i hunted with a remington 1100 12 gauge when i was 8 to about 13 and did just fine. Id put a slug in there with 2 buckshots behind it just in case i had to shoot one on the run. I hunted hardwoods so i wouldnt have very long shots so thats why it worked out for me so good i guess. I think the longest kill shot i ever had was around 45-50 yards