Mossberg bantam

G

Glenn Haas

Member
I'm thinking about getting my 13 year old a 12 gauge for next season. Does anyone have any experience with the Mossberg youth? And do the stocks swap out with standard lop stocks?
 
Hi Glenn,

If you are referring to the 500 Bantam, then yes it worked out fine for my daughter when she was the same age. It was good for a couple of shots and she would complain about recoil. Eventually I found a Charles Daly/Miroku then upgraded to a Beretta AL390. She really likes the auto and is still shooting that gun, she is now 18 years old.

A full size stock will fit on the Bantam. I just put one on last month.

Zane
 
Don't believe the 12 guage is suitable for a 12-13 year old, unless they are six foot. Find a good used 20ga. Find a used cut stock and install it. When they get older get the 12 ga or put the full length stock on, or dad can now use it.
 
The Mossberg Bantam 12 and 20 ga guns are good guns. A friend of mine son shot a 12 ga bantam when he was younger. His mom used to get him low recoil target loads to practice in the off season. His mom even used the gun to shoot trap. To duck hunt he was shooting 1 ounce and 1 1/8th ounce 2 3/4" shells. When he got a little bigger they got him a full sized 500 12 ga and he couldnt quite shoot it as well as his little gun. They put the long barrel of the full size gun on the Bantam for about a year and that kid was really deadly.

A couple other guns to look at would be the Beretta A300 12 ga gas operated semi auto. It only comes with a 28" barrel, but they all come with stock spacers and shims. The length of pull can be changed from something like 12.75" to 14.25" with the supplied spacers and butt pad.

The other gun I have limited experience with is a Tristar Viper G2 Compact. I have goose hunted with a woman who shoots one with 3" steel and I know a young guy who has a 20 ga compact sporting model. They seems to function very well but I do not know much about them. I know the 12 ga will cycle 1 ounce target loads and 3" steel goose loads.
 
If you move them to a 12 gauge that young i,d really consider a gas operated auto over a pump so recoil wasn,t so bad. If you must go the pump route start them with some 2 3/4" loads instead of 3" to help with recoil. Lots of autos out there that aren,t to bad in price that are available with youth stocks or spacers that allow for youth configuration.
 
Glenn
Actually it is a 20 gauge. I bought it used and and had it fitted, stock cut and cheek pad added. Great little gun, but she really loves her AL390 which is also a 20. The recoil on the 500 was not pleasant for her when she first started. Now its her deer gun. The fact that the AL390 is a semi, thus less recoil has improved her shooting immensely.
 
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I can't find a youth auto. I've been looking. If anyone knows of any models let me know. It's not an emergency but I'd like to do it. I want to do it soon as getting guns is a pita
 
Here ya go Glenn,

https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/mossberg-shotguns-semi-auto/mossberg-sa-20-all-purpose-field-20-gauge-26-quot-walnut-75789.cfm?gun_id=101428639


https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/mossberg-shotguns-semi-auto/mossberg-sa-20-all-purpose-field-shotgun-75772-20-gauge-26-quot-3-quot-chmbr-black-synthetic-stock-matte-blue-finish.cfm?gun_id=101610852








 
I started both of my boys with a Benelli M2 youth compact. Best choice I could have made. Not to much weight in the front end. Easy to swing and light on the recoil.

Prior to that I tried several other models they struggled with. Mosberg Bantum, Remington Youth 870 pump, Remington LT-20 youth, single shot 20 & I had Escort youth 20 that ended up breaking. It was a good gun until it broke and I couldn't find parts for it.
 
Tony N. said:
I started both of my boys with a Benelli M2 youth compact. Best choice I could have made. Not to much weight in the front end. Easy to swing and light on the recoil.
Click to expand...

I had a similar experience with a compact Montefeltro. Great gun, there is a model (the one we have) that comes with youth and full-size stocks.
 
I would second the Weatherby SA-08 compact. It is short and light. I have bought two as I have two DIL's that want to shoot and are both very small framed. They both really like it. It is not a fancy gun but price is reasonable. I contacted Weatherby and they told me a full sized stock was going to be available this summer for about 145 so it could be used after the child grew up.
 
Thats a gun that should last your young shooter well into becoming an adult. Proven operating system and invector plus chokes it comes with usually throw great patterns with just about any load.
 
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