My grandson, age 13, needs a shotgun to use for trap comp in FFA
Should I get a 20ga or a 12ga?
He has never fired a shotgun but deer hunts with a 243.He has been shooting since age 5.

Thanks
Coach

How big a kid is he? My son was very small at that age and so I got him a Beretta 390 20 ga. youth model semi-auto. It fit him, was lightweight and light recoiling. He used it for shooting clays off a foot trap and hunting. He has outgrown it, but doesn't shoot or hunt anymore. He lost interest. If he can handle a 12 gauge, that is what most trap shooters use. He'll hit more with a gun that fits him and that he can handle regardless of gauge. If he can handle a full size 12 gauge but is recoil sensitive, you can always use 7/8 oz or 1 oz loads. The last thing you want to do is have him shoot a gun that he can't handle or that pounds him too much. He'll get discouraged quick.

He is tall but skinny, 90#
Do you still have the Beretta 20ga??
Coach

I do, but won't sell it. My wife talks about trying skeet shooting from time to time and if she does, this fits her.

Old Coach- I think a 12-gauge is the only way to go, if he starts with a 20, he will just use it a year or so until he will want to upgrade, and I believe it's just better off to start there. Look at Beretta and Remington semis for light recoil, let him handle both and see what fits him best. If you're a good grandfather I have a Beretta DT-11 combo I'd sell you for him. 😇😇😇

I started my kids off with a 20ga Rem 870 Express Junior Model. My son killed his first deer with it and I still have it. I often shoot trap with my son, age 24, and my daughter, age 28 and they both still shoot it. It's perfect for a woman and my daughter loves it. It's inexpensive too. Put an improved cylinder choke tube in it and he'll hit anything that flies. The only problem is that it's a pump, but that's all I use.

My son was 11 in this picture.

Hard to beat an 1100. Find an old stock to cut to fit and go kick azz. Should be able to have him going, fitted and the whole 9 for around 500

I always agree with Passport, he always has a common sense approach to shotgunning. If your grandson can handle the weight of an Rem 1100 and the 1 1/8 oz factory loads the Rem 1100 is a perfect starter shotgun. I coach the National Scholastic Trap Program and more than 50% of our kids shoot Remington 1100's. Most 1100's hand me down shotguns. It's amazing how well the kids do having just ONE gun to shoot. They don't have the option of returning to the truck for another gun because they dropped a bird or two.

Still plenty of stocks, barrels and parts out their...if needed.

Doc

I started my wife and stepson on 20 ga guns and should have started them with a 12 ga instead. The stepson started with a 20 ga Rem 870- and the 2ife started with a Beretta 390. The wife tried the 870 but it kicked too much for her, even though it was the old model on a 12 ga frame and we were using 7/8 oz factory loads. The stock fit was pretty close but the recoil speed was more than she liked. The semi-auto really spread the recoil pulse out and she was much more comfortable with that.

They both quickly advanced to the point the 20 ga was holding them back (sporting clays and trap) but the step to a 12 ga was initially too much mentally. I "tricked" my wife into using a 12 ga by buying a 12 ga 390 and loading some yellow/gold European hulls with 7/8 oz of shot. These kicked even less and after she was thoroughly adjusted to her new gun I told her the truth. It didn't phase her and she now shoots 1 1/8 handicap loads for hunting though the 1 oz AA and STS equivalent shells are her competition choices. At 1180 fps they are easy on the shoulder but do fine on even FITASC targets.

The stepson changed from his buddies "shaming" him into an 1100 in the larger bore. Or maybe it was his mother changing over and beginning to regularly beat him. Either way, I had to buy yet another gun for him.

In any case I would suggest an autoloading 12 ga as many others have. Use the 1 oz loads at 1200 fps or less and recoil won't be a problem. The 1100/11-87 are good guns as are Beretta 390/3901/or the 301-303 series. The Beretta are a couple of generations old but are very solid and dependable guns. The 390 series utilize 2 3/4" and 3" shells while the other is just 2 3/4" or 3". The Browning B-80 is a renamed 303 and can occasionally be found fairly cheap. There may be a couple of other options out there but these one should be able to find in the $500 range or even a bit less if one looks hard and is a little lucky.

I would suggest a gas auto 12 gauge. If he's in FFA he's probably stronger than a town kid the same size, and can handle the weight.

The short stock will make it even more nose-heavy than the usual auto, so you might want to add a half pound of lead to the butt while you're cutting it. It will balance better (change the amount of lead until it does) and will kick less. Add a really good pad, and a shell catcher is nice so he can save his empties rather than toss them at the shooter next to him on the line.

Since he's growing, you might want to buy a Kick-killer pad that goes on with Velcro. They do a good job, and can be moved to another stock when he grows into it.

Since cutting a stock raises the comb and makes it shoot higher, which is what you want a trap gun to do, you shouldn't have to do another thing to it.

That...

I know some people look down on pumps but the BPS Trap Micro is a great pump trap gun.

Has a magazine cut off switch and ejects straight down.

This:

Beretta 303 trap

Get one that takes stock shims so he can change the stock pitch and lift the pattern up a bit higher...

Thanks for all the help.

Coach

In case your still lookin...

http://www.trapshooters.com/threads/remington-1100-auto-trap-model.263422/

Funny thing is - I saw the pix first and thought "dang, that looks like a Wenig stock"..

THEN I read the description...