Looking to get my 7 year old his first shotgun

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • mark71211

    Ultimate Member
    Sep 10, 2012
    2,234
    Edgewater
    I’m looking to get my son his first shotgun sometime in the next few months. He has a .22 cricket right now and is doing very well with it. I was wonder what any of you guys started your kids out on that was not to much for them. I have been looking at the mossberg 500 youth 20ga. Should I go with a single, pump or semi auto? He is average height and weighs around 55 lbs if any of that helps.
     

    delaware_export

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 10, 2018
    3,144
    Depending on your finances, I’d recommend a pump, or semi auto.

    My first was a break action, and while appreciated, I’d go for which of those I could afford for my son. SA first If possible, then pump.

    The youth models can swap out stocks and barrels later in life and the shorter barrels will be good later on or could be changed out.

    I am personally a remmy guy, so 870 or 1187, or v3. Not sure about youth in v3. But other companies make good stuff as well, at different price points. Mossy, the b’s and some others.

    A lot of good choices out there.
     
    Last edited:

    Art3

    Eqinsu Ocha
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2015
    13,267
    Harford County
    Going from a Cricket to a .20ga seems like a lot for a 7 year old. I've always been fairly stout, but I don't know that a 7yo me would have been ok with a 20ga. :eek: Maybe he should try someone else's first?
     

    sxs

    Senior Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 20, 2009
    3,378
    Anne Arundel County, MD
    you may well run into an issue with length of Pull. Most youth models have around a 13" LOP...great for many adolescents, too long for hyounger kids. The shortest LOP of which I am aware is the Mossberg Super Bantam which has a 12" LOP but also a spacer to increase to 13" later. It can also take adult stocks. I would recommend a 20 ga. The regular Mossberg Youth is 13" LOP. One more issue: Most youth shotguns have short barrels. Many clays courses require minimum 24" or 26" barrels. Longer barrels can be easily acquired later, but you may have to do some hunting to find a clays place to shoot a youth shotgun.
     

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,643
    PA
    There isn't much that a kid that young can handle, have been trying to find a way to get my 8yo something to shoot clays with me. Have a Rem 870 "first in the filed" edition. It's an 18"barrel pump, 12"LOP, and is still too large, with too much recoil despite being the absolute smallest pump gun possible. LOP is OK, but it's too forward heavy for him to properly mount. Probably a small single or double break in 410 would be OK, but will take a couple years to get up to a tiny 20ga
     
    Last edited:

    1time

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 26, 2009
    2,258
    Baltimore, Md
    That size you are pretty well limited to a single shot 410 with a decent recoil pad. I bought my oldest an 870 youth at 7 or 8 but he is a big kid. My middle child is 7 now at about 55 lbs and is no where near shooting the 870 youth.

    It’s a tough spot. A light gun is easy to handle but has a lot of recoil; even a small .410 will surprise you. A heavier gun is more tame but harder to handle. I will say that the 870 youth isn’t bad. Remington makes low recoil bird shot that works. Best bet is to try a few out and see what he can comfortably shoulder.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    A few things.

    A pump will have more recoil than a semi auto.

    A smaller lighter gun will have more recoil.
     

    danb

    dont be a dumbass
    Feb 24, 2013
    22,704
    google is your friend, I am not.
    Going from a Cricket to a .20ga seems like a lot for a 7 year old. I've always been fairly stout, but I don't know that a 7yo me would have been ok with a 20ga. :eek: Maybe he should try someone else's first?

    this. My bro gave his kid a single shot 410, too young, and it scarred him for a long time.

    If hes doing well with a rifle, upgrade that. Maybe a pistol caliber carbine. Or if you really want to impress him with your dad skills, find an easy-shooting gun from Fortnite or PUBG he might want to try. :)
     

    onedash

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 24, 2016
    1,026
    Calvert County
    I don't know how many seven year olds can handle a shotgun and if they can, manage the recoil and want to shoot again. semi auto's are harder to handle because they weigh more but reduce recoil quite a bit. I'd stick with the 22 or maybe a little bigger rifle with no recoil for now.
     

    Hunterjjd

    Active Member
    Jun 29, 2011
    118
    My son turned 9 in Dec. I got him a Savage Steven 301 single shot compact 410. He LOVES it. He can lift and hold it on his own. She has a good POP to it in recoil.
    He is 105 lbs, I think 4' 6"

    He has 7 or 8 deer under his belt over the past three years. All with youth crossbow from ground bling with tri pod full rest. X-bow sits there and he walks up and aims-pulls trigger. Or from Down loaded BP that I HACKED the stock off till it fit. He sets it on the rail of wooden blind and can shoot that way. He can't hold anything up on his own yet till I got him that 301.

    10/22 or MK4 ultra light pistol would serve him better for a few years.

    I am in St. Marys if you want to have him try out the 301. I also have a Mossberg 410 pump and 870 410 pump. I think a youth 870 20 ga also he/you can try
     

    Sundazes

    My brain hurts
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 13, 2006
    21,304
    Arkham
    I work with a lot of Boy Scouts on the range. The smaller ones can not handle the size or kick of a 20 ga. I agree with danB, it can scar him for a long time. IF anything, a single shot 410. I don't how big your child is, but be careful not to scare him. I have seen it many times. This is with kids that start at age 10. If the boy is hesitant, do not force it. I was at a range in Dec with 60 kids. There were several that at first did not want to shoot. One or two came back later and tried.
    My own kids were shooting since they were 7 or 8 with 22's, I did not move them up to hard thumpers until I thought they were ready. By the time my youngest daughter was 12, she was shooting a 308 bolt. It took watching her older brother (14) ringing steel at 200 to get her to try.
    Again, what ever you do, don't force it. He will come around when he ready.
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,852
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    My 7 year old daughter is shooting a Beretta A400 28 gauge semi auto. She puts her cheek on the stock, but puts the stock under her arm and rests the stock on my abdomen as I stand behind her. I am going to send the gun out to have a recoil reducer and LOP adjustment plate put on it. In fact, think that is what I am going to put on the top of my list of things to do.

    My son took the hunter safety course in 3rd grade at the age of 8 and the 20 gauge they gave him to shoot walloped him. He was pretty much crying before he pulled the trigger because he knew what was coming (i.e., he had tried to shoot the Beretta A391 20 gauge youth model the year before and he got crushed a couple weeks earlier by my Benelli SBE with me holding the gun, which is a long story about how he put his cheek on the stock), but he pulled the trigger nonetheless because he did not want to let his dad down. My now 10 year old son is shooting the 28 gauge Beretta without a problem and he might graduate to the 20 gauge next season. Don't think I would start a 7 year old out on anything more than a 28 gauge that fit him/her perfectly and if Beretta made a .410 A400, I would buy that too and let them progress from .410, to 28, to 20, to 12.
     

    Attachments

    • MdShooters216.jpg
      MdShooters216.jpg
      87.3 KB · Views: 280

    MigraineMan

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 9, 2011
    19,109
    Frederick County
    I start new shooters, young and old, with a single-shot Rossi .22/410 combo. For younger guys and gals, it's a great small-frame plinker. Start them with the 22, then transition to the 410. If they don't like the 410, you can just swap back to the 22 and keep the "fun" going.

    (Rossi's website indicates the current-production "matched pair" is only available in a funky big-thumbhole stock, but Bud's, linked above, and others still have NOS in the traditional rifle layout.)

    Rossi used to offer a 22/20 combo, but that looks to be discontinued.
     

    budman93

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 1, 2013
    5,267
    Frederick County
    20 gauge will be too much for almost any 7 year old to handle. Probably just the weight would be more than a 7 year old can support and they will get walloped if they shoot it. 55 pounds is just not big enough. If you want him to shoot something bigger than a .22 you don't have many options. Maybe some pistol caliber carbines but they are often heavy and i know my ruger pcc although it doesn't kick much is pretty heavy and can be a bit jarring due to the heavy bolt. If it was me I would just get another .22 maybe a little larger if the issue is the cricket is getting small or another type if you just want some variety. Maybe a lever action.
     

    Jiman

    Member
    Dec 12, 2012
    54
    We went through this very thing with my daughter when she was younger. We started her at 8 shooting clays.

    I’d agree with other posters who say a 20g is too much...it is. It’ll also be too heavy and come with a stout recoil. A light 20g pretty much has the same recoil impulse as a 12g. That would be unpleasant for many adults.

    About 4-5yrs ago we went to Bruce Ney (Beretta sponsored shooter and sporting clays legend in Delaware) and stayed at his place for a few days worth of lessons. He had a break open single in 20g, but with a 410 insert. It was a perfect fit, weight was manageable although still pretty heavy for her, and having only one barrel vs. an O/U knocked off a lot of weight.

    The inserts come in a few variations. One is a full sleeve that goes the entire length of the barrel and the other is basically a short insert to change the chamber from one gauge to another. I’m assuming the full sleeve would require some gun smithing, but the short inserts slide in/out. Downside to the inserts I have is that the ejectors don’t work with the smaller shells (at leas the ones I have) so you have to pull them out by hand. Sometimes they get stuck and you’ll need a rod to push them out from the bore. The idea of sleeves works because you can convert the gun to its original configuration without having to buy two separate gauges.

    What model he had they don’t sell any more, but we got something similar. I don’t remember the brand anymore, since she’s grown out of it, but can dig it out of the safe and report back if you’re interested.

    As for progression, we skipped the 28g and went to 20g O/U when she could handle the weight. We use powder puff super low recoil stuff for a 100rd sporting clays day, but can handle full power loads in short stretches. She’s 11 now.

    I think at this point, my daughter would love a 20g semi auto, but a saying that Bruce told me during those two days regarding kids guns was...The interest level of your kid to shooting is inversely proportional to the cost of the gun :lol2: So I’ve been holding off until she shows greater interest in shooting :lol:

    Another fun thing that’ll make your son feel like a hero is to get a couple boxes of Aguila “Mini” shells. They’re a cut down 12g shell meant for shooting “rabbits” (the clay kind). They have practically no recoil out of a 12g O/U. In fact the first time I shot one, it sounded like a sqib. Helping him shot dads big gun will make him feel like a big shot:party29:
     
    Last edited:

    Postell

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Nov 5, 2018
    291
    danb;5756222[B said:
    ]this. My bro gave his kid a single shot 410, too young, and it scarred him for a long time. [/B]

    THIS,,,,, Dont ruin your kid with shooting at such a young age. If you hurt him it wll be a tough road to get him back to shooting again.
    When you do buy your kid a shotgun buy an true kid sized adj buttstock autoloader..... Dont overload him at such a young age...
    I bought both of my sons REM 1187's in 20 gauge that came with 16 or 18" barrel and a adj buttstock, I dont know if remington still offers them.
    Money well spent.... Dont hurt your kid.....
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    what are you having him shoot? clays?
    I had one of those break action 22/410 combos with seperate barrels. Hard as heck to hit the clay with the 410 for the beginner.
    it was light so I put a lead shot sack into the stock to add a couple lbs.

    I think when my 2nd son got to the age of a Mossberg bantam 20gauge he was hitting clays
     

    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    I started all my kids off with an old wooden gun stock with broom stick screwed to it.
    I made sure they could carry and get used to maneuvering through the house,around a vehicle, outside and then the woods without getting distracted or wanting someone else to carry it for them on long walks.
    Before I knew it they were all grown.
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Latest posts

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,933
    Messages
    7,259,542
    Members
    33,350
    Latest member
    Rotorboater

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom