Turkey gun: To scope or not to scope?

Mount Sweetness said:
The only negative I can think of with a scoped turkey gun is it doesn't slip into a gun sock as easy...
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Let me help you out...
It adds weight
it doesn't carry as well
it can fog
lenses get rained on
it can get bumped affecting poi
it can get misaligned or destroyed by recoil (happened to my red dot and ruined a hunt)
it costs $
it wont fit in my bike case or a sock
It really does just complicate things and unless your vision requires magnification for less than 50 yards (yikes) it's not needed. But hey, we're gun nutz and tend to bolt chit onto our guns.
 
Well I have never had a good scope fog up or get wrecked from recoil. Or bounce loose. Not all shotguns shoot to point of aim and having a optic that let's you adjust your point of impact to your point of aim is great. Seeing your whole target vs seeing just what is above your front bead is also a huge plus. Yes if you start with a cheap optic you could run into problems. Also never had a problem getting them in a sock. And thy carry just fine on a strap
 
I will never put a scope on my turkey gun. Mostly because I do alot of stalking and crawling around and my gun takes a beating. I'm always setting it down,banging it off things trying to seek up on birds.

No batteries to worry about, keeps weight of my gun down. I just cover the turkeys head with my red bead and pull the trigger. Dead turkey everytime.

Don't care if anyone uses a scope, but I laugh in their face when they say they couldn't see because of the glare of the sun, or batteries died on their red dot and they missed
 
1duckslayer said:
Love the guys replying who obviously have never used a scope on a turkey gun but they know what is best.................................it's not about distance it's about point of impact..............I have been using a scope for well over 10 years now, don't wear glasses, have no problems shooting hundreds of flying fowl yearly with a beaded shotgun and I don't push my guns range limits on turkeys. I would never go back to not having a scope on my turkey gun, I use a Bushnell trophy with the circle X reticle, love it, place the birds wattles in the circle no matter the distance (within my gun/choke/shell limitations) and it's dead turkey.


I was kinda the same were I didn't see the point in using a scope until I actually tried it and like I previously stated I would never turn back and totally recommend buying and scoping a dedicated turkey gun. To the OP do it and you will not regret it.


If you think a scope complicates things you might be the one who is simple.............


The whole patterning of gun/choke/shell comes down to precision and knowing what your guns limitations are. There is no doubt you can achieve better results from a scope over a beaded sight.


If you don't like using a scope that is totally fine but to look down on someone who does is just plain well...........simple..........
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Pretty strong in the opinions you are throwing around without knowing the experience of the people you are disparraging...

My "opinion" is that optics are completely unneccesary and just complicate a very simple and effective system at all "reasonable" ranges...

And I have shot them every which way... it is very simple... pattern your gun/load... know your gun.

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No matter what anyone says, there is actually no right or wrong answer to this question...

I have shot turkey with irons, scopes, red dots, and hell, even a bead when it was all I could afford..... even took a couple with a bow....

Like any other form of hunting you need to know your limits and what you have to do to stay within them.....

Pick the solution you need including ammo that patterns well for your gun and a sight you can see well, practice with it, then go hunting......
 
Scamaniac said:
Let me help you out...
It adds weight
it doesn't carry as well
it can fog
lenses get rained on
it can get bumped affecting poi
it can get misaligned or destroyed by recoil (happened to my red dot and ruined a hunt)
it costs $
it wont fit in my bike case or a sock
It really does just complicate things and unless your vision requires magnification for less than 50 yards (yikes) it's not needed. But hey, we're gun nutz and tend to bolt chit onto our guns.
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Yup! Well said
 
Adrian J Hare said:
I love they replies LOL some people just are not the same. I paid $500.00 for my glasses and I still need/use a scope, but now you make me feel like I've done something wrong ! just because I use a scope. Let me say Not all of the turkey hunters hunt the same private property were no one else is allowed and gets the change to work birds all the time to the end of the barrel. I challenge you to hunt some of the places that turkeys hunters have no choice but to work the same birds day after day and after a week of a youth season and call that bird into 40 yards let alone 20. Its not happening 100% There are different angles to everyone means, there is No right way its what you want. Just something to ponder ...
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The title of the thread is "to scope or not to scope?". To me, that is a person asking for an opinion. I couldnt give two craps what someone wants to use to hunt turkey. My opinion is what I stated. I can certainly say that I have never encountered a situation where optics would have helped me bag a bird. But I can say with certainty, optics would have certainly prevented me from bagging at least 3 birds in the past. I filled my second tag last spring because I had the ability to stalk a bird and snap shoot him on the run when he got spooked. Optics would have prevented such success.
 
1duckslayer said:
Love the guys replying who obviously have never used a scope on a turkey gun but they know what is best.................................it's not about distance it's about point of impact..............I have been using a scope for well over 10 years now, don't wear glasses, have no problems shooting hundreds of flying fowl yearly with a beaded shotgun and I don't push my guns range limits on turkeys. I would never go back to not having a scope on my turkey gun, I use a Bushnell trophy with the circle X reticle, love it, place the birds wattles in the circle no matter the distance (within my gun/choke/shell limitations) and it's dead turkey.


I was kinda the same were I didn't see the point in using a scope until I actually tried it and like I previously stated I would never turn back and totally recommend buying and scoping a dedicated turkey gun. To the OP do it and you will not regret it.


If you think a scope complicates things you might be the one who is simple.............


The whole patterning of gun/choke/shell comes down to precision and knowing what your guns limitations are. There is no doubt you can achieve better results from a scope over a beaded sight.


If you don't like using a scope that is totally fine but to look down on someone who does is just plain well...........simple..........
Click to expand...

Read my comment above. Again, if you want to use a scope, go ahead! But when the OP asks for an opinion, be prepared that yours wont be the only one
 
Scamaniac said:
Let me help you out...
It adds weight
it doesn't carry as well
it can fog
lenses get rained on
it can get bumped affecting poi
it can get misaligned or destroyed by recoil (happened to my red dot and ruined a hunt)
it costs $
it wont fit in my bike case or a sock
It really does just complicate things and unless your vision requires magnification for less than 50 yards (yikes) it's not needed. But hey, we're gun nutz and tend to bolt chit onto our guns.
Click to expand...

Do you have a scoped rifle?
 
I had my scoped turkey gun out today. All I saw were deer. Next time out ill bring a 1892 Charles Daly hammer gun. I use a large variety of guns to hunt turkeys. 1 ten gauge. 18 12 gauges. 2 crossbows. Think I got it covered from bead to fiber optic to irons to red dot to scope. I like them all. I do like scopes on my dedicated turkey gun though
 
I have an Aimpoint Micro H1 on my wild turkey shotgun. I love it. It's very low profile and literally only weighs a few ounces. It's also incredibly tough and has a battery life measured in years. What I appreciate most is the ability to center the pattern by simply getting the red dot on the turkey's neck - doesn't matter if I am twisted around a tree or contorted in some other way. The Aimpoint is parallax free and hits where the dot is regardless.
 
Mount Sweetness said:
I have a pile of scopes here and am pondering the idea of throwing one on my turkey shotgun.

For those that have scoped - will you ever go back?

Or is scoping a 50 yard shotgun ridiculous?

Let's hear your opinions from both sides.
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No scope for my turkey gun.

My range is 30 yards or less. Decoys set at 10 yards and got er done April 29, 6:50 pm at 28 yards. 19 lbs and a 9" beard.

I use the Truglo Pro Series Gobble Dot on my Mosberg 12G.
 
brybenn said:
Do you have a scoped rifle?
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I scope my long range rifles and one scout. I have a safe full of 12s and none have needed a scope to kill a turkey. My only scoped shotgun is a 220. If my shotguns don't shoot po aim they don't stay in the fold. I can buy one that does cheaper than an optic I would trust shooting turkey loads. My xcalibur scope fogged last week while I was at the ready to shoot from breathing. Any scope would being in that position and climate for minutes.
I have also had scopes fog just from being too close to my clothing in cold conditions. Other than the xbow I'm a leupold and b& l whore. Imo scopes have a place but it's not in the super humid cold morning turkey woods. I pattern my guns and have full confidence with a bead.
 
Scoping a shotgun seems imptactical to me. How do you track with a scope? Reflex shooting is not practical at close range with a scope. A Reflex sight maybe or if your slugging I guess. Just not the way I was taught. I think I'd get nasty looks for just suggesting it to be honest. This reminds me of the guy on the EE selling his muzzle loader with a 4-16x40 on it. 2x power and long eye relief might work.
 
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