Gun Dog Forum

My girlfriend has expressed interest in getting out for the occasional quail, but also likes clays. I have always shot 12ga autos, as I started on waterfowl. I was thinking about suggesting a mid twenty inch recoil driven 12ga for light weight and all purpose.

Those of you who have taken your smaller significant others/children out, what did you set them up with? How did they like it?

If u can find one a Remington 1100 special field is outstamding
.20 or 12 ga. Love noth of mine

I have always liked 20 ga shotguns.

I let youngins and ladies use my 20ga Browning B 80 (same as beretta 303), the beretta is lighter due to aluminum receiver but the all steel browning works fine.

Great design very few to no problems and can be found used if you search for one.....

BigAl wrote:If u can find one a Remington 1100 special field is outstamding
.20 or 12 ga. Love noth of mine

Agreed, but 20 for sure in wood, and then get it fitted for her.

Any gas 20 semi-auto would work, it is just the 1100 is nearly full proof with light recoil and points well for most.

BigAl wrote:If u can find one a Remington 1100 special field is outstamding
.20 or 12 ga. Love noth of mine

X 100
These are very nice little guns. One of my sons started shooting the 20 ga version at 9 yrs old. By the time he was 14 he could out shoot most folks I knew. Check out Gunbroker.com they have them occasionally.

Several have mentioned "fit," and I agree, but it might need clarification. Watch most kids and women shoot for the first time, and you'll see them set their feet like a rifle shooter - one foot way in front of the other. This prevents the butt of the gun from finding it's natural home in the shoulder pocket. Easy enough to fix. But ...

Then, they lean back - just the opposite of most good shooters (who lean slightly forward, weight a little more on their front foot). I think the backwards lean is partly anticipating recoil, but mostly because the stock is too long.

However and whomever "fits" the gun should pay close attention to it's length of pull. That'll help solve the problem.

Good luck.

Ez4, does she currently shoot? If not, please, please, please, let someone else teach her. Take her to a shotgun instructor (and a good one!). It will be well worth the money.

I've also had several people recommend the silver micro hunter.

Ez4 wrote:My girlfriend has expressed interest in getting out for the occasional quail, but also likes clays. I have always shot 12ga autos, as I started on waterfowl. I was thinking about suggesting a mid twenty inch recoil driven 12ga for light weight and all purpose.

Those of you who have taken your smaller significant others/children out, what did you set them up with? How did they like it?

20 gauge Beretta 391 with a 24" barrel.

This scattergun has a moderately small foreend, feels much like an O/U....grip bulk, either hand, goes far to making a gun easy to shoot and feel in control.
That is an often unreported mental advantage.
The 24" barrel keeps less weight out front for those with less arm strength...or who tire in trying to learn to shoot.
Total weight is reasonable....again, weight distribution, or balance, is an important plus.
The gas-operation lowers recoil...it will not, or seldom, shuck a very low recoil load like the Fiocchi trainers though....singly, they are fine.
Fit & Try....one shoots best, what one likes.
A good coach can be a benefit...gun club experts or "helpers" often are not.

Gordon Guy wrote:

BigAl wrote:If u can find one a Remington 1100 special field is outstamding
.20 or 12 ga. Love noth of mine

X 100
These are very nice little guns. One of my sons started shooting the 20 ga version at 9 yrs old. By the time he was 14 he could out shoot most folks I knew. Check out Gunbroker.com they have them occasionally.

Another endorsement for the same. Had one for years - little recoil from the 20 - nice gun.

In addition to the excellent advice given, test her for eye dominance. There are a lot of right-handed people that are left eye dominate.

RoostersMom wrote:Ez4, does she currently shoot? If not, please, please, please, let someone else teach her. Take her to a shotgun instructor (and a good one!). It will be well worth the money.

Regardless of chosen hardware - this is excellent advice

Not to be offensive or rude but...what is small? 5 ft 90 lbs or 5'4" 125. I know small to some guys may be big to others. I suggest you take her somewhere she can hold different stuff and see what is comfortable as far as weight and size. You said quail hunting, I am assuming you will be walking miles. Just don't rush into buying any gun and think about smaller fingers loading the gun. My beautiful better half shoots a Stoeger M3000 I think is the model and it is a bear for her to load as far as pressing in the bolt release and her thumb pressing in the shells. But that being said she loves shooting it, even turkey loads, and she can carry it all day. I would not suggest that gun though. IMO watching her struggle in the dove field where a high volume of rounds are shot it's not good. I grew up, mind you I wrestled 103lbs and 112lbs classes in high school, shooting a 1100 in 12 gauge. Find one she likes and keep her happy so she keeps going. Make it fun picking out a gun together.

RoostersMom wrote:Ez4, does she currently shoot? If not, please, please, please, let someone else teach her. Take her to a shotgun instructor (and a good one!). It will be well worth the money.

She has had her hunting license since she was 10 and is familiar with shooting from her father way back, just not interested until now. She wants to see the new dog work. We have shot clays together. She said she really likes my Browning 12 ga A5 cause its light and recoil is reasonable. Watching her shoot however, it just seems WAY too long for her. Which is why I thought maybe shorter barrel or go to a 20ga.

She is around 5-5 not much more than buck.

A Sweet 16 Auto 5 may be the ticket....but mine works swell and I am a good bit past her height and weight.
Again, it does mostly depend upon whether one likes what one has.
That choice would be pretty classy for the lass...give one a look.

Gordon Guy wrote:

BigAl wrote:If u can find one a Remington 1100 special field is outstamding
.20 or 12 ga. Love noth of mine

X 100
These are very nice little guns. One of my sons started shooting the 20 ga version at 9 yrs old. By the time he was 14 he could out shoot most folks I knew. Check out Gunbroker.com they have them occasionally.

I agree with these posts. i have 2 of them.Another reason i agree with this is that when cutting down a stock for someone who is small, a long barrel can make the gun feel very out of balance and awkward. The 1100 special field has either a 21" or 23" which should feel good with a 13" length of pull. Gunbroker had a couple of these 2 weeks ago.
Several brands have youth guns that should fit her well. Remington, Mossberg, Browning but mostly in pumps. O/U's seem to very popular with ladies as well.

A gas Beretta 20g is a pretty soft shooting gun. I've own a sporting clays Gold 391 that I hunted a bit and shot a lot of clays with. Not a bad way to go. You can find 391's everywhere used. The new 400 might have some improvements, but I wouldn't know. I'd recommend a gas Beretta over a klak-ity-klak A-5 for a new shooter. A Belgian A-5 Light 12 was my first shotgun, but "light" is a misnomer in todays world. Some ranges have Beretta gas 20ga guns for rent for their new shooters. I'm not a fan of the Rem 1100s. They're heavier and have more little problems than the Berettas. Just my experience from owning all three of the mentioned makes.

Mountaineer wrote:A Sweet 16 Auto 5 may be the ticket....but mine works swell and I am a good bit past her height and weight.
Again, it does mostly depend upon whether one likes what one has.
That choice would be pretty classy for the lass...give one a look.

This gun has an appropriate name...It is indeed, a "sweet" shotgun.

Charlie

I had an 1100 for years, at least a decade as my only shotgun w/ quite a bit of use - hunted deer w/it rain or shine - hunted ducks w/it (once or twice) - hunted quail w/it - hunted Pheasants w/it - shot backyard clays w/it and threw it in the back of my truck at the end of the day.

Never a single problem having performed basic maintenance and an o-ring swap with a little lube & wipe-down from time to time...it is about the only gun I regret selling - it was still in great shape and I had a nice scope for it too.

I like an 1100

roaniecowpony wrote:A gas Beretta 20g is a pretty soft shooting gun. I've own a sporting clays Gold 391 that I hunted a bit and shot a lot of clays with. Not a bad way to go. You can find 391's everywhere used. The new 400 might have some improvements, but I wouldn't know. I'd recommend a gas Beretta over a klak-ity-klak A-5 for a new shooter. A Belgian A-5 Light 12 was my first shotgun, but "light" is a misnomer in todays world. Some ranges have Beretta gas 20ga guns for rent for their new shooters. I'm not a fan of the Rem 1100s. They're heavier and have more little problems than the Berettas. Just my experience from owning all three of the mentioned makes.

The OP mentioned his wife liked the 12 gauge A5 therefore the suggestion of the Sweet 16.
Now, maybe he did not mean the Auto 5 but I took it that he did instead of the new A5.

The shuffle and the shuck is wonderful, to me...others might like it as well...or not.
A 16 plain barrel Sweet with two barrels has lately been the go-to from woodcock to pheasants for me....I would avoid the ribs....the balance and magic is less, imho.

The Sweet 16 will weigh from the occasional 6 1/2# to an average of 6 3/4# with a 26" plain barrel...the non-Sweet, a 1/2# or so more.
The Light 12s....7 1/2# to 7 3/4# I would reckon on average....much lighter than most standard Auto 5s.
The very rare 3-shot models...I do not know.

20 gauge 391s are nice...I had two with the 24" barrels...it's why I mentioned that choice.
The trigger group often requires a bear to remove but it can be done.
Cole in Maine does a great trigger job on 391s.
Used is a wise purchase.

I would much rather have an 1100 than an 11-87.
I had one and it left quickly....parts breakage.
Many love it...maybe I had a lemon.
I would not use an 11-87 for a trotline weight, personally.
An 1100 would be a good choice tho the balance is, to me, not up to a 12 BUL or as good for the OP's use as thast 20 gauge 391.
However, Fit & Try.

Mountaineer wrote:The OP mentioned his wife liked the 12 gauge A5 therefore the suggestion of the Sweet 16.
Now, maybe he did not mean the Auto 5 but I took it that he did instead of the new A5.

I have the new A5, it's great.

Ez4 wrote:

Mountaineer wrote:The OP mentioned his wife liked the 12 gauge A5 therefore the suggestion of the Sweet 16.
Now, maybe he did not mean the Auto 5 but I took it that he did instead of the new A5.

I have the new A5, it's great.

Ah, then I was wrong.
That scattergun has little to nothing in common with the Auto 5 but a try for name recognition.
However, I'm sure it goes bang.
Ignore my suggestion of the Sweet 16 Auto 5 in your case....other than for the plusses it delivers, of course.

Look into a 28 ga. Tri Star Auto, very inexpensive, light, not much recoil and great gun, my 12 yr old used one knows what she wants for her bday or Christmas this yr! Cost is under $500, better money spent then sorry to say a Remington 870 sorry Guys!