Turkey chokes, are they necessary?

[Crazy Chaingun]

Hello all,

I'm going turkey hunting for the first time this spring.
One thing I don't have yet is a turkey choke for my shotgun.

Are they a significant improvement over a regular full choke?
I'll be using a 12 ga. with a 3.5" shell.

Any advice you have would be appreciated.

 

[Lodi]

Necessary? No. But they can change the pattern, you just need to decide what you want a choke to do for you.

 

[skip1600]

A tighter choke will end up with a tighter pattern at longer range, also some extended chokes are ported for recoil management. If you want to shoot a turkey within 30 yards just go for a full choke but a good turkey choke will help you game and definitely get you some more useable range

 

[jjohnwm]

Pattern your gun with a few different turkey loads and decide for yourself. If you have a full choke now, you will probably be fine out to about 25 or 30 yards, maybe more if you find the right load. If you find, as I did, that calling them in close is what makes turkey hunting fun, then you're all set. If having a turkey hang up at 40 or 50 yards before losing interest in you and drifting off is going to drive you crazy...as it did to me when I first started hunting them!...then an aftermarket choke will increase your range 10 or 15 yards, maybe 20. I must say that the most satisfying turkey kills I made were done with old, fixed-full-choke shotguns like my Brno ZP49 SxS.

If you do go through the absolute-maximum-range shooting phase, you might want to try some of the new, non-lead high-density turkey loads. I tried a couple of them and found that not only did they increase my range, sometimes dramatically, but they also performed as well or better with standard full chokes as opposed to X-full turkey chokes. Unfortunately, they were so ultra-expensive that it would probably be just as cheap to get a couple of aftermarket turkey chokes and use lead loads, but they are another alternative to consider.

 

[Hoss83]

My vote is yes!... It's well worth it... I use a jelly head In My Vinci and wow what a pattern... Total devastation!

 

[brybenn]

Having had a custom .650 choke made to pattern #4 shot in my 535 I should say yes. But I've killed more birds with standard fixed chokes. I've found my 7/8oz #6 loads to be devastating out to 35 yards. Next to no recoil. Unlike my 2 1/4oz #4s from my 10ga. Both loads kill birds dead. The 10ga load kills on both ends tho

 

[Fenix.NZ]

Absolutely Not.


you guys get all serious on shooting your turkeys up there in NA ... but down here in NZ we slaughter them by the dozens whenever the chance presents itself.. Mod. choke with #2 or BB shot is very adverse to Turkeys

 

[Winchester-1897]

Absolutely Not.


you guys get all serious on shooting your turkeys up there in NA ... but down here in NZ we slaughter them by the dozens whenever the chance presents itself.. Mod. choke with #2 or BB shot is very adverse to Turkeys

Ya well we can't use #2 or BB on turkeys here and we certainly can't slaughter them whenever the chance presents itself. That is how they disappeared from Ontario the first time.

 

[Winchester-1897]

My vote is yes!... It's well worth it... I use a jelly head In My Vinci and wow what a pattern... Total devastation!

I use the Jelly Head also in my 870.

 

[brybenn]

To bad we can't use rimfires

 

[Superbrad]

I use a remington stock turkey choke in my 870 and it made a huge difference over the standard full choke.... I think you have been given some excellent advice here.... set up a turkey head target, go out to your desired maximum range and try your full choke out.... I say the extra cost of a decent turkey choke is minimal compared to the results.... I will be investing in a patternmaster this year....

 

[Crazy Chaingun]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I guess I'll start looking around for a good choke, any suggestions?

 

[Winchester-1897]

Jelly Head is one that has been suggested already. It is an extended choke and is ported. They sell them at Bass Pro for different manufacturers.

I take it you use a Benelli and I am sure they make them for the Benelli.

 

[skip1600]

The gobblin thunder I believe is the tightest on the market. It's extended an ported aswell, I have a briley flush fit that works very well but does not reduce recoil at all. I have a jelly head that was borrowed by my uncle and never returned.. It has killed many turkey since I "lost it" they all prefer their own shot size

 

[Looper21]

Good rule of thumb is the tighter the choke the better it patterns with lighter shot. I have several turkey choke tubes and swear by them . They technically do nor increase the range they increase the density. As you are trying to put as many pellets into a target the size of your fist it still is advisable to shoot within 40 yds. Pattern your gun at diferent ranges and you will be confident of what range you can shoot at

 

[Mount Sweetness]

You can pick up a turkey choke for $25, check out the Primos Tightwad, I have no complaints.

 

[Hoss83]

I have tried the undertaker and the jelly head and I personally pattern better with the jelly head and Winchester turkey rounds in my benelli

 

[KRJ]

Ya well we can't use #2 or BB on turkeys here and we certainly can't slaughter them whenever the chance presents itself. That is how they disappeared from Ontario the first time.

That shot size banned in Ontario? Just wondering.

 

[Alex_Zues]

That shot size banned in Ontario? Just wondering.

Not outright banned, I believe there's Provincial reg's about shot size when it comes to shooting Turkey. I just buy the shotshells my local gunshop sells specifically for Turkey.

 

[Winchester-1897]

That shot size banned in Ontario? Just wondering.

for turkey it is. On turkey 4,5 or 6 are only allowed in Ontario.