what would you start with

[stu_young]

thinking of buying my boy his frist gun just not sure if i should get him a 410 ,20g or a 12bore hes 13 but 5ft 7  

[Ultrastu]

I'd get him a single shot ..410 with a silencer on .the end .

That way the weight and noise wont put him off and he will learn faster .

Also as I've found recently a good .410 is MORE than capable on clays and game .

[motty]

Start him on something he can hold comfortably, regardless of gauge. I could use a 12 when i was 11 years old, and I imagine plenty of youngsters can do the same.

[McSpredder]

Plenty of folk smaller then 5'7" use a 12b without any difficulty.   And he is probably going to put on a few more inches in the next couple of years.

12b will probably be cheapest to buy, and will use the cheapest cartridges.

 

 

[tomaddy525]

Got my first gun when i was 12 - a 20 bore but I think this was mainly because the old man fancied one,  I was about the same size as him at the stage so it fit us both (still does). Remember the lighter the gun the more recoil, so I would say get as heavy as he can comfortably manage and shoot sensible, smooth cartridges for the first couple of years 

[Stonepark]

No reason not to start with a 12b (28 inch 7- 71/2lb) at that age and size, if that is what you use (commonality of ammo is an advantage).

I was shooting a 12b by age 12 and had no issues.

Start him on 21g clay 7.5 clay loads or soft shooting 28g loads like comp X until he picks up his muscle memory and can hit consistently, before using any heavier loads.

What I would say is that at 5'7" he has quite a bit to grow at age 13, I would reckon another 6-8 inches, so get something that fits well just now but can easily get a longer butt pad to accommodate any further growth.

[ollie]

I started on a 12gauge at 11 years of age & I was by no means a big child. 

As someone else said, the cartridges will be cheaper with a 12 gauge. Maybe let him try a 12, 20 & 4-10 and see what he prefers.

[Scully]

If he’s big enough I’d go for a 12; soft loads and wide open chokes. There’s nothing like hitting stuff to build confidence. 

You have to already be a good shot to hit stuff consistently with a .410. 

[bruno22rf]

Bravado aside I'm not sure that giving your lad a 12 is the best way to go - he may well be able to "handle it" but when we are young and foolish the draw of such power can hide the potential damage being done - your lad so your choice but I would suggest a semi 20g to get him hitting targets, depending on his physical size it might be worth looking at the Hatsan youth model. Easy to develop a flinch at an early age and cause poor shooting which is where we find youngsters losing interest.

[Gungoesbang]

I’d go for 20 bore. Some are much lighter to carry around, especially if your shooting game, and they have a good range of cartridges from 21 gram which will not kick him really. 

[stu_young]

i was thinking a 20g semi as the recoil shouldnt be to bad on him.. he is a big lad, so i really not sure 

[Scully]

Had you considered a self loading 12 if he’s a big lad? Plenty about and cheap to feed.

If you’re set on a 20 then I can recommend the Franchi 620. I bought one for my nephew when he started out at about 8 year old. He was a slight lad but the recoil never bothered him at all. 

[stu_young]

i got a 12g escort might try him on