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Shotgun for Turkey Hunting?

2ndHand

2ndHand

5 year old buck +
Planning on purchasing a couple of shotguns this spring for turkey hunting; one for me and one for my 13 yr. old son. There's a new Cabela's opening up nearby in a few months - I have about $700 in points to apply towards the purchase price. Thinking of a pump action - What would you recommend? My in-laws use and recommend the Winchester Black Shadow.

Thanks for your help!
 
Since it will be used for one shot a year on turkeys for the most part, I would look at a good all around gun for everything and a set of good chokes ( Carlson's are good!)! http://www.choketube.com/
 
Novemberforever & MobuckChaser - Thanks for the suggestions - I will check out the Carlson chokes. I would like to get an all round gun to be used for multiple purposes. I do have a really old Remington 1100 (about 45 years old) with a modified choke (non-threaded barrel ) that I used along time ago when there pheasants. Thanks!
 
If you can find one, and if it fits you well, I would recommend that you consider an 870 Remington like the one in the link below:

http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/remington-870-synthetic-turkey-gotw

One good thing about this gun is that it comes with adjustable fiber optic sights. Very few turkey guns will shoot dead on without some kind of adjustable sights or scope added. Even if one does shoot dead on, changing the ammo or choke will usually change the POI at least some. It's important to me to be able to hit with the center of my pattern, so I really like some kind of sights on my turkey gun.

These guns also pattern well with a good choke and good shell. For shotgun patterns the most important thing is the shell, second is the choke, and third is the gun. I would rate Supermags in general second to any stock shotguns I have patterned. The top patterning stock guns are Brownings with Invector Plus bores, but the difference is only noticeable for competition shooting and negligible for hunting.

Good luck, and just make sure that whatever you buy fits you well and feels good in your hands.
 
2ndHand said:
Novemberforever & MobuckChaser - Thanks for the suggestions - I will check out the Carlson chokes. I would like to get an all round gun to be used for multiple purposes. I do have a really old Remington 1100 (about 45 years old) with a modified choke (non-threaded barrel ) that I used along time ago when there pheasants. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Is that 1100 in decent shape? If so, I'd buy a new barrel for that. Bingo, 1 gun down!

I've been around the old pumps. Dad uses a Remington 870, I have a Winchester 1300, and my boy had a Mossberg 500 youth 20 ga. They are all clunky old things, but they do the job. I prefer a semi-auto, the Remington 1100 has a good reputation. But if you want to go with high-quality, look at Beretta. Their current semi-auto is the A400 I think. My son shoots a 391 (the model previous to the 400) as his trap gun. He has registered 9500 targets and who knows how many practice rounds in the 2 years he's been doing it. I found his gun lightly used for $850.
 
540135e868b58.image.jpg


Here he is with his Beretta 391. And a link to the local newspaper article. Its OK to brag on your kids here isn't it? :)

http://www.mcleansborotimesleader.c...17c-5780-5acb-b87e-22561c53b5fe.html?mode=jqm
 
check out stoeger shotguns. They are a poor mans benelli. I shoot a stoeger 3000 an am very happy with it
 
Remington 870. You can pay more, but I doubt you will find a better, more reliable gun than the standard 12 gauge 870 with a 28" barrel for $250. I use 3" Federal turkey loads #5 shot for turkeys using a turkey choke and use an improved modified choke for pheasants and grouse. I use it for almost everything and I liked my original 870 so much that I bought one with a rifled barrel for deer hunting and also a 20 gauge 870 with a slightly shorter barrel for rabbits and grouse in thick cover.

Whatever gun you pick you will probably be fine as long as you practice enough with it. Getting a shot or two a year at turkeys doesn't help too much, but going through boxes of shells with the same gun after other small game animals will help significantly. Good luck
 
TMIL said:
Is that 1100 in decent shape? If so, I'd buy a new barrel for that. Bingo, 1 gun down!

I've been around the old pumps. Dad uses a Remington 870, I have a Winchester 1300, and my boy had a Mossberg 500 youth 20 ga. They are all clunky old things, but they do the job. I prefer a semi-auto, the Remington 1100 has a good reputation. But if you want to go with high-quality, look at Beretta. Their current semi-auto is the A400 I think. My son shoots a 391 (the model previous to the 400) as his trap gun. He has registered 9500 targets and who knows how many practice rounds in the 2 years he's been doing it. I found his gun lightly used for $850.
Click to expand...

Hey TML, That's some impressive shooting by your son - congratulations!!.;). I also prefer semi-auto's - don't shoot the 1100 much any more (other than a few clays here and there) I have never owned or shot a pump action, just was thinking of getting something different. But I prefer to buy quality if it is affordable - I will check out Beretta's website to see what the going prices are. Many thanks for your comments and suggestions!
 
Jordan Selsor said:
check out stoeger shotguns. They are a poor mans benelli. I shoot a stoeger 3000 an am very happy with it
Click to expand...

Hey Jordan, Thanks for the recommendation...I appreciate your comments!
 
Ben.MN/WI said:
Remington 870. You can pay more, but I doubt you will find a better, more reliable gun than the standard 12 gauge 870 with a 28" barrel for $250. I use 3" Federal turkey loads #5 shot for turkeys using a turkey choke and use an improved modified choke for pheasants and grouse. I use it for almost everything and I liked my original 870 so much that I bought one with a rifled barrel for deer hunting and also a 20 gauge 870 with a slightly shorter barrel for rabbits and grouse in thick cover.

Whatever gun you pick you will probably be fine as long as you practice enough with it. Getting a shot or two a year at turkeys doesn't help too much, but going through boxes of shells with the same gun after other small game animals will help significantly. Good luck
Click to expand...

Hi Ben, The 870 was the first shotgun that came to mind - I think a 20 ga. maybe the best option for my son to start with. Thanks for your comments...;)
 
I purchased a synthetic stock Remington 870 20ga. Express Combo (has a slug barrel too) two years ago for my son and it's perfect and actually out preforms my Mossberg 12ga. I can easily kill a Turkey out to 45yds, and did so two years ago with a a good performance load. I think that is as much performance you really need in the Turkey woods IMO. I did spend another $20+ on a choke tube.
 
2ndHand said:
Hi Ben, The 870 was the first shotgun that came to mind - I think a 20 ga. maybe the best option for my son to start with. Thanks for your comments...;)
Click to expand...

When my kids are old enough to use a shotgun, I'll buy them an 870 express 12 gauge that shoots 2 3/4" and 3" magnum. I know they make 870's that can shoot 3.5" shells, but I really don't think it's necessary for turkeys. A 20 gauge 870 would also be a good option and when they're older you can bump up to a 12 gauge if needed and have it feel and funcation the same as the 20 gauge. For new hunters I would rather have them pump the gun to put another round in the chamber than potentially pull the trigger multiple times and keep shooting like you could have with semi-autos. I have friends that prefer semi-autos, but they seem to have issues with the guns jamming frequently. Perhaps the newer semi-autos are more reliable, but honestly it's not possible for them to be more reliable than my old 870. It's 20 years old now and well worn, but every time I pull the trigger the gun goes off and every time I pump it a shell ejects. I took my cousin's 12 year old son turkey hunting this spring and had him use my 12 gauge 870 with the standard 3" turkey loads. He dropped a fat jake and never even noticed the recoil. I would recommend practicing with 2 3/4" dove loads since the recoil is minor and switch to the turkey loads when hunting.

Whatever gun you choose, for turkey hunting I would recommend going with a turkey load and testing different shell mfg's and shot sizes. For my gun and my dad's 12 gauge 870 we have the best luck with 3" Winchester 5's turkey loads. We purchased the cheap, standard Fleet Farm 870 turkey choke and they work great. When selecting the shells to use we tried Federal 4's, 6's and Remington 4's and 6's, but the Winchester 5's (3", 1 3/4 ounce) were the best. Getting your son out in the woods after squirrels and rabbits with light game loads will be a great way to familiarize him with the gun so he is confident and experienced when it comes time to bag a tom. It seems these days the gun manufacturers are coming out with specialty weapons for each species, but to me I would rather have one gun that I am very familiar with that can be used for everything (with different choke tubes of course) than a different type of weapon that I am less familiar with.
 
My son is left handed so I bought him a BPS 12 gage bottom ejecting 2.75"-3.5" shells . He been happy with it.
I shoot an older browning auto 5 12gage 2.75"

I would have bought him 870 if he was right eye dominant
 
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