[A19thUS]

I agree with Mr John Here. Though not knowing your son, and how much you have to spend the Mossberg 500 is a good way to go. You can even find some used 500's at a much lower price. I shot deer for years in Ohio with just smoothbore and a bead sight and brought home 2-5 a year that way. Just keep your shots 50-75 yard range. Also, Mossberg sells rifled choke tubes ($18) for the 500 so you will not have to buy the Rifled barrel if you do not want to. (You can put True glow sites on the smoothbore. $30) Athough the rifled barrel gives you better accuracy. The saftey on the tang of the mossbergs is another plus in IMHO. It will keep an inexperienced hunter from having to hunt for the saftey in the trigger housing with thick gloves on, is sometimes very frustrating. Especialy when you get buck fever!! I lost a turkey that way one time, having to move my head to look for it, and that sharp eyed turkey was GONE! Use 2/ 3/4 shells somewhat less kick than the larger shells, don't know how well your son takes the recoil.If you have some $ to spend just go ahead and get him an rem 11-87 combo. Fine/smooth shooting shotgun. You can get all the accesseies you will ever need for the 11-87 real easy and cheap. The 11-87's come in many different configurations from 2 3/4- 3"-3 1/2. Plus it will last him a lifetime, and can go through all the different hunting seasons with this one gun. Try finding parts and accessories for other (foreign) shotguns.Last, I started with a single shot brake open shotgun as a kid. You can get these for $90 at wally world. Cheaper used. I still used it to this day! I hope this helps. John