Pump or semi auto for my boy?

[13bonatter69]

I want to get by 10 year old boy his first shotgun. I am leaning towards a 20g but can’t decide between a pump and semi automatic. I know they say the pump is a safer option, and I understand that to a point. My boy will only have the gun when he is out with me, NO ONE else.
I am a complete freak about muzzle direction and have been working with him on his BB gun for forever. His muzzle awareness is better than lots of adults I have watched. Is there any reason that I should go with a pump of the semiauto for safety?
I can definitely see an advantage to the semiauto not kicking as hard as the pump, so I was thinking that would be a very nice benefit come turkey season since my boy is smaller than a popcorn fart. Weight of the two guns is very similar as they are both youth models. Pump is a Remington and the semi auto is a Tristar which I think is a Remington clone. Pump is new and the semi is like new and only like 40 bucks more and is camo.

 

[FlyGuy]

My opinion is that everyone should start with a pump action shotgun and a standard transmission vehicle.

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[myalias789]

Try a mossberg pump with the tang safety. Super easy for kids to flick off and, more importantly ON!

If it’s weird or awkward there more chance they will try to cheat and skip the safety. Big advocate in having a long gun on safe unless ready to fire.

 

[hodgeman]

My opinion is that everyone should start with a pump action shotgun and a standard transmission vehicle.

Yeah...I gotta say I agree with this.

My son had a Mossberg 510 Mini and still has a Remington 870 in 20ga...he's older now and ready to move up to a 12ga but it's been 8 years of happily shucking that 20ga.

 

[realunlucky]

There is less felt recoil with an auto which definitely counts for a new shooter.

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[13bonatter69]

The recoil part is what I’m wondering about. I’m wondering if it’s enough of a difference that I should go that route for when he turkey hunts

 

[hodgeman]

The recoil part is what I’m wondering about. I’m wondering if it’s enough of a difference that I should go that route for when he turkey hunts

He'll never feel the recoil when hunting. I found my son's recoil tolerance went way up when shooting animals. Especially turkeys which is normally a one or two shot deal. Ducks might be the exception since that generally entails a lot more shooting than most other types of hunting.

 

[howl]

Youth model 20ga is gonna be a kicker whether pump or not. You can get some 3/4oz loads, like Fiocchi sells, but the standard stuff kicks hard in a lightweight gun.

I much prefer a break action for kids or anything that involves walking a lot and crossing creeks or fences, etc. Being able to break it open when walking around is a handy feature, especially when turkey hunting. Racking a shell out of a pump when crossing a creek while moving on a turkey is liable to scare the bird.

 

[bowtech840]

You could always buy the semi auto and just put one shell in it until you feel he is ready.


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[WoodDuck]

I like bowtech’s point that you could only load one shell for safety until you think he is ready. That will also teach him target acquisition and to make his first shot count when wingshooting, which is a very valuable lesson.

I am also of the opinion that the felt recoil of a semiauto 12 will be very similar to a pump 20.

 

[Fridaythe13th]

I know what your saying, but I hear to many accident with simi auto guns, not saying your kid is dangerous. The 1 accident that comes to mind was a dad and son out duck hunting, duck flies buy kid shots slips from the recol falls over hit the trigger again shoots dad. I vote for pump starter gun when he gets older buy him a gun he well use the rest of his life.

 

[frankrb3]

My first shotgun was a break action .410, then a Remington 870 youth 20 ga. If you are worried about recoil maybe you should consider starting him with a .410

 

[13bonatter69]

Keep um coming guys. That is a good point about the one shell only for the semi. He shot his cousins Rossi single shot twice last week and said....”yeah that was cool, but I don’t care to shoot it anymore”....lol

 

[13bonatter69]

I was actually thinking of a 410 cause I started with a 410 bolt action and killed all kinds of stuff, but my buddy runs a gun store and when I went in there the other day, he said nobody buys 410’s any more. He said everyone goes straight to 20 for there kids nowadays.

 

[jmez]

I bought my kids a .410

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[AK Troutbum]

Get something that he’ll be proud to own as an adult and that could some day be passed down as an heirloom. If you’re thinking about a shotgun as a first “real gun” for your 10 year old, make it special. Assuming that he will be responsible and respectful with it, I would be looking at a 20ga. double like a Browning Citori or something similar. My first shotgun was a Harrington and Richardson 20ga. single shot that I got when I was 13. I still have it and it’s still in great condition because I cherished it, but it’s a POS and will never be an heirloom or worth much more than the $50 that it was originally bought for 37 years ago. Anyway, that’s MO, take it for what it’s worth, which is much less than that H&R shotgun.


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[Tod osier]

That is a great question and I've lived it (or am living it). My son is smaller too, so actual weight of the gun is an issue and decreasing weight causes recoil issues.

We went .410 at age 8-9 because the 20 gauges that were light enough for him to heft and carry kick like a mule from reading reports on them (guns like the 20 gauge mossberg bantam pumps and break opens). Looking at recoil charts and calculators, you can see that dropping weight down around 5 pounds increases recoil to a high level.

He successfully hunted grouse and ducks with the .410, but it is a serious compromise. He has 2 .410s: a Mossberg mini super bantam which is 5 pounds and a Rossi break open, which is lighter. He likes the pump because it is cooler, but he carries the Rossi often because it is lighter. The minis with their short receiver and barrels get the weight close to the body and that helps even more.

I'm buying him a very light 20 auto (sub 6 pounds) this spring (he is now 11 and will be 12) because he needs it for turkey to be legal. I'll be getting the absolute lightest because I know what he can carry and swing given the guns we have tried. Think about it, a 7 pound gun for an 80 pound kid scales to a 14-20 pound gun for an adult. Can't go lighter than 5 and change pounds though in anything other than a break open. Right now, I'm thinking of getting him a Benelli Montefeltro, they come with a 2 stock youth/adult model and while the inertia driven action isn't the lightest kicker, they are better than a pump. I'm also looking at Weatherby SA08s which are light and gas guns, so the recoil should be better.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

All my kids get a smaller single action or pump shotgun (410, 28). We found that (for my kids) a semi auto while similar in weight put that weight farther away from the body making it difficult for little arms to hold up. Same issue with a 12ga pump with light loads....just flat out too big. A single shot, or a pump seemed to balance much better (for my kids), and the recoil of the 410, 28ga was much more tolerable than a 20ga. All guns are fitted with a good recoil pad.
I do not expect them to use these as they get older, quite frankly I expect them to get bigger and grow out of them.

 

[Axlrod]

Was in the same situation 10 years ago I went with a single shot 20 Ga but it kicked way too much. Then I bought him a Beretta 12 semi auto for trap and a Benneli Nova 12 pump.
You can get real light 12 ga. loads to start or they make the Nova in 20

 

[long spur]

Went through the same thing years ago, having 3 girls decided on a youth model Charles Daily 20ga auto. Have no regrets at all. Going with the 1 shell at a time is sound advise starting out

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