# Duck Gun Suggestions for my 8 year old son



## NMH5050 (Nov 4, 2019)

I am going to get my 8 year old son a shotgun for this duck season. I am looking for a few suggestions on what everyone has bought for their kids. Thanks for your help!


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## Mark K (Nov 4, 2019)

What can he hold up safely and shoot? Best bet is take him with you and let him hold each shotgun and go from there. Gonna be tough to find one at that age. An Ultralight or Montefeltro in 20ga might fit and be light enough to handle.


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## gobblestopper12 (Nov 4, 2019)

For an 8 yo, I would suggest something along the lines of the 870 or 1100 express.


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## Para Bellum (Nov 4, 2019)

I'd start an 8 year old out with a pump first and foremost.  Just safest option IMO.  I'd make it inexpensive as he won't really appreciate it at that age and it's going to get abused duck hunting.  I'd go with a 20 gauge.  Will kill ducks just fine and less recoil for the lil guy.  Being said, Remmy 870 or Benelli Nova.  Any of the Stoeger and Franchi pump models would do as well and not break the bank.


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## Para Bellum (Nov 4, 2019)

Reckon I should also mention that Remington products ain't what they used to be.  Might be better off to go used if you choose this route.


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## Big7 (Nov 4, 2019)

gobblestopper12 said:


> For an 8 yo, I would suggest something along the lines of the 870 or 1100 express.



YES SIR !!
X2 on a youth model 870.

I have one purchased for rabbit hunting, running dogs. It don't kick much at all.
Mine has a 3" chamber. (for all I know, all might be a 3" chamber.

You can borrow mine to try out if you want to.

I'm not a duck hunter but I have shot rabbit, squirrel, dove and quail with mine. IT IS A SWEET LITTLE SHOTGUN.

And... It will double as a slug gun if y'all deer hunt.


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## Dustin Pate (Nov 4, 2019)

Yildiz A71 Youth model 20 ga. He'll love it and the 20 ga. will flat hammer any duck around.


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## Big7 (Nov 4, 2019)

NMH5050 said:


> I am going to get my 8 year old son a shotgun for this duck season. I am looking for a few suggestions on what everyone has bought for their kids. Thanks for your help!



For some strange reason, I can't find PM. 
Shoot me one. I have something you might be interested in.

And... For admin. and Mod's, I'm not trying to sell my shotgun.?


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## Mark K (Nov 4, 2019)

Kids and pumps don’t mix too well unless you just want him to have a gun and just shoot. If that’s the case buy a single shot, they’ll both kick about the same. I have yet to see a child keep their heads down while shucking a shell. Most look up and pull the gun to the side of whichever hand they’re pumping with. And the only reason I say that was because I bought mine one close to that age as well. He might or might not hit on that first shot, but I can guarantee he won’t hit anything with the next two.
Take him to the store and have him shoulder them and pump while there, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Buying shotguns for kids is like buying shoes, unless they are there, then it probably won’t fit...but shoes you can take back.


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## NMH5050 (Nov 4, 2019)

Dustin Pate said:


> Yildiz A71 Youth model 20 ga. He'll love it and the 20 ga. will flat hammer any duck around.



Thanks. I’ll check that out.


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## Juan De (Nov 4, 2019)

Tristar is making a 410 they call it the turkey edition buddy of mine bought it for his 7 year old for turkey and deer hunting, but I’m sure by the feel of it it would do nicely for ducks. It’s in the 700 or so range.


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## Boondocks (Nov 4, 2019)

I would be more interested in a life jacket than a gun for an 8 year old going on a duck hunt. He is not going for the shooting as much as being with you.Make it safe as you can.


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## TurkeyH90 (Nov 4, 2019)

Unless he is big for an 8 year old you are gonna have trouble finding something with a short enough LOP and light enough to handle that won't kick the snot out of him. I have had a tough time finding one for my son. I'd suggest a gas auto (one shell at a time) with a replacement buttstock you cut off to fit. A pump or single is gonna be a shoulder buster with a decent  duck load. I have a Mossberg bantam but I buy reduced recoil shells. You do not want to start him flinching or being scared to shoot. I have seen it ruin a youngun for years. Matter of fact we just sold a deer rifle after about 3 shots because of this. Had to get something HEAVIER.


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## Throwback (Nov 4, 2019)

Boondocks said:


> I would be more interested in a life jacket than a gun for an 8 year old going on a duck hunt. He is not going for the shooting as much as being with you.Make it safe as you can.


Amen!


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## Throwback (Nov 4, 2019)

8? 
single shot 410 with bismuth


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## GunnSmokeer (Nov 4, 2019)

The last time I bought a shotgun for kids, then around ages 9 and 11, it was a .410 pump action.  They hated it. It had too much recoil they said, AND it didn't impress them with the patterns it threw. They didn't destroy as many reactive targets as they expected, or like they saw me do with my 20 and 12 gauge guns.

I've also had women, and men, and  teenagers (big boys, over 150 lbs and nearly five-foot-nine tall) complain about high-brass 20 gauge 2.75" chamber shells run through a pump shotgun.

THEREFORE, I think what would work best is a semi-auto 20 gauge.  
Self-loaders kick less than pumps or other locked-breech designs. 
Get a normal weight one. Extra mass slows down the acceleration of the recoil impulse. It feels like less recoil. If the gun doesn't come with an excellent sighting system, put on high-viz fiber optics bead(s).


It's a shame semi-auto 28-gauge shotguns are so darned expensive-- that would be an option, too.  Well, maybe not, since I don't think anybody makes a 28 ga. shotshell in the appropriate non-toxic loading for hunting migratory waterfowl.

I would not go down to .410, not for duck hunting.


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## Core Lokt (Nov 5, 2019)

Dustin Pate said:


> Yildiz A71 Youth model 20 ga. He'll love it and the 20 ga. will flat hammer any duck around.



My daughter has one. She got it when she was 17 and loves it. I shot it a few times duck hunting and I bought the same gun in the regular size and it's all I shoot duck hunting now. 

A Stevens OU 555 in 20 is another choice. My friends 10 yo shoots one well.


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## TAS (Nov 5, 2019)

I bought me son a weatherby 20 gauge semi auto.  Used as a single shot for some time but the semi auto recoils less.


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## Hunter/Mason (Nov 5, 2019)

I bought mine a mossberg super bantam 20ga pump at 6. It come with adjustable but plates and a certificate that you send in when he out grows it so you can get a regular stock. Only issue I have with it is it’s so short when he shoots it’s soo loud for everyone else around


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## Uptonongood (Nov 5, 2019)

Eight years of age is unusually young to start duck hunting so here are my thoughts:

Kids attention span at that age is very short. Plus, their ability to manager/tolerate bad weather and cold temps can add other stressors.  Kids like action and activity which can be a challenge in duck hunting.  Best to shorten the hunting day rather than expect the child to suffer through it.  You want them to really enjoy themselves the very first hunt.

As for firearms, pump shotguns even as 20 guages, have significant recoil.  This recoil will produce incorrect mounting of the gun, lifting the head off of the stock, and recoil flinching.  A small gun like a .410 eliminates these issues but it is really the gun of expert shooters and not suitable to kill ducks in most situations. That being said, the hunting adult can always inform the youngster that they just made an incredible shot on that last bird regardless of whether the child hit it or someone else did. 

 I recommend a semi-auto loader in 20 ga. with a short enough length of pull so gun mount is good.  Time spent shooting clays for a month will also be beneficial.

Take snacks and hot chocolate along for both of you. I can still remember my first "duck hunt" from 1954.  Didn't kill and ducks but I did manage to kill a coot (or so I was told!). I was shooting a .410/.22 over and under made by Savage and the coot was probably 30 yards away.  Naw, I didn't kill it, my older brother probably did.


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## Throwback (Nov 5, 2019)

Uptonongood said:


> Eight years of age is unusually young to start duck hunting so here are my thoughts:
> 
> Kids attention span at that age is very short. Plus, their ability to manager/tolerate bad weather and cold temps can add other stressors.  Kids like action and activity which can be a challenge in duck hunting.  Best to shorten the hunting day rather than expect the child to suffer through it.  You want them to really enjoy themselves the very first hunt.
> 
> ...


I agree 

how many ducks is an 8 year old really going to kill anyway?


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## delacroix (Nov 5, 2019)

.410 with TSS turkey loads. Should weigh over 5#. You can get a 28ga or 20ga that light, but you'd have to roll your own TSS. Yildiz single barrel with the buttstock stuffed with weight would be a good start.

Nothing wrong with waiting until older. My kid thought getting the snot kicked out of him was a hoot when he was five. I discouraged it but he kept asking. Now that he's 8 and trying to improve his shooting he shies away from the hard kickers. It messes with his concentration too much just like it does adults with big magnums. I'm limiting his shotgunnery to turkey only with light loads until he gets bigger.

The point is this is a niche product thing for a reason. Beware moving too far too fast.


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## NMH5050 (Nov 5, 2019)

Metro Trout said:


> Reckon I should also mention that Remington products ain't what they used to be.  Might be better off to go used if you choose this route.





Throwback said:


> I agree
> 
> how many ducks is an 8 year old really going to kill anyway?



thanks for the help. We have a good place to shoot woodies so it will be over fairly fast. I agree.. He probably wont be able to kill one but if he thinks he did that will work for both of us. It would be my friend and him doing the shooting. I will be with him the entire time. thanks again.


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## jdgator (Nov 5, 2019)

NMH5050 said:


> thanks for the help. We have a good place to shoot woodies so it will be over fairly fast. I agree.. He probably wont be able to kill one but if he thinks he did that will work for both of us. It would be my friend and him doing the shooting. I will be with him the entire time. thanks again.


Consider a used Charles Daly 20 guage semi. About 100 bucks and if he drops it in a beaver pond it won't be the end of the world.


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## DRBugman85 (Nov 5, 2019)

I started my 8 year old Granddaughter with a  Remington 20 ga 870 youth,1 shell at a time.Now at 13 years old she is deadly and can shuck it as fast as a auto.
Plus she can hit what she shoots at.


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## Para Bellum (Nov 5, 2019)

NMH5050 said:


> thanks for the help. We have a good place to shoot woodies so it will be over fairly fast. I agree.. He probably wont be able to kill one but if he thinks he did that will work for both of us. It would be my friend and him doing the shooting. I will be with him the entire time. thanks again.



Let the first ones hit the water.  Get the lil guy a drake Woodrow for his first bird!


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## gobblestopper12 (Nov 6, 2019)

I started on an Remington 1100 express shooting doves as a child. The best thing my dad ever did was only let me have 1 shell in the chamber while I was young. It taught me how to take my time and learn to aim rather than start firing rounds off. As I got older, he let me put 2 shells in and then eventually 3. One of the best things he ever did for me as far as hunting goes, in my opinion. I'm 27 with a dead eye now because of this reason. 20 ga is plenty for a wood duck. My dad laughs at how the duck hunting scene is today. When he tags along with us, he wades in old blue jeans and shoots the ol 1100 and bags more than all of us without a $2k shotgun while wearing walmart apparel lol.


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## Bubba_1122 (Nov 19, 2019)

delacroix said:


> .410 with TSS turkey loads. Should weigh over 5#. You can get a 28ga or 20ga that light, but you'd have to roll your own TSS. Yildiz single barrel with the buttstock stuffed with weight would be a good start.


I have an 8 year old grandson that enjoys going with me and my son in law. His 5 year old brother is lobbying to join us this year, and I'm much looking forward to it.

I don't expect either to shoot at ducks this year - just not quite there yet. I imagine after the hunts we will let them shoot at some stationary targets just to get more comfortable.

That said, I'll be shooting a 28 gauge 870 with blended shells (half TSS #9's and half steel #4's). Used it for turkeys last year with home grown #9 TSS shells. Deadly little gun. 

Got the blend recipes from my TSS supplier and will load them myself (reason I'm doing that is had neck surgery couple of years ago. Doubt I'll ever shoot a 12 gauge again and when I shoot high brass 20's my neck goes numb and my fingers tingle for the better part of a day. Just don't want to play with that).

I'll shoot my 28 on a very limited basis (maybe 6 or 8 times a hunt and if any issues then I'll just cook breakfast for everyone while they hunt).

If it works well on woodies then it'll become my grandson's gun next year and I'll load him some shells during the off season.


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## MudDucker (Nov 19, 2019)

I really like 28 ga for youngin's and even this old man likes it for dove birds and quail.  My huntin' buddy busted up his arm a few years back and loaded up 28ga with heavy shot and he was a duck killin' fool with that gun.


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## critterbait (Nov 20, 2019)

Throwback said:


> I agree
> 
> how many ducks is an 8 year old really going to kill anyway?


I guess that depends on the 8 year old. At 6 my son was shooting them with a 410 at 7 he was using a 20ga pump and at 8 using a berretta 20ga auto and he was deadly with it and very focused on the hunt and now at 20 years old I don't even like sitting beside him because I don't never get to shoot.


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## oops1 (Nov 20, 2019)

My son’s first was a benelli montefeltro 20 gage..it was somewhat pricey but came with a youth butt stock and an adult size. He used it for hunting as well as the shotgun team at his school. It’s had well over a thousand rounds through it and hasn’t missed a lick. He’s 15 now and he and I both still use it. You won’t outgrow like other youth models.


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