To me you have answered your own question. You know what he needs. Later if you think he needs a longer barrel or barrels you can trade guns.
my daughter started with 26 inch barrels then as she grew we kept increasing the barrel length.
keep the guns fitted to your son and keep him from developing any bad habits.
just my opinion and experience.
Good luck

 

My youngest son ( 13 Year old)
is beginning to show interest in shooting more trap. He has shot on and off at our local club for a few years, but it’s always been sporadic with most of his time consumed with other school sports and piles of homework.
He currently shoots a hand me down bt-99 that works fine for him for the little amount that we shoot.
To support his new found spark I was thinking of moving him into a new / used gun that fits him a little better. With complete understanding that he is growing as fast as bamboo fit will be elusive,I’m debating 30” vs 32” barrels.
We will stick with a break open gun as that is what he is accustomed to, both trap and bird hunting.
I know eventually 32” would be ideal but am concerned with weight and length at his current level. He is what I would call a medium sized 13 year old boy compared to the wide range that boys this age are. He is fairly strong and of athletic build, but I am still concerned a 32” barrels set up would be a hindrance at this stage.
I’m certain there have been a hundred discussions about this very topic, but I’m ok with this being the 100 and first. Let me know your thoughts.

If varies with the youngster. My daughter started with a 20 Ga. Youth gun with a short barrel and eventually ended up shooting a 12 Ga, gun with a 28 in. barrel . There is not a one size fits all. Several years ago I was at the Grand in the Remington repair shop ( when it still existed). A guy had a 3200 Trap gun with a 32 in. barrel . The guy mentioned he would be selling it. There was a young lady there with her Dad and she WANTED that gun. Now this kid was barley 5 ft. tall and probably couldn't have weighed over 100 lbs. soaking wet ! Long story short ,her Dad wound up getting the gun for her. The last time I saw them she was on the practice trap, and turning targets into black ink balls with it ! Get him what he is comfortable with . You can always go with a longer barrel later.

 

I feel the 30 inch barrels are the place to go , funds allowing . Browning Citori trap and a precision stock get it to fit and change it to fit as he grows ....

 

I think gun fit is the most important thing. Best thing I ever did with my son was to get him a PFS when he was able to shoot an O/U. As he grew, it grew. Barrel length will be more dependent of barrel WEIGHT rather than length. Talk to the guys st your local club and ask if they wouldn't mind if your son tried their guns. He will quickly put you on the path of what he likes/wants and you can go from there. Good luck and good shooting, Rey

 

My son started at 12 with a 34” BT-99. It was barrel heavy and he had to lean back to hold it up for more than a second or two. Two things fixed that. The first was gun lifts. He did no less than 100/day for the entire first year. Within a couple of months he had no problem holding a proper stance/mount for 10 or more seconds (not that there’s any reason to do that other than fitting the gun). The second was buying a PFS. We paid a little extra for the balancing kit. We were able to move the center of gravity back to the hinge which he seemed to like. We recently bought hm a new Citori CX and moved the PFS over to the new gun. We made the gun balance on the hinge and he was good to go. If he’s willing to put the work in to to get strong enough to mount the longer gun I say just get the 32” out of the gate.

 

It is unclear if you are looking at another BT, or looking at an O/U? Is he going to shoot doubles, and/or other disciplines like skeet or sporting? He will quickly grow into an adult sized gun, unless you want to keep buying guns.

 

I’d like him to stick with a single shot for now.
Mostly because of the weight. I really like some of the other SBT that others manufacturers offer.
Krieghoff KX series. Kolar single barrel etc.
I’ve even contemplated getting something in an unsingle that I could add longer stacked barrel to in the future.

 

What is the barrel length on the BT?

 

What is the barrel length on the BT?

30” fixed choke.

 

I almost bought my son a BT-99 micro (30” barrel and a shorter LOP) but I’m so glad we didn’t. He was 5’ 2” but halfway into his second season he grew 5” in 5 months. His gun fit got all messed up but having the PFS we were able to sort that out. If a PFS isn’t in the budget or isn’t desirable to you I’d definitely get a gun with an adjustable comb and LOP. Again, a dedicated routine of nightly gun lifts will have him readily hoisting any trap gun you/he might wish. But if he’s not dedicated to the sport I could see how the idea of doing that might turn him off.

 

I have a 34” BT-99 I think it’s one of the Leo special or something along those lines . I bought it at an auction 15 + years ago, with aspirations of shooting it . it’s been sitting in the safe most of that time. I let him shoot it once a year or so ago. It was too much gun for him at the time.

 

May want to think about an O/U in the event they want to shoot anything other than singles. I would also not buy a teenager a gun without the ability to adjust the fit. They are still growing and what fits them now may not fit them in the future.

 

I’ve thought of the doubles thing. Good point.
Would want to get him comfortable with singles first, and trying to keep weight down.

 

Kx-6 is looking pretty appealing.

 

Buy a trap gun that is able to be adjusted. Adjustable comb and butt plate. The difference between a 30 and 32 is not that much in weight. The main thing is that he is able to stand up with out leaning backwards
To shoot. Length of pull is critical in gun fit. Tristar makes one of the most adjustable guns out there

 

Agree completely! Gun fit is most important; my kids shoot 30" lg.....use guns for both Skeet and Trap (prefer the 30" over 32" in Skeet).

Ben

 

My grandson is 10 4ft 11 and weighs just over 90 lbs. Started shooting in March. First 35 shells shot with 20 gauge youth 870. Has been shooting 12 gauge ever since a shortened remington 1100, then a Bt-99 and now shooting cx 30" barrel for doubles. He has shot thousands of rounds since March 4300 ata targets. Started with lite 7/8 oz reloads and gradually increased as he shot more and more. I have not pushed him to shoot letting him stop when he is tired but he has developed pretty good stamina now. Shot 400 one day at ata shoot. Most 4-H kids will just shoot maybe 2 rounds but he and one other will shoot till they run out of shells Just let them go at their pace.

 

30" on fitted gun.

 

I use a 9 lb 32" well balanced o/u would be perfect.

 

32" gets my vote...one reason to consider is that re-sale will be way easier with the 32's vs a 30". There really isn't much difference in weight. Also, take swing dynamics into consideration as well.

 

My son started at 10 with a BT99 Micro. By the time he was 11 he was ready to shoot doubles so we got him a Citori CX o/u. It was a little heavy at first but we did make sure it fit him correctly and installed a RAD and adjustable comb. After a few practice sessions he seemed like he was fine for 100rds. He’s 12 now and shoots several hundred rounds a week with no issue.

 

The BT 99 micro is a great starting gun for a youth of that age. Starting a young shooter out with a heavy gun that does not fit is a disaster. I am sure he will continue to progress and enjoy the sport for many years!

 

BT99 and Citori Cx seems to be a good starting point most young shooters

 

The BT micro is a great gun for youth shooters.