Shotgun for wife/kids?

KThompson

KThompson

Active member
I'm sorry if this has been discussed before, I can't seem to find the right topic, but I'm wondering if anyone has recommendation for a shotgun for my wife? She's about 5'4"-5'5" tall and my mossberg 835 is a little more than she can handle, ha. She not too sensitive to recoil as she actually shoots/has used a 30-06 for deer in the past although the number of rounds spent duck hunting is hopefully a higher percentage than one or two shots a deer per hunt. I'm thinking I'd like to get a semi-auto but a pump still might be an option. I'm torn between getting a 20ga or buying a lighter 12ga and letting her shoot 2 3/4" shells. An important thing to note is that I'm going to probably buy used and anything over $500 is out of my price range so that probably limits the choices. I know there are several 20ga youth models out there but she could handle the longer barrell length and I might be better off finding a 12ga Rem 1100 or 11-87 and cutting down the stock in my garage to fit her. I'd like to hear some opinions.

BTW... if the duck hunting bug doesn't catch my bride, I have a 5yr old daughter and this guy who will be ready to shoot in a few years (note the cheetos all over his face used to keep him still and quiet).

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Great picture of the boy!

The one comment I was going to make (but you kind of answered it) is to watch the barrel length. The youth 870 20 gauge I bought for my son has an awfully short barrel. It’s a safety concern in a blind and I’m not convinced that they need to be that much shorter for shorter people.

I also think that the youth guns can kick harder because of their light weight and slimmer stock.
 
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I think they make an 870 express 12 gauge youth model, something worth looking into.
I have an 870 express synthetic 20 gauge youth model for my son. Its very light and has a very short barrel.
A cutdown 12 with 2 3/4 loads or a standard 20 might be a better option.
 
Kyle,

My wife has a standard 870 Express with a 26" barrel in 20ga. She handles it well.
 
Kyle, do you have anything in your current arsenal that she can shoot? I had a Winchester 1300 I bought for myself many years ago. After I got the A5, it just sat in the safe. When my son was young, I bought a $40 plastic youth stock for it.... used light 12ga loads, a slip on recoil pad and he was fine. Can you get a youth stock, or eBay stock and cut it down for something you already have? Way cheaper, and you have a gun anyone can use later in life. My youth stock will be handed off to Cheech when I head to Vermont next year.
 
Remington 1100 20 ga.........great gun for kids, lady's, and Grown Men, plus Geezers. Keep em clean and they work Forever. Mine is 30 years old.
 
Check with your buddies and see if anyone has a cut down 12 to try. Mom may not care for the 12. Let her shoot some clays, if that works try some steel, she how she likes it. If it's too much, 20's her gun.
Either way get a wood stock gun [hard to cut the plastic stocks right], go on line and find a used, cut or beat up stock, cheap. Fit it for her and save the stock for later when the little guy is ready. When he grows the full length stock will work. Plastic stocks are hard to cut and mount the recoil pad correctly.
Vintage Sporting has used stocks, Google used stocks or ebay. A few guys here set up a used 1100 20ga's for the smaller kids and have been passing it around families as they grow.
 
This was my son's Christmas. He is 10 but it is a light full sized gun that he can handle well.

synthetic_sa08.jpg

Weatherby SA-08 20ga Auto. $469.00

I did a bunch of research looking for a light 20 auto and this is the best I found without going over a grand. just under 6 lbs and light recoil. I read a ton of reviews and comments on different 20 autos and did not see a single negative on this gun. It also comes with stock shims so you can adjust it to fit.

Had a bit of an issue with it not kicking out light skeet loads but once he ran about 30 heavier shells through it, it had no problem with the light loads. He is shooting 3" shells at ducks and says it kicks less than any other gun he has shot.
 
I think you can buy youth sized after market stocks for Remingtons.
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Ram-Line makes a set of 1100/11-87 youth stocks that bolt right on. The other thing I would recommend are Mossberg 500 Bantams. They are made in 12 ga, 20 ga, and .410. I had a friend that had one in 12 ga. I personally think that is a better option than a 20 ga. She hunted ducks and geese with that gun. A 2 3/4" load of steel didn't kick bad. A 3" goose load only throws 1.25 oz of shot. The guns are reasonably priced and come with 3 chokes.
 
I would vote for the mossberg 500 20 gauge as well. Great little gun, nice and light, quite, not much kick and so on and so on.

Sold mine, cheap to a friend for his son, 10 years old who liked it :)
 
Remington 11-87 youth model 20 gauge. We also have a slug barrel for it that she pounds white tails with.


 
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Wow, thanks for all the replies. Lots of good info to consider. I'll keep everyone updated on what we choose to do. We ran around Huntsville on Friday and let her shoulder as many different models as we could find at Gander Mountain and a big pawn shop in town.
 
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This was my son's Christmas. He is 10 but it is a light full sized gun that he can handle well.

synthetic_sa08.jpg

Weatherby SA-08 20ga Auto. $469.00

I did a bunch of research looking for a light 20 auto and this is the best I found without going over a grand. just under 6 lbs and light recoil. I read a ton of reviews and comments on different 20 autos and did not see a single negative on this gun. It also comes with stock shims so you can adjust it to fit.

Had a bit of an issue with it not kicking out light skeet loads but once he ran about 30 heavier shells through it, it had no problem with the light loads. He is shooting 3" shells at ducks and says it kicks less than any other gun he has shot.
Click to expand...


Being in research mode myself. Thanks for the insight into the Weatherby line. The Waterfowler is on my list to check out. The Weatherby Mark V was always on my wish list for a deer rifle while living in rifle country but Weatherby doesn't jump out when thinking shotgun.
 
Kyle,

I would recommend a 11-87 youth model 20 gauge synthetic...It fits my small frame at 5'7" very well...After 10 years of hunting dove through duck it finally had its first maintenance of changing the main recoil springs in the stock...They were rusted very badly...If you do decide to go with this gun I will recommend if she is using 2 3/4" or 3" magnum steel loads to remove the first gas ring. Proper maintenance of cleaning with gun scrubber and lightly oiling with Blue or Rem Oil will keep you shooting for years...

If not wait till the A400 xplor comes out in the 20 gauge synthetic..

Regards,
Kristan
 
Hi Ed,

Not to hijack the thread but a tidbit more info for you. My dad bought one of the SA-08 waterfowlers to keep at my place for when he visits. It has been a great gun for three seasons now. Nice and light for carrying in the uplands and still soft-shooting for waterfowl loads. Has been beaten up a bit a few times and still functioned flawlessly. So much so that I'm considering one in 20g for myself as a dedicated upland gun.
 
Nick,

Thanks for the FYI. Like Scott said I haven't found but a couple of bad reports on the gun. And they were ejecting issues with light loads. Since it comes with dual valving for light and heavy loads it seems to me the fore thought went into the engineering. Shouldn't be an issue for me. I'll typically use my O/U 20ga for upland and any new gun for waterfowl.
 
Had a 11-87 12ga in the early 90's. Screw in chokes were in crooked. Got rid of that shootgun. SP 10 same deal. Hope they cured those problems.
 
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