Ladies shotgun

[JimT]

My girlfriend wants to try turkey hunting this year, and I want to get her a shotgun. She is fairly small, 5'3" and about 115 pounds. Not sure which gun to get her. I think a 20 guage is the way to go. How would a youth 20 guage fair? I want something that would pattern well out to 40 yards and not be all that heavy for her to carry around. I definalty do not want to shy her away from this with a high recoil gun/load combo and a real heavy gun...What do you think?

Thanks!!

[dartonman]

Definately a 20 gauge buddy...with a good recoil pad, and I feel if you get a good quality choke, and a good decoy set up, she should be able to shoot the 2 3/4 size shells..shot placement is key....if you want her to be "used" to the gun, shoot the low brass 8 shot with her, low recoil shells, then when you get a chance alone, pattern the real deal turkey loads..........but dont let her shoot the hot stuff till turkey days.......dont want to develop a flinch.........I was gonna have a single shot tapped for a turkey choke, I can ship it to you for season if you like...its a youth single shot....just ship it back when done........Ill let you know when its tapped and has a good choke for it.............al

[Strut10]

One thing to keep in mind with the youth 20 ga. guns..........they are smaller..........so they are lighter. That means they still pack some punch at the back end. Maybe consider a full-size 12 ga. autoloader (sucks up some recoil) and some good, buffered 2 3/4" loads. It'll still kill a turkey to 30 yards+ and may actually have less recoil than the youth 20's. Just a thought.

[PAstringking]

A Mossburg 500 is a great womans and kids gun!

[maddhunter]

My son Cole has been shooting a Rem. youth 870 express for the last 2years with a SIMS recoil pad on it and he is shooting 3" magnum turkey loads. It patterns very well out to 40yrds with #5 Heavtshot 3" shells. My son will be 9 in May.
I also agree that the regular 20ga should be fine.

[toddyboman]

What ever you decide on put a SIMS recoil pad on it. That will really help reduce the recoil. Those things are awesome!!

[M00N]

Try looking into the Remington Model 870 SPS-T Camo 20-Gauge once. [LINK] It's not a youth model, but it fits short stature shooters and doesn't have bad recoil as a result of its smaller compact nature. It's the gun I shoot and I'm sensitive to recoil. I don't mind shooting it at all and love this gun. I found it to be one step above the Remington Model 870 Youth's, which is why I went with this gun instead. I have never regretted my choice at all to this day. This gun patterns just as well as some of the 12-Gauges we have. It has a nice recoil pad (Sims R3) built into it already, fiberoptic sights, a sling, and it's full camo. You can use 3" or 2 3/4" shells in it.

[Covehnter]

I've got a little sister that i've thought about trying to get a bird but she's only 9 and rather small so i worry about recoil. I've got a youth model 870 that i've been throwing around the idea of working with to see if she can handle it, but i sure dont want to scare her by starting too early.

[Rhino]

[ QUOTE ]
One thing to keep in mind with the youth 20 ga. guns..........they are smaller..........so they are lighter. That means they still pack some punch at the back end. Maybe consider a full-size 12 ga. autoloader (sucks up some recoil) and some good, buffered 2 3/4" loads. It'll still kill a turkey to 30 yards+ and may actually have less recoil than the youth 20's. Just a thought.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very good point Strut.

I have a youth model 20 ga. pump that my son used when he was young. With 3" mag shells that sucker kicks harder than my 1187 with 3" mag shells!

[wtnhunt]

Sounds like she is about the same size as my wife Jim. Plan on getting the wife an 870 youth in a 20 gauge. She has shot my 12 gauge once, she wanted to. Would also agree with the aftermarket recoil pad unless you happen to go with a remington and it has the r3 pad, or whatever they are calling the new pad they are putting on some of their guns. Think those are made by pachmayer if I am not mistaken. The pachmayer decelerator pads are better in my opinion then the limbsavers.

[3whunt]

[ QUOTE ]
One thing to keep in mind with the youth 20 ga. guns..........they are smaller..........so they are lighter. That means they still pack some punch at the back end. Maybe consider a full-size 12 ga. autoloader (sucks up some recoil) and some good, buffered 2 3/4" loads. It'll still kill a turkey to 30 yards+ and may actually have less recoil than the youth 20's. Just a thought.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with this totally. 3" mags out of a youth model gun has a ton of recoil, way more than an auto 12 guage with 2 3/4" shells. My wife uses a rem 1100 and shot one bird at 43 yards with 2 3/4" #6's.

[Nut]

My wife uses a Youth 870 in 20 gauge. She says the deer slugs are worse than any of the turkey loads she uses. She also says that she don't mind the recoil if there is a bird or deer in front of her.

[dodgeman1]

I agree no youth guns as i have tried one it hit harder than my 12 with 3''

[Gobblegobblebang]

Any good auto will work good. I have a 12 gauge charales daily i won and gave to my wife and she loves it. she is very small and it works well for her. Autos = less recoil.= happy wife.

[terry264]

Agree with ggbang, get a "gas-pipe", (the English call it), due to good recoil reduction, even in a 12 ga. The hardest kicking shotgun I ever "had" was a little Sav. 24-D, over under combo, .22-20 ga. Had to use 3" shells in it most of the time to keep squirrels from being knocked out of tall trees and hitting the ground running. Did the trick but when that thing went off,,,"Holy Mother",,,it was one of the few guns I have ever shot that would hurt/bruise me! I could see why it was printed on top of it "Do not use shotgun barrel with scope attached". Got rid of it.