How is the H&R 20 gauge shotgun for a 9 year old begener new to the sport of hunting.

Question

for dove

Answer 1

good choice of gauge, poor choice of gun

Remember, there are three big factors in felt recoil.

#1 power of the cartridge.  Good choice with the 20, a balance of power and performance.  If you got to a 410, the performance suffers too bad.

#2 weight of the gun. The lighter the gun, the MORE it will kick.  The H&R single shots are LIGHT guns they will kick WORSE than a 12 guage.

#3 stock fit.  A standard stock will be way too long, and will make the gun be held in a wierd way, amplifying recoil.

Both Mossberg and Remington have 'youth' models in their classic mossberg 500 and Remington 870 Express lines of pump gauges in 20 guage.  Also, both have a line for kids even smaller, I believe it is called Bantum in Mossberg and Jr in Remington.  In all these cases, it is simply taking more inches off the stock so it fits a kid with short arms.

you can do this yourself with a saw and a replacment recoil pad.  Some people buy a second stock for the kid to grow into, but replacement stocks are almost as expensive as  a good condition used 20 guage, so I say make a dedicated 'kids gun'.

If you cut the stock down yourself, you have the opportunity to add lead weight into the stock to further reduce the kick, and some kids may find the gun to be barrel heavy, so this balances it better.

Answer 2

Whether or not a 9 year old can handle a 20 gauge single shot depends on his build, his ability, and his desire. I fired my first round from a Wingmaster, 12 gauge with a 30" full choke resting on the old man's shoulder, at 5. Id' start him off on light loads and clay pigeons.

Answer 3

At your age I would reccomend the .410 the .20 gauge is a little to much gun for you right now.

Answer 4

20 gauge dove loads are very forgiving, so good choice. Nevertheless, I would still start out with a .22 rifle for target practice. In my opinion this is the best small arm for introduction purposes to discourage fear, flinching, and other problems.

Answer 5

I tend to think that 9 is pretty young. That's about the time that kids are allowed to shoot a bb gun on their own and perhaps use a 22lr on the range under very close supervision.

I think 12 is a more appropriate age for hunting and shooting shotguns. But the 20 ga mod H&R would certainly be my choice for it's safety features. A pump is certainly out of the question as it's an accident waiting to happen in the hands of a 9 year old unless it's fed as a single shot (which is more akward loading than the H&R).

Answer 6

Need a little more info.

What model/design shotgun?

A pump or single shot shotgun do have a good bit of recoil for your typical sized 9 year old. An autolader absorbs more recoil...but, can be a little tricky for a young shooter to learn with.

If your sticking with the single shot...I suggest getting the Rossi "combo". It has interchangeable 20 gauge and .22lr barrels (single shot only of course). A lot more options for a youth, in one firearm.

Answer 7

When I was 9 my grandfather and my uncles went "shooting" and I tagged along. I was shooting a .22 by then and loved it. My grandfather was shooting a double barreled shotgun. I asked to shoot it and was told no, I asked again and was told no. I asked a third time, and my grandfather handed it to me (as my uncles wisely took cover). Barely able to hold it up, I bravely pulled back both hammers held it as steady as I could (since it outweighed me!!!) and not knowing any better, I pulled back on both triggers. When I came too, I was laying on my back, my shoulder felt like it had been torn off and my head hurt from impacting the side of my Grandfathers new chevy pickup. My grandfather was standing over me, having just picked up his shotgun and I learned two valuable lessons that day, first, a 9 year old should never fire off both barrels of a 10 gauge shotgun, and second, when grandpa said no, it meant no for a reason!!!

The moral is, don't ruin shooting for your 9 year old by giving him a shotgun that is to much for him. a .410, although tougher to find, and the shells are not cheap, is a much better choice for him at that age and size. Or better yet, leave him with the .22 rifle for a while yet until he gets the size and experience to handle the 20.

shoot safe

Answer 8

A lot of gun for a 9 year old.

Why don't you let him shoot cans with a pellet gun.