Looking for a Rossi single shot .410 for my 9yo. He is still leaning back holding his brothers 870 youth so looking for something lighter. The other wild card is he is lefty so really limits my options. Figure the single break is one of those options. I know Escort makes a lefty semi auto 20 gauge as well and considering that for more long term option. Open to suggestions as well. Thanks.

My son started with single shot 410 like your talking about,that thing was heavey to me! My 20 gauge 101 pigeon gun is lighter! I was glad he grew fast and could step up in bore since that 410 was about to break me! He carries model 21 12 now...and still can't hit nothing! But having fun doing it.

Browning BPS ejects out the bottom but still 7#

The Legacy Pointer single shot youths look okay too. 26 in barrel, 13 in lop, 5lbs. Anyone with experience with those?

RLoving1 I hear you on the weight. He spent last year mostly sitting in the blind with us, learning to ID birds and how they act, watching the dog work, etc... and he loved it. This year he wants to shoot but is a little intimidated because he sees his brothers 870 kick, and its heavy too, for him... I want to feed his enthusiasm without scaring him off with a heavy gun that he cannot lean into correctly and therefore hurts on recoil.

I guess there are worse problems to have than finding the right dove/duck gun for my son that wants to hunt with me!

I'd go with the single shot in 20 gage over .410 Ammo is cheaper and will also run in the 870...

The Escort shotgun is a good option, a bit more expensive than the single shots but recoil with the gas operated gun is not much more than the 410 single shots.

I prefer the 20ga over .410, especially for kids. Easier for them to actually hit a target with it.

Weight and recoil will be diminished by a properly fitting gun.

My oldest son started with a 20ga 870 youth when he was 7, and no, he is not a big kid. He had trouble holding the gun up before I had the stock cut down to fit him. After the gun fit he didn't have trouble holding it up or having proper shooting stance. FELT recoil was a lot less since the gun was fit to him. He shot that gun for 2-3 seasons and then upgraded to a 20ga Franchi Affinity Compact. Great thing about the Affinity Compact is it comes with spacers to adjust length of pull and shoot last him well into his teen years.

I know it is a little more expensive to have a stock cut down to fit, but it really helps with the overall experience and will keep him hooked! Especially when he is knocking down his fair share of birds!

One piece of advice if you do have a stock cut down...make sure he is wearing clothing that is most similar for the hunting conditions. I had to have my son's 870 cut down twice as I didn't take into account his hunting coat. He was fine with just a shirt on during dove season, but duck season rolled around and it was a little long...had to cut it down another 3/8".

Skip the 410 and go with these low recoil 20 shells in a 20 single/pump:
( cheaper than 410's at Academy & $2 rebate & great on doves & clays !!

I'm a fan of using a gas auto for kids. My son shot a 20 gauge pump and was complaining after a little less than a box of shells. I bought an Escort gas auto and it was much easier on him, and he started shooting much better. Then the Escort stock came loose and I did not have a long enough tool to tighten it down. So his only choice was to shoot grandads 12 gauge gas auto Beretta 302, and he proceeded to knock down quite a few doves. He still shoots it to this day. He has been very successful in sporting clay tournaments and shoots doubles and triples in the dove field. If you're worried about safety you can still hand him a shell at a time. And yes I have trained him to only shoot what he can find and get back in place to shoot a few more1

My son is left handed. I started him on the Mossberg Maverick. Saftey selector is on top and i could change chokes. Went to an over/under as he got a little older.

Good luck

Z

If it were me choosing, hands down a 28 ga. Not only would you be saving him the beating from larger bores, you would be allowing him a shotgun with superior patterns over a 410. He will enjoy the sport way better if he can hit. Its really hard to hit with a 410. After time they get discouraged and think it is them that is the problem. When I switched my wife from a 410 to a 28 she started hitting a lot more. She started enjoying a lot more as well.

Thanks for all the feedback. Will most likely go with the Escort 20 semiauto. Maybe the Pointer break action 20. Agree on points about .410 and smaller pattern.

Oldoak2000 those are all my 12yo shoots during dove season. Usually find them at walmart or academy reasonably priced. Thanks for info on rebate.

Would definitely recommend an auto 20. Single shot 20ga that I have is probably the hardest kicking shotgun I own so I would never start anyone on that.

I have a 28ga single shot H&R Pardner my left handed son used. Shot everything from doves to honkers with it.

Left shooter here. Another option is an Ithaca Featherlight Youth. Bottom load and eject.

Started my Son on a Single 16 Win. model 37, He is right handed but left eye dominant. Even though he shoots left handed he is shooting right handed Shotguns. If your ever interested in starting him in bow Hunting I have a left handed PSE Fitzgerald Youth bow for sale, if anyone is interested in it pm me.

Good choice....still need to determine which eye is dominate and start him out shooting on that side....be easier to start off shooting on the dominate eye side than trying to change later....

Did the eye test long time ago he is definitely left eye. Plays all sports lefty as well. He shoots his 10/22 lefty and hates how the little shells pop out on him, always wears long sleeves so don't give a little burn to his arm. Had not heard about the Ithaca, will look into thanks again for input gents.

I know a couple lefty kids and adults that shoot right handed semi autos in 20 and have no big issues. Any other opinions on this? They are so much easier to find and more options, I just wanted to give my guy the proper gun/shell ejection if possible. Thanks again in advance.

I'm left handed and have always shot right handed guns.... if you don't know any better, you'll never think about it!

X2

Another vote for the Ithaca Model 37. They are well made pump guns and will last a couple of lifetimes.

I am right handed but left eye dominant. Hulls hitting at my feet never appear in my line of sight.

A solution to recoil can be had by either purchasing reduced recoil shells or by reloading.

Personally I took the reloading option when my kids were young. By selecting the right powder, hull, and primer a 12 gauge gun can shoot as light as 3/4 of an ounce shells all the way up to "ouch those hurt." About all I shoot now days is either 3/4 ounce or 1 ounce 12 gauge loads. No need taking a pounding to shoot doves.

Good point, if i just start him with a right handed one he will never know the difference. Plus he could share with his big bro. Would love to find a Weatherby SA-08 compact/youth or similar that some young hunter had outgrown and pay a fair price...

Me too. So is my son. No issue.

My whole family is left eyed and shoots off the left shoulder.

We tried several things when the boy was growing up. 410 single, 20ga pump and 20ga semiauto.

Ended up with a Yildiz 20ga youth and fiocci 3/4oz shells to start with. He's 16 now and is just beginning to think about a semiauto.