Sometimes a .410 is necessary. Our 4-H program starts at age 8 and kids that young usually don't have the strength to comfortably hold even the light weight Franchi. Then there is the recoil thing, or the perception that a 20 is gonna hurt. It all varies A LOT among individuals in the 8 to 10 age range and changes quickly as their bodies develop. Our program is trap and some kids shoot a .410 single shot stocked for their size with a big, soft pad for the entire first season though we get them on a youth 20 gas semiauto as soon as they can handle it.
Obviously it's harder to hit a clay with a .410, invariably choked full. Even with a well placed shot there can be target-sized holes in the pattern. But on balance the kids find it more enjoyable to shoot a shotgun they can handle comfortably even though they break fewer targets. We de-emphasize scores other than individual improvement and congratulate them when birds are broken. Plus it's much easier to develop good form and avoid bad habits.
