[cindyr64]

I totally butchered a post on shotgun world forum so it was suggesed that I repost my question on this site with my new knowledge. so here it is...
My son is almost 14. He is a junior league shooter for Georgia's 4H Modified Trap shooting program. (25 singles per round) Last year was his first year in it & we bought him a Remington 20 gauge 1187 youth model gun as he is small framed. He was the top junior shooter on our team last year but we have a small county. He shot a perfect 25 once last year. This year he is consitantly shooting in the 20's with mostly 23's and some 25's. Even though he is one of the best shooters on our team, we know most people who place at state will shoot a 25 and then shoot tie breaking doubles, which our county has not practiced much until the last few weeks. Qualifying is this weekend and state is May 12. We are not planning on making any changes this year but we want to prepare for next year when he begins the senior league. He has grown quite a bit taller and filled out some from last year but he is still thin. One option was to out on another stock but should we get him a 12 gauge instead. My husband & I have discussed what gun would be best for him. My husband initially thought more money means a better gun and has suggested Browning, Beretti or Benelli. After reading some of the post on the shotgum forum, we realize that may not necessarily be true. He also says we need to get him an o/u. He also has seen some students shooting doubles with different chokes and thinks that's a good idea. I would love to hear from other shooters who shoot for 4H. And I would love ot hear from anyone who does trap shooting about what they recommend for a light gun and what chokes are better. Also, he and my husband were invited to go shoot sporting clays with someone my husband works with & my son shot 62, which I didn't think sounded so good but I heard it was good for a 13 yr old who had never been before & was used to shooting in a totally different set up. Besides the man who took him shot 58. He really enjoyed that and I am sure he will be going again so we'd like to keep that in mind when purchasing a gun.

 

[hmb]

He seems to be doing just fine. As he grows you will probably have to lengthen the stock, and adjust the height of the comb. Stay with the auto loader with its low recoil, it is pleasant to shoot.

If you decide to buy him another gun make sure he has a chance to shoot it before you buy it. Chances are he will elect to stay with what he is using now. HMB

 

[cindyr64]

yes it works - im trying to send a movie clip. i think it is hung up. try again please.

 

[BigM-Perazzi]

One advantage of a 12 ga. you can shoot 20 ga. equivalent shells in it. (7/8 oz, 1.0z.) If you go that route, I'd also suggest one of the Beretta 39x series, used, or new, models 390, 3901, or 391. Have it cut down for his length of pull and the correct shims put in for his comb height. He will shoot it for 20 years that way if he wishes. Also, although I love sporting clays. I have found that it does not compliment trap shooting. so, If you want to be competitive at either, pick one and stick with it.

Jim

 

[Rollin Oswald]

Buying guns for growing youths is so challenging because there are so many things to consider. Kids grow each year. They get larger and their strength increases. A gun with a particular set of stock dimensions that fit the youth this year is not likely to fit next year. Along that same line, a gun with a weight and a barrel of a certain length that the kid can handle this year, may be too short and therefore too whippy, next year or the year after.

Comb height was mentioned above. Younger shooters often need higher combs than older kids an adults. When kids shoot guns designed for adults, they are very likely to be looking at the back of the receiver or action when they correctly put their cheeks snugly on the comb. When they raise their heads to align their eye with the gun's rib, accuracy decreases and the chance of painful recoil to the face increases.

A similar situation is present when kids grip guns. Small hands must be slid up and forward on the grip to allow reaching the trigger. This results in their pulling up rather than back on the trigger, which, in turn leads to inconsistent trigger pulls and decreased accuracy as a result of inconsistent timing. Another problem is stocks that are too long. They require the kids to lean their necks forward in an attempt to maintain control of the gun during swings, often failing in their attempt.

In my mind, the greatest difficulty facing all kids learning to shoot is the difficulty if not the impossibility of using the correct gun mount, stance and body posture when using the guns they are given. They are forced to learn how to shoot using the wrong shooting form because of the poorly fitting guns. To shoot correctly, guns must fit the shooters using them. ("Correctly" describes the shooting form that, over time, has resulted in the highest scores and is taught by shooting instructors.

What is the solution? Often, there is none. Many parents do not have the money to alter the stock dimensions nearly every year (once they have been altered to fit the youth when he or she first begins to shoot.)

Regarding guns, one with the right weight this year, may be too light with a too short barrel next year or the year after. The one with enough weight to keep felt recoil to a manageable level, may be too heavy to handle.

The ideal depends on the age and size of the youth when he or she begins shooting. It is important to find a gun that fits because it is then that good or bad shooting form and habits are learned. Semiautos are good because of their reduced felt recoil but problematic because their stocks cannot often be shortened enough for younger shooters. Over & unders are good because they offer different chokes in the same gun but two barrels are heavier than one and shotrer barrels that can be handled by young shooters are more difficult to swing smoothly when thier size and strength incurases due to groth.

A self-serving suggestion: Learn about stock fitting so you can be aware of how well particular guns fit the youth(s) you work with and what can be done to keep them fitting as they grow. Easy? No, because stock fitting is a complex subject, with its three variables, stock dimensions, shooting form and the different shooting disciplines, i.e. trap, skeet, sporting clays, with each requiring slightly different stock dimensions (and chokes.)

Know the correct shooting form (gun mount, stance, body posture) for the discipline your child will be shooting. It is when he or she begins shooting that good or bad habits are learned. Once learned, they become more and more difficult to change as time goes on. This is true for both good and bad habits.

Self-serving? I wrote the only book that details stock fitting and the relationships of shooter size and shape, shooting form for various shooting disciplines. You might consider buying a copy. It will describe shooting form, how your child should shoot. and how to determine how well a gun fits and what can be done to make it fit, if necessary.

Rollin

 

[KK]

Do your son and yourself a real favor and go up to a 12 guage for him. I raised three sons and made the mistake of going to twenty gauge guns for them with the idea that they would be a natural transition between the 12 and 20. It is just not so! All three boys shot the 20's for well less than a year before transitioning to the twelve. We found that the multitude of 12 gauge loads that are available made it simple to custom design a 12 gauge load for each boy that made shooting comfortable yet delivered a full 12 gauge payload. Scores rose accordingly and the three twenty guage guns were stored. I can truthfully say that in my travels to many trap shoots, I have never seen a Junior or Sub-Junior shooter using anything but a 12 gauge. It is a fallacy in our sport that a 12 gauge gun is too much for a junior shooter to handle. If the correct gun is chosen and is properly fitted any junior shooter can comfortable handle the 12 guage for competition and his scores will prove it. KK