Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Advise for my newbie son

Hi all,

My son (Trace) recently decided to join the local trap team. He has shot a few turkeys and ducks and I took him to shoot clays 1 time. They had their first meeting/shoot today and apparently he did pretty good. He shot an 18 for the two rounds that he shot. The coach seemed pretty impressed with that being his first attempt. I have never shot trap and am completely naive about the discipline and I feel like the coach is more there for support than training. What is everyone’s advice on where we should proceed from here? We are not wealthy people and I know the sky is the limit in these sort of events. He currently is shooting his moms benelli nova compact 20 guage and it seems to fit him well for now but I know he is also a growing 15 year old. Will this gun continue to work for awhile? I noticed all the other kids on the team were shooting 12 guage. Will 20 be a handicap for him? If anyone has any advice or pointers I am more than accepting and will do my best to pass it on. I would like Trace to continue on with this endeavor for as long as he can and help him be as successful as possible.

Thanks in advance.

Yes, the shotgun he's currently shooting will work for the time being. My almost-14YO no longer needs a shortened stock; he's as tall as I am, already. My guess is, that your 15YO will need to move up from the "compact" model sooner than later, but otherwise there's nothing wrong with learning the basics with what you have available.


A 12ga is pretty standard for trap. Yes, you give up a little with a 20ga, compared to the 12ga, but at the 16yd line a 20ga can break targets consistently.

I wouldn't worry about getting a dedicated trap gun, at this stage in his shooting career (save your money for ammo). A good field shotgun is just fine, and a semi-auto has less recoil than a pump. A gas-operated 12ga semi-auto would probably recoil about the same (or less) as the current lightweight pump he's shooting now.

The Remington 1100/1187 and Win Super-X1 are solid and fairly affordable choices. I have seen a few in the $400 - $600 price range, recently. I picked up an 11-87 for my son last year.

Most folks are pretty agreeable to letting young shooter try their shotguns, for a round or two. Have him shoot some other shotguns, so he can see what he likes and what fits him better.

Congrats and good luck to Trace, by the way. Sounds like he's hooked, already!

personally I don't feel the 20 gauge will be handicapping and a gun that fits him well the lower recoil will help in the lighter weight depending on his size and strength... I would say maximize the use for what you have and then bump him up my personal opinion.

concentrate on technique and style

Sounds like a young man may have found a lifetime hobby! He'll want something more specialized eventually, but I agree with Dan...as he gets to look at and handle other shotguns he'll figure out what he wants and needs.

For now, as others have counseled above stick with the Benelli 20. However, as he grows into the sport and presuming he loves it and wants to continue, he will need a good 12. I recommend a good gas gun. The best new one on the market is the Beretta A400, by far. I’m also a fan of the 1100 and Super-X Model 1 (be sure he’s stout enough to handle the weight of the latter; if he is, it’s a marvelous gun for many reasons). Use light loads.

I give lots of lessons and clinics on trap, mostly high schoolers, and private lessons to many in all disciplines. As he gets serious, his focus and routine must change mentally from practice to training. There are some very helpful videos online to help with basics, such as one from Gil Ash:

Gun fit is key when shooting clay targets. Don't let him fall into the "I have to have a bigger gun because Bubba has one" thing. I have seen many new shooters be way over gunned. Also you don't need some big high powered shell to break trap or skeet targets.