Thread: Getting the boy ready for next season

My son has tagged along on a number of pond shoots and pheasant hunts, but hasn’t fired a shotgun yet. He has done some target shooting with my rimfire rifles, but I’ve been meaning to get something suitable to get him started on birds. He’ll be 10 in November, and I want to get him shooting targets and comfortable before next game bird season rolls around, as I’m hopeful of getting back into some maimai shooting on Tauranga harbour with him and my dad.

Neither of my 12ga are suitable (heavy 1187, and lightweight 101), so I was looking for something he could start with, but not have to throw away after 1 season. Needed to be able to handle target loads through to steel. Wasn’t interested in those small kids single shot guns.

So I stumbled across a couple of good deals on Armsan semi 20ga guns. I’ll be controlling the ammo supply and loading (from a safety perspective and to teach him to not rely on a full magazine) so a semi isn’t an issue.

Did a bit of research and was able to inspect a couple in the flesh - not a bad little Turkish gun. So I pulled the trigger (pun intended) on an A620 with a nice walnut stock and some gold accents (action inlay and trigger). It was bought new last season and fired less than a handful of rounds - didn’t work out for them.

Apparently Armsan do a youth plastic stocked version, but the nz distributor isn’t bringing the stocks in as spares, so I’m planning on cutting the stock down (well a very competent friend will do it - I’ve seen his custom muzzleloader work and it’s amazing).

Here she is...


Plenty of time to get the mods done and some practise in before next season...and maybe even some time for me to try it out on pheasants this season before it gets the chop!


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It looks like a Remington 870 style receiver. Could see if a youth stock from one would fit

start collecting LIGHT 20ga loads now....every season its same old story,where can we find them.....
looking at photo,you MAY have same issue we had with bakail...wee hands cant reach trigger when on stock properly so will creep forward and spoil hold...we added spacer to front of pistol grip area and taped it in place for the season or two it was needed....few carefully cut wedges of closed cell foam or jandle rubber work.... only by getting lad to handle gun will you know....seen this issue on many so called youth guns over the years.

Originally Posted by mimms2

Could pay to take it to actual shotgun outfitter to have it set just-so for him. Cut LOP (can be added back on with pad spacers later) And have comb and cast set for him.

I tend to use semi's (when shooting trap)with one in the chamber and one in the tube. Could be reasonable place for him to start.

Thanks - got any recommendations on shotgun stock fitters?

@Micky Duck - Yeah was thinking along these lines, as well as checking cheek mounting and eye height - may need some padding on the comb too.

Have been picking up some 20ga ammo - got a few boxes to try from 24gr 7.5 target loads upwards into heavy field lead loads (for me to try on pheasants) and some winchester steel. Not much non-toxic around at the moment, but will be closer to next season.

I wouldnt guarantee there will be more later,thus why I suggest you grab what you can if n when you see it.... there seems to be some interesting non toxic loadings around,just keep eye out and grab what you can. any once loadings would be much better for young fella,and when you dock stock back fit a decent recoil pad while you there....too late once you have docked it ,unless you want to dock it again LOL

Assuming you are talking about gamebird hunting. Getting steel 20ga ammo despite what anyone will tell you is like hunting "rocking horse poo"
Personally i would go with a 12ga and very light weight loads. If for general use then i would still suggest the same. However if you already have a 20ga then i would not bother with heavy field loads. 24gm 7's in open barrel and 24gm 6's in the top barrel in my case.
Steel loads in 20 i have used are Mary Arms and very snappy
I hunt with only 20g
Gun fit only works if you have a consistant gun mount

I fully agree with mikee above. My own opinion is buy a single shot 12 ga hammer gun. Boys are not safe, they get really excited and forget the semi has reloaded itself.
I have a Lee loadall 12 ga loading set up here I dont need. Shells, primers, wads, powder, shot just sitting untouched for 20 years. Look up 3/4 OZ 12 gauge loads and compare to 20 ga for a recoil estimate. I started with a single shot hammer gun when I was 12 under the tutelage of two very experienced gamebird shooters. " Boys need to learn to shoot before they get a second barrel "

One oz loads in a 20g boot more on the shoulder generally than same one oz loads in 12ga as 20ga isgenerally a lighter gun.
Heavy 20ga loads are not pleasant in my light u/o.
It seems most buy a 20 for their younguns to learn on and then give them heavy loads to shoot. The gun nearly boots them into next week. Hardly fair.
While a semi is better usually in terms of recoil the above is still applicable to some extent.

I take your guys’ points, but in case it wasn’t clear from my earlier posts, I will NOT be setting him up with a mag full of heavy loads.

As I said, I’ll be starting him out on light loads on targets during the off-season, and trying to get the gun to fit him. And I will be controlling the ammo supply ie. it will be single loaded so we can focus on safety (and frugality).


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Originally Posted by nzspearo

My son has tagged along on a number of pond shoots and pheasant hunts, but hasn’t fired a shotgun yet. He has done some target shooting with my rimfire rifles, but I’ve been meaning to get something suitable to get him started on birds. He’ll be 10 in November, and I want to get him shooting targets and comfortable before next game bird season rolls around, as I’m hopeful of getting back into some maimai shooting on Tauranga harbour with him and my dad.

Neither of my 12ga are suitable (heavy 1187, and lightweight 101), so I was looking for something he could start with, but not have to throw away after 1 season. Needed to be able to handle target loads through to steel. Wasn’t interested in those small kids single shot guns.

So I stumbled across a couple of good deals on Armsan semi 20ga guns. I’ll be controlling the ammo supply and loading (from a safety perspective and to teach him to not rely on a full magazine) so a semi isn’t an issue.

Did a bit of research and was able to inspect a couple in the flesh - not a bad little Turkish gun. So I pulled the trigger (pun intended) on an A620 with a nice walnut stock and some gold accents (action inlay and trigger). It was bought new last season and fired less than a handful of rounds - didn’t work out for them.

Apparently Armsan do a youth plastic stocked version, but the nz distributor isn’t bringing the stocks in as spares, so I’m planning on cutting the stock down (well a very competent friend will do it - I’ve seen his custom muzzleloader work and it’s amazing).

Here she is...


Plenty of time to get the mods done and some practise in before next season...and maybe even some time for me to try it out on pheasants this season before it gets the chop!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There are a number of shotgun clubs in and around Auckland. The members would welcome the opportunity to give you all the advice and assistance required to help ensure your son is off to a good start. And well done on being a good father. We are a better nation thanks to people like you.

7/8th or 1oz steel reloads in 12ga kill birds well too...they have much less recoil but are LOUD.....really loud...the ASteel powder goes off with a bang,I kept loads to 1550fpsish according to books it got my young fella into 12ga in the transistion seasons after great introduction with single barrel 410....and dont write one of them off either,that lad was deadly with it,he could finish off woundies better than we could ,with really good steel loads in 12ga... the list of birds dropped with 410 just about has nothing missing,off hand cant think what he DIDNT kill with it.

Originally Posted by nzspearo

I take your guys’ points, but in case it wasn’t clear from my earlier posts, I will NOT be setting him up with a mag full of heavy loads.

As I said, I’ll be starting him out on light loads on targets during the off-season, and trying to get the gun to fit him. And I will be controlling the ammo supply ie. it will be single loaded so we can focus on safety (and frugality).


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Apologies for not reading properly. I would only cut the stock down for a start and after he has shot a few on clays, load 2 (1 in the gun and 1 in the mag)
In my opinion the best targets for new shooters are going straight away rising birds or straight incoming. Open chokes and 24gm 8's and he should be good to go (and so should you).
You have given him a better chance with a decent gun and good guage rather than a horrible single barrel most start with.

wash thy mouth out.......SOME of us still enjoy a good single barrel hunt LOL....my older brother has my bakail because folks dont like to hunt with me when I have it..I DONT miss with it....amazing what a couple of thousand rounds through same shotgun will do to your shot to kill ratio.

gamebore 20 gauge 30 gram leads loads will handle everything from ducks to pheasants to geese or would if you could still use them over water.. i used winchester aa loads for quail in 9.s and any 7,s seemed ok out of my 870.s
i shot a lot of decoying geese with 30gram 3.s/4,s with 32 gram fiochhi 2,s as loads 4 and 5 in the mag.
3 inch 20 gauge lead is pretty much over kill
if you can get them put a box of fiocchi 32 gram loads thru then try your trap loads
turks are finicky with the light stuff
.the two geese i killed with 3 inch federal blackcloud steel 2,s [the largest available shoot size]were not instant.
one i had to chase the tho hit a a quartering angle at about 30 metres the 2nd hit right above my melon in a full frontal wing spread pose at about the same distance traveled 50 metres and dropped dead.
surprising givin the helluva thump when i tagged it.
in homage to the old poms tale of pattern over shot size steel trap loads could be handy on known distance birds