b-day gift for the wife

[wtnhunt]

Looking at getting the wife a shotgun for her birthday, which is less than 2 weeks away. She is interested in getting into turkey hunting, and she has shot my 12 gauge a few times, but it is a bit too much for her with turkey loads. She is pretty small so I am thinking about getting her an 870 youth model. What do you ladies think?

[Guest Nature_Boy]

Re: b-day gift for the wife

My wife shoots a youth model 1187 20ga when we shoot. She hasn't complained with slugs or 3inch shells very much and she is pretty petite. It has a good recoil bad, and I think the auot helps out with the kick.

[Guest Andrea]

Re: b-day gift for the wife

I have never shot one of those. But I guess if that's what she wants, then you are doing the right thing by going with a youth model.

[StillLearnin]

Re: b-day gift for the wife

What about a 16 guage. They are fun guns to have.

plus it's a little different.

[M00N]

Re: b-day gift for the wife

Just two years ago I was in the situation where I need to buy myself a turkey shotgun. I shot a 12-gauge and 20-gauge at a range. I cannot handle, nor like shooting, the 12-gauge with the amount of recoil it shows. The 20-gauge, however, the recoil was much less and shot just as good as the 12-gauges did. Someone attempted to get me to try a 16-gauge, however, I noticed it's difficult to find the shells and chokes in the right size for that gauge of shotgun, so I opted for the 20-gauge instead. There seems to be a bigger market of shells and chokes for 20-gauge as opposed to the 16-gauge when it comes to turkey chokes and shells, not upland and waterfoul.

After I had decided on the 20-gauge I went to several gun dealers and held just about every brand and model they made in 20-gauge. After all of the time spent holding the guns I really liked how well the Remington Model 870 SPS-T Camo 20-Gauge fit my arm length, how light it was, and how short the barrel was. [ LINK ] That is the gun I ended up buying and haven't regretted it one bit. This gun comes with Tru-Glo sights already mounted on it. They are the Tru-Glo rifle/shotgun model that allows for windage and elevation changes. It also is all camo making it a very good turkey gun with an all camo sling. It comes with a Remington turkey choke already in it. But, this choke is for lead-only. I asked Remington if the choke could handle hevi-shot and they replied back that it could not. I had to go out and purchase a choke that was made to shoot Hevi-Shot instead. I ended up getting a Cabela's Remington Hevi-Shot choke and that seems to work well with the gun.

I recommend this gun for people who cannot handle 12-gauge recoil. It is a very nice gun for turkey hunting. Of course every gun shoots different than the next, but my gun with either a Hevi-Shot Choke + Hevi-Shot #4 2 2/3" shells or Comp-N-Choke XX-Full + Lead #4 3" shells shoots deadly on a target out to 40yards. I only hunt with it out to 30yards though just as personal preference.

[wtnhunt]

Re: b-day gift for the wife

Will have to be a 20 gauge.

Remington makes a youth model 1187 and 870 both in the 20 gauge. Wal mart has the 870 in stock for sure, held one in my hand Tuesday afternoon, and the counter guy said he at least had a couple in the back, and it was a stock item, so if by some chance he ran out before I made a decision, would be no trouble getting one in from the warehouse pretty quick. Here I can get shells at wal mart for 20 or 12 gauge in a pretty good variety, no problem finding turkey loads. Have not seen much in 16 gauge, not to mention there is not a youth model gun available to my knowledge in that gauge. Mossberg also had a 20 gauge youth model, but I am just not particularly fond of the model 500 mossberg.

[M00N]

Re: b-day gift for the wife

[ QUOTE ]

Will have to be a 20 gauge.

Remington makes a youth model 1187 and 870 both in the 20 gauge. Wal mart has the 870 in stock for sure, held one in my hand Tuesday afternoon, and the counter guy said he at least had a couple in the back, and it was a stock item, so if by some chance he ran out before I made a decision, would be no trouble getting one in from the warehouse pretty quick. Here I can get shells at wal mart for 20 or 12 gauge in a pretty good variety, no problem finding turkey loads. Have not seen much in 16 gauge, not to mention there is not a youth model gun available to my knowledge in that gauge. Mossberg also had a 20 gauge youth model, but I am just not particularly fond of the model 500 mossberg.

[/ QUOTE ]

The youth model 870 Express guns is a good gun, but the sights are hard to see when hunting. My younger cousin hunts with that exact gun for turkey and that was his biggest complaint about the gun. Can't see the bead at the end of the barrel to line it up on a turkey. He ended up having to get Tru-Glo sights in order to see in low light situations to shoot a turkey. The bead just was not doing him any justice. I'd definately get her a set of Tru-Glo Fiber Optic sights or a Red-Dot scope to put on it if you go with that gun. The gun I linked above is not listed as a Youth gun, but is actually the same overall length as the Youth 870 Express guns, weighs 1/4 of a pound less, has a 1" shorter barrel, is full camo, and has the tru-glo sights already installed along with a sling. It's a 20-gauge gun, too. The estimated price on it is $200 more than the youth gun according to Remington, but I paid much less than what's listed on their site for that particular gun at a gun dealer and walked home with it that day. When I held both guns side by side even though the one I linked weighed less than the youth, to me it just felt sturdier build of gun.

[BowtechsWife]

Re: b-day gift for the wife

I believe you are on the right track.

[wtnhunt]

Re: b-day gift for the wife

Thanks for the suggestions. Moon, had already looked at the tru glo type sights in a cabelas catalog for the vented rib barrels. They are pretty cheap, can get a good set of metal adjustabble sights for about $30. Think I will pick one up next week, and then try to figure out where to hide it.

[ladyluck]

Re: b-day gift for the wife

I also have the Remington 870 20 gauge. You would be surprised the distance you can get out of them. I have shot several Turkeys at 40 yards or more. I have also let my 2 newphews use for their first time. My gun has lots of turkey experience.

[lil hunter]

Re: b-day gift for the wife

I'm jus wonderin, how far are you from Owensboro Ky? Theres a really good gun shop there where you could go see all kinds of youth model guns.

[wtnhunt]

Re: b-day gift for the wife

Not sure about Owensboro lil, is that around Madisonville? Would guess it is at least 4 hours from here.

[TheViperess]

Re: b-day gift for the wife

[ QUOTE ]

I also have the Remington 870 20 gauge. You would be surprised the distance you can get out of them.

[/ QUOTE ]

same here. It works well. Being short I have the youth model.

[birddog]

Re: b-day gift for the wife

I bought my last girlfriend a youth model 20 gauge: She could shoot all day, and had a blast with it! The gun, was perfect for me to "borrow" and use as a grouse gun when I would hit the trails...she left, I got the gun....still a great gun! :-) You can't go wrong with the youth model 870 20 gauge!