Youth Hunters

Mossberg Model 510 Mini - 20 ga

15 yrds - 2 3/4" shells - 8 1/2" min recoil load (Held 3" low cntr mass on top right target)

25 yrds - Held center mass

Cricket .22 cal

Tripod Coverted to Adjustable Brace

Over the last few years I have had the priviledge to take part in a local NWTF Chapter youth hunt. The chapter does a great job of working to get youth out into the woods and intense focus is put on selecting great land to up the percentage of success among the hunters. I have to say that I get just as much or more pleasure from watching a 13 year old bag his or her 1st Tom as I do smoking an ol long spur of my own.

While taking any youth is great, little compares to the joy that a hunting dad feels when his son or daughter begins to express interest in getting out into the woods hoping to bag a Tom. My daughter has expressed such interest this year and we are hard at work preparing for the youth hunt which is the last weekend in March for us in MO.

Let me just say to all you hunting dads out there that it’s never too early to engage your kids in the sport of hunting. My son has been going hunting with me since he was two years old and my daughter since she was 5. My son saw his first turkey kill from dad’s gun at age 2 and has seen countless ducks and geese fall from the sky over the past few years. Hunting is not something that is pushed on your kids, rather it is an activity that they do with dad and it MUST be made fun for them! I’ve saw many diehards like myself turn their youngster away from the sport simply because they didn’t have the foresight to let the kid have fun while hunting. Yes, they might spook a few deer/turkeys, but make sure they’re having a good time and pretty soon they figure it out and become amazing little hunting buddies!!

Back to the youth hunt with my daughter. We recently purchased her a Mossberg 510 mini in the 20ga. model. This is a sweet little gun and I’d highly recommend it for youth hunting. I did put some lead shot in the butt stock to help reduce recoil. I’m also only having her shoot reduced recoil 8 1/2 shot as this little gun is a bit light at 5lbs for a 20ga. We went out today as a family: son, daughter and lovely wife, to pattern the gun and well as have some fun shooting my son’s new .22 cal cricket. The pics attached to this post give a glimpse of the capabilities of the little mossberg. Keep in mind that this was 2 3/4″ reduced recoil 8 1/2 shot, but to be honest, this is all the recoil that most youth under 10 years old are going to want. The gun seems to pattern a bit high – on the pics shown I actually was holding closer to the base of the neck than center mass. Long story short on lethality for turkeys – 25yrds is pushing it with this gun/shell combo but very doable. 20yrds and in it is golden keeping in mind that it’s necessary to hold about 3 inches low from where you want the bulk of your shot to hit. FYI – the little cricket is a nail driver – great little starter gun – highly recommend!

Hope this info was helpful and do all us hunters a favor and find a youth to take hunting with you this youth season and keep our sport alive, but most importantly make some youngster’s dream come true!