Starting out a youth help

[RiverRoost]

My son will be 6 in august but he's a smaller 5 year old right now. His arms aren't long enough to shoulder my youth 870, his left arm can't reach the forearm on the gun. Debating on getting another stock for it and cutting it down or would y'all recommend getting him a .410 to start? I'm kinda leaning toward one of the single shot .410's to start on a few years as I think the recoil will be better than the 870 as well.

[tracker#1]

I would lean towards the .410 with good choke and TSS loads. I purchased one myself (301T) and harvested a nice bird with it but now lend it out to youth hunters. As for the 870, great gun, I took my daughter's youth 20 and put an expandable rear stock on it from ATI purchased on the optic planet website. It will say 12 gauge but it also fits the 20. The gun fits us both...pm me any questions

[wchadw]

Get a small tripod like a trigger stick
Start out shooting a 22 before going to shotgun
Yes 410 or 28 first shotgun don't put him behind a 12 gauge


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[RiverRoost]

Get a small tripod like a trigger stick
Start out shooting a 22 before going to shotgun
Yes 410 or 28 first shotgun don't put him behind a 12 gauge


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Good call on the sticks. Was kind my plan there too. I'm hoping we can work on looking through the proper eye this summer and get good basics down and do some accurate target shooting with a cricket 22 I have. He'll be years away from a 12ga, even the 870 has a little too much thump right now. Need to get a good limbsaver pad for the 870.

[runngun]

I have had great luck with an original Primos trigger stick. I took off the end cap and found it to be threaded.  So my son found the right bolt and welded the bolt to a big nail. Then screwed it into the trigger stick.  I can stick it in the ground.  I have loaned it to a bunch of kids/parents/mentors with great success. When I toted my 10 gauge, it's priceless I don't know if Primos still sells the one I have because I bought it the very first year they came out.

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[devin4484]

Get a 410 by stevens or cva.  Stevens is lighter but, the cva is a much better built gun.   Practice with low brass or a .22 and get a field pod or death grip for it.  Some of these 3" 410 loads can be stout on a child. 

[badwolf]

Started my 6 yr old grandson out with a 410 h&r sent to sumtoy to shorten the barrel and install a choke . Put on an ATI adjustable stock like an ar15. Apex tss hammers turkey

[sasquatch1]

Mossberg mini bantam is probably a good option


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[Greg Massey]

Mossberg mini bantam is probably a good option


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X2

[davisd9]

I tried starting my boy at around 6. Bought a Stevens 301 compact 410. Was trying to get him to shoot bead and he could not hit the broad side of a barn, but he tried. We decided to wait another year and I bought the 301T. Swapped the stock on the compact to the 301T to make it a shorter LOP and added a Sig Romeo 5. He has killed three birds with it. When we practiced he shoots at 20 yards with bird/squirrel shot and when we hunt I throw in the Apex ninja 9.5s. They pattern well to 40 with a forgiving pattern. The gun likes a squeaky clean barrel though. He killed two long beards last year at around 20 yards and a Jake this year at 30. All three have dropped. He has always been on the larger side for his age but not huge. He is 9 now and he has a Weatherby SA-08 compact 20 we are going to start working on for dove and ducks this fall/winter. Let them set the pace. Planning on a cricket as well to see if he is ready for his 243 this fall. Good luck!

[Lcmacd 58]

Dont over power the young ones .... a 410 is an excellent choice
Wish Illinois would change up on their position on the 410

[quackaddict]

Mossberg mini bantam is probably a good option


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True story. It's drilled and tapped already. Not threaded for chokes, however I doubt you'd let him shoot one past 20-25 yards anyway. I got some of the 2.5" #10 loads from Viper for my boy and they'll kill one with the fixed mod barrel that far all day long. I haven't tested any 3" loads in it yet, but I've got zero doubt it'll work to 30 yards without having the barrel threaded for chokes. Below picture is at 20 yards, 2.5" 11/16th oz load of #10s.




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[Kyle_Ott]

You need to have a .410 cut down to a size that fits him.

When my son was 4 I had a Savage/Stevens 301 cut down to a 9" LOP and the trigger lightened to 4lbs.

Additionally, I put a low profile sumtoy mount with a Vortex Venom on the gun so he could have good cheek weld and learn solid shooting fundamentals.

If you're going to get your kid in the game that young, you need to be willing to give them the tools to be successful  and the most important part of that is a gun that's customized to fit them.  You don't want poor gun fit; they'll get punched by the recoil and they'll be scared of guns forever.

To me investing considerable money in the right gun was worth the long term assurance of my son enjoying    firearms while achieving accuracy. 

Lastly, a high quality tripod when he was 5 was really important, especially if you're going to have him hunting out of a blind.  He started shooting turkeys off his knee at 6 and has continued to this season now that he is 7.

[Lcmacd 58]

You need to have a .410 cut down to a size that fits him.

When my son was 4 I had a Savage/Stevens 301 cut down to a 9" LOP and the trigger lightened to 4lbs.

Additionally, I put a low profile sumtoy mount with a Vortex Venom on the gun so he could have good cheek weld and learn solid shooting fundamentals.

If you're going to get your kid in the game that young, you need to be willing to give them the tools to be successful  and the most important part of that is a gun that's customized to fit them.  You don't want poor gun fit; they'll get punched by the recoil and they'll be scared of guns forever.

To me investing considerable money in the right gun was worth the long term assurance of my son enjoying    firearms while achieving accuracy. 

Lastly, a high quality tripod when he was 5 was really important, especially if you're going to have him hunting out of a blind.  He started shooting turkeys off his knee at 6 and has continued to this season now that he is 7.

This is some good advice .....