Shotgun for 8 year old

depends on size of kid. but a 410 for ducks shells are gonna be expensive.

youth model 20s kick like a mule

my brother and I started with 20 gauge 870s at that age. We were small kids, it wasn't a problem for us. We still use them for dove hunting. We had been shooting a 410 he had borrowed before that. I was talking to him a while back and he said he got us the 20 gauges because he was tired of us missing everything with the 410

Agreed ,.410 bismuth shells are +$60.00 a box. I landed on Winchester XRP youth 20ga pump for lil SI. I’d look into used trap shotguns if you plan to hunt often.

In my opinion a .410 is cruel to start a kid on (I started with a .410). it is almost impossible to for a kid to hit a moving bird with a .410. Hell seasoned skeet shoots use a .410 for a challenge.

Escort 20Ga
My son has one and it has been an amazing little gun. Priced right to where you won't get upset if it gets knocked around or scratched and we have had zero issues with his. They do accept Rem Chokes too if you wanted to play with different chokes. His is pretty nasty with an Indian Creek and a handloaded TSS blend for turkeys. I want to say Buds even offers a lifetime warranty on them.

Got my son the Escort when he was 10. He was very small and started with the little Mossberg 410 pump.

Escort 20 still goes squirrel hunting ten years later.

just get an 870 remington 20

Unless it’s a very big 8 year old even a 410 will manhandle him and not the other way around

10-12 is the average age kids actually can shoulder and not let the shotgun just put it on them from my experience.

How big is he?

Started my son at 7.5 with a 28ga semi auto Mossberg SA-28 youth. He was never scared of it but was still a bit too big that year. Last season he was letting them rip! Killed many of his first species with ZERO help from me. Granted they were all water shots, but at the end of the season he was letting it fly through the air too. I killed a few in the air with it as well for fun.

I went round and round with this. My opinion is do not do the .410. His cousins that hunt with us all the time have .410 pump minis and it's nearly impossible to hit a bird. If they do, the duck is still likely wounded. They discouraged QUICKLY.

.410 is an expert gun, not a beginner gun when it comes actually killing things consistently. Get him the 28ga and let him get comfortable quicker, or go with a 20 and let him grow into it. I have several kids so if he outgrows the 28 quickly, I can still use it for my youngest to start while my oldest is in a 20. After they outgrow the youth model I'll likely put a normal stock and let them (and myself) use it for doves and rabbits forever

My 8 and 5 year old use a weatherby 28 gauge semi auto. No kick and shells are easy and fairly cheap to buy. They are sweet shooting shotguns. Matter of fact we got there first ducks last season with it.