20 gage shotguns

SovDog

SovDog

Steelhead
My oldest son and I have been doing some trap and little bit of bird hunting. He is a stout almost 13 yr old and we’ve been using a couple mid-20th century european made guns one a 12 and the other a 16 gage. Both are fine guns but the 12 is on the light side and has alot of kick even with target rounds, and ammo isn’t readily available for the 16 to shoot at the club. Now I’m not a huge gun guy and TBH I’m a bit of a wuss when it comes these things. Also the other siblings will be old enough to shoot soon so I was thinking of adding a 20gage to the lineup. With everything being crazy with costs these days are there any classic 20’s I should look for used that would hold up? There’s probably a million options out there so was hoping the collective wisdom on this forum might be able to give me a starting place. Much appreciated.
 
When I was his age I got my first shotgun. It was a New England breakdown 20ga. Perfect for target shooting. They're on the lightweight side, but I was a very skinny, pretty small 13yr old and I loved shooting it.
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SovDog said:
My oldest son and I have been doing some trap and little bit of bird hunting. He is a stout almost 13 yr old and we’ve been using a couple mid-20th century european made guns one a 12 and the other a 16 gage. Both are fine guns but the 12 is on the light side and has alot of kick even with target rounds, and ammo isn’t readily available for the 16 to shoot at the club. Now I’m not a huge gun guy and TBH I’m a bit of a wuss when it comes these things. Also the other siblings will be old enough to shoot soon so I was thinking of adding a 20gage to the lineup. With everything being crazy with costs these days are there any classic 20’s I should look for used that would hold up? There’s probably a million options out there so was hoping the collective wisdom on this forum might be able to give me a starting place. Much appreciated.
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If you can find a youth model 20g 870 your kids (and you) will love it. In terms of upland bird hunting it is still my stick of choice, especially with a aftermarket 22" barrel. Pheasant, grouse, chukar.... it's the quick point that drops the bird, and that little gun can swing as fast as you want. Once you're used to it everything else feels like swinging through cement.
 
Pink Nighty said:
If you can find a youth model 20g 870 your kids (and you) will love it. In terms of upland bird hunting it is still my stick of choice, especially with a aftermarket 22" barrel. Pheasant, grouse, chukar.... it's the quick point that drops the bird, and that little gun can swing as fast as you want. Once you're used to it everything else feels like swinging through cement.
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That was my second gun in my teenage years. Loved that thing.
 
Pink Nighty said:
If you can find a youth model 20g 870 your kids (and you) will love it. In terms of upland bird hunting it is still my stick of choice, especially with a aftermarket 22" barrel. Pheasant, grouse, chukar.... it's the quick point that drops the bird, and that little gun can swing as fast as you want. Once you're used to it everything else feels like swinging through cement.
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Looks like a nice classic. I thought I read something with a longer 28”+ barrel would be better for clays. Any truth to that?
 
For distance shooting a longer barrel helps, but it inhibits your ability to swing cleanly. At least in my experience. Personally I don't love a long barrel even for turkey hunting.
 
My mother-in-law has a Tri Star something or other 20 gauge over/under that we borrow every fall when they head south. It's nothing fancy, but it's a pretty nice gun for how cheap it was. I don't recall the specific model, my FIL bought it at Walmart I believe.

It looks nice, but it was cheap enough to not feel bad if it gets dropped.
 
As other's have pointed out, focusing on a youth gun will put you in the right direction. 870 youth pump is great. Pumps are also cheaper than most of the alternatives. With that said, I would focus your efforts on fit, and recoil pads, plus recoil inserts for shirts or a "PAST", recoil shoulder shield or something similar. CZ, Browning, Winchester, Mossberg and Franchi also make youth models. Most, older guns, didn't put an emphasis on youth shooting, so the used market is slim. Again, fit is everything, and a little bit of googling, will help. Length of pull "LOP" and the height or rise of the comb (cheek mount) is super critical in not only preventing pain, but hitting your target. A stock that it too long will create problems. A comb that is too low will prevent a proper cheek weld, and will cause bruising on the cheek bone. Kick-eez, Remington limb-saver are two recoil pads that i personally have had a lot of success with. There are also, comb risers, that you can attach, or velcro on, if necessary. As far as cost? Good luck, it just keeps getting worse.
 
H & R Topper 20 single shot. wont empty your wallet and they are easy to learn with. Still being made after more than 60yrs i believe.
 
From what I’ve seen, most people who are serious about shooting skeet and trap don’t shoot anything with a barrel length less than 28”. Not that you can’t but it’s less common.
 
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