I'm a full-grown man who stands 6 foot 1 and weighs 190 pounds—and I turkey hunt each spring with a 20-gauge youth shotgun. This all started because I was running late. My standard turkey gun was somewhere beneath a pile of clothing, decoys, and assorted gear. I was tired and lazy, so I grabbed my son's Mossberg 500 Youth Bantam simply because it was within easy reach.
I killed a tom that morning, a loudmouthed 2-year-old that gobbled hard and often, and he dropped stone-dead at 32 steps. I’ve carried that little 20-gauge on more hunts than not ever since. What is it that makes a youth-model shotgun such a terrific spring option? Here are three things.
Turkeys were not meant to be hunted from a blind. I understand that it’s effective. Anyone can do it. But should you really be bragging to your buddies about waiting for a turkey to walk by from the comfort of a tent? I think not.
When I hunt longbeards, I want to cover ground and squeeze every ounce out of the experience that I can. Swinging a 12-gauge is no big deal if you’re mostly sitting and waiting, but lugging around a heavy shotgun all day can take a toll. The little youth gun I use weighs just under 6 pounds, including the red-dot optic. That’s almost 3 pounds lighter than my fully loaded 12-gauge. With a good sling attached to it, I can carry the youth model all day and barely notice the weight.
The gun’s small size also makes it easier for me to set up quickly when a bird responds. With a 22-inch barrel and a short stock, the bantam Mossberg is nearly 8 inches shorter than my full-size 12. That’s a significant savings and is much appreciated when I’m diving into a tangle of briars and brush to hide from a longbeard that cuts off my calls at short range.
With top-quality turkey loads, my son’s youth shotgun patterns every bit as well as my dedicated adult-size turkey gun. And it makes turkeys flop just as fast too. Turkey loads for 20-gauge shotguns have come a long way, and if you look at the ballistics, you’ll see you aren’t giving up much. Winchester’s Longbeard XR delivers 1 ⁷⁄₈ ounces of No. 5 shot at 1,050 fps from a 12-gauge. The 20 delivers 1¼ ounces of No. 5s at 1,000 fps. Choke options for 20s have also grown in size and variety. Match your favorite load with a quality choke, and you’ll have a shotgun that will break beaks at 45 yards with consistency. Will it kill a gobbler out to 50 and even 60 yards? Probably. But what’s the fun in that?
This was my son's first turkey gun—and the gun I've claimed as my own on many spring mornings. It's a basic, no-frills pump gun that has laid to rest many a longbeard, and it continues to function despite my less-than-gentle treatment. ($419; Mossberg)
If you want an autoloader, this youth model is worth a look. It features a 21-inch barrel and a 13-inch length of pull, making it short and compact. It'll shoot 3-inch shells as well, a must for killing gobblers at longer ranges. ($885; remington)
Benelli dubs its youth models "compact" shotguns. At 44.2 inches in length and just over 6 pounds, the 20-gauge Nova is indeed compact—and a great turkey gun when paired with a good choke tube. ($469, black; $569, camo; Benelli USA)
