Shot gun for 14 year old

My teen uses a 20 ga break action for turkey and grouse

Its heavy so felt recoil is quite low
Its simple and that benefits everyone
Its old so if he scuffs it up I don't care

Its a truck gun that's been in the family for decades
 
I too started off with a single shot Cooey in 20 ga. and took my first pheasant with it. Very safe gun for a newbie and you learn to make the first shot count. After owning it for 40 years, I sold mine to a new shooter age 10, and he loved it. Sent me a picture of his first grouse the next weekend. If your son takes to shooting/ hunting he can always upgrade to something else.
 
870 for sure because of it's versatility. The huge selection aftermarket stocks and barrels that make it customizable for hunting anything...more so in 12g but there are still many options for 20g if that's what he'd prefer.
 
rajczak_kashka said:
12 gauge is fine for boy that age. If he is small in stature buy smaller gun and use mini shells if he can’t take recoil safely.
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when my son was that age he shot both 12 and 20.
He only shot one 12 but went through full box of 20 (his choice)

the risk is you don't want him to develop a flinch or bad habits
 
I gave my 12yr old a 870 Wingmaster 12ga with a shortened stock and a 24" barrel this year. A bit heavy to hold for any long period of time but he can handle the recoil just fine.
 
I started out somewhere between the ages of 8 and 11 with a single barrel break action 16 gauge, I think on the grounds that it was light in weight for tramping around all day. 16 is a great gauge but the thing was though that the light weight gave it a kick like a mule and I really didn't like shooting it, certainly didn't much do it for fun. Later I downscaled to a .410 for a while but that really is a crummy, ineffective gauge to use for hunting and anyway they tell me the shells are just not around these days. I'd say a 20 or a 28 G are good for kids, but again you get little if any choice of shells for a 28, so I'd go with a 20 or all the way with a 12 depending on the size of kid. As has been stated, here in Canada 12 G will beat all the others for availability of ammo. I guess the important thing is what the kids says about shooting a 12, give him some imput.
 
Charles Daly has a semi auto 20ga called the 601. It comes in a variety of versions of which some include compact turkey versions. I had the black synthetic one and used it for both skeet and waterfowl. My buddy just got the compact version in camo for his wife.
Depending where you are in southern Ontario multiple dealers stock them. Take him in and handle them and any other gun in you price range. Let him decide what feels right
 
Knowing the size of the kid and the budget would help a whole lot...

- A 24" barrel 1301 comp pro, with a Magpul stock for the adjustable LOP...

Or on the more traditional side of things, a nice SxS

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brybenn said:
Charles Daly has a semi auto 20ga called the 601. It comes in a variety of versions of which some include compact turkey versions. I had the black synthetic one and used it for both skeet and waterfowl. My buddy just got the compact version in camo for his wife.
Depending where you are in southern Ontario multiple dealers stock them. Take him in and handle them and any other gun in you price range. Let him decide what feels right
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I'm late with a reply but here goes.

I wouldn't let a 14 yr old decide what "feels right" since he has no experience shooting and doesn't know what "right" is. Also I am not a fan of the lightweight, compact, or youth models for youngsters to learn how to shoot shotgun or centerfire rifle. Lightweight = increased felt recoil. Not the best starting point you can find.
 
jethunter said:
I'm late with a reply but here goes.

I wouldn't let a 14 yr old decide what "feels right" since he has no experience shooting and doesn't know what "right" is. Also I am not a fan of the lightweight, compact, or youth models for youngsters to learn how to shoot shotgun or centerfire rifle. Lightweight = increased felt recoil. Not the best starting point you can find.
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100%^^^
 
Grouse Man said:
Both my daughters were started on a 20 gauge Youth 11-87 when they were around 10-12 yrs. Recoil was not a problem.
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semi-auto certainly helps with recoil, but I don't particularly like starting newbies on semi-automatic firearms. Maybe it's just me, but I like the fact that the shooter has to physically work the action before another round can be fired when teaching newbies. KISS.
 
jethunter said:
semi-auto certainly helps with recoil, but I don't particularly like starting newbies on semi-automatic firearms. Maybe it's just me, but I like the fact that the shooter has to physically work the action before another round can be fired when teaching newbies. KISS.
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Use it as a single shot and if you are really concerned, plug the magazine.
 
jethunter said:
semi-auto certainly helps with recoil, but I don't particularly like starting newbies on semi-automatic firearms. Maybe it's just me, but I like the fact that the shooter has to physically work the action before another round can be fired when teaching newbies. KISS.
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Single shot loaded, action is closed by manual physical operation. Newbies have no trouble understanding what is going on.
 
I started on a 12 g pump,both my sons at 14 started on 12g pump WITH one shell in the chamber they now both shoot Benelli's .My best friend hunting started with a 12g pump (JC Higgins) and he had the stock cut down but still worked it ok.Guess I'm saying is you are the best judge for you're children and probably have an idea what they can handle.My daughter is 5'11" Olympic athlete shoots a 20g with deadly effect at everything including geese.She told me feels better than her 12 (1100) and less muzzle jump so she can swing faster from bird to bird ,cannot argue with that ,at my age I sometimes have trouble finding the second one let alone shooting it.
 
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