Kid-friendly turkey load

[CVShooter]

My oldest is getting ready to take his hunter safety class and I'm considering letting him take a shot on a turkey this year if we can get one close enough. I never really think about recoil on a 20-gauge but I'm more than double his weight. My son is almost 9, weighs about 75 lb and is tall/lean build. My best-fitting shotgun for him is my wife's SxS 20-gauge with a shorter women's/youth stock.

Are there some lower-power turkey loads that might be good for kids? Would it be better to opt for fewer, larger pellets to up the penetration? Say a #2? I figure we can keep shots under 20 yards but I'd like to know that he's not going to get whalloped and that we still have enough power to cleanly take a turkey if he pulls the trigger on it. Most of my shotgunning has been with 12 gauges so I'm less familiar with 20s.

[leadstorm]

A couple things...

First, simply know that a SxS is going to kick him harder than a semi-auto. Not sure if a semi-auto is an option.

Second, don't focus too much on the label "turkey load." There's a huge industry built on super-duper magnum buttkicker loads and $100 turkey chokes because people keep spending money on the marketeering...but you'd be better off teaching him patience, how to get turkeys in close, and where exactly to shoot the turkey (hint: not his head, but rather the base of his neck). If you do that, a 2-3/4" shell full of #4 to #6 shot and a plain old full choke will work just fine.

I would spend the coin on bismuth/tungsten assuming you're required to be lead-free. You're not gonna use many shells on turkeys.

ETA: you should be patterning the shotgun with the choke and load to be used anyway. Your son will learn about the recoil of a particular setup then.

[Whiterabbit]

20 yards? It's just not that hard to kill a turkey at 20 yards. You should be fine with #2's hevi shot, if they pattern well.

I'd roll with it and be confident. Besides, he has a PH (dad) to back him up, right?

[lewdogg21]

Reduced recoil turkey loads are for sale. However, any duck load will work to probably 40 yards.

[Whiterabbit]

I dunno about that. I shot a turkey at 45 yards with a 3" steel shot (4 or 6, cannot remember, probably 4) 12ga extra full choke, watched the bird get peppered, then jump up and fly off.

I got lucky and found him, shot him again at about 20 yards and found only 3 pellets in his body. Feathers I guess do a better job than I expected stopping a pellet.

I'm comfortable moving to a 20ga at 20 yards, especially with #2, but I don't think I'll be taking shots at turkey at 40 yards again without reconsidering what shotshell I'm using.

Have you successfully harvested turkey at 40 yards? May I ask what shell you were using? I need to switch. I have steel shot and hevi shot. I figured on moving to hevi shot next opportunity I get.

[CVShooter]

20 yards? It's just not that hard to kill a turkey at 20 yards. You should be fine with #2's hevi shot, if they pattern well.

I'd roll with it and be confident. Besides, he has a PH (dad) to back him up, right?

Ha! Nope. That SxS is still a bit heavy for him to carry. We'd only take one gun between us.

[CVShooter]

A couple things...

First, simply know that a SxS is going to kick him harder than a semi-auto. Not sure if a semi-auto is an option.

Second, don't focus too much on the label "turkey load." There's a huge industry built on super-duper magnum buttkicker loads and $100 turkey chokes because people keep spending money on the marketeering...but you'd be better off teaching him patience, how to get turkeys in close, and where exactly to shoot the turkey (hint: not his head, but rather the base of his neck). If you do that, a 2-3/4" shell full of #4 to #6 shot and a plain old full choke will work just fine.

I would spend the coin on bismuth/tungsten assuming you're required to be lead-free. You're not gonna use many shells on turkeys.

ETA: you should be patterning the shotgun with the choke and load to be used anyway. Your son will learn about the recoil of a particular setup then.

No semi-autos in the family collection. Never much cared for them myself. I had enough problems ejecting shells when the quail, dove or rabbit action got good so any added difficulty expelling shells out of a hot barrel was more than I ever wanted to deal with.

Agreed about the ***** kicker loads & such. I laugh when I see advertisements (or hunters) with scoped shotguns & 3" shells. I'm thinking more of just something with reduced recoil but not down to #8 skeet load low. I had trouble dropping rabbits and quail with basic field loads out of that 20. Fur & feathers fell but the critter kept going. I'm thinking about something more like a decent duck load.

[THBailey]

My 2 cents worth, with a proper head shot, aiming where the head joins the neck, turkeys don't take a ton of killing. I have always opted for a higher pellet count rather than larger pellet size. The key is to use a load that will put 6 or 8 pellets in the head and neck at the range of the shot. Steel shot patterns quite tight out of a standard full choke (or even modified if your double is choked modified/improved cyl). 3/4 oz of #6 steel will contain 236 pellets. These shells probably are about the lightest recoil you are going to find:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/408128/federal-game-and-target-ammunition-20-gauge-2-3-4-3-4-oz-6-non-toxic-steel-shot

If your gun doesn't have two beads to line up, consider putting a sight system on it. Have the boy pattern the gun with the standard turkey head target. If you wnat to be sure the loads are hot enough, you can put a tin can behind the target and be sure the pellets have the energy to pierce one side of the can. Again, just my 2 cents worth.

[CVShooter]

TH - Thank you. I'll look for something like that. Much appreciated.

[BOBGBA]

My guess is that the recoil of the 20 gauge might still be a little much for him.
Have him shoot a regular 7/8 oz lead shell (1200 feet per second) and see how he does.
If he is okay with it, I would by a box of these bismuth in #5:

https://www.cabelas.com/product/KENT-BISMUTH-SHOTSHELLS-PER-BOX/2263462.uts

[XVIga_Rob]

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/federal-premium-mag-shok-heavyweight-turkey-load-shotshells-with-flitecontrol

[Novak77]

My wife used hevi-x 20ga #4 all season for ducks and ditch chickens. I know turkeys are bigger and all that, but my wife made some killer 40 yard shots and stoned birds. If it will stone a late season mallard i'm sure it will knock a turkey down.

[THBailey]

Well, turkey season is open. We will be expecting a report, and with photo's if reporting success. Good luck to the boy.

[JagerDog]

Any #4, or 5 duck load in the head. #2 or 3 if steel.

We've killed a few wingshooting with pheasant loads during pheasant season.