First shotgun 410 or 20 ga?

Woodbeef

Woodbeef

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I have a friend looking to buy a first shotgun for his son. Which one should he go with? I know that the 410 ammo is expensive,so lets leave that out of the consideration process. He's looking more for why the 20 is superior to the 410.
It will be used by a 13 year old on a 1200 acre property in the Pontiac. So he could encounter Partridge,Racoons,Skunks,Porcupines,etc. Don't think he'll go after Ducks and Geese. Even though they live on a lake,the kid does not like water very much. So mainly predators and birds is the intended use.
 
a 20g is far better for a new shooter as it carrys far more shot thru the air giving a much better chanceof hitting a target then a four ten shotgun .you will also ge a far better choice of ammo for a 20g then the other .my 11 year old and 13 year old girls both shot 20g shot guns .thy can us lite loads for rabbits and birds and move up to heavy loads for turkeys and water fowl .thy also us slugs for deer and buck shot for yotes and fox .the 20g is a much better choice all the way around i find the fourten to be a great gun for the older guy tat has done a lot of shootingand likes a littel more challenge DUTCH
 
20 gauge is a better general purpose gun. He could use it for bears and deer if wanted, but its not at all over gunned for grouse and rabbits.

The 410 is more of a specialty gun.

20 gauge 870 express youth. 3 inch chamber. Get the two barrel set and your ready to go
 
Woodbeef said:
I have a friend looking to buy a first shotgun for his son. Which one should he go with? I know that the 410 ammo is expensive,so lets leave that out of the consideration process. He's looking more for why the 20 is superior to the 410.
It will be used by a 13 year old on a 1200 acre property in the Pontiac. So he could encounter Partridge,Racoons,Skunks,Porcupines,etc. Don't think he'll go after Ducks and Geese. Even though they live on a lake,the kid does not like water very much. So mainly predators and birds is the intended use.
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20 is more than manageable for virtually anyone, and it offers a useful load with good patterning. It is a chambering for beginners.

The .410, by comparison, is light, small, and easy to miss with. And (I have read that) the .410 is a chambering more suited to experts.
 
20 ga is way better ....for all of the reasons...i suggest a baikal single as they have a good safety system for a beginner and if he is 13 he should be able to handle the recoil....
 
My family all started on the 20. Its the only way to go. Make sure you get one of those being offered that will fit kids.
 
The shells maybe a little more expensive but in my opinion the 28 gauge is the best first shotgun.They have light recoil like a .410 but pattern much better.
 
Why fluff around with toys...just get him a 12 ga and call it a day. He'll become a 'man' a lot quicker :D
 
20 or .410

I agree, my first shotgun was a JC Higgins in 20 gauge and it beat me to death.Plus when I ran out of shells that was it I became the assistant gun dog.A 12 that fits good with a good pachmyer pad shooting light loads would and has been my option .Both my sons started on 12 gauge .870's and still shoot updated versions today.I like italian semi's but i'm older ....:D:D
 
My first shotgun many years ago was a Mosberg bolt action .410. It was a great first shotgun for a 14 year old kid growing up on a farm. I used it on squirrels, grouse, blackbirds, crows, and even ducks and sometimes grounghogs. It taught you a lot about what range was appropriate for the game you wanted to take and since the amount of shot was limited you had to learn how to stalk the game to get close enough for it to be effective. My alternative at the time was my Dad's 12 gauge double that sometimes fired both barrels so the .410 was a no brainer.

Since then I've always liked .410's as they're light and effective if used appropriately and I now have a collection of 5 different configurations of them. I still regret selling my first Mosberg though and except for the higher cost of the ammunition It was a great first shotgun.
 
Between the 410 and 20, I vote for the 20 for the following reasons:

Large variety of ammo
Large variety of firearms
Availability of ammo
Versatility of 20 ga (from grouse to ducks and deer)

There is very little a 20 can't do that a 12 can.

A few folks have suggested 28 ga and while I own and shoot a 28 I would not recommend it unless your local gun shop carries lots of 28 ga ammo. 28 ga ammo tends to be much more expensive than 410 and the variety is very limited. Most of the 28 ga ammo I come across are target loads of #8 or 9 shot. Occasionally I find some 7 1/2 which works good for grouse but is a bit small for the mammals. Remington offers 28 ga in #6 which I managed to get a couple of boxes but in my area no retailer stocks or will order Remington for me.

28 ga shotguns tend to be a bit pricey if you can find them. Lots of Citoris and such but single shot and pumps tend to be rarer.
 
I love the 28 gauge, but my goto gun is a 20.
I've killed geese, ducks, pheasants, and partridge with the 20 - oh, and a deer and two bears a few years back with a slugs.
The 410 , on the other hand, has a very narrow window of use IMO, and is not a good first gun for anyone, unless you are in the habit of ground swatting, then it would be okay.
Cat
 
My brother was about 5' 7" and 13 yrs old (now he is 14 and 6' 1" and 165 lbs) when he got his Stoeger 2000 3 barrel 12g. I'd say start with a 12g that late in life because you won't have a need to upgrade any later and ammo is the cheapest.

But I guess my brother and I started shooting at about 5 or 6 years old and were shooting 20's when we were 8 years old.

If he is a tiny small framed kid than a 20g would be more than adequate.
 
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