First shotgun 410 or 20 ga?

410 would be my choice for your situation. Youy need to be a better shooter to get the same result as a 20. In the long run, you will make him a better and more selective shooter. Being able to kill anything at any time does not make you necessarily a better hunter or shooter.

And in my book, everyone needs a 410 in their inventory of shotguns.

Duke1
 
I would get the .410. From the sounds of things he is going to mainly be shooting stuff on the ground, and a .410 kicks way less.
A light weight (ie single shot) 20 gauge can be very uncomfortable for a young shooter. If he developes a flinch or is scared of the recoil, it can affect his shooting for years, or turn him off it completely.
 
IMHO the .410 is an expert gun, not a beginner's gun.
yes it is certainly lower recoil, but this can be solved in many other ways on a platform like the 870. there are reduced recoil loads available for both 12 and 20 gauge, or something like a Knoxx recoil-reducing stock will tame a 20 gauge down to .410 levels.

i would advise picking up one of the new 20ga 870 compacts (between $300-400 from Lebarons depending on what specials they have at the moment and the Remington rebate). the 870 Compact Jr. with its 18" vent rib barrel threaded for chokes is especially handy:
870_exp_compact_780_4.jpg


i dont think even the smallest 13 y.o. would have a recoil problem with a 20 gauge and light birdshot.
 
My first choice would be reduced load 12g...

That said, I like the idea of the 20g. There is nothing more frustrating for a young shooter than missing and using a .410 is setting them up for failure.

Ya, ya, ya... I hear you at the back of the room saying give him some more shooting practice and he will learn... but from coaching new shooters with a competitive team, there is nothing the keeps a kid from coming to practice like missing the target. There's a reason you don't see guys starting out shooting skeet with a .410.

Give the kid a chance to succeed and he'll be back for more. Plus if the 20 g is really pounding him, get some reduced loads. The fit of the rifle will also help with the recoil. If the length of pull fits his body, his body will be able to absorb the recoil better. See manbearpig's post...
 
Why not start with a 22 like most country boys did in the good old days.

I still say that just pointing a gun in the general direction of a target and expecting success each time is not the way to go. If a young person has it in his blood, he will put the efforts to learn to shoot correctly and a 22 is the way to start.

I was moose hunting a couple of years ago and had a 12 year old boy accompnay me with a 22 rifle for small game and was able to shoot the head off a partridge at any reasonable distance. We had shotguns at the camp but his father, a very professional hunter, insisted that his son mastered the 22 before graduating to something more elaborate.

Duke1
 
I would say 20 gauge, hands down. I have a sentimental attachment to the 28 but ammo is expensive and hard to find.
I own a 42 Winchester .410 pump and love it but I know what it's capable of and there's nothing more discouraging to a young hunter(or an old one) than to fire at a bird and get nothing but feathers.
 
I started my daughters on the skeet field with a 20 ga. loaded with 3/4 oz reloads with 13 grs. of Unique powder. Smashed targets like hell and zero recoil. I shot them out of my Krieghoff tube set and was really impressed. The biggest detractor to a .410 besides the ammo cost is the disappointment in wing shooting due to such a small pattern. Go 20 ga. and if you don't reload ask someone that does if they could set you up with 100 rounds of the mentioned reload. After they are gone he will be ready to go to a regular load.

Regards
 
Ya what he said

Ya what he said, my first shotty was a 12 gauge pump I was 15 years young hunting ducks from a blind in a virgin swamp , called black bay swamp, there's a roadhouse built on it now in Calabogie hwy511 I believe, use to hunt there casue grassy bay on the Calabogie lake was just to damn much of a shootin gallery. He'll man up soon enough with a 12g.
pazzo said:
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
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