youth or compact shotgun for girlfriend

[elevated]

hey ladies,

quick question. girlfriend wants to get her first gun. she likes to shoot trap etc with me but always complains that my 12 and 20 gauges are too big and awkward. would you guys recommend a youth or compact shotgun?

thanks!

[Ladyfox]

Well, depending upon what shotgun you have you may just be able to get an aftermarket stock that is shorter. For example, here is a Youth sized one for a Remington 870:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=152890

Failing being able to fit an aftermarket stock to your shotty I'd strongly suggest taking her to a store to try out a few and see which ones fit her better since every person is different and what may be comfortable for some may not be for others.

Outside of the actual length does the recoil bother her much? I know for myself when I first shot a 12-gauge that was a BIG wake-up call to the world of recoil and, in retrospect, I would have gone with a 20 had I not spent all of my savings on the 12 that I got for my 16th birthday so I just learned to adapt. ^_^

[mala in se]

my wife likes shooting 20g, but my son, 10 yo, can handle a 12g. just pick up bantam/youth model shotties (870, 500, etc) if the stock is too big for her.

my son did start w/ a 11-87 youth model. try that out. it only last for about a year and half before it was too small for him.

[dexter9659]

Most shops with gunsmiths can also fit the stock of a shotgun to fit the shooter. I have seen many times, a stock cut to fit the shooter. My 45-70 stock in fact is being reduced to fit my arm span. If you are in for the "long haul" you may want to consider that approach.

[Angie]

I shoot trap with a Remington 870, 20 ga Youth model. It has a 21" barrel, is around 6 lbs, and nicely balanced and points well.

I went to Bolsa Gunsmithing (in Huntington Beach) and they took another 1" off the stock, and added a comfy recoil pad.

I highly recommend getting whichever gun you get "fitted" to her.

[Meplat]

FWIW: I have had excellent results introducing new shooters to shotguns by using double guns with short barrels that hade the stocks fitted to the stature of the shooter. Doubles have recoil absorbing heft and put the weight between the hands. A 12ga, short barreled double gun if fitted to the shooter allows a shooter who is slight of stature to handle a gun that has enough weight to dampen the recoil. It throws a better pattern than a 20ga. And if used with light target or field loads of no more than one ounce of shot is an ideal trainer. IMHO

[rimfire17]

I have a Remington 1100 20 gauge LT which is extremely comfortable. However, I'd take the advice given most often here -- get one fitted to her.

[highpowermatch]

my son has a youth 410 still kicks like crazy due to the rifle being so small. The semi auto shotguns with a rubber pad are nice. the semi auto takes some of the recoil to reload and the rubber pad for obvious reasons

[Squawfish]

My wife recently sized a bunch of guns (it is easy to find ranges that rent handguns, but not shotguns) and the Remington 11-87 Youth fit her well. She is 5' 0"" so I thought an automatic 20 ga would work well and the 11-87 was a perfect fit. We haven't made the purchase becuase is is not cheap though...

[movie zombie]

the remington 870 express can be purchased with an 18.5 barrel and i've been told i can substitute the youth stock on it for the regular one. i have yet to call to verify this. if it is indeed true, this will be the shotgun i'll be buying and merely replacing the stock as my hunt for the 870 express compact has not been very successful.

mz