Hello everyone as I am a new to this forum wanted to say hi first. New York's spring turkey season is wrapping up I am looking to get a turkey gun here before next season and was wondering what reviews people could give me and to their preferred gun set up. I am interested in everyone's replies as I haven't been hunting long and haven't really had anyone guide me in the right direction in setting up a turkey gun just kind of threw things together to make it work. Thank you all in advance and I will continue to read through the old posts to also educate myself more.
what do you use right now? its possible it could be souped up to be a very respectable turkey gun --Shannon
I currently am using a Benelli Nova with a Clarkson .665 choke, tru-glo red dot, and Winchester 3 1/2 XX Supreme 4 shot. the gun isn't mine its my brothers that I started using was stock with just a modified choke. That is why I am looking for some help as to purchasing my first bird gun thank you shannon
First of all welcome to OG. You'll find this to be a friendly place and a place with folks who will want to be of help to you. Hunters here have a wide range of experience and will share what has worked for us and hopefully armed with that information, you will be able to make a better decision of what can work for you.
I've been hunting turkeys for a long time now and I also compete in the sport of still target shooting which has its origins in turkey hunting. That has allowed me to see how many different guns and chokes perform over an extended period of time.
Much really depends on what gun feels right to you and is within your budget. Shells and chokes are sometimes a matter of discussion of course but a lot comes down to the conditions in which you hunt.
Just to get things started, I normally recommend a gun with a 26" or longer barrel, a Remington 870 or Mossberg 835 can be a good choice and I recommend 3" Hevi-13 shotshells with 2 oz. of #6 shot. There are several popular turkey chokes that work well and you'll hear from folks who use and recommend most of them. I know the ones that work best in my guns and those of my readers and can share that information with you.
Lastly, as Shannon said, it would be good to know what you're using currently. You may have all that you need and maybe with a little "tweak" here and there, you can be on top of the game. I do have one process that I recommend, regardless of what kind of gun you're using because it helps them all. I recommend that you "deep clean" the bore of your shotgun. It costs little, just some time and effort but the results can be outstanding.
Again, we're glad you're here and look forward to hearing more from you.
Thanks,
Clark
Clark gave you some excellent advice!
I shoot a Mossberg 835 with a limbsaver recoil pad topped with a Burris Fast Fire III, and choked with a Truglo SSX .670. I shoot Hevi-13 3-2-7, and get right around 200 pellets in a 10" circle at 40 yards.
I am very pleased with my setup, as my numbers may not be huge, but there are no large gaps in my patterns either.
The Remington 870, is also an excellent choice, and alot of guys have great success when the pair the Remingtons with Primos Jellyhead chokes.
Bottom line, there are many, many good guns out there. However, I believe if you are looking for proven slayers, look no further than the Mossy 835, or the Remington 870.
Rem 870 with a Hevi-choke and magnum blends
Or
Mossy. 835 with SSX pushing lead 5s
I have a Winchester 1300 21" barrel. Got it at the local pawn shop for $150.00. I'm currently using the heavy shot choke and hevi 13 3" #6's. the turkey I got this year was every bit of 40. Yards.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a327/eddie234/IMG_20130513_062146_zps9d5516d7.jpg
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:welcomeOG: also what part of NY are you hunting as there are a bunch of us here.
I am going to be a bit vague here even though I have my preferences in turkey guns and chokes as I happen to be a choke junkie and love to try new ones.
With all of the incredible choke options and ammo out there I believe that we can get almost any turkey gun out to give you outstanding patterns. That said I would pick a gun that feels great in your hands and shoulders well. I believe that barrel length is not even relevant as i have lengths that range from 18"-26" and yes you can raise your numbers with the longer barrels I can still easily put over 200#6's with an 18".
so back to my first statement go feel a bunch of guns and see which one fits you best. you have plenty of time before next May 1st so take your time and feel them all. After you find the most comfortable we can tune it in for you.
Good luck. and finding a new turkey gun can be alot of fun.
Mossberg 500 or 835 would be my choice
870
Whats your price range NYLimbhanger? For a reasonable setup...a Mossberg 835 is a great choice, or an 870. Moving up a bit in price is a Browning BPS. All are a great choice in pump guns. Gotta go feelum up to see what you like best.
But, if you wanted a semiauto it would be hard to beat a mossy 935 for a little more than the 835 or 870.
I personally carry my Maxus mostly now with just a hiviz bead on mine. Its light and handy and is the best patterning gun I have owned to date, but they are a bit expensive.
There are tons of choices out there, but feel is very important as most shotguns can be made to shoot well.
Thank you all for your insight clark I will send you a pm regarding your deep clean methods to ensure I am keeping it in tip top shooting performance. My budget I don't know where I really sit with it lol I want it reasonable so I would say under thousand all set up and ready for the woods as I am ok with putting the money out there for a gun that I want to last my hunting career. I hadn't thought about going to shops to put the gun in my hand and feel it and find what fits me as I will look into that.
The more I think about this gun I am thinking I want it to be semi auto is where I am leaning toward as that was what I learned to shoot and feel that is more my comfort level also it's a pain to find a left handed gun anywhere but online.
Thank you everyone who has given input I really appreciate it as I will continue to look into narrowing down my next gun with everyone's input to help me there.
mikejd I hunt Washington, Saratoga, Schenectady, Montgomery, Fulton and Schoharie Counties
Mossberg 935
Tang safety so it works with left and right handed shooters, and it is gas operated which helps reduce recoil.
And you should be able to get that with a nice red dot for about a grand...and like vt35 said, the top safety is great for us lefties!!
Quote from: vt35mag on May 26, 2013, 10:57:08 AM
Mossberg 935
Tang safety so it works with left and right handed shooters, and it is gas operated which helps reduce recoil.
Two years ago, I set up my son's 935 and the 835 I bought for turkey. I didn't have much experience with turkey guns. Put an Indian Creek .675 on the 935 and got a Pure Gold .670 for the 835. Deep cleaned both barrels and put Burris FF II's on both guns. Using Hevi 13 3.5" #7 shot, one of them (think it was the 935) shot 344 in the ten inch at a lazered 40 yards. The other shot almost that well.
I like the 835 because it is lighter to carry and has a great trigger. When shooting such tight patterns, I think some kind of red dot or scope and a good trigger will give the shooter more of an advantage.
Can't go wrong with a 870. Put a decent choke in er, some hevi 6s or 7s and your all set. :welcomeOG:
Quote from: NYLimbHanger on May 26, 2013, 08:06:57 AM
Thank you all for your insight clark I will send you a pm regarding your deep clean methods to ensure I am keeping it in tip top shooting performance. My budget I don't know where I really sit with it lol I want it reasonable so I would say under thousand all set up and ready for the woods as I am ok with putting the money out there for a gun that I want to last my hunting career. I hadn't thought about going to shops to put the gun in my hand and feel it and find what fits me as I will look into that.
The more I think about this gun I am thinking I want it to be semi auto is where I am leaning toward as that was what I learned to shoot and feel that is more my comfort level also it's a pain to find a left handed gun anywhere but online.
Thank you everyone who has given input I really appreciate it as I will continue to look into narrowing down my next gun with everyone's input to help me there.
mikejd I hunt Washington, Saratoga, Schenectady, Montgomery, Fulton and Schoharie Counties
Cool I hunt up in Essex and Madison and Chenango.
835 has been great to me!
(http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af161/davisd9/IMG_1081.jpg)
Find the gun that fits you best. The mossbergs and remingtons are great guns and easy to set up as great turkey killers. I personally would only buy a used Remington but that is a conversation all on its own.
Thank you to all who have gave me information in my search for a new gun as I have heard nothing but positive things regarding each gun however, without trying to turn this post negative if their are any problems with the guns that anyone has recommended or glitches for that matter if you could share them with me I would greatly appreciate it.
Quote from: NYLimbHanger on May 28, 2013, 03:21:15 PM
Thank you to all who have gave me information in my search for a new gun as I have heard nothing but positive things regarding each gun however, without trying to turn this post negative if their are any problems with the guns that anyone has recommended or glitches for that matter if you could share them with me I would greatly appreciate it.
I don't think you will find any issues with either the Mossy or the Remmy. Some people complain about the forearm on the 835 rattling, but I don't find it to be an issue.
Both guns are built are like tanks, and are serious work horses.
Hey NY...I will post some of my observations regarding some weapons that I have owned and the issues I didnt care for with them.
Mossberg 835...somewhat heavy and they rattle. I dont like my guns to rattle, so whenever I can I buy a semiauto now.
Remington...honestly, I cant think of any issues with them. The express models have had some finish issues, but the funcionality of the guns is good. Some of the earlier super magnums had some ftf/fte issues but I believe they have been worked out. My only personal issue is that I am left handed and its nice to have a gun that is better suited to ambi use. Still have my police issued model and is my favorite gun of all times, but for sentimental reasons.
Remington 1187...reliabilty issues from my and several buddies guns...will not buy a remmy semiauto
Mossberg 935...does not shoot low base target rounds well. Not a problem if you are making this a dedicated turkey/predator gun. Fit and finish is okay, the forearm fit is a bit sloppy and loose. Reliability is good, but there have been reported problems. Gun is a bit heavy.
Beretta extrema2...nice shotgun but a bit heavy also, scope mount system sucks if you want to mount a scope or red dot, the clamp on mount gets loose easily. In my personal gun, I did not like the way it patterned.
Browning BPS...really nice pump gun, patterns great. Gun is heavy but that helps with felt recoil. For a dedicated turkey pump shotgun, this is my favorite. I still have a 20 ga model that my daughter/grandchildren use. Fit and finish is top notch.
Benelli SBE2...quality gun but expensive. Can be a pain to pattern well but they are very reliable.
Browning Maxus...the vent rib is an odd shape and design, so putting aftermarket sights on it can be a pain. I have a drilled and tapped model but wont put a scope on it because the Browning finishes are soft in my opinion and scratch easily. My buddy has a Gold NWTF model with a scope and mount and the finish wore down to the bare metal. The Gold is heavy and clunky, but a fine shotgun for turkey hunting however.
The Maxus is the best patterning shotgun I have ever owned. If you want a light shotgun that shoots great, realizing that you probaly can only use a front bead or magnet front sight, then this is a great turkey shotgun. The black models are reasonably priced but still around a grand.
Having said all this, and owning many more shotguns than what I listed, I would still probably get the 935 because of price and performance if I was on a budget if I was getting a dedicated turkey hunting shotgun. Hope this helps...Russ
Only problem I have had with the 835 is when I put a scope on it. The safety was difficult to use but fixed the problem easily but putting a tactical safety on it. Works like a charm.