shotgun for 7-year old

mudbug_4 · Sep 17, 2011

Hi all, I am trying to figure out the best gun for my boy to get started with. I grew up shooting a single-shot .410 but I keep reading about it being more of an experienced shooter's gun b/c of the pattern. I never tried deer or turkeys with .410; I think he might be ready next spring for his first gobbler (youth hunt at Fort Polk).

Any opinions/advice?

kz45 · Sep 17, 2011

get him at least a 28ga

highstandard40 · Sep 17, 2011

The decision of how much gun for any new young shooter is a very individual one. Some people can tolerate recoil and some can't. One 7 year old shooter may love a 20 ga and shoot well with it and another 7 year old shooter may flinch with a .410. Your concern with performance of the .410 is valid. But if he has a recoil induced flinch from a hard recoiling larger bore, he won't shoot well. I'd suggest borrowing a .410 and start with light loads and work up to a 20 ga if he does well at the lower levels. If he is recoil shy, the absolute worst thing you could do would be to start him on more gun than he can tolerate. Long term, hard to correct, flinch can be the result.

Hitman · Sep 17, 2011

I grew up shooting a Crack Back 20 ga. First Time I shot it I was 7. Kick the living crap out of me, but I think I liked it. Looking back my Dad still says he probably should have started me off on a pump. My brother and I both learned off that old crack back.

HOWEVER! My brothers experience with it was minimal due to an injury he received from it. He threw up on approaching ducks and fired. The gun was not properly seated in his shoulder and slipped back under his armpit. The Hammer jabbed him in the cheek underneath his eye. That was the end of that gun for him. Pop bought him 870 LW w/ 21" barrel, English Stock.

I shot it for a few years with a sawed off butt stock and no recoil pad until my Dad got me an 870 Express 20 ga. I shoot this gun still today and have put several hundred shells through it this year.

Looking back had my Dad not had that Crack barrel in the first place he probably would have bought a .410 pump for us.

Then again is it better to embrace the recoil and get used to it or pamper it and spoil them? I don't know the answer to that I'm wondering too. My son is 5 so I’ve got a couple years. I just know recoil was something I never cared about nor was concerned with as a kid. I was also very tiny growing up. Smallest in class but that didn't seem to matter. When an animal was in my sights recoil was the last thing I thought of.

sandman7925 · Sep 17, 2011

At that age I had a crack barrle 20g. It did fine for me, I got my first deer with it and still have the gun to this day.

mudbug_4 · Sep 17, 2011

Thanks for the input, guys. I think I will try him on my old .410 crack barrel (if my dad can get it back from whomever he lent it to). I have been looking at two different 20 gauges: the Mossberg Super Bantam 500 and the Mossberg 510 Mini. I think the LOP would even fit my wife pretty well (my Winchester Model 1200 12 gauge is about as long as she is tall). I know what you mean about flinching; she missed a big gobbler two years ago at Ft. Riley, KS b/c she knew the gun was going to jack her. My fault for not getting her a more suitable gun but I will soon remedy that!

Probably just going to have to suck it up and get one of each (once allowance allows for it!).

sandman7925 · Sep 17, 2011

Or, a Remington 870 express youth model

themcfarland · Sep 17, 2011

I was around that age when I was given a mossburg 410, and I shot the hell out of it.. My brother started with a crack 20 g and it kicked like a damn mule.. I would not have done well personally if the 20 g was my first.. thinking about it, he doesnt shoot much.. not sure if its related.

mudbug_4 · Sep 17, 2011

I remember being nervous sighting in muzzleloaders when I was a chap. I insisted I was ready so dad took me out. He baited me up by pretending to load the gun but all he actually did was put a cap on it (old nipple-type). His experiment proved that I was jerking like crazy. He did it to me the following year by putting a fired casing in the 30.06 to see if I flinched...I did. I have used the same technique in the Army teaching privates to shoot (and the M16/M4 doesn't kick like a 30.06).

By the way, it paid off...shot my first deer (big doe) with a .45 caliber (Renegade?) muzzleloader when I was 11. I hope my boy follow in my footsteps, cause I am ready for some hunting buddies!

brfd557 · Sep 17, 2011

Look around at your local pawn shops, last time I was in the market for my son, I found a mint condition crack barrel 410 for like $60

MOTOR51 · Sep 17, 2011

I just bought mine the cheap lil Rossi at walmart. It is a .410 and comes with a .22 barrel. The only problem is he used some of his birthday money to buy a small telescope to put on the .22 barrel and now thinks he is a sniper

LACamper · Sep 17, 2011

Remember that recoil is heavily affected by the weight of the gun (duh...). Maybe adding some weights to the stock will help reduce recoil. A good recoil pad makes a difference too. Reduced recoil loads maybe?

returningliberty · Sep 17, 2011

In my opinion there is nothing better to teach a youngster than a .410 break down. Less than 4 years ago I taught my ex's baby brother (he was 8) how to shoot with one of these. I am fairly certain MOST of our Dad's (in my case grand dad) brought us up on these guns. Let's not try to reinvent the wheel here.

Emperor · Sep 17, 2011

Don't get him a Rossi combo 20ga/.22/.243. I took my kid to Agrentina and brought that gun for him to use for doves. He told me it was hurting his arm so I tried it and holy crap! What a mule kicker! I should have turned myself in to child protections services when we got back to the US.

He ended the hunts using a Beretta and that Rossi hasn't seen the light of day since; and won't! Hell if I ever sold any guns, that would be the one to go. However, the .243 barrel isn't so bad.

bayoupirate · Sep 17, 2011

As a Hunter Safety Instructor, I highly recommend a youth model 20 gauge.
It will be gun that is suitable for many uses. Ducks, Rabbits, squirrels, trap/skeet, deer, turkey, doves, etc... Just about everything to shoot in Louisiana.
The 20ga will produce no more recoil that that 410 and good recoil pads are usually part of the youth model.
The biggest deal is that it will be a gun that he will never outgrow.
He may one day choose to go to a 12 gauge for ducks, but a 20 is a better choice for rabbits.
He may choose to get a rifle for deer, but the 20 will get it done inside of 50 yards.
If your little man is on the small side, the lighter weight and shorter overall length of a break-action a good choice for now, but in a year or two he will be able to handle the pump.

A few tips on working with young shooters.
If you take them to shoot, leave your gun at home. You need to be sure that your eyes and attention are on him. This will also let him see that his shooting is the reason for the event, not just a "watch daddy shoot" thing.
Be sure to take time and explain what safe and unsafe gun handling is.
buy the light trap loads, and start by leting him shoot stationary targets, clay pigeons, cans or water jugs.
That'll give him some idea of the recoil he'll be handling and give him some success from the start.
It'll also give him a very real understanding of the damage a shotgun can do.
It's important that they understand that a gun is not a toy.
"Never point a gun at anything you do not want to destroy"

Good luck! and Shoot Safe.

themcfarland · Sep 17, 2011

bayoupirate said:
As a Hunter Safety Instructor, I highly recommend a youth model 20 gauge.
It will be gun that is suitable for many uses. Ducks, Rabbits, squirrels, trap/skeet, deer, turkey, doves, etc... Just about everything to shoot in Louisiana.
The 20ga will produce no more recoil that that 410 and good recoil pads are usually part of the youth model.
The biggest deal is that it will be a gun that he will never outgrow.
He may one day choose to go to a 12 gauge for ducks, but a 20 is a better choice for rabbits.
He may choose to get a rifle for deer, but the 20 will get it done inside of 50 yards.
If your little man is on the small side, the lighter weight and shorter overall length of a break-action a good choice for now, but in a year or two he will be able to handle the pump.

A few tips on working with young shooters.
If you take them to shoot, leave your gun at home. You need to be sure that your eyes and attention are on him. This will also let him see that his shooting is the reason for the event, not just a "watch daddy shoot" thing.
Be sure to take time and explain what safe and unsafe gun handling is.
buy the light trap loads, and start by leting him shoot stationary targets, clay pigeons, cans or water jugs.
That'll give him some idea of the recoil he'll be handling and give him some success from the start.
It'll also give him a very real understanding of the damage a shotgun can do.
It's important that they understand that a gun is not a toy.
"Never point a gun at anything you do not want to destroy"

Good luck! and Shoot Safe.

well said..

cottonmouth · Sep 17, 2011

I was 7 when I got my first gun..a single barrel 20ga by new england. We got it at walmart for less than $100 dollars but I'm sure the price is higher now. Anyway, I did just fine with it..killed a lot of squirrels and one deer with it and I still have it. I started out with just light load squirrel shells and eventually tried shooting a heavy load..I didn't mind the kick so I used those and eventually was allowed to try buckshot and slugs at a target. I think I moved up to a 20ga pump when I was about 9 or 10.

topgunz1 · Sep 17, 2011

I started with a bolt-action 410, some time in middle school. I don't remember the brand. The first time I shot it, it rocked my world. Dad also failed to tell me I could load more than one shell in it. Once I figured that out I was racking that bolt and getting shots off like it was an autoloader. I did a year or two of dove season with it then moved up to a borrowed Remington 1187 20 gauge. I was vicious with that gun, and I will get another one day.

VeedUp · Sep 17, 2011

I still have my mossberg .410 bolt action. Plan on getting my two boys a crack barrel to start with, and then the bolt action.

Hitman · Sep 18, 2011

I saw a J. C. Higgins Bolt Action Shotgun 12 ga. w/ Polly Choke today.

Thought about picking it up but not sure if they are still fixing the Recall on them.

Anyone interested?

shotgun for 7-year old

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