The FIRST Shotgun Choice Debate Rages On

By David Hogan Moody, Alabama

HR 20 Gauge Single Shot

I got my first shotgun the Christmas of 1968 when I was 8 years old. It was a single shot Harrington Richardson Jr. Model 20 gauge with an improved cylinder choke.

Why did my dad choose this single shot instead of a semi-automatic shotgun, and why not a small caliber rifle?

Things were different back then.

If you had a US Steel Hunting Permit in 1968 you had an enormous amount of land in Alabama to hunt on for starters. Finding this land was not so hard either and many "General Stores" and hardware stores that sold hunting permits also had land maps showing US Steel Land. US Steel continues to have a lot of land in Alabama but they also have a Real Estate Division that has been very active in recent decades past.

I like many, had grandparents in rural areas that had property for farming, and uncles and in laws with adjacent property for their farms as well, and they knew me and as long as I let them know I was hunting and stayed away from the bull and other dangers, didn't shoot towards a structure and the like, I had literally hundreds of acres to hunt on.

It was nothing to be outside in the fall and hear a shotgun in the distance and we didn't give it much thought at all, unless it was too near the house or barn, and then a butt-chewing was guaranteed.

My point is there were not the massive numbers of private hunting clubs there are today and one could hunt in public places without fear of many safety and access issue today. In regard to choosing what type of gun to get your child you also knew they may have an opportunity to not only hunt more often, but even hunt by themselves at younger ages than often allowed now.

The Single Shot Forced Me To Become a Good Shot

This was especially true of bird hunting where unlike ground mammals, grounded birds, or tree sitting squirrels you had to learn to get on site with something up and moving. There was also the impact of making a shot count with target practice because you didn't have three or more shots before you had to reload, and wanted every shell to count.

You could make the argument that a good old .22 rifle would accomplish the same, but I'd argue that for bird hunting weighing a bullet against shots. I do acknowledge the .22 can and does force you to become accurate on a non-moving target such as a squirrel or rabbit and does teach you about when to get off the shot.

When, Where, and What You Are Hunting, with Your Child, Matters.

Are you just going to to go to the range and pull clays? Will you be bird hunting, exclusively. Do you want something your child can do multiple types of hunting with? All of those questions and more matters to the choice of a first gun and it is not always a single shot shotgun.

When I was hunting you shared hunting technical tactics and such with of course other hunters you met and we did not have social media on the internet that allowed us to talk shop while not hunting either. What I offered as to why my dad wanted me to concentrate on a good shot, delivered to a flying target, worked for me.

AF Expert Marksman Ribbon

That training also served me well in basic training in the Air Force as only two airmen in my basic training flight shot at Expert Marksman level and I was one of them along with one other Airman in my flight that shared being born in Alabama with me. The drill sergeant had plenty to say about those of us that came out of Alabama I can't mention in public writing, but he did tip the brim of his scary Smoky Bear hat to our shooting skills from Alabama. Research what you buy your child for their first gun, and do your best to train them well in all aspects of firearms, safety and ethics.