Posted: 5/19/2024 11:00:12 PM EDT
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I asked this on trapshooters forum as well, just want some more opinions. My oldest (14 and 5'6") has gotten into shooting and we're doing some trap. He's lanky enough to handle anything. His younger brothers are not. The middle is my redhead scottish lefty. He needs a youth length stock and not much weight. My thoughts were either a franchi affinity and (somehow) find a youth stock...given EVERYONE is out of stock, I think my option is by a right hand youth, a full size lefty, swap stocks, and I have a another spare (since I already have three 20 ga italian semis). Other option (since I've had some BPS's) is a BPS 20 and get a youth stock. I've also had recommended to me the SKB 400RS, but I have zero experience with the brand. Not a brand snob (my oldest gleefully shoots great-grandad's Stevens 16 double), but I have alomost 40 years' of history with the B's. Would appreciate some thoughts from the group. |
| I don't know your budget. If he's got a gift for it, a Browning is a good starting gun. He's going to grow so you need to have some adjustability in the stock . My daughter bought her first gun, a 725 Sporting at 15 with money she earned and saved. I installed a Graco recoil pad adjuster. Later, her shoulders got bigger with her swimming and weight lifting and the gun started slapping her in the cheek so more stock fitting modifications were needed. I am skilled in wood working and was able to do them myself. If you're not, a better option might be to install a PFS which might seem pricey, but not considering sending the gun off for a stock maker to fit it which might only be temporary, or worse, incorrect. My wife did not want to spend $3k for her shotgun and decided on a Weatherby Orion which has been a solid gun. The stock has enough meat to allow solid installation of Graco adjuster w/LOP which requires drilling 1 1/8" holes for clearance of the screw. These have been some of my experiences with selecting and fitting young and smaller people with first shotguns. I was a 4H Shotgun Instructor and saw parents make wrong selections for their kids. It was weird, I offered my services to properly fit the guns to their kids with less than $100 in parts but they wouldn't take me up on it. Shotgun sports is expensive with equipment, ammo and range fees. So, be prepared. |
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Fit is everything and understand he will grow so keep that in mind. My son is in SCTP, he’s 12 and growing like a weed. His shotgun has an adjustable comb and adjustable LOP (graycoil device- which helps mitigate recoil.) Find a local gun fitter, depending on how close you are to the metro area, I can suggest some options. Brand of shotgun doesn’t really matter at this point but don’t get a dedicated trap setup, get a gun he can shoot multiple disciplines and consider getting him into a SCTP team if he’s interested. Feel free to PM for details…. |
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Originally Posted By kristen: Not sure where you are in GA but Old Hudson Plantation in Sparta has a good selection of new and used shotguns at every price point. They understand shotguns and gun fit. Not to mention one of the best ‘smith’s in the South will be there for the next couple weeks as a ramp up to state. They have a state prep tournament this weekend. |
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This is a complicated topic. So my son shoot SCTP, (in fact I’m in OH as I type this wrapping up Nationals.) Keeping up with the growth is going to be a big deal but not impossible or necessarily expensive. If he’s really into it and will stick with it an adjustable stock like a TSK is a good but expensive option. Probably your best option is to find a left stock (make sure it has an adj comb) and have a good stock-fit smith cut it down. You can easily add spacers. |
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