I'd like to stay with 12 gauges in the family. My kids can just about handle the weight of a standard 12 gun, but not quite. I’ve found some light weight guns but am concerned with the recoil of waterfowl loads. They will be field shooting over decoys and fortunately the shots are close. I haven’t done any shot shell reloading but would like to do so. Have a friend that reloads shot shells. Am I on the right track to think of reloading a 12 to a light recoiling but effective waterfowl load to be used in a lightweight pump?

no offense; but wouldn't that be the waterfowl equivalent of wanting a light 458 Lott load so your young person can go hunting Elephant with you? IMHO, we have an obligation to the game hunted; be it tree squirrels or Elephant or anything in between. That is, to harvest it cleanly with one shot and a lack of or minimum pain to the animal. Get them a 20 gauge, since you are buying a new shotgun. It will handle better for a small framed person and kill cleanly.
You can always figure to instill a love of bird hunting that you can then pass on to their children. Trust me, the Grandpa business is a lot more fun...

Rich

Kazoo -- Yes, you could reload some 12ga 7/8 or 1 oz steel loads and hold recoil down and they would be more than effective on ducks out to 40 yards or so yards if they are choked appropriately. Look into Reloading Specialties Inc. (RSI) and/or Precision Reloading (PR) reloading manuals for those loads. Before you tackle loading steel you should also read and become familiar with other loading manuals like Lyman's Shotshell manual.

Reloading steel is a little more trouble and less tolerant of variances than lead shot reloading. As a result, I wouldn't recommend a new reloader set off down that road until they have a good bit of experience behind them loading lead hunting shells.

I know you said you wanted to keep everything in the 12ga but I think Idaho has a better idea for you. Just get a 20ga pump for those kids. Most 20ga pumps like the 870 Express will handle 3" loads and the 20ga 870 doesn't have some of the ejection problems the 12ga 870 Express does. I would get a regular stocked 20ga 870 (not the Youth model) with a 26" barrel and if the kids are too small then have the stock cut down to fit. The youth model is OK but not as usfull in the long run since it not only has the shorter stocked but it has a 21" barrel which lightens weight (more recoil) and makes for increaded muzzle blast (more preceived recoil).

A 20ga is more than enough gun for decoying ducks (and upland birds) and it will also work great of other small game and target shooting you do. You can get factory 2 3/4" 3/4 oz steel shells (use #4s) for close decoying ducks when they are young and move to 3" 7/8 or 1 oz loads when they can handle them which won't be long. My son shot many a duck with this same set-up for the first few years of his shooting career.

Good luck.

Idaho, Well not really. I wasn't talking about reducing the velocity down to low levels with the same amount of shot. I was intending to load it with ¾ oz loads just as a 20 ga has and assuring that the velocity was at sufficient levels. So in effect, they would be shooting 20ga equivalent in a 12 ga. I too know many waterfowl hunters that shoot ducks over decoys with a 20. Not every hunter needs or wants a 3 ½ 12 for ducks in close… So is there a difference in killing ability between a 20 with a ¾ oz load or a 12 with ¾ oz. load with equal velocity?

kazoo, the 20 ga "normal" load is 7/8 oz oz of shot. The problem with most 20 ga guns is that they are lighter in weight and the weight reduction is counterproductive to reducing recoil. Stick with the 12 and load it down.