty of pictures to prove the killing ability of these guns.

[luv2hunt]

Cajun, how's the recoil on them with #8s? is it gonna wear them out? My son at almost 7 doesn't have any meat on him, and my daughter, well, just not sure how she'll handle the recoil. I could put a Sims Recoil on it.

If I went with a pump, Browning is bottom eject so wouldn't matter, left or right.

We've got a single shot 20 that I used and I guess they could/should too, they've both used it duck hunting and my son used it for turkey hunting, but it's one of those things, you want better for your kids.

[SCTIMBER]

Your cheapest bet would be a pump (Browning like you said is bottom ejection). I might mention that a Browning to me is a hefty gun, unless you go with a youth model.

I would look into the O/U, it would be easier for both to use plus teach them to be as accurate as possible considering you only have two shells until reload vs. 4 in an auto

[Fish]

The first relevant question to be asked here is, how much do you want to spend. If you are on a tight bugdet, you're relegated to either a heavy gun or a gun that will produce heavy recoil.

If you have a thousand bucks to throw at it, you can get a Beretta Urika 20 ga. youth model and solve all these problems. I have one of these guns and I let my younger shooting students use it during lessons. This gun is worth every penny.

[rowdy]

no need to buy two guns i shoot left handed with a remington 1100 and neve have had a problem all of my gun are right handed gun except my browning bps

[Phone Man]

look into those mossberg silver reserve O/U. I got a buddy that has one and its ok for 400 bucks. Also, look at an ithaca model 37 featherlite. THey throw real well and they eject from the bottom so it is ambidexterous. So is the browning bps, but you could get a used 37 for around 300 bucks i would guess. I know you were considering an auto, but take a serious look at the 37, it is the smoothest pump you will ever shoot.

[skrimp]

I have the 1100 and 870 youth models and like the 870 better. Its lighter even though it kicks a little more. The 870 will also shoot 3in shells. What I did was buy the 870 with a wood stock, cut it to fit my son when he was 5 and then added longer recoil pads as he grew. When it would fit, I bought a regular youth synthetic.

[Snake Jenkins]

Listen to Fish the Beretta 391 (or a 390 for that matter) in a 20 ga will have less recoil and still be able to chamber 3" shells. AS far as the safety factor just load one shell at a time until they (and you ) are comfortable with multiple shells

[saltynut]

Just out of curiosity how much less recoil would a 390 or 391 have in comparison to an 1100?

[cusportsman]

can barely feel my 1100 and i don't even have a recoil pad on it, just the stock plastic butt plate

[murraywader]

CU I have the same problem with the Stoeger O/U Youth. The safety is yet to loosen up.

[Snake Jenkins]

Salty to me it (the beretta) has less of a felt recoil impulse than the 1100, how much less I don't know. But I do know that it will cycle the 2 3/4" and 3" hulls flawlessly and seams to be easier for smaller folks to shoot well than the 1100.

[Scatters]

I would not buy 2 guns unless there are sharing issues. I am left handed and have never shot a left handed gun. Some leftys say they can see the shell coming across there face. I never have, guess I am too concentrated on the target. I started with a remington women/youth model 20ga, excellent gun, my dad still has it for my little ones.

[saltynut]

Salty to me it (the beretta) has less of a felt recoil impulse than the 1100, how much less I don't know. But I do know that it will cycle the 2 3/4" and 3" hulls flawlessly and seams to be easier for smaller folks to shoot well than the 1100.

Thank you for the response. I have wondered that for a while. My Fiance loves to shoot clays but doesn't tolerate the recoil very well. Looks like she will be getting a Beretta.