What kind of gun does everyone use and with what choke. Would anyone recommend a turkey shotgun or is it not worth it. I looked at a mossberg turkey gun.
turkey hunting
Fireman60
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
Joined
·
12,369 Posts
i use my 870 wingmaster with a 30" Remington barrel with an extra full turkey choke. as long as you have an extra full or full choke you are a okay in my book
Joined
·
12,369 Posts
yes ammo is def a huge part as well...aside from the guns like you asked the ammo is key! for my gun winchester loads shoot good as well as remington loads. it all depends on the gun, it will cost a little bit of money at first tryin all different kinds of loads but the right load will get you that turkey
Joined
·
5,057 Posts
My first turkey gun was an 870SPS-T. I killed more woodcock and grouse with that gun that I ever did turkeys. I ended up selling that gun to my brother. He added a custom camo-paint job, fiber optic sights, and he sent to the barrel to Curtis Wilbanks to have the forcing cone lengthened to improve patterning: http://www.guncustomizing.com/
My brother had a old Ithaca M37 he had Curtis customize some 24 years ago which he still has today. You can go the custom route or get something off the rack and see what it can do first before you do any customizing.
Today I shoot an old 11-87SPS, 26" bbl. and standard FULL RemChoke or a Hastings w/ .660 constriction. All loads and shot sizes shoot differently with different choke combinations. I've used factory loads with nickel-plated shot, lead shot, copper shot, and Hevi-Shot; all with success. I started concocting my own handloads back in '87 specifically for turkeys and today make own duplex loads in 2 3/4" or 3" variations with #5 & #6 copper-plated shot. I even add my own buffering to the shotload. It's a tedious process making a handful of rounds but I've got nothing better to do with my time in the winter months at my reloading bench.
My brother had a old Ithaca M37 he had Curtis customize some 24 years ago which he still has today. You can go the custom route or get something off the rack and see what it can do first before you do any customizing.
Today I shoot an old 11-87SPS, 26" bbl. and standard FULL RemChoke or a Hastings w/ .660 constriction. All loads and shot sizes shoot differently with different choke combinations. I've used factory loads with nickel-plated shot, lead shot, copper shot, and Hevi-Shot; all with success. I started concocting my own handloads back in '87 specifically for turkeys and today make own duplex loads in 2 3/4" or 3" variations with #5 & #6 copper-plated shot. I even add my own buffering to the shotload. It's a tedious process making a handful of rounds but I've got nothing better to do with my time in the winter months at my reloading bench.
Joined
·
12,369 Posts
oh boy you are in for a treat haha i love the day after patterning my gun
Joined
·
5,057 Posts
One of the reasons I sold my 870. I realize you shoot a turkey gun few times, but load development with that gun was PAINFUL. That's why I switched to the 11-87. Only gripe I have with the 11-87 is that it should have wheels mounted on it so you can drag it because it's a pain lugging up and down mountain ridges chasing turkeys.
Joined
·
12,369 Posts
haha yeah i want to get an 11-87..thats next for me
Joined
·
6,576 Posts
Dont really use a gun very much, for anything...
But,
If I use a shotgun for turkey- Mossberg 835 Tactical Turkey. Short barrel, retractable buttstock, pistol grip. Chambered up to 3 1/2 with whatever choke came with it.
I'm actually extremely impressed with this shotgun..40-50yards and I'm putting nearly 20 pellets where they need to be. VERY good for such a short barrell.
Remember, cant go wrong with an 870
Thats about all that I know...Give me a stick and string anyday over a firearm.
But,
If I use a shotgun for turkey- Mossberg 835 Tactical Turkey. Short barrel, retractable buttstock, pistol grip. Chambered up to 3 1/2 with whatever choke came with it.
I'm actually extremely impressed with this shotgun..40-50yards and I'm putting nearly 20 pellets where they need to be. VERY good for such a short barrell.
Remember, cant go wrong with an 870
Thats about all that I know...Give me a stick and string anyday over a firearm.
Joined
·
5,057 Posts
I figured someone would pick up on this. That's NOT how I hunt turkeys. I will walk a lot though in pursuit of them off the beaten paths to locate birds on public land.
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
