My youth model 870 is my rabbit/home defense gun, still love that thing.

When my wife decided to take up shooting and hunting I never considered anything for her but a semi-auto 20. She's has to wear thick socks to scratch 5-feet so she was going to need a youth gun, but I knew better than to have her start off with a youth pump. Ended up getting her a Weatherby SA-O8 and she loves it. On the other hand, I bought a Maverick youth 20 pump a couple of years ago specifically for my own turkey hunting. I wanted something significantly lighter than I'd been lugging around and didn't care how much it would kick since it wouldn't be fired that often anyway. I put a slip-on recoil pad on it to lengthen the stock and the kick's not bad at all with 3" turkey loads. It's also the perfect home defense gun with the plug out, so in between spring turkey seasons it's within near arms length of my bed.

Phil,
Recoil does suck! I think it is one of the very most important consideration for all of us with kids in that lucky age group old enough to come of age in the woods. I have three daughters. My oldest is 13 and she bagged her first and only tom turkey last year during the spring early youth season. To say she is hooked on hunting is an understatement and the time we had together in the field was an incredible experience. However, this recoil thing is very important to kids. What I learned before we even went to the range to practice patterning the shotgun I chose for her out of the safe was that kids talk about hunting and guns... alot. And kids talk about recoil and guns a lot... and although she was very intrigued and curious about hunting, she was equally as concerned and frightened about how a gun "kicks." And she didn't just come out and say it after all because she wants to be dad's tough little hunting partner etc. etc. Dad won't think that highly of me if I say I'm scared to shoot a shotgun right??? I mean we didn't even talk about this until AFTER the shooting session. Luckily I was thinking about her long term interest in the sport and of shooting so I chose... I know, I know, there will be plenty of chuckles and the like.. but I chose for her for this first youth season and session at the range.. One of my old Mossberg 20 gauge pump shotguns. The stock is all wood and the the thing is heavier than a four and a half foot iron logging bar and the LOP was shortened awhile ago to youth like proportions. When we got to the range I put a turkey target up and loaded the gun with low brass upland loads. I told her to concentrate on aiming for the "cherry" at the base of the gobblers neck and to squeeze the trigger. The target was at about 22 yards. After the first shot and seeing the pattern dot the target, the look on her face was of pure amazement and joy. She was having fun shooting a 20 gauge shotgun. We did this 10 more times. On the first day of season last year we were lucky, although the rain was pelting our pop up blind, the turkeys were heavy into mating and we were lucky enough to have tremendous action. About two hours into the season, a gobbler came to my calls and started thumping our decoy. She dropped it in its tracks at 12 yards with high brass fours. She said, "I didn't even feel the gun kick dad."

I hunt pheasants with both types, a Parker s/s and a .28 ga. o/u. I hit most of the time, but still miss on occasion. I really don't notice too much of a difference,as I found that when I miss it's because I'm pulling my head off the stock.

I'm trying to find a shotgun for my wife, and I've been debating a 20 vs a 28 gauge. I'm leaning towards a 28 gauge O/U for my wife, as she's pretty petite, left handed, and perhaps most importantly, she has no interest in hunting. Though ammo is more expensive and a bit tougher to find in stock, it's relatively easy to order, and if she gets serious about shooting, I'll simply start reloading for 28 like I do 12 now.

That said, if I could find an affordable left-handed gas-operated autoloader in 20 gauge, I'd strongly consider it. Any suggestions for one?

20-ga using 7/8 oz loads for beginning trap? Isn't that frustrating for new shooters on the line? That being said;

Obviously a 28-ga vs 20 is mute in trap, but for just about everything else I don't see much difference in shooting the two ga's except weight and recoil. Maybe like previously bloggers noted it might be time to start shooters with a 28-ga instead of a 20...trap excluded.

I can't prove it, but it seems some types of powder burn slower thus spreading recoil out. In O/U's I used Green Dot vs Red Dot since I thought Red Dot gave a sharper smack. Just my opinion.

I use Red Dot in auto's.

Dcast -

My experience is that weight is not bad thing if the fit and balance are OK. "It's too heavy!" is often a length and balance problem. I'd think that adding a bit of weight to the buttstock -- as far forward as you can -- would certainly be worth a try.

For a 5' adult shooter on a tight budget, I chose the wood-stocked 20-gauge 500 Bantam because it was heavier than the synthetic versions and easier to modify. Replacing the factory recoil pad with a Limbsaver was a huge help. Adjusted the pitch, started her off with very light loads, and she did just fine.

Hermit Crab -- Legacy Sports/Escort makes a 20 gauge left-handed gas gun. I have shot it only a little bit but it is light and worked every one of the few times I pulled the trigger.
20 vs 28 depends on what your wife wants to shoot. Much as I like 28s, 20s are way more versatile, can shoot non-toxics and turkey loads, and you can buy Fiocchi 3/4 ounce loads for them or reload them yourself.

Or, find her a light 12 gauge and reload 3/4 ounce shells for it. I have loaded a lot of 3/4 ounce stuff and Claybuster now has a 3/4 ounce wad (CB0175-12). Three-quarters of an ounce in a 12 is very, very soft shooting.

Dcast -- some weight in the back end of a youth gun can definitely help, and a butt-heavy gun isn't as hard for a kid to lift up. It shouldn't be hard to find a way to put something in a stock to weight it some. Still, the best recoil reducer is sensibly chosen ammunition.

A144, My nephew was received a rossi 20/22 combo for Christmas last year and the recoil was unbearable even for me. I thought of adding some weight to the butt stock might do the trick. He chose to shoot his dads 12 ga and he said it was much easier to shoot even though it was much larger than he could handle but he did good with it. His Christmas present hasn't seen the light of day since the first time he shot it. I thought maybe some modeling clay and lead would do the trick. I will talk to his dad about some Appalachain engineering! Even though he got another gun since.

In my opinion, they are louder too. my 20 with 22 in barrel in a bit louder than my 12 with a 28. I guess that don't matter if you wear hearing protection.

I believe that going with a single shot or pump in 20ga. is just asking for trouble. To me, both kick like hell to young shooters.
Go with a 410 or 28ga. and things will be a LOT better!
If it has to be a 20, get a gas operated and only load 1 shell at a time.
My thought!