Henry Single-Shot .410 Turkey Camo Shotgun is a Delight

The low-recoiling Henry Single Shot .410 is one of the softest-shooting turkey guns ever made, but with modern high-density shotshell loads, it's a formidable gobbler getter.

March 13, 2025 By Brad Fitzpatrick

There’s been a revolution in shotshell ammunition over the last decade. Modern high-density pellets like TSS are 56% denser than traditional lead pellets, and this offers hunters a number of worthwhile advantages. For starters, smaller TSS pellets weigh the same as larger lead pellets, and because the pellets are smaller, they penetrate more efficiently, and you can pack more pellets in a single shotshell load.

This shotshell revolution has made the .410 a formidable turkey slayer, and Henry's new Single Shot Turkey Camo Shotgun is the ideal choice for anyone searching for a .410 turkey gun. The exposed hammer, single-shot design is extremely simple and safe to operate, and that makes it ideal for new hunters. With its 26-inch barrel, the Henry weighs just 6.75 pounds, light enough to carry all day yet heavy enough to reduce .410 recoil to levels that are suitable for most any shooter—even when shooting 3-inch magnum loads. I don’t know that I’ve used the term “enjoyable” to describe sighting in any 12 or 20-gauge turkey shotgun, but the Henry .410 was very easy to shoot.

close up of camo pattern — (Photo courtesy of Brad Fitzpatrick)

Turkeys primarily rely on their vision to avoid predators, so Henry has covered the Single Shot Turkey camo in Mossy Oak Original Bottomland camo from the buttstock to the muzzle. The simple but effective pattern blends in well with a wide variety of environments and—most importantly—prevents the glare of gloss blued metal from scaring birds. Underneath the camo, the forearm and buttstock are made from American walnut. The forearm features a flat base, which is beneficial when the gun is resting on your hand or knee, which is common practice when hunting turkeys. The Henry also comes with front and rear sling studs and a dense black rubber recoil pad with a radiused heel. By rounding the heel (top portion of the recoil pad), it makes it much less likely to hang up on clothing while mounting the shotgun, especially if you have to get set in a hurry because birds are approaching.

A Turkey TSS extended choke tube comes with each Single Shot Turkey Camo Shotgun as well as a wrench, but since the Henry accepts Browning Invector-pattern .410 choke tubes, there are plenty of other options if you want to adjust the pattern or use this gun for hunting small game like rabbits and squirrels where a more open choke may be beneficial.

Sights Set on Operation

front sights of shotgun — (Photo courtesy of Brad Fitzpatrick)

The Henry Single-Shot is equipped with an asset of adjustable sights that allow you to zero the shotgun on target. The rear sight features two orange fiber optic pipes while the front sight comes with a green pipe, and these are excellent in low light conditions because they are easy to see. Adjusting the gun’s point of impact is simple and straightforward, and the Henry’s iron sights are durable and withstand the abuse that occurs when you carry a gun in the field. The receiver is drilled and tapped to accept Weaner 82 bases so you can quickly mount an optic on the gun if you’d like.

Henry’s Single Shot Turkey Camo features a rebounding hammer that is easy to cock. Just as importantly, it can be cocked very quietly. I had a New England Firearms single shot which I used for turkey hunting for years, but it was difficult to cock the hammer without making a sharp metallic sound, an effective turkey repellant. The Henry’s hammer spur is angled and offers plenty of purchase so the shooter has complete control over the hammer while cocking the gun.

close up of break action and hammer — (Photo courtesy of Brad Fitzpatrick)

There’s also a sturdy steel ejector that pops the empty shell free from the firearm, so if you need a follow-up shot, you can reload this gun relatively fast.

In addition to the .410 version in Original Bottomland camouflage, Henry also offers the Single Shot Turkey Camo Shotgun in 12-gauge with a Mossy Oak Obsession full camo dip. The 12-gauge version offers a slightly shorter (24-inch) barrel and weighs in at just under 6.8 pounds. The 12-gauge gun also comes with a 3 ½-inch chamber. MSRP for both shotguns is set at $780.

Range Testing the Henry Single Shot Turkey Camo Shotgun .410

target showing accuracy — (Photo courtesy of Brad Fitzpatrick)

If the MSRP approaching $800 for the Single Shot Turkey Camo .410 seems a bit steep, perhaps an explanation of why the gun is priced higher than competing single shots is needed. First, the build quality is very good. The component materials are high quality, and I much prefer the American walnut stock to the cheap injection-molded polymer stocks on cheap single shots. Action lockup is smooth and the camo finish is excellent. Overall, this is a well-built American single shot that was designed for years of hard use, a gun that could well serve as a turkey gun for the next generation of hunters. You simply don’t find that level of quality in inexpensive single shots that are designed to hit a price point. You should also expect to receive some discount from the MSRP at most Henry dealers.

Single shots aren’t known for having very good triggers, but the Henry Single Shot Turkey Camo Shotgun I tested came with a trigger that broke very cleanly right at three pounds, making it easily the best trigger I’ve tested in any single-shot firearm. It’s also worth noting that the Henry’s design makes it suitable for both right and left-handed shooters. My wife is cross-dominant and shoots shotguns left-handed, and even though I am right-handed, we can both comfortably use the Henry.

trigger housing — (Photo courtesy of Brad Fitzpatrick)

That trigger allows for accurate shots even at extended ranges. During testing I patterned the Henry using Browning’s 3-inch TSS Tungsten Turkey .410 load, which fires 13/16 ounces of #9 TSS at a muzzle velocity of 1,100 feet per second. It’s a deadly load for birds provided you put the payload of pellets in the right spot, and the Henry is the perfect delivery system.

The first test load was fired at 25 yards and struck just a bit low, although the turkey would never have known the difference. I centered the fiber optic sights at the base of the target bird’s head and pressed the trigger, delivering a swarm of #9 TSS pellets that were centered where the neck and body meet. I stopped counting at 50 pellet holes in the vital zone of the target.

That type of pattern density is excellent, but what impresses me most about this gun is that the recoil is so moderate that you can see the impact of the shot over the barrel of the gun. You won’t have that luxury with most 12-gauge turkey guns, and that’s why so many hunters—including myself—have switched to sub-gauge gobbler guns. The recoil of the Henry is so mild even with magnum .410 shells that most any shooter can handle the setback.

After adjusting the sights, I moved the target back to 40 yards and fired several more shots. Trying to kill a turkey from that range with a .410 would have been considered unethical a couple of decades ago, but the Henry kept delivering lethal shots to that range. The final shot dropped 18 pellets into the target bird’s vital zone, which would have undoubtedly been instantly fatal.

The popularity of ultra-dense pellets has made the .410 a viable turkey killer, but there are a limited number of dedicated .410 turkey guns—and none that are built to a higher standard than the Henry. It’s proof that a single shot .410 can be an heirloom firearm, a high-quality American-made gun that will serve future generations of hunters.