What shotgun should I get for my 11 year old son?

ithaca model 37 featherlight 20ga. great gun. my first

quote:

---

for me

---

benelli super black eagle 2 or gtfo

quote:

---

Get him a 12 gauge Benelli

---

quote:

---

Their patent...

---

Ran out

quote:

---

Less recoil

---

Than what? a pump?

Every kid is different in size and maturity. I upland bird hunt a lot and got my son a o/u in 20 gauge. This was done for a number of different reason but the biggest being when we are walking through the woods the gun can be open and visibly seen at a distance that the gun is unloaded. I picked up a CZ, 20 gauge with 24" barrels and 13" stock price was around $750 from Buds. The guns balances and shoots well.

With an O/U or pump you can buy quality shotgun shells with reduced recoil (these probably won't cycle in an auto) I really like the shells made by RST Shells They are a mail order company that sell direct.

Notice how much shorter his gun is...

Something you can easily get a full sized replacement stock for after he outgrows the youth model

I'm an 870 fan. It all depends on your budget though. 870 express youth models are very cheap. On the other side of the coin you can get him an extremely nice O/U

Set a dollar amount and you'll get some more accurate suggestions.

quote:

---

- 12 or 20 gauge, and why?

---

If he is recoil-shy, stick with 20 gauge. But I will tell you that 12 gauge shells will be easier to find and you will be able to find more variety in them in most places.

quote:

---

- Over/Under, Side by side, pump, automatic?

---

A semi auto will have the least felt recoil since some of the energy is transferred into the bolt to chamber the next shell. But he could probably handle a 20 gauge pump just fine. Same goes for an O/U or SxS.

quote:

---

- what manufacturer?

---

I think the Remington 870 is the perfect pump but some people are anti-Remington as of lately.

For a semi auto, Benelli and Beretta know what's up.

EDIT: Forgot to mention the Mossberg 930 or Winchester SX3. Both are good semi auto shotties.

quote:

---

- would probably need youth model for him, regular for me

---

Well, depending on your preferences for YOUR gun, it will probably vary in what he wants. If you want a simple, affordable pump 12 gauge, A Remington 870 or Mossberg 500/590 are hard to beat.

But if you prefer semi auto, like I said, take a look at Benelli or Beretta.

quote:

---

walking through the woods the gun can be open and visibly seen at a distance that the gun is unloaded

---

#1 reason why my kid will have an o/u.

Ithaca makes great youth model guns as Carson mentioned. One of my first was a semi-auto youth model 20 ga.

I was just comparing recoil. But to answer your question my kids first shotgun will be a pump. Makes them slow down and make their shots count more. If you give a kid an automatic you better be it rich to afford the shells that little bastard is going to burn

I have a 12 year old and he shoots my old remington 20 gauge pump pretty well. He is fairly tall for his age but the gun fit him well when he was 11. I think starting him with a pump with teach more about the guns inner mechanics and will give him more of an appreciation for semi-auto down the road.