A friend started his twin boys at about age 7 with a .410 SxS on stationary targets (cans, melons, etc.) to get them used to the noise and recoil and to help them realize the damage a shotgun can do. They tried the .410 on doves with little success and then he bought them Yildiz 20ga O/Us when they were able to handle those. They are happy and safe hunters now. We decided that a break action gun was the safest way to go. Started another seven year old with a .410 last season, and it seemed to work well. This kid is a bit smaller so his first hunting gun may be a 28ga. When I was a kid, my Dad started me with a .410 bolt action and I think it made me a better field shot than if I had started with a larger bore or something with a quicker second shot.
