Youth Shotgun

Question
Dear Doug:

My 18 year old daughter is itching to learn to shoot a shotgun but she is very thin and kind of short and not too strong. Do you have a recommendation on what would be a good "starter" shotgun for her? Thank you.

Answer
Bill,

Personally, I like the Mossberg 500 Bantam or 500 Super Bantam.  The shotguns are a youth model of the Mossberg 500 which is their ultra-reliable, moderately priced all purpose shotgun.  I have own a Mossberg 500 for years and for the money, they cannot be beaten.

The youth model has a shortened length of pull and shorter fore-end reach on the pump.  It is specifically designed for young people or small statured adults.  I'd probably recommend that you get a .410 or .20 gauge.  The .12 gauge is probably overkill for your purposes.

You should be able to find them at most sporting goods stores.  They may have to order it for you depending on how much they cater to the young hunters or trap shooter.  There are several models, but I would stick with the all purpose field model.

MSRP on these guns is just under $350, but the street price is significantly lower...probably in the $300 range.

Hope this helps you out and tell your daughter to have fun!!

Cheers,

Doug