Choke & shell combo for 870 youth

[CAG]

I've read several post on this issue and I see the federal HW 7's and sumtoy choke combo are awesome, however my son is 8 and not ready for a softball size shot pattern at 40 yards. Having said that, I'm looking for a good combo that is a killer and yet some what forgiving. I also plan on leaving the original bead for now so I'm looking for a combo that stays close to the POA/POI. Thanks for your help it will be my sons first year shooting so I want to make it the best I can for him.

[gophert]

Go to the 20 ga pattern section and look at my patterns for the Fed HW #7 in 2.75....if you keep the shot at 30 yards and in...that load is perfect...and the recoil is very easy on their shoulder


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[turkey buster]

Would be more of a softball at 20 and a basketball at 40.

[PEHunter]

I have shot Win lead loads in mine with a primos .570 (I don't remember the name of it) choke and it shot a huntable pattern at 30 yrds for sure.  If he is only going to use the barrel beads you don't want anything to tight, it is way to easy not to get a consistent sight picture and miss. Best of luck to you and you son.

[g8rvet]

The question I would ask is:  Is your son ready to shoot at 40 yards? 

I set up a shotgun (youth 870) for my daughter-she is 21 but has very limited trigger time-and put a Trulock HW choke and Fed HW#7.  It is awesome at 40 yards, I will not hesitate to hunt with it.  But I felt like 40 yards is too far for her to shoot.  So I put a Remington Full choke in it and will limit her shots to 30 and in.  It is pure poison at 30 yards, but still a wide enough shot to be forgiving. I snuck a HW#7 in to it yesterday when we were shooting (been using light loads) and she did notice the recoil a bit.  But I had her shoot a turkey target and she was a little off to the right, but there were plenty of kill shots on the target for it to be a dead bird.

personally, I agree with gopher and would try the Fed HW#7 in 2 3/4 and a factory full and see what it looks like.  Lead 6's will smoke one at 30, so you may be fine there too. 

[turkey buster]

154 in the 10 w/ 870 youth and a tightwad shooting HW 7's

[CAG]

gophert, thanks that information is what I was looking for. I missed that post in the pattern section. My son is not ready to shoot 40 yds hence the reason I really didn't want that super tight pattern at 40. Thanks for your replys. I will post what combo we go with and the results.

[01Foreman400]

Planning on loading my daughter a 1 1/8 oz. load of TSS using 9.5 shot next year and use a factory full of modified choke.  Should be close to 500 pellets with light recoil.  Ultimate kid load IMO.

[Tom Foolery]

I've not shot the 2.75" HW #7 but I would think for an 8yr old that would be the way to fly from a recoil perspective.  The Primos Tightwad .570 should throw a great pattern with it.