Help needed with a Turkey combo

I'm hunting them this year with a 20 gauge (new Wby PA-08, 26" 20 ga).

Found number 5 (3" Winchester Turkey loads) patterned the best with the factory full choke - also tried #6 both Fed and Win but got better results with the buffered #5. But I do hunt close (less than 30 yards) so could probably get away with most anything that's legal.

I do plan on adding an extra full Turkey choke as soon as someone has what I'm after in stock - outside of 20 ga Rem's the market is a little light on "in stock" 20 gauge specialty chokes unless you go custom.

After pulling the trigger for years on a 12 gauge I'm getting soft and the 20 will do the job without kicking the crap out of my shoulder.
 
I shot both of my birds this year with a twenty gauge. Beautiful little gun for turkey's, just have to respect the range a little more than if you were running a 12 or 10 gauge.
 
swinginberrys said:
3) full plus chokes are preferred (i use a wad wizard supreme) but realisticly it is all about respecting to limitations of whatever choke/load combination your running. Beware the super tight turkey choke pit fall. It sounds great to have a pattern the size of a grapefruit at forty yards but you've just made the ten yard bird more difficult to hit. Ask any turkey hunter that's been at it for a while and they'll all tell you about an easy bird they've missed. My set up is perfect out to thirty five yards (i won't shoot past thirty just in case I miss judge the distance a bit) if I cant get a Tom within thirty yards I'll work him again another time, I've learnt more playing birds like this then if I had have be shooting them at forty. Nothing against forty yards guns just be careful what you wish for and keep in mind it's not necessary.
Click to expand...

shotcup said:
Anybody using a 20 gauge this year for turkey, and #4 or #5 shot? I hope to take one with a 20 gauge Browning, 26 inch barrel and the second one with a bow this year.
Click to expand...

My experience in Turkey hunting is next to nil as the activity didn't interest me as much in the past. Nevertheless, the 20ga shotgun will be fine as long as one diligently applies the fundamentals to determine shot patterns at expected (and realistic) shooting distances utilising appropriate choke/load combo. Matter of fact, that goes for any gauge type to be used for turkey. In the majority of cases, a plain front bead is usually sufficient to orient POA.

One can see that 99% of tukeys are bagged using mostly a variety of pump/semi etc. However, personally, the idea of using a double gun appeals to me since one could have instant access to two different chokes in order to effectively adjust to a variation of shooting distance one may enounter in the field. Last year, a huge tom emerged out of the bush aprox 10 yards from where a friend was sitting. This year, I shot my first bird at 38 yards. The shotgun was a 20ga SxS with fixed XF/F chokes that I found performs best with Kent #5 and Federal Heavyweight #6 in left/right bbls respectively.
 
To bad you wernt closer, I'd suggest getting together for a hunt. I enjoy playing with the turkey's and end up going out with friends for most of the season. Sometimes a partner can help seal the deal on a tough bird.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom