I am looking for a shotgun for my 9 year old. He has shown a real liking to shooting and hunting and I want to continue to develop his interest. He has shot a .410 a couple of times and did not mind the recoil. A youth model (Rem 870) 20 gauge was a different story. I understand that 28 gauge will be more expensive to shoot, but I am OK with that. I really just want to get something that fits him and he enjoys shooting.

The youth model 28 I have been able to find online is the Stevens 555. Does anyone have any experience with this model? Are there other guns out there I am not seeing?

Primary use(s) will be dove, limited quail, trap and skeet.

At 9 years old isn't a 410 adequate? My 28 gauge has more recoil than my 20 does.

Stevens 555, good news and bad...The good news is that O/U’s are easy to build, fewer parts, and, therefore, can be very reliable even with less expensive models. The bad news is that a 28 O/U will have close to the same recoil as a good 20 semi (but less than the 870) so you’re better off finding a 28 semi which will be considerably more expensive. On the other hand, if you go with the O/U and he has a problem with the recoil, it should be easy to unload with minimal loss.

I don't know anything about that gun, sorry. Something that you may or may not have thought about is reduced loads. Example - a 7/8oz 12 ga shell is pretty light shooting and will hammer targets. It's even more light shooting than a 7/8oz 20ga load. Probably not real easy to find but you could reload them pretty affordable.

Good luck and awesome you're getting him into shotgunning

Find a youth model 870 and put a good aftermarket pad on it, Limbsaver or equivalent. 28ga ammo is expensive, don't invest too much in the gun because in 2 years he'll out grow it and you'll be buying another one. Talking from experience.
Good Luck,

I killed a whole bunch of dove with a single shot .410 from the ages of 9-12

My son has been shooting his CZ in 28 gauge since he was nine. He prefers it over the 410 SS.

He was 10 here. Just got done shooting clays with the 20 and 28ga

Thanks for all the suggestions thus far. I am very ignorant when it comes to shotguns. All I have ever had was a 12 gauge 870 pump. One reason I went towards the 28 was a friend told me (I have no idea if this is correct) that in trap/skeet a .410 will just discourage him because it is so difficult to get hits with so few pellets. I'll take a second look at youth model 20's and reduced loads.

Recommendations on style of shotgun to start a kid? Semi, pump, O/U? Like I said I have only ever had a pump but I would love to have a nice O/U just from the styling.

When I was young, My father got a full sized 12Ga that he could load reduced recoil loads for, purchased a second stock for it and chopped the end off of it till it was just the right length of pull, I shot that in 4H skeet for a year or so. When I outgrew that LOP he added butt pad to make it a little longer, and when I outgrew that we put the original stock back on and stored the hacked stock for if I ever have a kid that's interested in shooting sports.
That way you can justify a lifetime shotgun purchase and still be able to use it as he grows up

Remember, he is going to grow up REALLY quickly! My boy was very recoil shy at 9, but he has always loved shooting. He is now 11 years old, and has gone from being recoil shy to shooting my 6.5 and my .270 without issue. He also shoots a 20. As long as you don't push the envelope too much, he will outgrow the recoil shyness really quickly.

I grew up shooting a 20 auto and had friends that shot 20's as well. Unless your son is a little fella, I'd go that route or a 20 O/U.

Children grow up pretty quick. He'll be a young man before you know it.

My son started at nine with a SxS SKB model 100 in 20 ga.

This. You can get youth stock parts and swap them back later. IMO .410 is an expert's gun and can frustrate a beginner. I think I saw a 12ga 1100 in the classifieds. Very little recoil with this gas operated semi-auto using reduced recoil shells. I've found them at both Academy and Cabela's.

Do not make him shoot the Remington youth pump 20 gauge it will ruin them

Stevens 555 is a decent one. I kinda want one myself. As you already have a 20ga, and the young fella liked .410 fine, you could get .410 level loads for the 20ga. Fiocchi makes one. Fiocchi Extra Low Recoil Trainer is the product.

My boy about that age has a Yildiz 20ga O/U. The kick with those Fiocchi loads is fine by him.

A semi-auto is much softer than a single shot, an O/U, or a pump gun. I bought my boy a Weatherby SA-08 20GA when he was about 8 or 9. It shoots pretty soft. You can run the reduced recoil loads in them as well and really soften it up, but it won't cycle those loads, so it's effectively a single shot, which is not a bad thing while he's gaining experience. You can also put a limbsaver on it if it's too much I don't think it would be.

My son quickly moved to the full loads in 2 3/4" and didn't flinch when we started duck/goose hunting and I put 3" loads in it.

I recommend the gun. It's been 100% reliable and is priced right. He's shot clays, dove, ducks, geese, and cranes with it. He might actually outgrow it before this season comes around.

A .410 is really an expert's gun. Not easy to hit with. Can take the fun out of it for a kid.

I think you guys have convinced me to start with a 20 gauge with reduced loads. I'll be looking at O/U's and semi's. I like the idea of both - for different reasons. Semi for the soft shooting and O/U for the simplicity. Thanks all!

Winchester SX3 compact 20ga

The .410 is only an experts gun because most people think you have to shoot Full Choke to be able to kill anything with it, not true at all. 25 yards and Improved Cylinder do just fine on dove, quail and even pheasant.

All my boys started with a 20 gauge 870 youth model. Could handle it no problem. In fact I will still hunt with it sometimes, although length of pull isn't the best.

When my son was 9, we tried my Weatherby SA08 20G and ran into the same issue as above with the reduced recoil loads (wouldn't cycle). After going to Bass Pro and trying 5 or 6 guns, we ended up with an 870 youth pump. He then used reduced recoil loads and was able to shoot it without issue for dove season. On the positive side, after shooting the 870 for one dove season, he no longer thought the 243 or 308 kicked at all.

We now use the 870 as a home defense shotgun because it's small and easy to maneuver.

We stopped by Academy yesterday to see how the youth models fit him. He absolutely fell in love with the Yildiz O/U. It seemed to be a nice gun. I dang near bought him one and myself the Texas edition. Any reviews specific to Yildiz? Work great for the hunter and occasional trap shooter alike?

I use a 28 ga. Yildiz in the dove/quail patch and have never had a single problem other than typical stiffness when new. I think it’s a fine choice for the money.

I have a yildiz 410 with at least a couple thousand rounds through it and no problems. Biggest issue for your boy will be length of pull on a full size 20. You may need to cut the stock down so a nine year old can shoulder it and cheek the stock comfortably and reach the controls with decent form. He will progress quicker that way. If you do cut it, drill the butt plate screws deeper than the length you shorten. When he grows it will go back with a perfect fit. Start him with 3/4 oz 20 gauge loads. That is the equivalent of shooting a 28 gauge.