Good Barrel for Turkey? (870)

Airspeed-Alive

Airspeed-Alive

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Hey guys,

I'm hoping to get my first turkey season in this spring. Just wondering what length of barrel you'd recommend for my 870 (and possibly choke). I'm thinking a 20" barrel with full choke will do the job, but am obviously open to suggestions.
 
I would buy a Turkey choke of some sort,your choice.
I prefer short barrels on my shot guns and have a lot around 21 inch(give or take).
You can use what ever barrel came with the gun if you don't want to get another barrel.
 
Use the barrel the gun came with, there isn't a $250 advantage to a 6" shorter barrel IMO.
 
I shoot with a 28" barrel as well. Can't justify spending the extra money on a shorter barrel. Would be handy to have tho, so it's really your choice.

I shoot an undertaker choke and got some Truglo for the barrel.
 
I've shot turkeys with a 28" barrel on my 870, FF Choke. Taken from 5 - 50 yards.

IMHO, shorter barrels are only going to make a difference for carrying and concealment.
 
As has been said here a few times, barrel length has no influence at the distances turkeys are shot. Any barrel will do. The only advantage a shorter barrel has is that it is easier to maneuver around in thick brush then a long barrel.

Unlike stated in an earlier post, you do NOT need a special turkey choke. What you need to do is buy as many different loads of ammunition for your gun as you can afford and then spend an afternoon at the shooting range and try out as many variations of load and choke combinations as possible until you find the load/choke/gun combination that consistently performs a tight pattern from 10 to 35 yards.

Each gun is different and each gun likes different loads. Nobody can give you the answer here only you can find it. One of my guns performs best with a modified choke the other with an extra full choke. For each gun I use a different load because that is what they like.
 
303carbine said:
My 20 inch 870 barrel I bought came with an extra full turkey choke.
With #4 birdshot in a 3 inch mag,it should work good out to about 40+ yards on turkeys.
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How do you know? Have you patterned the gun at the range? If not I recommend you do that. Just because the gun comes with an extra full turkey choke does not mean it is good to go.
 
Huntwriter said:
How do you know? Have you patterned the gun at the range? If not I recommend you do that. Just because the gun comes with an extra full turkey choke does not mean it is good to go.
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I am waiting for better weather to pattern the turkey choke. I said it "should' be good to 40 yards which isn't unreasonable with the extra full choke.
 
303carbine said:
I am waiting for better weather to pattern the turkey choke. I said it "should' be good to 40 yards which isn't unreasonable with the extra full choke.
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You’re right, it’s not unreasonable but what’s more important is what pattern you get. Not all ammunition performs the same when pushed through a tight choke. In addition you have to consider that very tight chokes tend to severely deform lead pellets, causing “strays”. If you consider using a very tight turkey coke I recommend the use of copper plated pellets, which will protect the pellets a bit against deforming.

I am waiting to for warmer weather too so I can head out to the range. Spring goose season opens soon here and then it is on to turkey season.:D
 
Thanks for all of the information guys!

It's not that I need a shorter barrel (it's 18"). I was thinking a bit longer since mine is a cylinder bore. I'll need to find another barrel with a decent choke. Not that I feel like spending more...
 
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