I want to get my boy a shotgun soon. Would you recommend a 410 or 20? I don't care how much 410 shells cost either. Just wondering about the recoil more than anything. He is not very strong.

Didn't ask but I would go with a 28.

20 over the 410. Get you a good recoil pad. looking back I started with a 410 and it just doesn't put the pellets out there. Think the 20 would give him more opportunity to get some birds and confidence. Just my opinion.

I agree with TexFlip, get a good 28, shells are same price as 410 and he might hit something. Got one for my daughters first gun and she still uses it in college.

didn't think about the 28?

find a nice short auto 20ga.

Hmmm... I got a little single shot H&R .410 when I was 11 and I was a very small/short kid. The gun is very short and easy to handle for a kid plus only one shell at a time with a hammer I have to draw back. It's a pretty "safe" gun for a beginner.

problem was it's a full choke and it's fixed. Hitting birds is hard enough for a kid... throw in a full choke and it being .410 and it just got even harder for him.

The .410 I have makes a great squirrel gun and is what my grandfather and I used to hunt most.

I think getting the correct size gun is most important. If he's small, then don't go get some 28" barrel pump, cause it might be hard to handle for your son.

I would probably go with a short 20ga and put a "limb saver" recoil pad on it and rock and roll. There's not too much difference in recoil after that.

Good luck and have fun! Can't wait till my boy is big enough to go shoot that .410 of mine.

I like the IDEA of single shots for youngsters because it makes everything very deliberate. One shell at a time, pull the hammer back, get the gun mounted, etc. The problem is that unless it's a 410, they kick the snot out of little kids. If he's a pretty small little guy (not sure if the age) I'd probably start out with a 410 breakopen. Get the mechanics down. Then move to a gas operated 20. Heavier gun, but the recoil is nada.

I started with 410 pump, then 20ga bolt, then 20auto.

Now mainly use my 20ga OU but also use my 12ga maxus.

410 breakopen is good way to go. Cheap intial investment

I have to go with the 28ga crowd here. H&R makes a single shot 28ga pardner. There are old 28ga shotguns that would work like a savage 220. I found this on gunbroker which would be perfect.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=361358442

As far as finding ammo, I actually saw 28ga in our local wally world this weekend and had to do a double take.

I just bought 2 Remington 870 Youth in a 20 ga. for my granddaughters. Both are small built and handled the guns really well. The pump forces the kids to perform a task after each shot. The accu-choke gives you a lot of flexibility too. I got a .410 when I was 12 and still have it 54 years later. Looking back I wish my dad had bought me a 20 ga. instead. Buy the gun from Walmart - go to Remington website and get their $30 rebate coupon. Cost you around $250 net.

Start them off with a 20. I had a 410 when I was a kid and it was a POS.

I loved my Remington 1100 20 ga. as my first shotgun. I was deadly with that little 20 ga. and still have it. I still take it quail hunting when I'm feeling nostalgic.

Definitely go with a 20 over the 410.

From the little bit of info provided I'd go with a youth model single shot 410.

Some are saying 28 ga.... the only place I ever see 28ga ammo is at a skeet range, but then I don't look very hard for it either.

410 just makes it that much harder for a kid to hit something. Even as an adult, have you shot a 410 lately? not an easy task.

I like the idea of a 28, like others said. My cousin shot one when he was little, and it was a soft shooting little gun. But, shells can be a real pain to find.

I would go with a 20. There are so many youth model 20s out there, you can find one you like. And, they really don't kick that bad (even a pump).

Depends a lot on size and strength .. my boy is 11 now and small framed and shot a .410 the last two years and it is tough to hunt with but its a lot lighter even than my 20 gauge single shot. this yr he is big enough to swing the 20 a little better. I tried the 20 auto but it was way to heavy still... May need to look at the 20 gauge 870 youth for him next yr.. never shot a 28 gauge but sounds like an option too..

a 410 break action is a great idea
for a kid. i used one for a long time
and still do. it teaches kids basic gun safety
and to hunt and pick shots instead of making
hail mary shots and going boom boom boom
like you see a lot of grown hunters do. if
you're grown and can't down a bird with a
410 now, you are probably a skyblaster.

A .410 is an experts gun. Kids will loose their enthusiasm quickly if they miss almost everything. New England/H&R make a kids size 28 ga that doesn't recoil much different than the .410. Shells are about the same price and they pattern like a 20ga.
I have sold and taught a ton of kids to shoot a shotgun and trust me the 28 ga is the way to go.
Good luck

Some folks just don't get it. I see 28ga all the time, the people who don't see it aren't looking. Costs the same as .410, kicks the same as .410, kills birds 20X easier the .410.

The little 20 870's beat the crap out of my wife. She now has an 1187 20. Get a good pad

If you think a 20ga is too much for him, get him a reasonably priced 28ga O/U. The heavier it is, the less it's going to kick.

I've also seen some Yildiz and Tristar semi auto youth 20 gauges that might not be too bad.

Winchester SX3 20ga. w/26" barrel. Really any QUALITY, gas operated auto, but I happen to prefer the SX3 as its a great quality for less than $1000. I bought my GF one this year, and now am plotting to steal it every chance I get They are light (less than 7lbs.) and recoil is virtually non-existent. Plus it will still be useful for him in a couple years, or if he decides someday to try duck hunting (3" steel shot capable). While I hear alot of people saying 28, there are very few 28ga autoloaders available, and while you may not care about the price of shells, the availability and variety of shells leaves something to be desired.

This. It's not that you cant find a box of 28ga shells, its finding steel in duck season and good 5 shot in pheasant season.

Have you taken a 410 pheasant or duck hunting lately? It is a fun little dove gun, but bringing down a pheasant going away or a mallard on the edge of the decoys is a challenge. Just not much shot in there.

I do agree with the break action though. I had a break action 410 when i started, then a break action 20. Better gun safety and have to make every shot count.

don't know if I missed it but how old
my boy started and continues to use 12ga