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Child’s first gun???


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My Son is now expressing an interest in shooting a shotgun! He’s doing really well with an air rifle and despite only being 7 he’s pretty big for his age.....

what would the general consensus be for a starting out gun, .410 or 20ga?

I know .410 may be harder for him to hit clays (tighter pattern etc) but will a 20ga be too much recoil?

 

 

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1 minute ago, Lloyd90 said:

Will he be able to hold it up steady (and safely) long enough would be my concern.

Also a 28bore is in-between the 410 and the 20. 

Fair point!

at first (and for quite some time) he’ll be very closely supervised and  only shooting clays with me. We’d be shooting for only a short time in case he gets too tired, If he had any problems holding it steady I’d be on hand.

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Today the minus about 410s no longer holds true with the choice of choking on many shotguns.  As said being able to hold the shotgun correctly would be far more important.

A number of makers do youth models now with stocks designed for youngsters and I suggest you visit a couple of stores where they have such and let him try mounting one or two.

You could also have a stock shortened to fit and keep the piece to add back on a year or so afterwards once he has grown into it.   I think the 410 with open chokes initially and #9 shot on some easy peasy clays would work.   You often see youth models  second hand for sale.

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I kicked off age 8 with a 410 sxs hammer (El Chimbo)with 3 inch eley loads and had no problems.

Gun mass was 4.5lbs, stock 13.5 inch and weight was easily manageable.

At 12 I moved on to my own Baikal sxs 12 of about 6.5lbs, after having borrowed a Browing A5 SA at back end of previous season for geese.

I would look for a junior 410, check the patterns with your preferred No 7 or No 7.5 cartridge na dadjust from there.

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My local clay ground has .410", 28 and 20 bore guns which can be hired for £5. All have shortish stocks. I would be inclined to phone around some nearby clay grounds and even consider at least 1 lesson with their Instructor for his first attempt. It really is money well spent, a decent Instructor will ensure he comes away unscathed and will want to go again.

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I take my lad who’s ten to a friendly ground. He shoots a single shot bolt action .410 and I’m thinking of moving him up to a larger bore towards the end of the year. He’s been shooting shotguns since he was around seven too. 

The ground he goes too has a rough area where he can shoot static clays on an embankment. He initially started on these. Now he likes a teal and a rabbit presentation and is getting quite nifty with it. No crossers or high pheasants as of yet but the easy ones always put a smile on his face.

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My daughter started at 12 with an O/U .410 and she is nearly 16 now and still using it and with success.

What has upped the .410’s game in my opinion is the 19 gramme Eley VIP trap load. It’s great for clays and that’s what she uses exclusively. 

I’ve been considering upping her to a 20 bore or even a 12 but she enjoys using this Yildiz so much as it’s nice and light, I haven’t done anything yet.

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Light loads in a short barrel lightweight shotgun like a yildiz would be my choice 

.410 is hard enough to use in experienced hands never mind a child trying to learn. Some do use a .410 very well but it takes aot of shots to get good.

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There are kids, and there are kids. Nothing wrong with a .410 when starting a young kid off, shooting static targets moving to easy moving targets etc. Most important thing is that it should be fun and flinch free. They can move onto something more meaningful when they're good and ready having been introduced to the mechanics and basics. 

Older kids, 28 20 or 12 gauge, depending on size.      

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My money would be with a .410 .

No doubt in my mind .

You load 18 grm no 7.5  in it and you will smash clays out to 35 yds .

The gun fit will be 100 % better than a heavy  20b for a kid.

You have to remember even if you could fire 50 grm of shot at a clay, if its not pointed in the right direction with the right lead etc.you will miss. So the .410 will help get the gun on line .and teach them far far faster than a 20 or 12.b 

Heck i sometimes take my small single .410 down my local ground and amaze my self and those around me ,at how well it will smash clays out to 30 yds (using no 5 or 6 shot ) 

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