Any suggestions for a new turkeygun?

[catscratch]

Some beautiful guns on this thread! I love old 97s and that double gun is purely spectacular!

I bought a new shotgun (after having the same Mossburg 500a for the last 30 yrs) a couple of yrs ago. It's a Beretta 1301 competition gun. The features that make it a good competitive gun also work great for hunting; fully adjustable stock, cycles any load, extra large safety button and charging handle, etc... I love hunting with this gun.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Mid season I decided to turn my old 870 into a dedicated turkey gun based on this thread. Really all I did was buy a camo stock and put some camo tape on it but it did a great job on my bird this past weekend. Before next season, I may get it dipped but I'm definitely going to add a better choke and also some adjustable sights!View attachment 11890

Good choice, that stock is very user friendly as far as getting a bead on a bird when you're scrunched up in an awkward position against a tree. Looks exactly like my new gun, at a lot cheaper price. I was going to get a custom choke but Remington's factory turkey choke shoots so good I may just stay with that. Why fix it if it ain't broke.

 

[Gator]

Good choice, that stock is very user friendly as far as getting a bead on a bird when you're scrunched up in an awkward position against a tree. Looks exactly like my new gun, at a lot cheaper price. I was going to get a custom choke but Remington's factory turkey choke shoots so good I may just stay with that. Why fix it if it ain't broke.

Good point on the choke. My bird never moved at all but he was also at 10 yards. Tighter choke I might have missed

 

[Gator]

Got my gun back yesterday from being camo dipped. Turned out pretty good considering I only had the receiver and barrel dipped.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Got my gun back yesterday from being camo dipped. Turned out pretty good considering I only had the receiver and barrel dipped.

View attachment 12802

It sure looks good in the picture.

 

[Gator]

Finally got my turkey gun finished. Ended up having the receiver drilled and tapped and put a picatinny rail on it, added a Vortex Venom red dot sight. Just need to sight it in now. Guy at the local gunshop thought I was nuts for putting this sight on (made for pistols) but I found lots of recommendations on the internet for this sight on turkey guns.

 

[Drycreek]

Finally got my turkey gun finished. Ended up having the receiver drilled and tapped and put a picatinny rail on it, added a Vortex Venom red dot sight. Just need to sight it in now. Guy at the local gunshop thought I was nuts for putting this sight on (made for pistols) but I found lots of recommendations on the internet for this sight on turkey guns.

View attachment 15063

I've never had a reflex on a shotgun, but I've had two on handguns, and one is still on my G40. It makes a world of difference for older eyes IMO. I think you'll like it no matter what the gun guy said. The best part of a reflex is, no matter how your eye is aligned with the sight, and no matter where the red dot is in your "screen", if it's sighted in and the red dot is on your target, you are gonna hit your target. Makes for a good setup if you have to twist around and you can't get your eye directly centered behind the sight. The Vortex Venom stood up to full power .44 Mag loads on my Ruger Super Blackhawk so I'm sure it will work for you.

For fifteen years I only bowhunted turkeys, but both shoulders are about shot now, so last year I went back to the shotgun for my two Rios. I've lost confidence in my ability to hold a vertical bow steady, and I'm contemplating one of the newer, narrow crossbows. I hate that I missed archery season last year and I'm about over the edge. Also, I didn't enjoy shotgunning those two turks last year near as much as if I had taken them with a bow, even a crossbow. To me, that's what it's all about, personal satisfaction.

Good luck to everyone this spring, and let the games begin !

 

[Gator]

The best part of a reflex is, no matter how your eye is aligned with the sight, and no matter where the red dot is in your "screen", if it's sighted in and the red dot is on your target, you are gonna hit your target. Makes for a good setup if you have to twist around and you can't get your eye directly centered behind the sight. The Vortex Venom stood up to full power .44 Mag loads on my Ruger Super Blackhawk so I'm sure it will work for you.

These two things are exactly why I chose this sight! Thanks.

I chased turkeys with a bow for a while. Without a blind, I found it difficult to get to full draw. I did manage to kill one from a blind and got it on video as well. I just don't like sitting in a blind for turkey. I bow hunt deer and prefer turkey to be completely different than the sit and wait of deer hunting. I also burn out very quickly turkey hunting and normally only hunt about 2 weeks each year. Funny thing, since I went back to gun, I've had numerous times when I would of been able to draw the bow (head behind his fan, went behind large tree etc)

 

[Mennoniteman]

I've never had a reflex on a shotgun, but I've had two on handguns, and one is still on my G40. It makes a world of difference for older eyes IMO. I think you'll like it no matter what the gun guy said. The best part of a reflex is, no matter how your eye is aligned with the sight, and no matter where the red dot is in your "screen", if it's sighted in and the red dot is on your target, you are gonna hit your target. Makes for a good setup if you have to twist around and you can't get your eye directly centered behind the sight. The Vortex Venom stood up to full power .44 Mag loads on my Ruger Super Blackhawk so I'm sure it will work for you.

For fifteen years I only bowhunted turkeys, but both shoulders are about shot now, so last year I went back to the shotgun for my two Rios. I've lost confidence in my ability to hold a vertical bow steady, and I'm contemplating one of the newer, narrow crossbows. I hate that I missed archery season last year and I'm about over the edge. Also, I didn't enjoy shotgunning those two turks last year near as much as if I had taken them with a bow, even a crossbow. To me, that's what it's all about, personal satisfaction.

Good luck to everyone this spring, and let the games begin !

To me, spring gobbler is all about the calling, choice of weapons being secondary. (and I have a gimpy shoulder as well) That being said, I still admire anyone taking one with a vertical bow.

 

[Drycreek]

To me, spring gobbler is all about the calling, choice of weapons being secondary. (and I have a gimpy shoulder as well) That being said, I still admire anyone taking one with a vertical bow.

Let me clarify my post a little. I killed my first few turkeys with a rifle while deer hunting, and that's legal in Texas for Rios. Then, I started spring turkey hunting with a shotgun. After I got into bowhunting I usuall killed a couple hens (also legal for Rios) during deer bow season and saved two tags for spring. I only ever killed one young (dumb) hen without a blind because the blind
I was going to hunt was literally full of wasps and I had no alternative other than to sit on a low-growing mesquite limb. There were four of them under a feeder and three left while I was slomo drawing my bow. The unlucky one caught a Muzzy where it counts and was extremely good eating

After killing several in fall with a bow, gun hunting them just wasn't satisfying anymore so the Double Bull was put into play for several seasons until I gave up that lease. I only ever lost one turkey with a bow out of 15/20 that I shot. It was a hen that I shot while deer hunting and she ran off a short distance and just sank down in the grass. I wasn't convinced that she was dead so when I got ready to quit for the morning a stalked up directly behind her and started to shoot her again when a rabbit jumped up at my feet and ran right over her. She jumped up, took flight and sailed away. I looked for her for an hour or so, but a dang turkey can hide easily in brush country and I lost her.

The only thing I miss about that lease, that I was on for 18 years, is the turkey hunting. I go with a buddy now once a year to West Texas to turkey hunt and we are very successful so far. We leave April 8th to do it again. Can't wait !

PS: My shoulders are now shot, I'm no longer confident in my accuracy with a vertical bow and I've just ordered one of the new Ten Point narrow-limb crossbows. To quote Mighty Merle Haggard, "It's not love, but it's not bad"

 

[PineSapJunky]

Finally got my gun back from the cerakote guys. It's the only officially licensed Mossyoak Bottomland camo cerakoted Winchester in the world (these guys are the only licensed Mossyoak applicator and this was their first Winchester)....lol. There's a lot of duplicates but only one Mossyoak. We'll see how well it holds up. The factory dipped camo didn't last a year. That's my oldest holding it for me. He scored on monster of a bird yesterday. Took us all of 5 minutes on our second setup. Had what I'm calling twin 10" ropes.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Finally got my gun back from the cerakote guys. It's the only officially licensed Mossyoak Bottomland camo cerakoted Winchester in the world (these guys are the only licensed Mossyoak applicator and this was their first Winchester)....lol. There's a lot of duplicates but only one Mossyoak. We'll see how well it holds up. The factory dipped camo didn't last a year. That's my oldest holding it for me. He scored on monster of a bird yesterday. Took us all of 5 minutes on our second setup. Had what I'm calling twin 10" ropes.

Way to go for the boy! There's nothing quite like gobbler hunting with a junior hunter to get them started.

 

[PineSapJunky]

Way to go for the boy! There's nothing quite like gobbler hunting with a junior hunter to get them started.

Obviously my son doesn't shoot a 12 gauge. He has a sweet shooting 20 gauge that's lights out at 50 yards

 

[Mennoniteman]

Obviously my son doesn't shoot a 12 gauge. He has a sweet shooting 20 gauge that's lights out at 50 yards

I'm with you on the 20ga. even though I also use a 12 sometimes. I have a camo Rem 870 20ga. Youth Turkey that I added a truglo choke and fiberoptic sights, I'm using Federal TSS#9 loads and Quake Claw sling of course. This gun is light and deadly, all any turkey hunter could ever want to fill their tag, all without the need to lug a heavy, hard kicking 12 or 10 ga. around. Even though I have long arms I find the youth stock to be an asset in turkey calling situations.

 

[PineSapJunky]

I'm with you on the 20ga. even though I also use a 12 sometimes. I have a camo Rem 870 20ga. Youth Turkey that I added a truglo choke and fiberoptic sights, I'm using Federal TSS#9 loads and Quake Claw sling of course. This gun is light and deadly, all any turkey hunter could ever want to fill their tag, all without the need to lug a heavy, hard kicking 12 or 10 ga. around. Even though I have long arms I find the youth stock to be an asset in turkey calling situations.

I'm tempted to tote my son's along in the morning. I checked my gun today and forgot how bad it kicks. Its light but dang my son's gun is more than enough to kill. It too also has truglo red dot. Its pretty cool. His gun has a rhino choke and shoots the magnablends in it. We've tried TSS but the chokes I have for the gun dont pattern as well as the Magnablends. I have an Indian Creek choke that loves the 3 inch #5's Winchester XR's. I've tried TSS in that gun but don't justify the extra kick. I killed a bird last year with that combo at 63 steps. Flopped twice

 

[Mennoniteman]

I'm tempted to tote my son's along in the morning. I checked my gun today and forgot how bad it kicks. Its light but dang my son's gun is more than enough to kill. It too also has truglo red dot. Its pretty cool. His gun has a rhino choke and shoots the magnablends in it. We've tried TSS but the chokes I have for the gun dont pattern as well as the Magnablends. I have an Indian Creek choke that loves the 3 inch #5's Winchester XR's. I've tried TSS in that gun but don't justify the extra kick. I killed a bird last year with that combo at 63 steps. Flopped twice

I never had good results patterning blended shotshells, with 3rd degree being some of the worst. But I've never tried magnablend, is that lead or tss shot?

 

[PineSapJunky]

I never had good results patterning blended shotshells, with 3rd degree being some of the worst. But I've never tried magnablend, is that lead or tss shot?

3rd Degree are awful and Triple beards are just as bad. These were once the "it" shells. They claim to be heavier than lead. They work great.

 

[E_308]

They just changed one of my public land spots over to non toxic shot. With how well Win. XR patterns I haven't tried anything else in years, might have to look at the hevi-shot. The real bad part is now I'll have to use steel to rabbit hunt!

 

[Mennoniteman]

They just changed one of my public land spots over to non toxic shot. With how well Win. XR patterns I haven't tried anything else in years, might have to look at the hevi-shot. The real bad part is now I'll have to use steel to rabbit hunt!

TSS would be nontoxic, right? But too expensive for rabbits, you may need to load your own.

 

[Gator]

I have a sore shoulder. These were the three best from my new turkey gun build.