Need advice on a shotgun

[littleone1]

I have just started looking at shotguns as I said in another thread. Thanks to those who gave me some ideas, but let me tell you my main concern. I know that I need to look at the youth models because of my size but what I need is something that will take down a black bear if the situation arises. There are quite a few bears in this area and I do not want to end up on my ass if I ever need to shoot one. Thanks for any help you can give me.

[rsanders]

Do you have any ranges in your area that rent guns ? Here in Ky there some that will rent you anything you could ever want to shoot. If you could find something like that near you, I would suggest going there and shoot till you find one your comfortable with.

[kenno]

Try nra

The NRA has a web site and part of thier organization is devoted to youth and female shooters. I'm sure they have an extensive archive on choosing the proper firearm for those shooters, addressing recoil problems, recoil pads, etc. They may even have an e-mail Q and A service you could use.
A 20 ga or 12 ga with buck shot or slugs should handle a black bear.

[slowz1k]

Hey!!!! Welcome to the SG camp!

Due to price, and reliability, I would recomend a pump Remington 870 or my favorite a Mossberg 500. I would also recomend a 12 gauge over the 20. Low recoil ammunition can make the 12 gauge much more manageable with out compromising lethality. You can pick and choose from a number of different aftermarket stocks and recoil pads as well. Many of the Tac guys over on shotgun world, run youth stocks on their home defense guns. A company called Knoxx even makes an adjustable, collapsable stock that has recoil absorbtion build into the stock.

Good luck on your search!!!

[Big_Saw]

Put Kenno and rsanders' advice together and you'l be golden...

[Dracos]

Go with the 12 gage. It will do anything a 20 gage will do and much more. There are a great many choices of ammo for a 12 gage. Some have almost no recoil. Some will help you do a backwards summersalt. As for Mossberg and Remington, Ginger and Mary Ann.

[kentuckyshiner85]

My best advice is to stay away from youth mods. they normally kick like mules because of the shorter barrells. I must agree with the mossberg 500. Bird shot is the best selection of ammo. but get a slug for the worst case sec. Also stayu away from single shots . My wife is about about 5'3" maybe 115 soaking wet. To say the least she small she shoots 12 ga. better and likes it more than 20 ga. Remington 870 are also a good choice. both can come with different set ups. just look around and test some out . buy sell trade to get what you feel comfy with.

[Oscar Wilde]

[There are quite a few bears in this area and I do not want to end up on my ass if I ever need to shoot one.]

You're in the bear's "home" .... stay out of their way. The heavier the shotgun the less recoil. Among others, I shoot a Mossburg 590 with a pistol gip stock, which is slung. My neck and shoulder supports the guns weight, my hand, arm, shoulder plus the gun's weight absorb the recoil. There WILL be recoil, with practice you'll "adjust". Focus on your objective and not the recoil ....

O.W.

[Centurion]

Go with 12gauge 3inch magnum slugs. The recoil is minimun and after repeat firing should break you in pretty good. The main thing is to practice good camping habits. Do not sleep in a tent beside you food. Always hang it in a tree below your campsite. Do not throw trash around your campsite and when on the move do not stop to feed the wild animals. Use common sense and look for signs of bears in the area like a well traveled path with lots of bear paws on it probobly should be avoided. However, if you are confronted by momma bear don't run, a bear can go about 30mph so you lose. Hold your ground and enjoy bear soup. Happy camping

[littleone1]

Well I finally bought a shotgun today. Thanks to everyone's input I had a good idea what to look for. I could not find a youth model that felt right to me so I ended up getting the Benelli Ultra Light 12 gauge shotgun that weighs just over 6 lbs. Thanks again!

[slowz1k]

well i finally bought a shotgun today. Thanks to everyone's input i had a good idea what to look for. I could not find a youth model that felt right to me so i ended up getting the benelli ultra light 12 gauge shotgun that weighs just over 6 lbs. Thanks again!

very nice!!!

[prkchp76]

congrats i hope you like it i just got a s&w sigma 40