Advice on first shotgun for 16 year old please

joe 77

The young fella is turning 16 next month and is after a gun, it will be used for hunting, no clay shooting,
What would be a decent starter shotgun for him ? He has been saving a good while for this and he has around €600 to spend. Any advice or suggestions would be most appreciated

djflawless

id be inclined to head towards a good clean second hand lanber.isnt a bad word that could be said about them really.a good one can be got in nearly 99% of gun shops from 150 upwards.but to be safe , try pin a target at 300-400 euro and you will be garaunteed a high quality, strong and practical piece of kit

mark.17hmr

When I turned 16 i got a nice,light baikel SxS it was a lovely gun and only cost about €300.. Never let me down nd had alot of birds to its name.. I upgraded to a Lanber U/O and its a great gun aswell never misfired.. Best thing is to go to your local RFD and let him try a few nd see which fits him best and that he likes the feel of..

owelfisherman

djflawless wrote: »

id be inclined to head towards a good clean second hand lanber.isnt a bad word that could be said about them really.a good one can be got in nearly 99% of gun shops from 150 upwards.but to be safe , try pin a target at 300-400 euro and you will be garaunteed a high quality, strong and practical piece of kit

Baikil o/u..quality cheap gun

patdahat

maybe a 20 bore

garv123

Does he want a o/u, semi auto or pump action?

You would get a nice quality second hand o//u for that money.

But the most important thing for him is to forget about brand names and money and go look at guns and swing them about and see which one fits him the most. He may get an absolute brilliant deal on a great brand name gun and if the thing doesn't fight him properly he might as well throw the gun at what he's trying to shoot.

Be aware too that some lads will try and sell you what he has in stock so be sure to shop around.

Semi auto's are another option but you have to be careful as some of them tend to jam with different shells. Friend started out with one at 16 and he had it gone for a o/u in no time because it kept jamming.

Pump action is another cheaper option. A second hand mossberg would cost you between 200-400 euro and they will cycle everything.

joe 77

Thanks for the replies, most appreciated, he's after an o/u , we will go to a couple of places the weekend all going well and see what suits him
http://www.shoot.ie/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=67 any thoughts on this lads ?

Invincible

joe 77 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, most appreciated, he's after an o/u , we will go to a couple of places the weekend all going well and see what suits him
http://www.shoot.ie/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=67 any thoughts on this lads ?

One of the lads in the club got one of those Baikals last year,brought it back to the dealer as rust had set in at the barrel joints,they are prone to rust as the jointing is not of as good quality as on other brands. Lanber as mentioned here or Laurona or Silma(nice well finished gun,750 new,so pick up good s/hand for 500 surely.

owelfisherman

joe 77 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, most appreciated, he's after an o/u , we will go to a couple of places the weekend all going well and see what suits him
http://www.shoot.ie/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=67 any thoughts on this lads ?

Thats the gun im on about ...great gun..if he has an average build id put money that that gun will fit him..get a sh gun for half the price

Jonty

At least get him to go to a reputable shop that will sell him what fits him as opposed to what they want him to buy.

at €600 some of the secondhand beretta and browning shotguns are within range.

These will hold value better than a new baikal if he wants to trade it in at a later date

TriggerPL

owelfisherman wrote: »

Thats the gun im on about ...great gun..if he has an average build id put money that that gun will fit him..get a sh gun for half the price

id be inclined to go for lanber but bakiel is a war horse will never give bother and that is a great deal

tonytoc11

I started with a Lanber and can't fault it. What part of the country are you in?

Dalken

For €600 you'd get a decent used Lanber, which are a nice gun. However if you're prepared to shop around and spend a few hundred more in the present climate you'll pick up something far nicer, maybe a used Beretta Silver Pigeon or Miroku/Browning which are both smashing guns.

Jonty

above all, don't be afraid to haggle. Note I said haggle, not insult the dealer

pheasntstalker

started off shooting with a baikel single barrel myself:D traded it in for a semi auto browningb80,which i use for pidgeons, sometimes duck, i now use a reina sxs for most of my shooting great little gun:D:D,but i cant fault baikel,s o/u or sxs they are great workhorses,but i,d let him throw up and swing one and see what fits him as advised here the best of luck to him in the future

dodderangler

+1 on the baikels
Great gun absolute work horse go they anything with them
My first was a baikel old 2 trigger job and couldn't fault it except the forearm splitting but is an old gun
My grandfather had it so did my uncle my dad and my dads mate an now I have it tho still Havint fixed it I will eventually but a quality gun all round
Silver pigeon beretta is also a nice gun
Nice shot off them and comfortable to hold aswell
But for starter go baikel
Atb

lb1981

600 euro will get you a fine gun in these times, try get the lad something like a second hand Berreta or a fabarm , two nice italian guns that will not let him down.
I dont like the baikels yes they are a war house but if you can get a good second hand gun why would you bother with them.
I had one years ago it split my tumb open when it fired 2 shots together, my cousin had a single barrel one the kick off it was nasty it nearly put him off shooting ,when something got up you could see him winceing when he was about to pull the trigger.
I think you will be surprised when you go looking at the quality thats out there now for very small money.

+ why the hell would anybody advise you to get him a 2nd grade gun when you can buy a smashing second hand one for the same money

Jonty

lb1981 wrote: »

why the hell would anybody advise you to get him a 2nd grade gun when you can buy a smashing second hand one for the same money

Agree fully, a good secondhand shotgun will hold its value significantly better than a new Baikal.

Nothing against a Baikal, I have one myself.

Cass

Haven't seen this suggested yet, but how about a Bettinsoli? A great gun, good fit, reliable, good history, and from €800 brand new your budget might stretch for anew one or your current budget will get you a great second hand one.

cookimonster

Ezridax wrote: »

Haven't seen this suggested yet, but how about a Bettinsoli? A great gun, good fit, reliable, good history, and from €800 brand new your budget might stretch for anew one or your current budget will get you a great second hand one.

Plus one for Bettinsoli
Shoot one for clays, heavy but very good, good build and lovely finish.

dev110

Another +1 for Bettinsoli.

I have a Nexus Sporter and love it. I use it for rough shooting, sporting and skeet.

joe 77

Thanks a million for all the replies and advice, its most appreciated

cushcam

like most if i was in your situation i would go with a quality second hand gun, which is what i done when i was 16. i bought a lovely rizzini o/u for right around the same budget as you have and it's one of the best decisions i have ever made as it's still going strong today and is showing no signs of age

obviously the fit and feel of the gun is the most important factor

nowwerehurlin

Ive had a 20 bore aya since i was old enough to fire a shot and i couldn't fault it. For that kind of money you would get a fine beretta,browning or miroku o/u in these times. Be sure that whatever you get that its light and that it fits him because lugging around a heavy gun all day and then to miss the only bird he meets because the fit is wrong would soon turn him off shooting. This is the first of the ulimited excitemement in another new shooters career,best of luck and be sure report back what ye purchase !!

4200fps

What the young man needs is to be brought to a few different gun dealers and to be handed varies types of shotguns not regarding any price. Find out which comes up to his eye the best. Which he thinks would work best for him. Then introduce a gun of what he wants in that price bracket, let it be s/s u/o pump or semi auto. No matter what the make a gun may be its one that fits him be top most important and at 300 euro he should get a reasonable gun to start of with. Thats the what the young man needs to be shown is good guidance for starters and show him what may follow as he progresses. He might by a nicer looking gun when he figures out what works best for him down the road if he loves the sport

cookimonster

nowwerehurlin wrote: »

Ive had a 20 bore aya since i was old enough to fire a shot and i couldn't fault it. For that kind of money you would get a fine beretta,browning or miroku o/u in these times.........

Not really that much up on shotties, but have shot a few 20 gauges on the clay ground and loved them, BUT and this is a big but, they ain't cheep to shoot clays with (IMO) compared to the 12, so running cost could be a factor.

By the way (am awaiting for a storm here) 20's are recommeded for smaller body size or long term injuries etc but can actually be more severe if the gun is light and the cartridge is heavy, so another consideration.

djflawless

cookimonster wrote: »

Not really that much up on shotties, but have shot a few 20 gauges on the clay ground and loved them, BUT and this is a big but, they ain't cheep to shoot clays with (IMO) compared to the 12, so running cost could be a factor.

By the way (am awaiting for a storm here) 20's are recommeded for smaller body size or long term injuries etc but can actually be more severe if the gun is light and the cartridge is heavy, so another consideration.

personal preference to me, but id never recommend starting with the 20g and further down the line and you want a 12g.it just leads to having to 'step up' from 20 to 12.a mate of mine was light built and taught the 20 would be better suited.he got a h+r single shot.
when he decided he wanted a 12 he basically felt like he was learning to shoot all over again.anyways thats just imo

cookimonster

Yes indeed any one who is getting into shot guns for the first time should ideally be trained in on a 12g.
But it is highly recommended that those as mentioned of light / small structure ( ie children, smaller women) should start out with a smaller gauge ideally the 20 so as not to 'put them off' with recoil, weight etc.
Progression is the idea here, many of those who come to shooting have never shot before so an initial experience of being battered by 12g can and in some cases will be off putting.
I've seen plenty of men firing thier first shots getting a rude awakening on the pull of a trigger.
If the OP's son is well able to handle a 12g shot gun then there is a wide choice out there, but if he is unsure then some lessons / practice should be under taken and maybe a lighter gauge (not .410) recommended.

nowwerehurlin

cookimonster wrote: »

Not really that much up on shotties, but have shot a few 20 gauges on the clay ground and loved them, BUT and this is a big but, they ain't cheep to shoot clays with (IMO) compared to the 12, so running cost could be a factor.

By the way (am awaiting for a storm here) 20's are recommeded for smaller body size or long term injuries etc but can actually be more severe if the gun is light and the cartridge is heavy, so another consideration.

Not trying to take from the thread or anything lads but i have to stick up for the 20bore men!!haha.. Shoot with an aya no3 myself and cant fault it .. Mostly woodcock shooting i do with it and have to say its the perfect gun for the job .. Im no small lad at 6ft 1 but still find 7 and a half pounds very heavy to carry around all day .. Whereas this gun is 5 and a half and you wouldnt know you had it .. They're a serious calibre lads .. The only downside about them is the ammo price but we cant have it all! :-)

cookimonster

I know one or two long time shooters who swear by the 20g and claim it as a very effective gun on pheasant and it is by no means a child's or girlie gun. The only thing I found was in a semi it was sweet to shoot but in a side by side firing 6's without a rubber butt plate it was hard enough on the shoulder.
The smaller gauges are often mistaken as childrens / womens or beginners guns, where in fact the smaller gauge requires more degrees of expertise , especially the .410 when used as bird gun (or so the books say...... Bit of a geek me)

4200fps

Well i'd give him a 12 gauge and 7 and half cartridges. Frig all kick out of them and effective enough for most shooting.
Personally i'd imagine 20 guage be ok but its not going to be as effective and if he misses alot the novelty for shooting might wear off the chap. Its all down to what his dad thinks. 12 gauge is ideal for any youngter too

cookimonster

4200fps wrote: »

Well i'd give him a 12 gauge and 7 and half cartridges. Frig all kick out of them and effective enough for most shooting.
Personally i'd imagine 20 guage be ok but its not going to be as effective and if he misses alot the novelty for shooting might wear off the chap. Its all down to what his dad thinks. 12 gauge is ideal for any youngter too

Quiet right....
We had a young lad up for a basic shot gun course at the club, never shot before. After a initial awkwardness (he was a right handed person with a left dominant eye) he picked up the fundamentals and was consistently breaking clays with a 12g clay gun no problem to him. As 4200fps said before get him out trying different guns..

joe 77

I meant to say that he got a Beretta Ultralight Delux second hand after, bought it of a family friend, had to put a few quid to his original budget but he's happy with it, just want to say thanks again for all the advice and suggestions , most appreciated

lb1981

joe 77 wrote: »

I meant to say that he got a Beretta Ultralight Delux second hand after, bought it of a family friend, had to put a few quid to his original budget but he's happy with it, just want to say thanks again for all the advice and suggestions , most appreciated

He wont go wrong with that gun , good investment.

owelfisherman

lb1981 wrote: »

He wont go wrong with that gun , good investment.

Nice do u mind me asking how much he paid?

4200fps

joe 77 wrote: »

I meant to say that he got a Beretta Ultralight Delux second hand after, bought it of a family friend, had to put a few quid to his original budget but he's happy with it, just want to say thanks again for all the advice and suggestions , most appreciated

Be the holy he's starting of really good. Fair juice. That be a great gun