Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Shot suggestion for youth

Taking my son on a over the counter turkey hunt in April, looking for suggestions on a load for him.

He will be 11 at the time, 5'1 90#, not small but not huge.
We have two options, a Francnh 48 20 gauge with 2 3/4" chambers, and a Remington Versamax that can shoot anything.

Suggestions?

90 lbs? The Franchi. The Versamax is a big gun.

I vote Franchi 48 (damn fine gun, btw) and Apex 20ga 2-3/4″ 1-3/8 oz #9.

https://apexmunition.com/shop/turkey-tss/lt-20-20-gauge-2-3-4-1-3-8-oz-5-shells/

He has shot the versamax before, but he does handle the 48 better. And you are correct, it is a damn fine shotgun.

Lots of people here are using Crack barrel 410s and hevi shot in small sizes now. Especially older guys that don't want to carry a heavy gun and suffer the recoil. I haven't tried it but read and hear it works as well as a brutal kicking 3 1/2 12 gauge.

If you can, get some 2 3/4” Foxtrot or Apex ammo and go forth and kill turkeys. This can use the factory full choke you probably already have.

It won’t be a number chasing pattern but it will be very effective.

If not, get some 3” Winchester Longbeard in 5 or 6 shot and use the versamax.

My 8 year old is about the same size as yours and I’ll let him shoot my Browning Maxus, just not with 3.5” loads.

Advocate for the 410. Savage works fine and is pretty inexpensive. I have a safe full of turkey guns and for the last 3 yrs it’s been all the 410. Coated mine put a Burris ff3 on top, Jebs choke and Burgess creek tss it does not get much better. Low recoil, low noise, light ammo and gun. Have both my sons shooting them as well.

I actually do have my grandma's break action Winchester .410