so i think i've abandoned the idea of a .410 for my daughter, and would like to see her in a 20 ga. thanks for all the advice! achewter and his kids were nice enough to lend lindsey a couple of 20 ga guns for her to try, and i'd like to find a place where we can do that. kenmore, though close, is out due to the fact that i don't think she's ready to shoot 25 rounds at a moving target yet. what i'd like to do is start off with some stationary clays and such, go to balloons or something etc... anybody know of a place around we can do that? i really don't want to go to a yahoo free-for-all gravel pit and have to worry about a bunch of other people. i know that these types of places are hard to find and harder to keep, but be assured that we'll be clean and responsible. any ideas??



thanks again,
willy

Hey Bill shoot those autos a couple of times yourself before she does and be sure you both wear glasses. Right handed guns open rite in front of your face when shooting left handed. Don't want to scare her. Finding a left handed youth model may be hard find.

Look for an old Ithaca M37 in 16 or 20. They load and eject from the bottom. I went from that to a Browning BPS which also loads/ejects from the bottom. The safety on this gun is on top. I'm not a lefty mind you but can't see why they wouldn't work.

cut and pasted that from a quick google serch.
Rem 1100 comes in a lefty youth and i think browning might have one. Might put the word out at Kenmore that your looking for one. Nice thing about youth guns is they don't last to long. Drake won't be shooting his anymore after 2 years and Alie likes her new pump. Kids grow to fast. If it wasn't for Dogfish she probably would have never killed anything with it.

I've put thousands of rounds downrange through a Model 37 and I love 'em, but it's gonna kick.
I would try to find an auto that might smooth out that recoil impulse.

i thought about the pumps, too, but agree w/DD. i like to get her in an auto for now. i've shot a few autos which were not LH, and i haven't had any issues, but it is a point well taken, art. i'll check them out first as well. i always wear safety glasses or sunglasses while hunting, especially at the release sites, and lindsey has her own tool. i got some info from a couple members here on places about an hour from here, and weather and time permitting i probably will try and get out this weekend. thanks again for the advice. the 1100 is a great gun, but that sucker weighs in at about 8#, even in the 20 ga. probably great for taming recoil, but it would probably wear her out in short order in the field. benelli, of course, makes a LH in the montefeltro and the SBE, but i'm not ready to make that kind of financial play (again) just yet! i did look at a few youth guns online and the cz 720 looks like a nice gas gun in the $500 range, new. Drake's charles daly seems to fit her well, but they don't make them any more, and parts are really hard to find i'm told. the LOP is right at 13" on that gun, actually about 1/2" shorter than the rossi single we borrowed.


i'll let y'all know how it goes!

willy

If Drakes gun is shorter than the Rossi whats the lop on the Baretta ?


spent some time looking tonight. Looks like you may be on a quest for the holly grail. They stopped making the 20ga 1100s in the left hand model in the early 70s and if you can find one they make the benellis look like a bargin.

I measured the beretta at (get this) 11 1/2"! That's short. No wonder alie likes the 870 so much. With the 26" barrel, it makes it a bit front heavy ( the beretta). The balance on the CD is really pretty nice.