# Youth shotgun question



## guner (Sep 25, 2007)

So everyone I know this question/discussion comes up multiple times but my 12 yr old just completed hunter safety, I am going to get him a shotgun, and I have read on here about the TriStar semi auto youth, my 14 yr old I started with an 870 youth but I am wondering for the money, if I should go for the semi auto? Thought and comments(as alway) are welcome.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

How big is your kid?


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## brendo (Sep 10, 2013)

I love my semi's. plus, they are usually a little lighter and softer shooting. That's always a good thing for me and I can see it being beneficial to a young shooter


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Well you read my post about the Tristar so you know my opinion. My girls enjoy shooting a lot more now that they have the autoloader. Heck my oldest daughter went to Scheels today and picked up a new Franchi Affinity in 20 gauge. They like the autos over pump guns because they have less recoil and their follow up shots are so much faster. 

If I were starting a youngster with a autoloader I would only put 1 shell in it until the get used to the gun.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

Franchi Affinity, Weatherby SA20, Tristar......some pretty good choices without having to spend $1k. My kids love the Franchi 48AL (inertia) 28 gauge with youth stock as well. Both my kids started off with a Mossburg Super Bantam 20 ga pump...but that thing kicked, especially with turkey loads. I'd go for the semi.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Not sure there are any youth 12 gauges around. My grandson was pretty good sized for his age and by 11 he had graduated to a Remington 1100 3" magnum. He took one shot with it at age 11 and refused to go back to his bantam Mossberg 20 ga pump and he's hunted with that same gun ever since. There's plenty of good autoloaders out there depending on how much you want to spend. I've shot 1100's for 50 years at the start of this duck season so we all have older 1100's. The only problem you will have if you get a used 1100 is they usually don't have screw in chokes. I definitely would go with a new gun for a youngster. For ducks you can put them with a 12 ga and 2 3/4" loads and the recoil will be much less than a 20 gauge youth pump.


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## hondodawg (Mar 13, 2013)

I went the cheap route, I found a old Winchester ranger 120 youth 20ga in really good shape in Vernal. Put a new pad on it and it fits him great for now. I wouldn't want him in a auto just yet because well I want a nice auto loader for myself first!

Also forgot to mention I have him also use my Savage 24 sometimes in the .410ga or 20ga flavor. I've noticed he's a little slower but more deliberate on his shots with the single shot. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

At 12 years old I started out with a Winchester model 37 single shot 12 gauge. I was scared to death to pull the trigger. At 16 years of age I got my first pump shotgun for Christmas, a Winchester Ranger model 120 12 ga. I still have it and use it every year for at least one hunt. I have had multiple pump guns since then, the best being the Winchester 120 and Winchester SXP. The most unreliable gun was a Remington 870 Express Super Mag. The hardest kicking SOB was a Mossberg 835 Ulti Mag. There is certainly nothing wrong with starting a kid out with a pump gun, as long as it fits them. 
I shot a pump gun for 15 years before buying my first autoloader. I still switch back and forth between the pumps and autos all season long. I do prefer the autoloaders more though.


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

My kids used the youth tristar. Now have moved onto browning maxus. 
But the Tristar was not bad. Only malfunctions were in very cold temps. 
But a heavy load would cycle pretty good. 
+1 on only one shell in the gun until he or she can earn the second and third.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I think an autoloader will have lower recoil which may be a good thing when considering how much a 12 year old kid weighs. But I wonder if the knowledge that they have a second round ready to go will interfere with their shooting skill (if I miss, I have another shot mentality)?

Likely most of us grew up with either a single shot or pump gun, so kids don't know how hard we had it LOL.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

++1 only 1 shell in autoloader at a time as previously mentioned


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

What's wrong with just getting them a nice O/U 20g and saying to heck with all this more than two shots stuff....?


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

KineKilla said:


> What's wrong with just getting them a nice O/U 20g and saying to heck with all this more than two shots stuff....?


Because they "kick" hard like a single shot.


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## 7mm Reloaded (Aug 25, 2015)

guner said:


> So everyone I know this question/discussion comes up multiple times but my 12 yr old just completed hunter safety, I am going to get him a shotgun, and I have read on here about the TriStar semi auto youth, my 14 yr old I started with an 870 youth but I am wondering for the money, if I should go for the semi auto? Thought and comments(as alway) are welcome.


I had a OLD single shot 20 gauge full choke that I shot everything with but I would get him a semi 12 gauge for when he shoots stuff they will fall down quicker for he don't get frustrated and quit. Plus less recoil. I.ve been shooting a 12 gauge pump 870 Wingmaster with 30in. full choke for over 30 years wouldn't give it up for anything. stuff dies


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## Luhk (Aug 16, 2017)

The only thing bad I have found with autoloaders is of course every time you pull that trigger the gun shoots. new hunters can of course either get scared or just go bat $hit crazy and three shots are off and only one was on target. The other two in the mud. This has only happened once for me on the youth hunt and scared the tar out of me. Most of the time they forget they have more than one shot. haha


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