5 Takeaways from Testing the Best Turkey Shotguns

A couple of of those factors may look like no-brainers, however they nonetheless warrant rationalization primarily based on the findings. Regardless, all of those factors ought to come as excellent news for hunters contemplating upgrades to their present turkey weapons. Right here are some things I realized from testing the most effective turkey searching shotguns.

You don’t have to purchase an costly turkey gun to kill a turkey. The Remington 870 proves that. Whereas turkey-specific shotguns are cool, it’s simple to neglect that hunters killed turkeys lengthy earlier than there have been fancy shotguns with pistol grips, camo patterns, and further full turkey chokes. Most turkey hunters used their shotguns for every part from squirrels and deer within the fall to turkeys within the spring.

Now, most simple shotguns come threaded for interchangeable chokes. This implies you’ll find a turkey choke and cargo that works greatest to your gun and discover its most vary. When you’re on a price range and on the lookout for a turkey searching shotgun, begin with the Remington 870. New, used, doesn’t matter. Which leads me to my subsequent level.

Even past this take a look at, I’ve patterned and reviewed this gun alongside different (costlier) turkey weapons, and the 870 produces a few of the greatest patterning outcomes for turkey searching. It produced 407 pellet strikes in a 10-inch circle at 40 yards—the most effective sample of the take a look at—with a $30 Primos Tight Wad choke tube. Even with lead shot, the 870 averaged 216 pellet strikes at that very same distance. These are improbable numbers from a shotgun that you’ll find anyplace, from $350 to $650.

I shoot an previous Categorical mannequin 870, however the brand new Fieldmaster variations are simply pretty much as good if not barely higher, and I’ve by no means had a pump jam on me earlier than. Its efficiency and affordability alone make it the most effective turkey gun ever made.

If you wish to get probably the most out of your turkey choke and ammo, it is advisable to discover the precise mixture. Consider your gun, load, and choke choices because the reels on a slot machine. Hit the precise three and you discover the jackpot, however change any a type of, and also you’ll have a distinct consequence.

A number of the greatest combos I’ve examined positioned 300-400 pellets inside a 10-inch circle at 40 yards (with Apex TSS). However let’s not overcomplicate this. When you’re speaking 40 yards or much less, you possibly can kill a turkey with a minimum of 100 pellets in a 10-inch circle, and, no, it doesn’t must be TSS.

However in the event you plan on working TSS, which has skyrocketed to greater than $20 per shell for some 12 gauge choices, you need to get probably the most out of your funding. Some weapons and ammo will produce glorious patterns with one turkey choke, whereas one other gun may present inconsistent patterns with that very same combo. Fortunately, manufacturers like Carlson’s have eradicated the guesswork by making gun and load-specific chokes, so that you don’t must lay our a fortune determining which one is greatest to your gun.

I’ve killed a ton of turkeys with Winchester’s Lengthy Beard XR, so I didn’t want a turkey gun take a look at to inform me that it’s an awesome choice. Nonetheless, it was spectacular to see how this ammo patterned in my latest turkey gun take a look at and in earlier work I’ve achieved prior to now.

At forty yards, each the Remington 870 and the Mossberg 940 Professional averaged over 200 pellets in a 10-inch circle with 3-inch no. 6 hundreds. In the meantime, all of the 20 gauges within the take a look at averaged over 100 pellets with 3-inch no. 5 Lengthy Beard XR in a Carlson’s Lengthy Beard XR choke. These numbers are greater than sufficient to kill a turkey at 40 yards and lots for hunters who make pictures from 30 yards or much less.

There’s a sound argument concerning the disadvantage of TSS at shut ranges (20 yards or much less), particularly paired with a turkey choke. These patterns could be the scale of a softball, which makes it simple to overlook a turkey’s head, particularly if he’s shifting. One flinch or head bob and also you may miss him all collectively. That danger is legitimate, but it surely’s one price taking. When you’re apprehensive about lacking a turkey that shut, then attempt to cease him earlier than taking a shot. Yelp a number of instances and that turkey will seemingly cease and poke his head up. Simply be sure to’re monitoring his head together with your bead or pink dot so you may make a fast shot as quickly as he stops.

The 20 gauges on this turkey take a look at all confirmed a big decline in complete pellet rely at 40 yards if you evaluate the copper-plated result in TSS. Pellet counts doubled (if no more) for every shotgun with TSS. That may not be the case with a 12 gauge just like the Remington 870 that produced over 200 pellet strikes at 40 yards with Winchester Lengthy Beard XR, however that’s not the case for sub-gauges.

Sure, a part of that discrepancy in complete pellet rely has to do with the shot dimension and complete shot out there in a shell, but it surely’s an element price contemplating in the event you’re going to take pictures at 40 yards. To not point out, the density and pellet rely of TSS assist in the event you hunt areas with thick vegetation. I hunt in a few of the thickest, greenest elements of the deep South. Most of my pictures contain some type of brush. I really feel way more assured capturing TSS inside 30 yards if I do know a few of my sample may take a success.

We is perhaps residing within the golden age of turkey weapons, however that doesn’t imply it is advisable to improve your present rig. Whether or not you roll together with your grandfather’s previous shotgun or resolve to drop some money on an ultra-specific turkey gun, there have by no means been extra methods to punch your turkey tag.