I have a 12 year old son should i get him a .410 or a 20 ga?

Question

he has a .22 and is pretty tall with long arms

Answer 1

55 cal.

Answer 2

The 410 is more expensive to feed. Those 410 shells are sometimes twice what a box of 20 gauge cost. I learned on a 410 when I was a kid, but quickly moved on to 20 gauge. Both my sons and my daughter were using a 20 gauge by the time they were ten. If your son were really small, I'd still go with a 20 gauge youth model and LOW BASE shells. But at 12, if average sized or larger, he can handle a standard load in the 20 with no problem.

shoot safe ( and teach him to do the same!!)

Answer 3

none

Answer 4

.410

Answer 5

The best choice for him is a 28 gauge.*

Answer 6

idk ehat a ga is

Answer 7

Alot of these people are dumb, its perfectly normal to get a 12 year old a gun. I would say a 20 gauge because he wont out grow it so fast. The remington 20 gauge 870 express (youth) is a nice starter gun and long term gun. I got mine when i was 10, and have had it for 5 years now. The ramington 20 gauge 870 express youth is $299 at gander mountain as of yesterday, they also have it used for $199. I think a 12 year old boy would really like a 20 ga.

Answer 8

AR15 baby

Answer 9

Go for the 20 gauge and just use light loads.

H

Answer 10

How about a nice baseball and glove for the both of you? Great way to spend time with your child.

Answer 11

I think a 20 ga will be more usefull.  As long as you start him out young owning and respecting guns, us Americans may stand a chance against terrorism and possibly our own government in the future.

Answer 12

.410

I don't know why many of you bring up the fact the ammo for a .410 is so much more expensive (they cost 1 - 2 dollars more, not enough for a deterrent) and harder to find (you can get them at any hunt shop), and that there no good for kids to learn with.

I'm starting to wonder about the creditability of most of you people here !

Answer 13

PLEASE get the kid the 20 guage!  I grew up with a .410 and to this day I STILL hate it!  I'm not too much older than your son and i have a 20 guage.  I love it!  i squirrel hunt, turkey hunt, duck hunt, deer hunt, etc with it.  plus, ammo is cheaper.  keep your kid safe!

Answer 14

Well, first of all i'd like to say introducing a child to guns at a young age is a good idea. growing up being framiliar with that responsability and knowlegde is good for your childs sense of independance.The chance of you kid murding someone are something like 1 in 20 million. in fact, id wager your kid is much less likly to murder someone then the average kid. that being siad, I would go with the 20 gauge. you say your kid is reasonably tall, so the 20 gauge probobly wont be too much for him. and if full power loads have to much kick, you can always get him light loads to start out with until he gets a little bit older. this way, the gun can kind of grow with him, you wont have to get him a new shotgun in two years.

Answer 15

Get him a 20 gauge- he'll kill more game with it and the shells for it will be cheaper and easier to find.Be sure he's taught the rules of gun safety before he starts shooting!

  In my area the kids start hunting young- my friend killed his first deer when he was ten years old, and had one arm in a cast. ( this is true ) It is not unusual for kids to get into hunting at a very early age when they are raised in a hunting environment. I was surprised by some of the answerer's being so much against it.

Answer 16

The 20 Gauge should be fine..... How long his arms are isnt as important as you might think.... Mossberg has youth shotguns with short length of pulls and adjustable stocks to change the length of pull....... Take a look

Here is an excellent model... Its a Mossberg 500 20 gauge model # 54210

http://www.mossberg.com/images/Mossberg_...

Look over these other models....

http://www.mossberg.com/products/default...

And....

http://www.mossberg.com/products/default...

Mossberg makes excellent shotguns. they are reliable, easy to use and priced quite fairly.....

Answer 17

A .410 is considered an "expert" gun because of its small payload.   He will be less likely to hit his mark with a .410.  This can cause frustration for a kid his age and turn him off of sport shooting.

A 20ga, especially a gas operated autoloader, will have a similar amount of felt recoil and will be just as comforable as a .410.

Ammunition for a 20 ga is also much easier to get your hands on, and is much cheaper.  If you plan on doing any waterfowl hunting, it will be nearly impossible to find .410 steel.

Go with the 20ga... there really is no reason to buy a kid a .410

Answer 18

the more powerful one. Just don't get the bullets to match.

Answer 19

He should be able to shoot a 20 guage and finding the ammo should be easier and also they are cheaper then the .410

Answer 20

get him a 20 gauge

Answer 21

20 ga is always better to start with! My dad is getting my little brother a 20 ga and he is only 11... there going out on one of those mentor days in Allegheny or Tionesta!

He was talking with his one friend who already has 2 boys and they are great hunters and were raised on a 20 ga to start with!!!

Good luck with the hunting season!!!

Answer 22

20 ga because he will out grow the .410 quickly and the 20 ga is cheaper.

Answer 23

Everybody thinks a .410 is a kid's beginner gun, but it's exactly the opposite. Get the 20 or the 12 and use reduced loads.

Answer 24

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...

Here's a price list from Cabela's for Winchester shot shells (12, 16, 20, 28, and .410), all around the same price range with the exception of 28 gauge costing a little more.

So we can put the myth of .410 shells costing so much more to rest.

Me personally I like to start youngsters off with a .410 (the way I started) to help develop better shooting skills. I got nothing against 20 gauge shotguns they are great for larger 12 year olds, but for a smaller kid it can still pack a good punch, witch will cause him to flinch and when you flinch it effects your shooting.

.410 for yougsters gets my vote

Answer 25

whats a ga?.... i dont get your question

Answer 26

at 12 he is almost ready for a 12 ga. I would go with the 20, he will be able to handle the recoil and will be able to use it for a long time. A .410 is tough to use on skeet and is not useful for deer hunting. He can use the 20 ga for more types of shooting.

Answer 27

20 Ga Berretta low recoil.  That would be the best.

Answer 28

20 ga. It'd probably easier and cheaper to get ammo.

Answer 29

a 20Ga would be better fit for him i would think, cheaper and easyer to find ammo for.

Answer 30

Well if your 12 year old is more like a man, I would get a 12 ga. But if not, I would look into H&R 1871 guns, in 20. These are single shot, break breach guns that shoot forever.

The best thing about them is the price. You could get a 20ga for about 175 to 200 bucks, then as he matures, you could have a 12ga barrel fitted for about 100 dollars. One gun, multi gauges!!! If he has long arms, then no need for the youth sized stock.  These guns are really versitile, and leave lots of cash in your pocket for ammo.

In my youth, I worked in a gun store, and sold lots of these guns to parents looking for good economical guns. I never heard one complaint. If you want fit and finish, you will find it in the berretta section. If you want a practical gun that grows, and changes with your son, then this is it.

Make no mistake, these are well built firearms that can be fitted for turkey, waterfoul, and deer. They truly are exceptional.

I own an H&R rifle in 45-70, and feed it a steady diet of heavy loads, and it shoots them no prob,

Good Luck.

PS A .410 is limited in power, and more expensive to shoot.