Mossberg 505 youth model .410 .....opinions????

[SledNeck]

Looking for a starter grouse shotgun for my 8 year old. Looks like the mossberg 505 youth .410 is the only one in a pump small enough for him, although he is bigger than the avg, 8 year old. Any thoughts?

[metrojoe]

I wouldn't be afraid to move up to a 20 gage. He's going to out grow that .410 in no time. I just looked at the Mossbergs tonight and the 505 looks like a great gun. Remington also offers a great youth gun, but one thing I really liked about the Mossberg was the location of the safety. They also have a program to upgrade the gun as your kid gets older, not sure of all the particulars, but unless I come across a better deal, I'll be picking up that Mossberg in the next week or so.

[SledNeck]

are the 20 and the .410 the same weight? I thought about the 20 and thought that the .410 might be better for him to tote around on a 4 mile walk a little better than a 20. I'll admit im not a fan of mossbergs, but the remington youth is too big for him and the mossberg is just right size. I also like the safety position, its very easy for me to see if its on or off while hes carrying it.

[DrKen]

For what it's worth, here's my 2 cents. A .410 is not a beginners shotgun, it's an experts gun. I am not the only one with that opinion. It is very difficult to shoot well with .410 due to the small amount of shot and the generally long thin shot pattern you get. You will be much better off getting him a 20 gauge. You will have less expensive ammunition, larger selection of loads and he will shoot better. Even better, get him a small .22. At 8 years old he really has not got the nuerological ability and coordination to reliably shoot birds in the air. By using a .22 he is limited to birds on the ground or in trees and will learn to take his time and make sure of his shot, especially with a single shot. The recoil will be a non factor and the noise is minimal reducing his chances of flinching. He will enjoy it far more. He will move slowly and learn to observe the woods rather than just walking and waiting for the explosion of a grouse and then wildly shooting with little chance of sucess. Frankly, I've killed more grouse with my .22 and my .308 than I have with my shotgun. It will also improve his deer hunting later if he chooses to do that. The number one thing in taking a child hunting is for the experience to be enjoyable. Remember, they tend to prefer to shoot more than kill and with a .22 you can always stop and plink. Cost is negligble and you both will have a very rewarding experience.

Have Fun, Be Safe

[SledNeck]

Okay. Got him the 870 youth junior 20 ga.

He likes it and is not too bad of a shot for an 8 year old.