Help needed with a Turkey combo
- Thread starter Armed_N_Friendly
- Start date
most guys us short barrels 22 24 inch with a xfull choke ,I love #5 shot in federal flight control wad .these shells seem to work well in most guns to kill turkeys out to 30 or 40 yards ,a standard 28 inch or 30 inch with a full choke will and do kill many turkeys every year ,just try some # 4 and #5 out of your gun at 30 yards and see were you are
I like a shotgun with a shorter barrel, and more so for turkey hunting. If you're looking for a shotgun specifically to use for turkey hunting I'd go for something like 24" with rifle style sights or scope if that's you're preference. Turkey chokes buy you longer shots with tighter patterns. Pick up several different boxes of shells and try them out - you'll find some that work better. I've never shot a 3.5" turkey load and don't think I ever will, the 3" loads are plenty abusive for me. Some guys might find it worth it but not for me.
Any shotgun that you have now will work fine for turkeys... if you have a Full or Xtra-Full choke you are golden, the more open the choke the smaller the shot to keep up the pattern density. With Full choke go with #6, with Xtra-Full or turkey chokes go with #5 (although #6's will kill them with any choke)... I don't recommend #4's... Winchester 3" turkey loads are plenty... Heavy shot is good for toms also. We use 3.5" loads, but in all honesty, the forty or so birds we have killed, could have been killed with 2 3/4" loads. as for sights, the beads on the rib are all the sights you will need... but be sure to pattern your gun and get used to mounting it with your hunting clothes on.
swinginberrys
Regular
- Location
- Mallorytown
Good advice so far.
1) any shot gun will work (i use a 26" 870, 3" 12 ga)
2) try as many different shells as you can until you find one that patterns well from your chosen gun
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.
Good luck and have fun. Let us know how you make out
1) any shot gun will work (i use a 26" 870, 3" 12 ga)
2) try as many different shells as you can until you find one that patterns well from your chosen gun
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.
Good luck and have fun. Let us know how you make out
cdn1canhunt
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- southwestern ontario
+1 for the any shotgun will work and just respect it's range limitations. The key is "PATTERN YOUR GUN" at 10,20,30 and 40yrds then you will know where to aim at all distances and what the max ranges is.. Max range is typically when you get less than 10 pellets into the head and neck kill zone. Stick to smaller shot sizes 6 or 5 in a good quality mfg'ers turkey load. Many pellets hits is what kills turkey's DRT
swinginberrys
Regular
- Location
- Mallorytown
Looking forward to seeing your results. Turkey hunting is something that gets in your blood. Nothing gets your blood rolling like a full strut Tom rolling into the decoys spitting and drumming. If you have questions don't be afraid to ask, lm betting there are a few damn fine turkey hunters on here with fantastic advice
Buying turkey chokes, turkey guns, special material ammo is fun but not necessary. At best it may increase your range by 10-15 yards, at worst no difference. I have shot toms with many different types of shotguns and turkey chokes over the years and a 30" fixed full choke flattens em just fine out to 40 yards. Spend your money on camo and calls, getting birds close is the most important aspect to the hunt. I tried a 20 ga once, it was the first bird that failed to drop at 30 yards, went back to the 12 ga and never looked back...
Winchester Supreme No5 seems to pattern well in many different guns and chokes
Winchester Supreme No5 seems to pattern well in many different guns and chokes
Thanks Jonny.
we have the cooking part down, My Brother brought us a bird to cook a couple years ago... it was excellent...
Hoping for some sucess.
Thanks again for the help guys...
you bet I am I die hard number 5 shot fan ,and the more pellets in the head and neck the better that's were you want them ,no scents filling them breast fillets full of lead ,I am using a 20g pump with a leupold vxr 3to9 by40 .this spring ,this gun worked perfect last fall for turkeys .it is allbout the pattern Dutch
This has worked for me for the last 15 of 17 years of chasing these addicting birds.
Rem 870 SP 3.5" 26" barrel with a Choate tactical stock.
-Longer barrel gives it a lot more reach than a 22" and the pistol grip stock is a lot kinder on my arthritic hands when holding the gun mounted for sometimes 30 or more minutes(no they do not all come running like the videos).
Undertaker choke
-tried several others but this one seemed to work/pattern the best. Please note if you are not used to these things pattern in close at 5-10 yds as well as longer ranges cause you have just turned your scattergun into a rifle at those distances. Mine patterns golf ball size and a little high to 20 yds. If I do not remind myself to shoot where the feathers meat the skin on the neck I will and have missed several birds in close(also part of the game, if you haven't missed a turkey you haven't shot at many) Now where this tight pattern shines is at a distance. From 20-45 yds I can saw down any bird that gives me a shot. Furthest bird I have shot, on the rangfinder afterwards, was 56yds.( to this day I swear that tom was not a step over 43yds but first light, a hen doing alarm putts in the decoys at 3 yds and a tree in front of me all led to the miscalculation) bird dropped in his tracks with 5-7 pellets in the noggin.
42 mil Red dot with green and red option
-can't see beads anymore and the red is for low light and green works for bright days.
Winchester Supreme 3.5', #6, 2ounce, the black ones
-I have tried literally every turkey load out there over the years and this works for mine. Get out and pattern is the only option but I enjoy making a good working gun into a turkey killing machine but that is just me. Please note do not assume a new box of same brand shell will work the same as the old ones. A few years back I bought a box of Supremes and over the next few weeks missed no less than 5 birds at various ranges. Thought I was loosing it and so did many of my buddies. I had two shell left from the old box and went out back put one downrange. Put one from the new box downrange at a different target and went to check. On the way down I noticed two different wads laying on the ground. Light bulb comes on.
Old shells bang on. New shells 12 inchs left. So guess what I do with every new box of shells folks
Rem 870 SP 3.5" 26" barrel with a Choate tactical stock.
-Longer barrel gives it a lot more reach than a 22" and the pistol grip stock is a lot kinder on my arthritic hands when holding the gun mounted for sometimes 30 or more minutes(no they do not all come running like the videos).
Undertaker choke
-tried several others but this one seemed to work/pattern the best. Please note if you are not used to these things pattern in close at 5-10 yds as well as longer ranges cause you have just turned your scattergun into a rifle at those distances. Mine patterns golf ball size and a little high to 20 yds. If I do not remind myself to shoot where the feathers meat the skin on the neck I will and have missed several birds in close(also part of the game, if you haven't missed a turkey you haven't shot at many) Now where this tight pattern shines is at a distance. From 20-45 yds I can saw down any bird that gives me a shot. Furthest bird I have shot, on the rangfinder afterwards, was 56yds.( to this day I swear that tom was not a step over 43yds but first light, a hen doing alarm putts in the decoys at 3 yds and a tree in front of me all led to the miscalculation) bird dropped in his tracks with 5-7 pellets in the noggin.
42 mil Red dot with green and red option
-can't see beads anymore and the red is for low light and green works for bright days.
Winchester Supreme 3.5', #6, 2ounce, the black ones
-I have tried literally every turkey load out there over the years and this works for mine. Get out and pattern is the only option but I enjoy making a good working gun into a turkey killing machine but that is just me. Please note do not assume a new box of same brand shell will work the same as the old ones. A few years back I bought a box of Supremes and over the next few weeks missed no less than 5 birds at various ranges. Thought I was loosing it and so did many of my buddies. I had two shell left from the old box and went out back put one downrange. Put one from the new box downrange at a different target and went to check. On the way down I noticed two different wads laying on the ground. Light bulb comes on.
Old shells bang on. New shells 12 inchs left. So guess what I do with every new box of shells folks
Well. My first Turkey season is not going as planned.
I am hunting a huge private farm with Tons of Gobblers all around me, Mostly Toms that I am seeing.
I'm having difficulty getting the birds in shotgun range.
The one time I had one Strutting my way a Coyote scared it off.
this has happened twice now. my Turkey hunt turns into a Coyote hunt,
Being in full camo I had a Coyote less than 6 feet away.
Not giving up.
oh, you guys were right, Long beard ammo is really good.
I am hunting a huge private farm with Tons of Gobblers all around me, Mostly Toms that I am seeing.
I'm having difficulty getting the birds in shotgun range.
The one time I had one Strutting my way a Coyote scared it off.
this has happened twice now. my Turkey hunt turns into a Coyote hunt,
Being in full camo I had a Coyote less than 6 feet away.
Not giving up.
oh, you guys were right, Long beard ammo is really good.
