turkey shotgun choice

[trkyklr]

hey clark , thanks 4 the insight & your right confidence is key i;ve been shooting an 835 tactical w/20" barrel & a kicks 660 choke for 2 seasons now & i love it iwent with a red dot my 1st season but i hated it recon im an  open sight kinda guy you seem to know your stuff so what about those duplex loads ? are they worth a hoot & i was told i had to shoot #6s since i have that 660 choke on a 3 1/2" shell is that true thanx in advance ken

[swpatrkyhunter]

Hi blkkirk!   I would have to recommend A stoeger Model 2000 shotgun. My buddy got one a couple years ago and I was impressed by it's performance AND it's price. Bennelli is the parent company that makes the gun and it has their inertia drive system. It comes with 5 chokes one being a turkey choke. It holds a tight pattern and is balanced nice. It is also fully camofluged I garrentee you would love the gun.

[blkkirk]

I appreciate everyones feedback.  I am going to gun shops and trying some out for how they feel.  

[allaboutshooting]

Hey Ken,

I apologize for not replying earlier. I just saw your post and questions about duplex loads. I've tried duplex loads in the past but I never really saw any advantage to them. I like the theory but I've found that with the right choke/shotshell combination I get excellent patterns and more importantly, can kill turkeys at all reasonable ranges.

That 835 Tactical with the 20" barrel is a very handy gun to have in the turkey woods and I like Kick's chokes as well. You don't have to shoot #6 shot but I do find that it usually patterns better than larger sizes. To me it just "flows" better through most barrels and chokes.

I'm just not a huge fan of 3.5" shells. Again, in most of my experience, a 3" shell will perform as well and sometimes better than its big brother. It also has much less recoil and costs less. Each gun is different however and the only way to know is to try both of them.

I have a number of readers who shoot 835's, both the standard and tactical models. I wrote an article especially for 835 shooters entitled "Cleaning a Shotgun Barrel". You can read it at http://www.allaboutshooting.com

It's not rocket science but it has helped many shooters, not just 835 shooters, improve patterning and many times saved them the extra expense of buying another choke tube or trying another brand of shotshell.

Just let me know if I can help.

Thanks,
Clark

[MAK]

Used gun or not, you're buying something that you could hunt with for many years - make sure it fits you or it won't be a good shooter. 
 
I love my short barreled Rem 870's, but there are lot's of good guns out there. All the ones mentioned above will do the job, if you do yours.
 
I've had the stocks cut down on my guns to fit my short chubby arms and it sure makes a difference.
 
Enjoy your search, buying a new gun is like looking for a new girlfriend! Just make sure the one(s) at home aren't envious..........  LOL    

[Axelwood]

I bought a Remmington 870 last year (turkey model Thumbhole) and have been very happy with it.  I was in a similar situation as you are.  I have an old Sear Roebuck 1950 shotgun, but I did not want to take it out in the woods/rain/etc... 
 
I wanted to spend $400 or less, but decided to spend just a little extra for the 870... While a shorter barrel is more mobile, I feel that I can use this gun for more hunting opportunties in the future if I desire.... like ducks or other birds....  I am not worried about banging this gun  up in the woods.
 
As far as mobility, I think we all know about the tuck and duck under the low branches!  I do have to admit that the turkey assault shotguns (as I call them) were very tempting.  If you are sure it is to be used only for turkeys, I say go for a shorter barrel if it fits you. 
 
Like a poster commented earlier, unfortunately I have patterned my gun more than it has been shot at turkeys.  I bought 3" turkey load, 3 1/2" turkey load, and 3 1/2" hevi-shot....  (please note that you may need a special choke for hevi-shot load)
 
All shot was true and lethal at 50 yards... however, the hevi-shot was significantly more dense.  I will use hevi-shot  because I think it makes the cleanest kill.
 
Just one other comment...  I highly recommend buying a gun safe before buying a lot of guns (or any guns)... I inheriited several guns that I kept at my parents house until I bought my own safe...  I know I am preaching to the choir, but all too often we read about gun thefts or kids getting into their parents' guns.....  a good safe will run about $1000-$2000..... 
what is funny, is that your wife will agree with the purchase and it will become a "man shed" in the house. My wife fully supported the idea and she gets to keep a few items in it too .... hahhahaha   It is a purchase I highly recommend.  If you get one --- Be sure to measure the space you plan to put it in....  and entry ways to get it in...  also, pay the fee to have "them" deliver and put it in (trust me).....     Buy the largest safe that will fit in your space that you can afford....  I had picked a model I liked when I bought my safe, and the salesman upsold me on a larger one... saying "the only complaint he has ever had is that the customer wished they had bought a larger safe"
 
I am glad I bought the larger one!.
 
 
 
 
 
 

[mark hay]

Thats a lot of very good advice .Lots of very good shotguns to choose from. I started out using the three inch loads years ago . Over the years my back and neck has become more sensitive to brutal recoil . I have owned several pump-action shotguns but none I was very fond of . Many times I felt like I couldn't carry  any longer . Most pumps are fat at the breech which will fatigue your hand and arm if you try to carry it in your hand . I'm six foot,three inches tall and could never enjoy carrying a long barrelled shotgun on my shoulder by a sling . I've gone backwards you might say . Now I carry a light 12 ga. double. I only shoot the short shells . I don't use a sling because the gun is so easy to carry in my hand . short shell don't kick quite as hard , and the modified barrel gives me a little more room for error at close range .pick up an old long flintlock sometime . it might weigh 9 pounds , but it is so skinny you can rap your hand around it and carry it all day long . now sometime pick up the standard 10/22 ruger carbine. it only weighs about 5 lbs. but is fat in the middle where the balance point is.It will wear you out to carry it for any length of time . just some things to consider .    ''OLD SCHOOL TURKEY TACTICS''   by the way , I don't have to kill him to be happy , but I must get to deceive one once in a while .

[GearJammer]

Hey BlKKirk! Well...althought you won't find one for $300-$400 dollars, I have a Beretta Extrema with the RealTree AP camo that I have used for a few years now. What I love about it, is that the receiver and all the mechanics inside the receiver have some kind of coating that makes it impervious to rain, snow etc. I have even used mine to do some goose hunting down on the Gulf and that salt water spray doesn't even affect it! It's great! Anyway...it is a little more expensive but I always hold to the fact that you get what you pay for.
 Good luck and let us know what you decide!
 
Turkey Meat....that's good food right there.
 

[grizzly]

i bought a mossberg 500 batem weigh 20 gauge  turkey gun two tears ago and i love it . it's light to carry and easy to handle with remington nitro turkey number 5 loads at 35 yards it's just as deadly as any 12. last deer season i got a rifled slug barrel for it and it a great deer gun as well

[OakRoadHunter]

I think it comes down to your comfort with your gun and your understanding of how it shoots with different loads at different distances. I sport a simple Mossberg 500 12g which has done me well. For turkey i use a 28" barrel and 660 choke, it did well putting down my first turkey at 35 yards this year. Back to comfort, i swapped out the stock wood stock and pump handle for a synthetic pistol grip stock and pump handle which i find to be far more comfortable to shoot and carry. being cheap and very custumizable it was the gun for me and my pocket book.