20 ga shotguns

[kygobbler]

I've noticed a lot of guys on here uses a 20 ga. and to be honest Im amazed by some of ya's results. I have a 20 ga. Remington 870 Express youth model with a truglo turkey choke and using 3" Winchester Supreme shells that I let my son use. The best pattern I can get is at about 25 yards anything farther than that Im afraid would not be a good clean kill. In ya's opinion is the poor pattern due to it being a youth model, 20" barrel, or a combo of all three. Also, I have a old Mossberg 500 20 ga. 26" barrel that he might be able to use does any one have any recommedations of which choke would work best in it. Thanks for any and all info.

[shaman]

It's all in the choke and the load.  The rest is largely inconsiquential.  If you have the load and choke matched you'll do much better. 

[allaboutshooting]

Hey Bryan,

We shoot a lot of 20s, mainly Remington 870s. We're able to get killing patterns out to 40 yards with the SSX and 3" Hevi-13 shotshells with 1.25 oz. of #6 shot. That is with 26" and 28" barrels however.

It's much more of a challenge with the shorter barrels. Doris has a 20 gauge 11-87 with a 20.5" barrel that I "deep cleaned" and with the SSX and those shells, it will deliver a good even pattern at 40 yards. We did have to put some open sights on it because it did not shoot to point of aim however.

I'd say after deep cleaning your barrel and choke(Truglo SSX?), the best thing you can do to improve those patterns would be the shells.

Thanks,
Clark

[grizzly]

hey bryan i shoot the a mossberg batam 20 you don't say what kind of choke you're using . i use the factory turkey full . i have been useing remington nitro turkey 3 inch in number 6 shoot it pattern really well out to 30 yards then again a longer barrel may be the ticket[:)] wayne

[kygobbler]

That mossberg is 20 yrs old, its the first shotgun I ever bought. I havent bought a turkey choke for it yet Im just curious to what others are using before I go thru a bunch of trial and errors and $$$. Thanks for the info guys, I didn't know if that Remington with a 20" barrel was capable of 40 yds. or not.

[grizzly]

bryan i have tried alot i different kinds of shells and shot sizes and to be honest i could get a  decent  40 yardattern with a really tight choke  but i m ashamed to say that pattern was so tight that at 10 yards i missed a bird out right so i went to a more open pattern and a closer shot so for a good average i think 30 yards is about it[;)]wayne

[retranger]

Bryon when I was looking for a new turkey gun I contacted Mossberg. I always thought that the longer the barrel the better,,,WRONG They told me the same as shaman said. Its all in the choke. The longer barrel is a benefit for duck hunting for a better sight plane. I would contact Mossgerg directly, I have had good luck with them. I have the mossberg 935 turkey gun that they made.

[kygobbler]

Grizzly, retranger thanks for the info. My son is the one that is going to be using either one of these guns. Right now the remington is perfect for him but by this fall he should be able to use the mossberg. Grizzly, I got to agree with you. I feel the same way about that patterning.

[Longbeards]

I, at one time, would never have walked into the woods and attempted to take a Gobbler without out my trusty 12ga but, my 10yr old has since changed my mind. He and I have put in a good deal of time shooting his 20ga(Charles Daly). We use a Truglo turkey choke with a 3" Winchester Supreme #4. Has a tight pattern out to 40 yards. Feels like your carrying a BB gun compared to my 835 or 870.

[grizzly]

just a suggestion you could order a youth stock for your mossberg if size is the problem[:)]wayne