A good starter gun for a youth

[Bedlinedf250]

So my son wants to go turkey hunting with me. He's 10'yrs old and just passed his hunters safety and wants to get in the field to put his license to use. I my self am new to turkey hunting and only made it out a few weekends last fall with no luck, and I'm not to familiar with shot guns. I my self purchased the Remington 870 turkey/predator and love it I don't mind the pain as much and really dig 3 1/2'/" rounds. My son on the other hand gets a little nervous when moving up in calibers. He currently has shot a mini 14 my older SKS and I have him shooting a Ruger American in .308 as his deer gun.
I don't want to buy anything to expensive because I think in the next year or maybe two he will want to shot lighter 12 gauge rounds. So I'm wondering what the recoil is like on a 20 gauge. What's everybody's kids shooting that would be good? And what type of rounds are they using? Also is there anything light load that I could put in my 12 gauge that would be similar? The last thing I want is for the gun to hurt his arm and have him afraid to shoot it.
I have came across the Stevens 301 20 gauge with a 22" barrel that I was thinking about purchasing since it's light and simple. One guy at a local gun shop suggested a semi auto for the fact that it will absorb some of the recoil but the price is discouraging. I have seen some nice pump actions though with a decent price.
Any and all feed back will be greatly appreciated.

[Tomcat655]

he can handle A 12 gauge in my opinion....they make great loads of 2 3/4 like hwt federals and reduced recoil mag blends.  My dad grew me up with a 30" full choke barreled revelation pump before they became Mossberg and he put 2 3/4 high brass 6's in it and it put a many a jakes down haha as a kid.  And it made you tough lol...We couldn't afford a new gun so it was either shoot that or let him it shoot it.

[dirt road ninja]

My son started with a youth 11/87 20 gauge, for my daughter I plan on purchasing Stevens 301 compact in 20 gauge. 

[Greg Massey]

I would buy him Remington 870 youth 20 gauge with 21 inch barrel. The reason i would do this is because as he grows you can change out the youth stock and put a Shurshot stock on the gun and he will still have a turkey killing machine with the right shells and chokes...i wouldn't put a 12 gauge in his hands with these new 20 gauges shells or chokes and for sure at his age i wouldn't put anything automatic in his hands..

[Greg Massey]

So my son wants to go turkey hunting with me. He's 10'yrs old and just passed his hunters safety and wants to get in the field to put his license to use. I my self am new to turkey hunting and only made it out a few weekends last fall with no luck, and I'm not to familiar with shot guns. I my self purchased the Remington 870 turkey/predator and love it I don't mind the pain as much and really dig 3 1/2'/" rounds. My son on the other hand gets a little nervous when moving up in calibers. He currently has shot a mini 14 my older SKS and I have him shooting a Ruger American in .308 as his deer gun.
I don't want to buy anything to expensive because I think in the next year or maybe two he will want to shot lighter 12 gauge rounds. So I'm wondering what the recoil is like on a 20 gauge. What's everybody's kids shooting that would be good? And what type of rounds are they using? Also is there anything light load that I could put in my 12 gauge that would be similar? The last thing I want is for the gun to hurt his arm and have him afraid to shoot it.
I have came across the Stevens 301 20 gauge with a 22" barrel that I was thinking about purchasing since it's light and simple. One guy at a local gun shop suggested a semi auto for the fact that it will absorb some of the recoil but the price is discouraging. I have seen some nice pump actions though with a decent price.
Any and all feed back will be greatly appreciated.

Don't waste your money on that Stevens 301 , get him youth 870 - 20 gauge with 21 inch barrel , with these new shells and chokes he will have a turkey killing machine and you can hunt with the gun also..you can thank me later...

[tha bugman]

So my son wants to go turkey hunting with me. He's 10'yrs old and just passed his hunters safety and wants to get in the field to put his license to use. I my self am new to turkey hunting and only made it out a few weekends last fall with no luck, and I'm not to familiar with shot guns. I my self purchased the Remington 870 turkey/predator and love it I don't mind the pain as much and really dig 3 1/2'/" rounds. My son on the other hand gets a little nervous when moving up in calibers. He currently has shot a mini 14 my older SKS and I have him shooting a Ruger American in .308 as his deer gun.
I don't want to buy anything to expensive because I think in the next year or maybe two he will want to shot lighter 12 gauge rounds. So I'm wondering what the recoil is like on a 20 gauge. What's everybody's kids shooting that would be good? And what type of rounds are they using? Also is there anything light load that I could put in my 12 gauge that would be similar? The last thing I want is for the gun to hurt his arm and have him afraid to shoot it.
I have came across the Stevens 301 20 gauge with a 22" barrel that I was thinking about purchasing since it's light and simple. One guy at a local gun shop suggested a semi auto for the fact that it will absorb some of the recoil but the price is discouraging. I have seen some nice pump actions though with a decent price.
Any and all feed back will be greatly appreciated.

Don't waste your money on that Stevens 301 , get him youth 870 - 20 gauge with 21 inch barrel , with these new shells and chokes he will have a turkey killing machine and you can hunt with the gun also..you can thank me later...

+1

[Bowguy]

Here's my opinion. My daughters shot 20s at 10 and were very tiny. They're still tiny just older.
Matter of fact my daughter was the smallest kid in the class.
For starters use double hearing protection. The gun seems to kick less when it's quieter so foam inner ear ones and outer muffs of decent quality. They gotta fit him too.
Speaking of fit if the gun doesn't fit him he may have more felt recoil too. Make sure it's a youth gun.
Myself I patterned guns for kids alone and they only shot baby loads when practicing.
Hunt loads were put in gun after we set up in the dark. They never once complained bout kick or balked to take shots.
The younger one was a month more than the legal 10 year old limit when she shot her first bird. She was tiny.
Here's my pros/cons on semis. Semis tend to kick less but they can be a disadvantage cause their heavier to aim and carry. Also they self cycle so being you're new and will def be excited as we all are, you have a very unsafe gun in a pumped up kids hands after he shoots. Safety is on fire and a hot round in chamber. Something to be said for pumps here being he's gotta think to pump it or else it's safe. (treat every gun as loaded though) Course you could only put one shell in chamber at a time. One more thing, forget about turkey chokes for now. Plan on closer shots and make sure the pattern covers well and is forgivable.

[BDeal]

Bought my son the 870 youth in realtree camo. Awesome gun!! Much better built than the Mossberg youth 20

[the Ward]

So my son wants to go turkey hunting with me. He's 10'yrs old and just passed his hunters safety and wants to get in the field to put his license to use. I my self am new to turkey hunting and only made it out a few weekends last fall with no luck, and I'm not to familiar with shot guns. I my self purchased the Remington 870 turkey/predator and love it I don't mind the pain as much and really dig 3 1/2'/" rounds. My son on the other hand gets a little nervous when moving up in calibers. He currently has shot a mini 14 my older SKS and I have him shooting a Ruger American in .308 as his deer gun.
I don't want to buy anything to expensive because I think in the next year or maybe two he will want to shot lighter 12 gauge rounds. So I'm wondering what the recoil is like on a 20 gauge. What's everybody's kids shooting that would be good? And what type of rounds are they using? Also is there anything light load that I could put in my 12 gauge that would be similar? The last thing I want is for the gun to hurt his arm and have him afraid to shoot it.
I have came across the Stevens 301 20 gauge with a 22" barrel that I was thinking about purchasing since it's light and simple. One guy at a local gun shop suggested a semi auto for the fact that it will absorb some of the recoil but the price is discouraging. I have seen some nice pump actions though with a decent price.
Any and all feed back will be greatly appreciated.

Don't waste your money on that Stevens 301 , get him youth 870 - 20 gauge with 21 inch barrel , with these new shells and chokes he will have a turkey killing machine and you can hunt with the gun also..you can thank me later...

+1

x2   I started my son out at age 11 with an 870 youth 20 gauge. Good little gun and reasonably priced. He is now in his 20's and is still using it as his main turkey gun, now sporting the sure shot stocks on it. I would also think a Mossberg youth model would be a good choice, both of these guns have the ability to grow with him as he gets older. Congrats to your boy on completing his hunter safety course. Always stress safety and sportsmanship while he is still young, and those lessons will guide him well throughout his hunting career.

[MK M GOBL]

I have started a lot of kids "10 and ups" out on my Rem 11-87 and have never had an issue, we have used some Winchester 2 3/4" light turkey loads at times (the semi auto soaks up the kick), have a tripod set to hold the weight of the gun. We have also at times, depending on the kids comfort level of handling a firearm only loaded a single shot. We also play a "close" game the bird is under 20 yards or no shot is taken, I also have them using my gun because of the scope = no misses. The circle is any easy to understand and where to place on the birds. I always have the kids shoot the gun ahead of time, use some light target loads and will have them shot a turkey load as well. I want them to be prepared.

In example of this I had a young lady 11 years old, weighed 65lbs and shot my 12 with no problem, we had a great hunt and she was successful to boot. Her dad talked to her about my gun and she was asking if she could get one like it, it was going to be for more the just turkey, she also goose hunts, deer hunts and shoots some target. She also has a 20ga too now

MK M GOBL

[Greg Massey]

If your son is going to use this gun just for turkey hunting i see no need for him to carry a heavy 12 gauge. That 20 gauge with the right choke and shells will shoot with that heavy 12 gauge any day....

[Bedlinedf250]

Thanks for all the great info and opinions. I appreciate it all. Let me just clarify something, I'm not planning on putting him on a 12 anytime soon. The only reason I brought up light loads in a 12 is because I've never shot a 20 in my life and I just don't know ow what to expect from one. Unfortunately in my state and town we don't have many options as far as gun stores to browse. I just came back from or version of Cabela's which compared to many is mini and all i was able to come across was a security 20 gauge with the 18" barrel and double barrels. Maybe a handful of 20's if that. I must say he held that 18" pretty good. So I would have to order online like my other guns. And I would also like to mention that he is over 100 lbs and an inch shy of 5', so he isn't that small. And if he follows his dad's steps I'm 6'4" and 300 lbs so he won't be small for long. For this reason I'd prefer to stay away from youth guns.
As far as the single shot there are a few things I like about it. For starters is the weight, it would be easy for him to carry all day if needed. I'm very strict with him about hunting isn't always fun and games and it's actually hard work, and if he still wants to do it great. When I take hunting with me I actually make him carry his BB gun and he has to take his own lunch and some water in his bag. So the weight is a big issue. The second great thing is the single shot. One and done no second guessing if it's on safety or did the recoil start the pumping action. Just a wonderful piece of mind, in my opinion you can't beat that. Now if I do go with pump or semi I'd definitely only load one at a time as that was my original plan.
I do like the single shot a lot for these reasons. I do like the Remington since I already have a larger version that I am familiar with. The 12's I saw at Cabela's that I was using to comprehend as far as comfort and features, I did come across a LOT of rattle with the Mossberg. But they both seemed pretty smooth and comfortable. The noise factor is an issue in my eyes. Id say the single shot and 870 are tied in my book
Until I hear something bad about the single shot.
I can't wait for the feedback, and it's all appreciated. Thanks

[dirt road ninja]

My son is big and had 0 problems with a 20 gauge at 7. He still uses it now at 14. We have 12's he can use, but likes the little 20. With good ammo you are not giving up much. I like the idea of the single shot, the Stevens has a threaded barrel and sells for 150 bucks + tt&l, 30 bucks for a choke and you are in the game. I plan to mount a small dot sight to my daughter's gun. Plus I don't have a crack barrel in the stable, that just seems wrong.

[Greg Massey]

Thanks for all the great info and opinions. I appreciate it all. Let me just clarify something, I'm not planning on putting him on a 12 anytime soon. The only reason I brought up light loads in a 12 is because I've never shot a 20 in my life and I just don't know ow what to expect from one. Unfortunately in my state and town we don't have many options as far as gun stores to browse. I just came back from or version of Cabela's which compared to many is mini and all i was able to come across was a security 20 gauge with the 18" barrel and double barrels. Maybe a handful of 20's if that. I must say he held that 18" pretty good. So I would have to order online like my other guns. And I would also like to mention that he is over 100 lbs and an inch shy of 5', so he isn't that small. And if he follows his dad's steps I'm 6'4" and 300 lbs so he won't be small for long. For this reason I'd prefer to stay away from youth guns.
As far as the single shot there are a few things I like about it. For starters is the weight, it would be easy for him to carry all day if needed. I'm very strict with him about hunting isn't always fun and games and it's actually hard work, and if he still wants to do it great. When I take hunting with me I actually make him carry his BB gun and he has to take his own lunch and some water in his bag. So the weight is a big issue. The second great thing is the single shot. One and done no second guessing if it's on safety or did the recoil start the pumping action. Just a wonderful piece of mind, in my opinion you can't beat that. Now if I do go with pump or semi I'd definitely only load one at a time as that was my original plan.
I do like the single shot a lot for these reasons. I do like the Remington since I already have a larger version that I am familiar with. The 12's I saw at Cabela's that I was using to comprehend as far as comfort and features, I did come across a LOT of rattle with the Mossberg. But they both seemed pretty smooth and comfortable. The noise factor is an issue in my eyes. Id say the single shot and 870 are tied in my book
Until I hear something bad about the single shot.
I can't wait for the feedback, and it's all appreciated. Thanks

Don't waste your money on those single shot's. If you have to order him a gun get him a Remington 20 gauge 870 youth with 21 inch barrel , those 18 inch barrel will give him more recoil. Those single shot's weight just about as much as the Youth 870..Also a lot of those single shot's want shot POI/POA as good sometimes.. It's your money but i think your making a mistake buying him a that Savage Steven also what are you going to do about the stock on 301 , most single barrel stocks will be to long for him ? Just my opinion

[bigjames50]

The Mossberg 510 Bantam mini is a sweet rig. It comes in either 410 or 20g. The LOP is adjustable from 10 1/2- 11 1/2". I bought one for my son last year in 20g put a red dot on it and he loves it. Shot his first turkey with it last year. He was six years old. The gun also has a very short pump action stroke which is great for young shooters.