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Mossberg 500 Bantam 20g turkey setup

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lovetohunt

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I recently got a Mossberg Bantam 20g for my kids, this gun fit them the best when we were looking for them a gun. They now want to go turkey hunting this year for the first time. Does anyone have any past experience on what shell/choke tube combo shoots the best? Figure that would give me a good place to start. Also what is everyone using for sights, just factory ones or anyone running some sort of red dot.

I am just trying to get the best setup for my kids so we have a great experience.
 
For my girls, I kept it very simple. I don't know the ages or experience level for your kids. Mine started when they were 9 and 11. I decided to keep it really simple for them, so used open sights, full choke and 2 3/4" #6. They had to keep shots inside of 25 yards. I figured a full choke offered a little more forgiveness than a turkey choke. My girls were pretty recoil sensitive, so we stuck with 2 3/4"
 
My son has used the Mossberg 510 mini 20 gauge the last two years he has shot 3 birds.
Using this choke
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/mobile/product/79723/redirect
Year 1 he used 2 3/4 6 shot game loads bird was 15 yards dropped bird hard the load patterned well I patterned to 30 yards as he was limited to that far of a shot.
Year 2 he used
image-1568175331.jpg
Patterned well to 45 yards. He shot one bird at 5 yards and one at 42 and both dropped hard.
He used a red dot type sight both years.

Have fun good times ahead!
 

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Central Iowa - what type of red dot are you using?

As for age of my kids, one is 6 and one is 8. My plan is to use a blind and yes limit the shot to no more that 25yards. I will have to try those shells out when it warms up a bit.
 
I have an old Eotech holographic sight he uses they work really well. I know I had it before he was born I bet it is 11-12 years old. They are spendy but today there are many more affordable sights available that will work just as well. I would make sure it has a good sight picture (field of view) and can turn down to a very low light and has a small dot, this one is 1MOA.

1078-1_266377.jpg


On another note if your kids have not shot a lot do not subject them to the recoil find some other way to do it with a similar sight like on a .22 to get them used to acquiring the sight picture. My son also spent time dry firing with snap caps to develop trigger control. I would stick with the 2 3/4 6 shot loads for the first year at least especially at that age. The recoil in those light guns is ruthless. I know Blaster put weight in the stock of his boys gun and said it helped. Owen is now 10 shoots a lot he takes recoil just fine so this will be his first year patterning his own gun when we put the sight back on it for turkey season or he may use open sights on his new semi auto.
 
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Central Iowa said:
My son has used the Mossberg 510 mini 20 gauge the last two years he has shot 3 birds.
Using this choke
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/mobile/product/79723/redirect
Year 1 he used 2 3/4 6 shot game loads bird was 15 yards dropped bird hard the load patterned well I patterned to 30 yards as he was limited to that far of a shot.
Year 2 he used
View attachment 2377
Patterned well to 45 yards. He shot one bird at 5 yards and one at 42 and both dropped hard.
He used a red dot type sight both years.

Have fun good times ahead!
Click to expand...


Same setup I have for my boys. I use 5 shot instead of 6.
 
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