My 2 cents: Skip the .410 and get a 28 gauge instead. It has all of the advantges of the .410 and none of the disadvantages. And you can get 1.0 ounce factory loads. For that matter, any kid 12 years old can shoot a 20 gauge with 7/8 ounce or more of shot.
Agreed. I would not let my sons shoot a shotgun until they could handle light 20 gauge loads. They are both excellent wing shooters. My oldest limited on his first dove hunt at age 12.
Shoot TSS out of it and it becomes a 30-40 yard turkey gun. Easy to carry. No recoil to speak of. Great youth turkey gun.
Uhhmmm...... unless you can get a teacup sized pattern at 40 yards, I wouldn't expect a .410 to perform at 40 yards!
Do I KNOW that?
No.
Just color me skeptical.
Look, I have been mocked and laughed at because my usual turkey "ammo" is (12 ga) high velocity #8's.
I haven't had one walk away from a swarm of 8's to the noggin yet! So, I have no problem with the #9 TSS shot, I'm just skeptical of 40 yard shots with a .410.....even with #9 TSS shot.
https://www.charlieelk.com/2017/06/16/beyond-the-patterning-board-x-rays-of-shot-turkey-headnecks/Guys, unless I missed it, no one is touting the .410 as a good general-purpose gun, a gun for beginners, or an all-around turkey slayer. It’s a specialty gun, a utility piece for certain uses, and a sporting choice when used with discretion within its capabilities. The pattern board doesn’t lie, in either direction, and it’s easy to see what’s possible and what’s best avoided. Based on patterns, I think 30 yards is a good, practical limit for flying birds, and with TSS, 40 on turkeys. Due to the small size of the pattern, some sort of sights seem like a good idea for ensuring the fairy dust goes where it’s needed on the gobblers. Personally, I wouldn’t choose one for Fall turkeys, but would definitely carry a couple of turkey loads if I were out for squirrels etc and the season was open, provided I’d tested them first with the Full or Modified tubes I’d typically be using for other game.
