which shotgun for an 11 year old

so im taking my stepson hunting for the first time this year and debating on what shot gun to get him. i was thinking a youth model but hes gonna out grow it in a year so im going back and forth between a mossberge 12 or 20 in a pump. i know i started out with a 12 but hes a little more leery of the recoil. ive had him shooting a 410 and he seems okay with it, but i want a gun that hes gonna be able to use for more than squirrle and rabbit. common sense tells me to let him use mine and see what he thinks. but i remember unwrapping my first gun at that age and it really turned me into a hunting addict.

I would buy him a youth model 20 gauge to make sure it fits him and the kick is minimal. This used youth model shotguns are real easy to resell and hold there value pretty well. Like you said if you want to get your kids hooked make it as pleasent for them as you can. Shooting a gun that doesnt fit or has to much recoil could turn a youngster off forever.

Lastnight I just picked up a Mossberg Super Bantam. It starts with a 12″ pull and as he grows I add a spacer for a 13″ pull. The gun comes with a 50% off coupon for a full size 14″ pull stock for when he outgrows the smaller stock.

For me the selling point is the saftey is on the back of the receiver where I can see easier as to what he is doing.

What is it with kids these days? My buddies kids both are scared of recoil as well. I started with a 12 ga side by side which kicked like a mule and a 30-06 with 180 grain home loads.

HC, I would start him off with a 20 ga youth model. Can’t tell you what brand.

Totally off the subject but regarding recoil, do you suppose it’s because kids aren’t allowed to “play rough” anymore….. kind of bleeding over, or is it really just that at that age, kids are still foreign to the idea of something jolting them doesn’t mean it hurts?

My son, at 11, wanted nothing to do with “big guns”….. but shot .22’s all day long. At 12, I told him it’s easier than getting a shot. You know the needle is uncomfortable, but it doesn’t really hurt. Recoil is even less uncomfortable, we just have to do it right. So, 20 gauge in hand, youth model, I had him positioned proper and just told him to squeeze the stock tight and pull the trigger. Don’t even worry about the aim, just get the recoil concern overwith. BANG! He looked up at me and said, “I was afraid of that?” At 16, he shot my .300wsm and giggled, “Can I shoot it again?”

The only thing I’d like to add to this topic is, do you know if he’s right or left handed? The family got surprised by one of our “newbies” last year…. that does a lot of things right handed but he’s a lefty in other regards and is definitely left eye dominant. We went to single shot for now but I’m thinking I’ll invest in Browning BPS’s now…… that way it’ll never matter if they’re right or left.

he is right handed. still working on teaching him how to aim. i bought a eye patch to put over his eye for now while practicing with a bb gun to help and so far its working. putting him through hunters safety this fall so he can see other kids and have fun with it.

Far as kids playing rough anymore i dont know. in des moines it seems like all the kids are a touch soft. youll see a few youngsters start to and their mom or who ever they are with is right there scolding them for it. i am proud though that other than with guns and anything requiring much patients my stepson is starting to toughen up. woulda been there a long time ago if not for his poor excuse of a father. but thats for another post!

I would reccomend the youth 20ga for a starter,I learned while breaking in 3 boys that they needed to feel comfortable shooting the smaller shotgun and you know once they get to that point as they start getting excited about getting ahold of your 12ga and the rest becomes history.As mentioned earlier used youth guns are relatively a good investment as they sell fast or bring decent trade value when its time to upgrade.

I’d suggest a used youth pump action in 20 gage.

My reasoning is that there are several advantages to this choice:

1. Many to choose from both in stores and online.

2. Variety of loads will allow you to start with “soft” target loads and then many guns will let you go all the way to 3 inch mags.

3. The 20 gauge does not kick significatly more than 410 bore, but has a much greater pellet count. Or put another way, he will actually be able to hit something with a 20.

4. There is always a rotating market for this type of gun so local resale is generally easy and at worst you’ll lose very little value.

5. Many youth models have an adjustable stock. Very important to start out right by getting the fit right.

Regarding the issue of recoil:

Don’t push it. Regardless of your feelings about “kids these days”, going soft, etc, etc, realize that “toughing him up” by making him pound his shoulder into hamberger with a 12 gauge is about the dumbest and worst thing you can do if you want to keep him interested.

I’ve seen many kids put off of hunting by being forced to use Granpa’s Ol’ Mule Kicker until they were in tears from the recoil. I’d like to take some of these rockhead tough guys and make them shoot hot .338 loads until they cry like a little girl just so they can understand what a 12 year old feels when it comes to even the recoil of a modest caliber.

All of us have our limits when it comes to recoil and my experience is that most people’s limits is a lot lower then they like to think. I’ve “helped” several people at the gun club when they complained that ther elk rifle “didn’t group well”. In all 3 cases, the rifle grouped very well, it was the guy behind the stock that didn’t group well because he was flinching like spastic because he couldn’t handle the recoil of a .300 Win Mag. Being 12 years old and weighing south of 100 pounds, it doesn’t take much for the recoil to hurt.

IMO, what helps a lot is moving to clay shooting quickly. Once there is a moving target to focus on, modest recoil goes almost unnoticed. Thing about your own experience, do you notice recoil when 3 roosters get up in one bunch?

Grouse