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wahoo
PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:41 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 22 Jan 2015
Posts: 345

Well UncleDan what did you decide on? Not to be the fly in the ointment, but is a shotgun the only option? My first gun was a second hand single shot bolt action .22lR that my pop paid $5 for. Killed way more squirrels with that thing than I did with the beautiful brand new 12 ga Remi 1100 I got for Christmas the following year after I showed that I could be safe, responsible, and eager for more.

Shotgun wise, I think it wise if he could be allowed to use something offering low recoil and high chance of success using. I have found typical 20ga. loads to have more felt recoil than equivalent 16ga. loads for single/double guns. Also, I would consider a gas gun for reduced perceived recoil over the other options. That idea of an 1100 with multiple stocks he can grow with is a very good starter if he shows continued interest.

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1929 Thomas Bland 16ga SxS 28"
1947 Browning A5 16ga 28"
1948 BRNO 16ga SxS 27.5"
1949 Stevens 530 16ga SxS 28"
1950 Stevens 311A 12ga SxS 30"
1952 BRNO 12ga SxS 28.25"
1963 Superposed O/U 12ga 27"
1968 V Bernardelli SxS 12ga 28"
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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2019 3:12 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2786
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

UncleDanFan,

If I was doing this today for my nephew or son, I would make sure the gun fit him perfectly and start him out with SpredR shells, that minimize recoil and have a nice big pattern.

My father actually did this for us back in the early 50's by purchasing and fitting smaller stocks to our 20 Gauge Savage DL guns, he then rolled the shells we used himself. We used those 20 Gauge guns for hunting all small game & birds for quite a long time, until we were given our own L.C. Smith or LeFever double guns at Christmas time.

Because the 20 Gauge under and the 22 Mag over gun, was a full choke gun, we became very good Grouse shots. Everything was very safe, with one Hammer and one Trigger. Later as we grew, the short stocks were taken off the guns and the original stocks were reinstalled. I still use the old gun today for Turkey hunting. The 20 Gauge gun actually has a 3" chamber and we also used the gun for wild Pheasant & Duck hunting in Lancaster County, Pa. Because the gun is a little on the heavy side, no felt recoil for young man, especially with the SpredR type shells our father made for us.

Good luck setting your nephew up with his new gun.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

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Dongotto
PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2019 8:29 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 20 Oct 2005
Posts: 69
Location: SW MO

Hard to go wrong with the new bobwhite 20ga IMO. Weights 6lbs, has chokes and 550.00 NIB. I started both mine on 20 ga ads and it worked great. I bought I used Ithaca/skb years ago cheap with a chipped toe. I had it cut down and a pad fitted and it went through both boys and bagged a lot of game.

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16gaDavis
PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 7:57 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 24 Jun 2013
Posts: 2062
Location: canandaigua - western n.y. (formerly deerhunter)

I've always been partial to M37 Winnies (the only 37 I like !) . 20's for starter guns . Still have 2 . The feature that makes these the league leader is where the hammer is . It's the 1st thing you grab (reverse order compared to any other single except hammerless . Has a rebound spring on the trigger so that the hammer/fp can't whack the primer etc . They can kick , but today's reloads make that a moot pt .

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MaximumSmoke
PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2019 3:29 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 01 Dec 2005
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Location: Minnesota and Florida

Boy, I sure do like the method SKEETX describes in the 3rd post of this thread. 1100's are so simple to use, soft shooting, cheap and easy to buy and sell, and easy to modify for any shooter -- very friendly guns. And the "graduated" plans outlined by SKEETX are just the right thing to do to instill confidence in the young shooter and give him something to "reach for" as his shooting and hunting interests and skills develop. There are, of course many other ways to skin the cat, but I can't think of a better one. One can always transfer to all the fun double guns, etc. after the fundamentals are instilled, but first things first -- the fundamentals, without pain to shooter or pocketbook. Thanks SKEETX; Good Job!
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16gaDavis
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 10:02 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 24 Jun 2013
Posts: 2062
Location: canandaigua - western n.y. (formerly deerhunter)

MAX , in todays market around here anyway , a non 12ga 100 starts at 500 bucks and continues up . Cheaper starters available !!??

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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 4:40 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2786
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

Gentlemen,

Skeettx, has always given good advise, his knowledge about guns and hunting is top shelf. I have taken advise from him on several occasions, he recommended some screw in choke for my 28 Gauge L.C. Smith double gun that I acted on and have been very happy with.

Now with the internet, finding and purchasing a gun you want for your beginner, is a lot easier, and with good advise even less expensive than purchasing a gun in your home area at times. This is especially true here in Pa where state Tax can up the cost of a good gun severely.

Shop around on the Net, find a store willing to provide free shipping and no Tax and keep the cost of purchasing a gun down to a decent rate. Talking to the men here on the 16 forum about the guns they own, and how they are working before you purchase. The men here are knowledgable and will help you decide on a purchase, most times saving you big money.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

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MaximumSmoke
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 9:13 pm  Reply with quote
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Location: Minnesota and Florida

16gaDavis says:
Quote:
in todays market around here anyway , a non 12ga 100 starts at 500 bucks and continues up . Cheaper starters available


My response to that, Mr. Davis, is "Such as . . . ??" Yes, you can always buy some bargain odds and ends firearm for less, but check out the qualifications I listed:
Quote:
1100's are so simple to use, soft shooting, cheap and easy to buy and sell, and easy to modify for any shooter . . .
Note, in quoting myself, I have italicized for emphasis the ease of buying and selling. I didn't even mention ease of repair and the plentifulness of parts and the ubiquity of people to work on 1100's. That's why they remain such a good value. How much are you going to get (e.g. how big is the market) for a Win 37 or something like that, that is modified to fit a youngster. How is your youngster going to transition to another auto, pump or break-action O/U or SxS. Yes of course it can be done, and is done, but a 12 or 20 gauge 1100 is a superb place to start, from not only a transitions-to-other-guns/capabilities standpoint, but all things considered, not just initial price. If you want to saddle a kid with a gun of lesser capability with no real future for him/her, that kicks hard enough to discourage him/her, get that kid a single shot or one of the cheap, crude US-made doubles of the 1920's through the '70's. The 1100 route SkeeTX described has a lot to say for itself in instilling comfort and confidence in the new shooter while letting him/her graduate to more capability, as well as being very cost effective.

Again, there are many ways to skin the cat, and you are entitled to skin your cat anyway that blows your hair back, but if you want to dismiss SkeeTX's idea with a couple of quick throw-away sentences, please let us know how you would do it, or how you're actually doing it, with an apples-to-apples benefit comparison -- i.e. a gun that is
Quote:
simple to use, soft shooting, cheap and easy to buy and sell, and easy to modify for any shooter . . .
, with better possibilities for graduating the shooter to more capability as his or her skills and desires develop. I'd be very interested to hear about a better way, so thanks in advance if you want to fill us in.
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16gaDavis
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 11:50 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 24 Jun 2013
Posts: 2062
Location: canandaigua - western n.y. (formerly deerhunter)

MAX .... 51 kids started the Youth trap league last spring . Maybe 6 1100's , 3 each 12's and 20's . Mostly mossy 20' with a sprinkling of singles and 1 BT99 , and a couple dbls . 1 Topper 410 , kids did fine !! you do the math .... I do agree with Skeettx on 1100's , love em . Inexpensive , not so much . Easy to fix , sometimes . Parson's carries every removeable part in his tool box - when querried , he sez he's replaced them all ! Mostly , what's the best starter is the one in gramps closet .

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