Interesting Topic.
My father didn't hunt even though his father did hunt. I purchased my first gun when I was probably 22 for hunting dove. It was a new Ithaca 37 20 gauge. I became more interested in guns and attended a few local gun shows and I stumbled across Walt Snyder's great book, Ithaca from the Beginning.
I basically read the whole book, bought a Knick trap gun and then started on SXS's.
I haven't shot anything but a SXS in a few years. Trap, Sporting Clays, Turkey, Geese, Duck, Dove, Grouse, and Woodcock. If a shotgun is the gun of choice, it will be a SXS for me.
I gave my son a little earlier start, a Lefever A grade on his 10th birthday.
Stan