# Turkey gun and choke question.



## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

My first time hunting gobblers, drew an LE turkey this year, got 3 shotguns--870 12 gauge, 16 gauge Savage, 20 gauge Weatherby. Love the 20 gauge, would love to use it, is a turkey choke necessary? Also lots of brand of shells for turkeys--opinions. Thanks:mrgreen:


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

I would use that 20ga Weatherby with a Carlson EF choke tube. For shells, you will be better than any 12ga lead shell with Fed Heavyweight 3" 1 1/2oz 20ga #7. There are other good 20ga options as well like hevishot #6 or #7.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I agree with toasty, use that 20 ga. It will work just fine. I'm sure you could use the factory full choke too.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

Use the 20 and don't look back. Pattern the gun with with the full choke it came with and see how that works at ranges you think you'll need. If that doesn't work, there's a million different choke tubes to choose from (I believe Weatherby interchanges with Winchester & Mossberg 500 style threads). I also like #6's out of the 20ga.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Use the 12g 870. , You been waiting for years to get this tag, why would you limit yourself if you already have the gun in hand. Sure, a 20 will work, so will a .410(if it was legal), but for heavan sakes, you won't be shaming yourself by using the 12g.
Buy some good loads, Hevi-shot #5 or #6 or splurge a little and buy some of them new Federal TSS jobs.
The factory full choke would work great, especially if you use the TSS, but if you just have to, pick up somebodies X-Full. No need to spend a fortune on the choke.


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## wagdog (Jan 6, 2009)

The main thing is to pattern your gun, choke, and load combo. Hevi-shot makes great stuff. Winchester Long Beard XR is another good one. You want to have that confidence in your gun/choke/shotshell before you get out in the woods.


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## caddis8 (Sep 10, 2007)

I'm a big fan of the choke. I hunted with the Carlson Choke Tube boys one year. It was awesome. My dad didn't have a choke and I did. He shot his bird at 30 yards and it tried to get away, and I stoned my bird at 54 yards (with a rangefinder) with a tube. I'd get one for sure. 

I'm a big fan of heavi-shot. Used it a lot and have had great results. The Carlson's guys have a computerized patterning board (freaking awesome) and they recommended to me hevi shot in 5,6,7 and the turkey tube. 

As a side note, their research also shows that 3" loads pattern better than 3.5" loads in almost every test they do for turkey and waterfowl. Interesting.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

caddis8 said:


> As a side note, their research also shows that 3" loads pattern better than 3.5" loads in almost every test they do for turkey and waterfowl. Interesting.


^^^THIS^^^ I have never understood the hype with the 3.5" loads. A marketing gimmick if I have ever seen one. If I were to shoot a 3.5" load it would be from a 10 ga.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

BPturkeys said:


> Use the 12g 870. , You been waiting for years to get this tag, why would you limit yourself if you already have the gun in hand. Sure, a 20 will work, so will a .410(if it was legal), but for heavan sakes, you won't be shaming yourself by using the 12g.


.....Karl...is that you? How are you limited? Hunt them like you should and call within reasonable distance (distance confirmed by patterning gun prior to hunt as has been suggested many times)...done deal...dead turkey. Never seen a turkey not die when a good shot was taken within range using the correct type of shells. Their not armor plated....



Dunkem said:


> *Love the 20 gauge, would love to use it....*


There you have it..use it.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

gdog said:


> .....Karl...is that you? How are you limited? Hunt them like you should and call within reasonable distance (distance confirmed by patterning gun prior to hunt as has been suggested many times)...done deal...dead turkey. Never seen a turkey not die when a good shot was taken within range using the correct type of shells. Their not armor plated....
> There you have it..use it.


Well, he ask what we thought, I think I like the 12g better. The only limiting factor is that a 12 throws a little more shot in the air than a 20g. A 20g is most certainly not a "limited" weapon and would make a great choice. A 12g doesn't kill any farther, or penetrate any deeper, there's just more shot in the air giving you a slightly better chance of putting one in the kill zone.

He**, dgog, I am not bad mouthing the 20g, I've killed a few turkeys in my day with virtually all gauges, including 20's, but the man ask for a personal choice, I just gave him mine.

Now, could you defend your choice of a 20g over a 12g for me based solely on the guage.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

Ah just bored this afternoon and stirring the pot a little -O|o-

Ok I'll give it a shot....

20 over 12 for turkey hunting. Now I'm not gun shy and afraid to put one of those super magnum rifles against my shoulder, but being older and a touch smarter, I don't like to punish myself for no particular reason. We grew up slug hunting whitetail and I tell you (as could the Goob), sighting in a 12 ga slug gun was no fun. You know what I'm talking about if you've had the opportunity to do so. We finally wised up and figured out that the ol 20 ga kicked less and was just as lethal, if not better at longer ranges. Everyone shot a 12 gauge cuz thats what dad shot and thats the hand me down shotgun you got was. I'm getting off track a bit...but there's a point here somewhere...

For that matter, the very first turkey I shot was with Dick Kirbys Ithaca Mag 10ga, which he had specially choked down by Mark Bansner. It weighed more then I did at the time. Really not a big kick with those shotguns, more of a big push due to the weight. That **** thing would tip turkeys over at obnoxious yardage. I ended up shooting my bird at about 15 steps and took its head clean off. It was pure luck I didn't miss with that gun at that range with such a tight pattern and how much shaking was going on

Since those days and the advancement of shot shells, I just don't need to get pounded by a 3.5" 10ga, let alone a 12ga shotgun, when I can shoot a lesser recoiling 20ga auto (gas) and not feel 1 bit under-gunned. I'm old school. If they don't come to call, well within gun range, they get the pass. For someone who puts the time in and patterns their 20ga, keeps shots within this range, it will do all you want with less recoil. To some this doesn't matter, but for new hunters, smaller hunters or old farts, it can make a big difference.

The 20ga in equal forms (auto/gas) is lighter. Less weight for me to lug around. Yeah, too light and we can bring back the recoil issue, but with todays gas auto's of same make/model, the 20 is a smaller/lighter shotgun, which is just nicer to carry all day long. I have a 12ga Benelli Super Eagle and I hate lugging that thing around the turkey woods. I also have 12ga Benelli Ultralight, which is nice to carry, but no thanks on shooting 3" turkey loads out of it. The 20g Weatherby SA-08 is just a nice little gun to pack around and is easy on the shoulder. With a good turkey choke, its kills turkeys as far as I need.

If you can find me a 12ga that is the same weight as my 20 and has equal recoil at the same weight, then game on I'll take more downrange pellets the 12 can offer...but you don't really don't need it.

Ok..any of this get past the









:focus:.....Dunkem can't wait for the pics!


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

You made a perfect argument for 20g shotguns. Been known to stir the beans a little my self.


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## SCtransplant (Jul 31, 2015)

Fowlmouth said:


> ^^^THIS^^^ I have never understood the hype with the 3.5" loads. A marketing gimmick if I have ever seen one. If I were to shoot a 3.5" load it would be from a 10 ga.


I shared a pit blind in Arkansas with a guy shooting an 10 gauge at ducks. Almost unfair.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

gdog said:


> If you can find me a 12ga that is the same weight as my 20 and has equal recoil at the same weight, then game on I'll take more downrange pellets the 12 can offer...but you don't really don't need it.
> .....Dunkem can't wait for the pics!


gdog, the new Browning A5 is the lightest 12 ga. I have handled, but it's still not 6 lbs like my Weatherby SA-08. The A5 comes in at around 7 pounds.


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

Fowlmouth said:


> gdog, the new Browning A5 is the lightest 12 ga. I have handled, but it's still not 6 lbs like my Weatherby SA-08. The A5 comes in at around 7 pounds.


For this years hunt, I am toting my Benelli 28ga UL that weighs in at 5.1lbs. I just loaded up some 1 1/2oz TSS load last night to pattern. High density shot has really opened up the possibilities for toting light guns that are just as effective as the big bores.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

Use both a 20 and 12, 20 has less recoil.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

I use my 12ga every year with a kicks gobblin thunder choke tube with the ideal constriction to shoot 3" #5 shot.. I'v killed a Tom the last 6 years in a row, farthest one being 48yds.
I am a believer in custom chokes and finding the BEST shot for that choke.. That can get a little costly but, once you find it then you stick with it.. I pattern ALL my combos for both Waterfowl and Turkeys 

I shot my sx3 20ga on 95% of my waterfowl hunts this year and I never once felt under-gunned, in fact I would dare say it gave my 12ga a run for its money!

I may take the 20ga with 3" #6 shot this year for Turkeys and I will be picking out an after market tube to shoot out of it. 
Iv patterned both my 20 and my 12 with the factory choke and different types of turkey loads and I never achieved what I could do with an after market choke tube..

IF you do shoot a factory choke, I would personally shoot the Federal Turkey loads with the flightcontrol wads in either a #5 or #6 shot

Those were the only loads that patterned the best out of any of my guns with factory chokes..

Whatever you can do to achieve the highest pattern density.. 
Density is a more consistent killer than shot size.........IMO

And when I say density, I dont mean 3.5" shells.. I mean a good 3" shell with a good pellet count and the best pattern you can put up..

I mean, my #5 shot stone cold kills turkeys but, I think #6 shot would stone cold kill'em colder because you are putting more pellets on target without going overbord with a 3.5

I'm pretty anti 3.5" shell, it is my opinton that 3.5" shells yield crappier patterns....


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