Suitable Gun for a Junior

[Geo]

Dear Pigeonwatchers,

 

My 10 year old daughter had her first clay shooting experience at the weekend , shooting 25 clays with an instructor. She really enjoyed it and asked if she could have her own gun after a few more lessons so that she can come with me more regularly.

 

She usually presses the buttons ,keeps score and laughs at my misses , but is now keen to shoot alongside me .

 

She used a 410 over and under which she could just about handle , she shot quite well with it at first hitting about 50% of incoming driven birds but then got tired and started leaning back to counteract the weight which didn't help towards the end.

 

I have heard it said many times that a 410 is not a beginner's gun just because it is small ,as the pattern is also small and you need to be pretty good with it to get consistent results.

 

What would be best for a youngster when considering weight/ recoil ? I don't want to put her off , which is the reason I have got her some proper instruction from the start rather than teaching her my bad habits!

 

All advice gratefully received.

 

Cheers.

[Stonepark]

A modern 410 ou is perfectly acceptable. The only thing to watch is the chokes and to request 3/4 at most on tightest barrel.

 

Keep shot size 7 1/2 at largest and you will be able to drop anthing up to a pheasant/rabbit to 30 yards with 18g 3 inch or for clays, 9's are ideal but may need to go to 2.5 inch.

 

If you cannot get reasonable ckokes or multichoke have the gun bored out to. 395 and. 400 and keep in mind that cost when budgeting.

[fenboy]

They may not be ideal but I am betting many 1000s of people have started their shooting career with the little 410.

If that is all she can presently manage weight wise you have answered your own question really .

 

Just bare in mind the guns limits when picking targets for her to shoot , nice easy ones that she has a good chance of hitting , much more interesting than missing difficult ones for them at that age .

 

Move up the gauges as she grows and is able to handle the increased weight.

[ChrisAsh]

I would say different go for a cheap 28 gauge, just as light in weight as 410 but gives a far better choice of cartridge and will always be a handy gun when she grows up

 

Yildis make a nice 28g gun that should last her a lifetime if you keep the cut off stock to attach later

[TONY R]

.410 is the gun most seem to use as a first gun, my first gun was a full choked webley bolt actioin .410 for example as i suspect a pretty big % of the members here my age started with the exact same model .

I this day and age there are a wider range of gas operated semi autos in 20 bore which tend to throw better patterns and give the new shooter a broader range of choke tubes compared to an old .410 and it typicaly fixed chokes.

I started all three of my kids on a hatsan escort semi auto 20 bore, its ideal first gun, cheap under 300 quid brand new, its got multi chokes with it, has an adjustable for length stock design whth shims to shorten it or extend it as they grow up its light low recoil has a .635 bore size which is a big over bore for a 20 and she can use it on in latter life if she wants to.

It is an ideal first gun, i dont know of another 20 bore semi quite as easy to shorten right down for even the smallest child. as the hatsan 20.

[welshwarrior]

If he was a professional coach with a selection of guns to choose from and went for an OU 410 their may be a reason!

 

I'd go for a few more lesson then ask the coaches advice, he's seen her shoot not us.

[Geo]

Thanks for all your replies. I like the idea of the semi-auto because it is so versatile , but prefer the traditional look of the 410. Welsh Warrior is right that they did have a selection of guns to choose from and recommended she try the 410 first , so a couple more lessons with that may be the way forward .

I haven't picked up a 28 bore , how do they compare in weight to a 410 ?

[bakerboy]

If he was a professional coach with a selection of guns to choose from and went for an OU 410 their may be a reason!

 

I'd go for a few more lesson then ask the coaches advice, he's seen her shoot not us.

Sound advice

They may not be ideal but I am betting many 1000s of people have started their shooting career with the little 410.

If that is all she can presently manage weight wise you have answered your own question really .

 

Just bare in mind the guns limits when picking targets for her to shoot , nice easy ones that she has a good chance of hitting , much more interesting than missing difficult ones for them at that age .

 

Move up the gauges as she grows and is able to handle the increased weight.

And some more sound advice

[Geo]

Thanks all for the advice .

I have only been shooting for a couple of years myself so I am happy to let the coach do what he thinks is best, he put on some realistic targets for her and she did really well. I just wanted to investigate the options and as always the quickest way to get a range of opinions is to ask here.

I think we will also go into my local dealer and pick a few guns up , see what he thinks.

Cheers.

[Wingman]

Take a look at the WS920J by Webley and Scott. My son tried one recently and really liked it. It's a great little gun and comes with a replacement adult sized stock for when it's needed. Would recommend it highly.

[ElvisThePelvis]

I would go with the .410 and start off on suitable targets progressing as she improves, if she can shoot a .410 well the step up to 'harder' targets with a bigger guns will feel easier if anything, gamebore do a clay cartridge loaded with 9 which are remarkably effective through the tight chokes .410 tend to have

[TONY R]

Thanks for all your replies. I like the idea of the semi-auto because it is so versatile , but prefer the traditional look of the 410. Welsh Warrior is right that they did have a selection of guns to choose from and recommended she try the 410 first , so a couple more lessons with that may be the way forward .

I haven't picked up a 28 bore , how do they compare in weight to a 410 ?

Thing is with a semi auto and specificaly the escort, they are over bored has the potential to helptterns plus they are gas auto again helps felt recoil, they have a big curved heal on the stock with a soft ruber pad , all this makes shooting a 24 gram load very gentle in the shoulder, as i said stock length is adjestabe via shims which can take it down for very small kids my eldest was 9 when i got the escort for him never grumbled about recoil not even once.

Drop on the stock is lowish so even on the shortestr length its not shooting high poa poi is pretty standars due to the flatish comb hight.

other good points are big mag cut off latch to single load it when they are learning, bolt relese well out the way of the bolt no chance of a traped finger.

And the gun is of much more use to them as they get older, many .410 once they have out grown them just sit in cabinets, not so much so with a 20 auto, my three did not want it but i grabed it once they did not need it any more and moved on to 12s.

[Geo]

Thing is with a semi auto and specificaly the escort, they are over bored has the potential to helptterns plus they are gas auto again helps felt recoil, they have a big curved heal on the stock with a soft ruber pad , all this makes shooting a 24 gram load very gentle in the shoulder, as i said stock length is adjestabe via shims which can take it down for very small kids my eldest was 9 when i got the escort for him never grumbled about recoil not even once.

Drop on the stock is lowish so even on the shortestr length its not shooting high poa poi is pretty standars due to the flatish comb hight.

other good points are big mag cut off latch to single load it when they are learning, bolt relese well out the way of the bolt no chance of a traped finger.

And the gun is of much more use to them as they get older, many .410 once they have out grown them just sit in cabinets, not so much so with a 20 auto, my three did not want it but i grabed it once they did not need it any more and moved on to 12s.

Thanks for the info Tony R , this sound like common sense. I have seen the Hatsan in my local dealer so I am going to pop in at the weekend and have a closer look.

Cheers.

[hawkfanz]

i,d be more inclined as chris a and go for 28g,i have a yildiz o/u 28g cartridges available from 16gram all the way to 28gram,am currently decoying pigeon on standing oats useing 21gram no 7, i,m at the other end of scale 66 and dont like carrying a heavy 12g about.