Trapshooters Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Gun choice for Youth shooter

1K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  omahasportingsupply 
#1 ·
The 391 Beretta is a great choice for a young shooter because they fuction very well even with soft 1 Oz loads. The key is getting the stock cut short enough and then shim it for a reasonable amount of drop and cast off/on. Stay away from the long barrels as they make the short stocked gun muzzle heavy. As the young person grows, you can add back sections of the cut off stock piece to gradually lengthen the pull. The only down side to the 391 is that it is a fairly heavy gun and while this helps tame recoil it is a consideration for fatigue.
 
#2 ·
How about a Plus gun? Either a BT99 Plus which is a single or a Citori Plus which is the over/under? They have the adj. rib, and the adj. comb while the recoil system keeps the gun easy to shoot all day. Also the butt is adj. for LOP, and for cant so as to fit a left or right hand shooter. Steve
 
#3 ·
I started a lot of our local kids off with 1100's and found that almost all of them shot them well in a very short time. I have two of my own that I always take along on shoot days for the person who "just wants to watch"--inevitably they accept my invitation to try a round. Almost everyone who picks the gun up can shoot it and have it feel natural to them. They're easy to repair and parts are cheap. There's a reason why they've sold millions of them.

The worst thing to do to a young shooter is hand them a gun that will beat them up. 870's are great guns that are owned by a lot of turkey hunters around here, but they can beat up a beginner. If you reload don't overlook a good 7/8oz load of #8's; I gave some of those to my grandson a few years ago and watched him smoke a lot of targets with them from the 16 yd line.
John
 
#4 ·
We have both guns; an older browning citori trap model and the beretta 391. We actually bought the beretta for my son to use for hunting, but are hoping his younger brother will eventually try it. The browning has been a great gun for him. The barrels aren't too long and we cut back the stock so it was just a little too long (not anymore) and put an adjustable butt plate on so it can grow with him. According to him the recoil is about the same - he shoots the bottom barrel of the browning.
Rio 1oz loads are cheap and have a soft recoil. His SCTP team uses the 1 1/8oz loads.
There's nothing better than getting beat in trap by your own kid!!
 
G
#5 ·
I would think that a 391 RL parallel would be a fine gun to start with. Get one with a 28" barrel so as not to be a barrel heavy gun. As the youngsters get older you can just buy a standard length stock and a 30" barrel. The 391 parallel's are a very versitile gun that will shoot all three disciplines very well.

ec90t
 
#8 ·
Another vote for the Beretta 3901 RL and the BT 99 Micro or (+) if you can find one. The junior high kids love the 3901 and the comb is already built into the price. They shoot it well because like Mac1911 said the grip to the trigger space has been reduced. Girls (of any age) with smaller hands have difficulty handling a gun when they cannot grasp the grip and still get the finger solidly on the trigger. Cutting off the stock (AKA reducing the LOP) will make it easier to shoulder but still difficult to squeeze the trigger. See Mac1911's earlier picture of his wife's stock made for smaller hands. A stock fitter can help adjust for this, but there are limits to their magic also. These are just my observations from coaching junior high shooters and the way the parents have reacted. YOUR stock length may vary. IMHO If you are near Omaha, NE, USA, we can go to a range and let you test both guns. Omaha
 
#11 ·
I am trying to rent a kid with a shortened LOP K80 for a weekend, but so far no luck. I have found some nice shortened LOP guns but they come only under the rent a wife program. While this program is good, the attached husband can be a real ball and chain on your weekend. As a Nebraska trapshooting high school coach, I always want to test fire the nice guns....... you know, safety first! Omaha
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top