GF's First Shotgun

teej89

teej89

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Hey guys!

I have a question, I'm looking at getting my gf her own semi auto, she's a little too small (5'-4" 130#) for my 12ga, size wise not because of recoil, she can beat my buds with it at our sporting clay events and has no issue shooting 3" turkey loads outta it. She's in law enforcement so that helps with her shooting skills but I believe a youth model would help her shoot even better and it'd be nice not having to share a gun for sporting clays.

My questions to you guys are, is this even possible to do for under $300? I'd like to be $200-$250, and the gun would be used.

Also should I be looking at the youth model for her? And if she's fine shooting the 12ga, we do 100 rounds at sporting clays, should I look into a 12ga in lieu of a 20ga?

Or should I just look into a pump? She's shot slugs outta a pump before in training and said she loves the pump(mostly the racking lol) but I feel a semi is more practical not having to pump.

Thanks!
 
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semi-auto under $300? It might be hard, but you could possibly get something used. Easier for that price is to get a pump or a single break-action.

I know I may be in the minority, but I would not shoot anything other than a 12 gauge. The ammo is cheaper and there is more variety readily available. The recoil isn't that bad, especially in a semi-auto. I prefer o/u break action, but my wife has a Remington 1100 that she loves.

Youth is fine if she is small, but ask yourself if it is the stalk or barrel. Sometimes people want a smaller gun and it has nothing to do with the shoulder fit. They just want something less unwieldy. My 10 year old (about same size as your GF) fires a Maverick O/U Thunder Ranch with 18.5 inch barrels and a red dot sight just fine. That cost me $450 at a gun show about a year ago.

Also if she is law enforcement and is looking at self-defense rather than hunting, perhaps she would prefer something more like an adjustable AR stalk and pistol grip. It isn't my cup of tea, but different strokes for different folks.
 
Remington 870 compact synthetic 20ga. I've got a compact and a youth version that I turkey hunt with. They are good guns for less than $300 new.
 
flintknapper said:
semi-auto under $300? It might be hard, but you could possibly get something used. Easier for that price is to get a pump or a single break-action.

I know I may be in the minority, but I would not shoot anything other than a 12 gauge. The ammo is cheaper and there is more variety readily available. The recoil isn't that bad, especially in a semi-auto. I prefer o/u break action, but my wife has a Remington 1100 that she loves.

Youth is fine if she is small, but ask yourself if it is the stalk or barrel. Sometimes people want a smaller gun and it has nothing to do with the shoulder fit. They just want something less unwieldy. My 10 year old (about same size as your GF) fires a Maverick O/U Thunder Ranch with 18.5 inch barrels and a red dot sight just fine. That cost me $450 at a gun show about a year ago.

Also if she is law enforcement and is looking at self-defense rather than hunting, perhaps she would prefer something more like an adjustable AR stalk and pistol grip. It isn't my cup of tea, but different strokes for different folks.
Click to expand...

I believe it's just the overall size of the gun, making it not as easy to swing on the target. Also on our pheasant hunts it's definitely a little heavy/bulky trudging around thru the fields trying to keep up with a 3y/o lab lol

It's for hunting and sporting clays not for self-defense.
 
N2TRKYS said:
Remington 870 compact synthetic 20ga. I've got a compact and a youth version that I turkey hunt with. They are good guns for less than $300 new.
Click to expand...

I was thinking an 870 actually, do the youths come in 12ga?

Is there a sizing chart to determine if I should get her a youth model or just a regular model?
 
teej89 said:
I was thinking an 870 actually, do the youths come in 12ga?

Is there a sizing chart to determine if I should get her a youth model or just a regular model?
Click to expand...

I believe they do offer a youth model in a 12ga. At least, I've seen aftermarket stocks for it.
 
Get the one she likes. Not the one you think she'll like.

Fit matters more than anything with shotguns. Having her shoulder it in the store will save a lot of hassle on the line, and in the field.

A used 870 wingmaster that fits is never a bad choice for clays or live birds. They're solid guns. The newer ones can be problematic due to reduced costs on the line that have left sharp edges & poor fittings.
 
Ben Lamb said:
Get the one she likes. Not the one you think she'll like.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I needed to hear that lol you're 100% right, so I'll go after the pumps. A little bit of my old man in me going after what I think is going to be best in lieu of just getting her what she wants.
 
The Weatherby SA-08 is a pretty nice youth Auto but I think it is going to be closer to 500.
 
My wife is 5'6" and 120 pounds. My full size 12 gauge was too big and a youth model was too small. I got her a Mossberg bantam sized 500 and it fits her well and she likes it. This would fit around in your budget too, but it is a pump.
 
teej89 said:
Hey guys!

I have a question, I'm looking at getting my gf her own semi auto, she's a little too small (5'-4" 130#) for my 12ga, size wise not because of recoil, she can beat my buds with it at our sporting clay events and has no issue shooting 3" turkey loads outta it. She's in law enforcement so that helps with her shooting skills but I believe a youth model would help her shoot even better and it'd be nice not having to share a gun for sporting clays.

My questions to you guys are, is this even possible to do for under $300? I'd like to be $200-$250, and the gun would be used.

Also should I be looking at the youth model for her? And if she's fine shooting the 12ga, we do 100 rounds at sporting clays, should I look into a 12ga in lieu of a 20ga?

Or should I just look into a pump? She's shot slugs outta a pump before in training and said she loves the pump(mostly the racking lol) but I feel a semi is more practical not having to pump.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

It appear's clear to me this one will never be a wife! You want to see how much she like's your shotgun? Get her the scab you suggested for $300! I just can't imagine what you could get for $300!
 
Don Fischer said:
It appear's clear to me this one will never be a wife! You want to see how much she like's your shotgun? Get her the scab you suggested for $300! I just can't imagine what you could get for $300!
Click to expand...

Huh? I'm getting it as a gift cuz I believe it's too big, she'd go on shooting the oversized gun for years and never once complain.

Anywho... Cush, I was actually just reading about compacts, the bantam is more like a compact then?

My bud just told me his wife who's 5ft flat shoots the youth model so I think the youth will be too short and now with your input I'm leaning towards a compact and they're bout a pound lighter than the full.
 
My 870 compact came with length of pull spacers. Both my compact and youth have 21" barrels. They're both new and neither of them have the sharp edges or poor fitting like mentioned above.
 
teej89 said:
Huh? I'm getting it as a gift cuz I believe it's too big, she'd go on shooting the oversized gun for years and never once complain.

Anywho... Cush, I was actually just reading about compacts, the bantam is more like a compact then?

My bud just told me his wife who's 5ft flat shoots the youth model so I think the youth will be too short and now with your input I'm leaning towards a compact and they're bout a pound lighter than the full.
Click to expand...

The bantam is the size between a full size and a youth. I'm not sure how compacts are measured and what they entail, but I suppose this could be considered a compact since it's still bigger than a youth.
 
In my experience (fairly limited) Berettas seem to fit smaller people a little better. I hate them because I'm a tall human being, but that could be an option. That would probably be out of the $300 price range though.

Has she tried the fit of a used Remington 1100? If you're looking for semi-autos, you should be able to find one of those on just about every sporting goods used rack. I would think that they would have a solid bunch of after market stocks available as well that you could try.

But yes, bring her in and have her try one on; even if it's just you pretending to browse for guns and mentioning that you'd like her to "check out this sweet gun" and try it on that way to keep it a surprise.
 
Its been mentioned before, but I think a short barrel is paramount. Also realize that reducing weight is going to have some effect in adding recoil. Not much of a factor hunting, but sporting clays is a different ball game. As others also said, having her "try on" different guns is a really good idea. Instead of gifting her a gun you think will work, gift her with a shopping trip (with you handling the checkout). Also FWIW, I've seen the 1100 touted and I would give this view - I hated the 1100 I owned, but loved the 11-87 that came after it. To each, his own.
 
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