Three questions
 

My wife has expressed an interest in getting into shooting. She has never fired a gun in her life.

I have two vintage (think 1950) Remington model 870 shotguns with 'deer slug' I assume full choke, barrels. A 12ga and a 16ga. They are both a handful for me and are probably not a good gun for her to start on but we will give it a try come spring. 40 yrs ago I did use the 16 with # 6 shot for rabbits and squirrels with good results. Assuming she likes it enough to proceed, what would a reasonable entry level shotgun be for her and I?

To those of you in Eastern PA \ Western NJ, beside a local rod and gun club such as one in Alburtis which I have used to sight my rifle in at, where can I take her? The Alburtis R&G has clay days but otherwise you need to bring your hand thrower -- I'm not doing that...

EDIT -- just found earlier post with great link in it... I am surrounded by clubs... whooohooo www.claytargetsonline.com/club.php/1568

She has also expressed in an interest in pistols but that is for another day.

I'd give her a Browning or Beretta over/under 20ga. Not cheap, so try to find a used one. Make sure it fits her. Easy to load, easy to clean, easy to shoot. I far prefer over/unders to pumps or semi-autos.

Break her in with a light gauge .410 at first. Most shooting clubs rent firearms. I'd call around and see what they can offer.

Getting kicked by a full bore, big gauge, shotgun will end her interest pretty darn quickly.

Mossberg has a .410 home defense pump shotgun with an 18" barrel. Perfect for a women's self defense. They are not expensive.

Those are exactly my thoughts. I plan to take her to a range with a .22 to get comfortable with gun safety and just handling a gun. This could be fun!

Good plan!

Start off easy and simple.

Don't believe a .410 is the best choice to start with in a shotgun. They have a light weight and light recoil but do not have many pellets so is easy to miss with them, leading to frustration from not being able to break many (any?) clays. A decent 20ga semi-auto like the well regarded Winchester SX3, which will also have a reduced recoil due to its method of operation, would be a better choice. There are other, excellent, semi-auto shotguns (Beretta, Benelli, Browning, etc. are fancier, but not better quality) for more money, but you can always trade up if you find you are shooting enough to want to do so. Same with an O/U. A 20ga O/U is a good choice, but about twice the starting cost for a decent one and may not be the best choice for a beginner as it will have more recoil then the semi-auto. A box of 7/8oz 20ga #7 1/2 or #8 target ammo is ~$6-7 while a box of .410 ammo is about twice that and is not always easy to find. 16ga is about like .410. Ammo can be difficult to find and expensive. If your wife is small in stature, you will want to contact one of the sporting clays venues (as you mentioned, there are several around you) and ask them if they have 20ga rental shotguns with various LOP (length of pull) she can try to see what works. And, book a lesson. A good book to get started is Chris Batha's "Breaking Clays". Does an excellent job of covering the basics.
Enjoy!!

Craig.......I would introduce your wife to personal defense handguns long before I would steer her to rifles of any type. Buy her a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm, take her to an indoor range and spend time instructing her. Encourage her to acquire a concealed carry permit and ensure that she is proficient enough with the weapon to defend herself should the need ever arise. Then, introduce her to an AR15, a serious weapon that is easy to shoot with minimum recoil that she can fire without ever getting sore. The AR15 with a scope makes an excellent hunting rifle and can put meat on the table should that need ever arise, not to mention it is a tremendous self defense weapon should we ever have to take up arms to defend our homes or neighborhoods. Help your woman develop skills with the right weapons so she can actually protect herself. Only then would I think about skeet shooting. Recreation is secondary to self defense and personal security in my humble opinion.

Dan,

Your input suggests a different view of where our world/country is than where my head is. Interestingly enough, my brother and sister in law are exactly where you are and have done all that you suggest as part of a simple extension of their respective military training.

I intend to get my wife and I into handguns as a sport as I look to retirement but feel starting her with a .22 is a good first step given she grew in a family totally devoid of shooting as a topic - little own a sport. Although I did grow up with hunting and guns as a normal thing, that did not include pistols. So I am starting her with what I know.

Craig

Craig.......I understand your point and your direction. It is better to start there than not start at all. Many firearms dealers offer individual instruction at indoor ranges when you wish to become familiar with a good handgun.

My point of view stems from owning guns almost my entire adult life, pistols, rifles, and shotguns. I am a firm supporter of firearms ownership and concealed carry. I would rather pack a pistol for 35+ years and never have it leave my holster than find myself in one violent confrontation and not have the necessary survival tools to neutralize a threat to me or my family's life. I learned a long time ago that being prepared makes far more sense than being helpless, vulnerable, and at the mercy of violent predators.