Shotgun for daughter

[Divided Attention]

Just my 1/2 cents worth as that is all I have to offer. I know 9Year old 4-H kids that shoot competitively with .410 up to 12g, but the fit is vital. That being said - equally important is practicing mounting the shotgun properly! Not having the proper mount can mean the difference between "Wow! That was fun" and "I never want to shoot a shotgun again!" I never enjoyed shotgun much until I had the extreme pleasure of taking a class for ladies defensive shotgun. (Hubby got me a Knoxx stock - recoil reducing stock) We put almost 100 rounds through and I had one tiny bruise - I rushed a drill and didn't pull the shotgun in tight enough. I had a blast!

Some people are more recoil sensitive than others. I would see if you can "test drive" some different shotguns before investing. JMPHO.

[Jumping Frog]

I started my son on a 20 gauge when he was 8 or 9. He was a rough and tumble kid, loved playing football, loved hitting.

He hated the recoil, didn't want to shoot it, and within 20 shots was starting to develop a noticeable flinch. I immediately stopped him from shooting it, got rid of the 20 gauge and got him a single shot H&R .410 for about $150 or so.

He loved it, loved shooting it, and was suddenly interested in shooting again. After a couple of years, he was bigger & stronger. I sold the .410 for about what I paid for it, and got him a 20 gauge. A little later, he moved to 12 gauge.

It is usually a better bet to prevent a kid developing a flinch than to try to correct a flinch after the fact.

[ShootDontTalk]

A question and a thought.

1. 9 year olds don't have much experience handling any kind of firearm and need instruction in the fundamentals of shooting - sight alignment and trigger control. Why are you set on a shotgun? In my many years of experience, aerial gunnery is pretty far down the list of things to learn after the fundamentals.

2. I have helped a lot of kids get started in shooting and have never even considered jumping over the fundamentals as taught on a good single shot .22. Cheap ammo - still cheaper and much easier to find than 20 or 28 ga. No recoil save a little positive feedback. You can even teach the basics of shooting a shotgun at flying targets if you can find a range that will let you hang swinging targets.

I would rather be spending quality time on the range teaching with a simple .22 than struggling over finding a shotgun to work with someone so young. YMMV

[Selina Kyle]

I do get up to DFW sometimes and would love to get her to try out different guns.

I have a long history with shotguns - shooting, hunting, competing and coaching - and there are a few folks here who might confirm that I know what I'm talking about.

1. I would not buy anything yet, especially over the internet. Get some ideas from it and see what's out there, sure - but don't waste your money until you get home.

2a. Take her to a range where they have rental guns and see what she can handle; in DFW, Elm Fork range has rental guns in 12 and 20-gauges and you can usually scrounge up/borrow a smaller gauge to try out.

2b. Not just the gauge is important, so too is the weight of the gun itself - can she actually shoulder a 20-gauge (or whatever gauge) comfortably?

3. Fit is a BIG DEAL on a shotgun - so if you're serious about shooting with her for years to come, be prepared to spend some dough as she will grow and the shotgun-fit will change.

Basically - if it's too heavy or kicks too much or doesn't fit right, she won't enjoy it.

Me, if I had toss everything in the air and buy one shotgun (that I'd checked for fit), it would be a 20-gauge O/U with a set of 28-gauge sub-tubes; she can learn on the 28 and work her way up to the 20 over time. However, if it turns out she *can* handle a 20 right from the word go, then get a 20-ga semi-auto fit to her.

Good info here!!! This year I've learned to shoot pistols and rifles, so my next goal for myself is to try a shot gun. Hubs has a 12 gauge - it's gorgeous, but it intimidates me a bit, lol! I've been following this thread to see what other folks think. Even though I'm not a child, I'm very much a beginner.

[CC Italian]

Divided attention- (Hubby got me a Knoxx stock - recoil reducing stock) We put almost 100 rounds through and I had one tiny bruise - I rushed a drill and didn't pull the shotgun in tight enough. I had a blast!


Listen to divided! This is exactly what I had to do for my 4 foot 10 wife. I went with the 20 for several reasons. Here are the main ones.

Weight- Even in a short barrel it weighs a little less and while less weight is your enemy in recoil my wife is tiny. The 12 gauge gets heavy for her after just a couple of minutes.

General size- The 20 is just smaller in almost all dimensions and easier for her to move around with. In fact unless you are a larger framed guy the 20 is probably better then most 12 gauges in a close hallway situation.

Recoil- overall recoil is less but remember that most 20 gauge shottys are about 20% lighter on average with the same barrel length as a 12 gauge. Really small 20s can recoil more then a 12 gauge easily.

stopping power (or payload or target if you will)- Bottom line, even some of the basic Remington #3 buckshot with 20 pellets is going to be just as effective as a 12 gauge at close range. Shoot them back to back within 15 yards and you will see what I mean. It is a shotgun and one round of 20 gauge buck is worth more then 2 .45acp imo. My point is that if you feel more then confident with a .45acp then the 20 guage is a non-issue.

Length of pull- Most 20 gauge shotguns with very short lengths of pull are youth models and get very light in weight. My wife hated the mossberg youth 505 (felt nice until she shot it, lot of recoil). What she ended up with is the Remington 870 youth express with a 21 inch barrel and then I added the Knoxx stock- recoil reducing that made length of pull a non issue and the recoil even easier on her. Works great for her!

[Selina Kyle]

Thanks Andy!!! I'm kinda leaning toward the 20 gauge. It seems like a good starting point. I'll eventually work my way up to the big daddy. :)