So I am thinking of getting The Boy a 20 gauge for ducks and geese. You guys had good advice on his new 30-30 so I figured I'd get some opinions on a 20. Thinking about a semi to help reduce recoil but pumps are so much cheaper. He is just under 80lbs and 9yo. He is a good wing shooter on pigeons so I know he can hit the birds just dont think a .410 is an ethical choice for ducks and definitely not for geese.

Let's hear your advice and opinions.

I was started on a single shot 20 gauge for fowl. My father amd grandfather showed me to hold an extra shell between my fingers to quickly hit the switch and plug in the next shell. Could shoot twice in just about the same time as a pump gun. Also taught me to rely on the first shot.

Personally I’ve never been able to tell all that much difference between a 12 and a 20 as far as recoil is concerned. Especially in a semi.

I would seriously consider a youth model gun. I did this for my daughters and I think it was the right move, it has a shorter stock so they were not stretching to hold the gun. Several models (at least back then) could have the stock changed out to a normal stock for when they get bigger.

Weatherby SA-08. I switched to a 20ga for turkeys and this gun patterns better than my 12's.

I prefer a pump gun to start. The hammer on most single shots are hard for a lot of kids to let down should they (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) and not fire. Also, most singles use the hammer as the safety so kids need to re learn how to use a traditional safety.

Sounds to me like your boy could handle a 12ga in lighter loads then be able to move up as he gets used to it. I like the Mossberg 500 with a youth stock that you can swap for a regular later. The safety is on top so it’s easy for you to see when he has it on or off also.

I agree that for a starter pump gun that the Mossberg would be a good choice...for an auto loader look at the Benelii M2 in 20 gauge...my youngest two (boy & girl) both used this gun with my daughter getting her first goose with it...they both loved this gun and the only reason that they don’t use it now is that they graduated to the 12...I still use it from time to time and I also have loaned it out to new shooters at our local gun club....Good Luck to you and your youngster...Rob

P.S........remember the recoil will be reduced by the amount and type of clothing your son will be wearing....a heavier load in 20ga for a nine year old in waterfowl clothing should be fine....whatever your decision have him practice with the clothing/loads he will be wearing/hunting with so he and you can work out any kinks in the mount and dismount....don’t forget about getting him fitted to the firearm as well....Rob

If i had to do it all over i'd look for an older remington light 20 gauge 870 or 1100 if its to long saw a chunk off and screw it back on next year
Was brought up on single-barrells with their excessive drop at heel at pullin the trigger and easin the hammer down they're not a kids gun

I think the youth model 20s kick more than the normal versions .

I started with a savage 24, 22 over 20 gauge. Still have it, but I wore it out years ago. That being said, 870 express youth guns are cheap

I have a savage 24c (22 over 20), that 20 gauge kicks like a mule on steroids with field loads. No way would I get that for a kid.

I would vote for an 870 youth. I'd go 12 gauge, the gun will be a bit heavier which will help to absorb more recoil. And ammo is cheaper.

Nothing wrong with a pump. Much safer. My son shoots an old Lafever Nitro Special, SxS 20 gauge. Shorter length of pull. And when it comes to shooting at game nobody feels the recoil.

I started with a pump 12. However my oldest daughters just got their first shotguns. I got them semi auto 20 gauges. Remington 1187 youth 20's. They have hardly any recoil and the girls freaking love them. They are 12 and 11 and are both under 100lbs. They came with vent rib barrels and I also ordered each a cantilevered slug barrel for deer hunting. I am super excited for this hunting season!

Correct nobody feels recoil when shooting at game. But I require them to do alot of practice before I let them sling lead at game animals and that requires light recoil to keep them shooting.

Good advice guys. He shoots a mossberg mini in .410 pump now I may be overly careful about recoil and I know shooting game you'd never feel it but shooting clay pigeons you will. I may just go with a mossberg youth or the mini I am shying away from the mini since it is so light and he is about ready to add the extra butt shim so it wont fit him much longer.

When I got old enough to pack a shotgun, I was assigned my dad's old Remington 31 pump in a 16 gauge. If not for the fact that it had a full choke and I tended to saw quail in half with it, it might have been my long term gun. That plus 16 gauge went out of style and shells for it hard to come by. My replacement for it was an 870 12 gauge. It has less recoil than the 16 did. Dads 20 gauge 1100 with light loads has less still.

I still prefer a pump gun......or my grandfather's old double barrel. Seems much safer. I had a nasty experience with first auto I was allowed to shoot.......was holding it after having taken a shot at game, still had my finger on the trigger and it went off a second time (was a kid at the time....but a kid will do that sort of thing until they learn). Lucky for me it was pointed at the ground at the time. Still makes me nervous when I shoot my .22 auto pistol.

I bought my son an 870 Youth 20 ga. when he was 11 and I have never regretted it. He still has it however he went to a 12 ga. when he was 16. The shorter Youth model fit him well and he took a lot of ducks, geese, turkeys, and deer with it. That 20 ga. will soon start down through his 2 sons.

I introduced a lot of kids to duck hunting. Some had pumps, some had autos. I saw that a lot of kids with autos had a tendency to fire off 3 shots while the ones with pumps tended to take aim and lead a little better rather than emptying their guns trying to bring a duck down.

Moosetrot

Of my guns, my favorite is my over under 20ga

I bought both my kids and my wife the stoeger over and under 20 gauge.
They are pretty nice guns for the price.
Had them about 5 years and no issues.
i even take it out once in awhile.
You can always only put one round in and have a single shot.

I'm going to second what grapestomper said.

Years ago bought my youngest a Stoeger Condor Supreme O/U in twenty gauge. She was 12 at the time and used it a lot.

A really good gun for the price (I think I paid around $350.00-$400.00). The only thing I didn't like was the way the safety automatically reset each time after the action was broke open. I don't want my kids or anybody else to become reliant on the firearm resetting the safety. It was specially inconvenient for trap shooting. So I disabled that feature and now the safety has to be manually reset after each shot (as it should be IMO).

She grew and doesn't hunt as much anymore but that Stoeger has become my go-to when hunting grouse and woodcock. I don't mind if it gets beat up in heavy cove rand it doesn't handle bad at all.