Softest shooting 20ga for a kid.

[3fifty7]

My kids and wife are showing interest in going duck hunting with me. My 5 year old came hunting this morning and after watching his cousins shoot he had to try. I explained to him it was gonna be a Big step up from his .22 that he is used to, I was holding the gun pretty firm along with him but it was still more then he bargained for.
It was a Remington 870 20ga with Winchester #4.

Does anyone offer a 2 3/4 low brass steel shot or a reduced recoil steel shot load?

I like to stay in the sub $600 range but I can probably talked into something else if need be.
I'd like to get a youth model and I know autos absorb some of the energy from the recoil than pump guns.
So is there a soft shooting 20 ga youth model auto with a 20"- 22" barrel in my price range or should I look for a unicorn instead.

 

[3fifty7]

I can't edit my OP on my phone at the moment.

Daughter is 9
Son is 5
My wife will be shooting it also.

Weatherby SA-08 Youth seems to have pretty good reviews on it.

 

[JR1572]

When I was 10-11 I started hunting ducks with an 1100LT-20. It was an adult sized gun (28 inch barrel) and I was rather small. I remember not being scared of the recoil.

JR1572

 

[JHenley17]

I haven't used a shotgun since I was ~13, but I remember having a much easier time with guns with recoil pads.

 

[Bunk39]

Got a Tri Star down in Gueydan last year, fifty. My boy shot it yesterday and it was still a little much. He's 8 but small. My daughter, 10, could handle it fine. It's a beretta clone made in Turkey. Well reviewed. McCoy's son shot one for years. I love shooting it myself. Light as a feather. Runs skeet loads fine so I know it will run steel. Comes w youth and adult stock. Gun cost me $400+\-. There is low power steel out there for snipe hunting.


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[MRBULLRED]

I bought my son the Remington 11-87 compact 20 ga. He loves it. I think it would be your best bet. http://www.mackspw.com/Item--i-REM3626

 

[Epi5]

All 20ga YOUTH models i have ever shot felt like shooting a full size 12ga.

I would look into a recoil pad for the shoulder or a limb saver to put on the gun if it doesn't add to much length. Just my opinion though lol.

 

[Bunk39]

I thought the Tri Star kicked a lot also until I put the adult stock on it. LOP was such that the felt recoil was more like a slap. Pretty uncomfortable. Adult stock much better.


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[BLACKHAWK240]

Real sweet gun is a Weatherby Pa-08. just bought one for my girlfriend at BPS 520.00 She loves it, nice lil duck gun with recoil pad. shoots 2/34 & 3". Also comes in a youth model

 

[BLACKHAWK240]

Oh BTW it is a semi auto all synthetic black. Checkout reviews

 

[CHW2021]

In my experience the Remington 1100 is about the softest shooting shotgun out there, the 11-87 may well be good, but I have no hands on with it. With the age involved there are other considerations, the weight and balance must be within the kids ability. The balance of the gun can not be too far beyond the support hand and the length must fit the length of pull; youth models may well need to be shortened at either or both ends. A gunsmith can shorten and thread barrels for screw in chokes, port the barrel to help with recoil and fit the gun to length for the shooter; there are many replacement parts for a 1100 on the market which may well help and be reasonable in cost.

I would suggest working with a gunsmith to find what fit is required regardless of brand. As far as ammo, look at skeet loads and not hunting rounds, there is a difference, do you have a skeet/trap club around? The skeet shooters would be able to help you with a lot of this, gun fit is a big thing for their shooting.

Fwiw, I had a single shot cut to length for my son and cut for screw in chokes, it has a 18" barrel and a stock that was shortened and fit with a rifle pad to fit his length; I can't shoot it but he could.

 

[BLACKHAWK240]

Weatherby sa-08 nice gun for waterfowl only weighs 6lbs

 

[kibb]

Another vote for the weatherby. I also added a gel recoil pad to my son's.

 

[xobelkcat]

I'm going to say a Remy 1100.
I have a youth model LT-20 with a 20-21" barrel. It only takes 2 3/4" shells and is on the lighter 20ga frame.
It has the softest recoil of ANY shotgun I have ever fired. I shot a crack barrel .410 with slugs and the LT-20 with skeet load back to back and the .410 slugs had more recoil. May be apples to oranges, but still impressive.

I let my (at the time) 9yo 80lb niece shoot it with the low brass shells. She had trouble holding the weapon properly but did not complain about the recoil.

However, this gun with a mod. choke and the low brass skeet shells performs very poorly on the skeet range. Maybe high brass shells would do better or maybe a full choke since it has the shorter barrel. I don't know because I've never tried.

 

[constant243]

I can tell you that I bought my daughter a 20 ga over under because she liked the way it looked. She did not like the way it kicked. But I like it so much I'm going to keep it for dove. . Now I'm looking for something softer so I'm keeping an eye open for a semi-auto gas gun. I plan to head to the range where the gunsmith told me that he introduce us to others that have those guns and maybe we can arrange to have her shoot a few so that I know for sure she will like the next gun I buy her

 

[pangris1]

Beretta 391 20 ga Youth stock.

 

[constant243]

Does Baretta still make the 391? I don't see it on the catalog on the website