Ok guys, looking for some input. I've got a Mossberg Flex 500, and I like it. It came with a 28 inch barrel, but this spring I got a 20 inch barrel for it which made carrying it a lot more comfortable in the woods this spring. A 20 inch barrel however being that much closer to the shooter made it ridiculously loud to use as the shooter. The rig also lacks a proper optic. That's a long winded way of saying that I want to get myself a dedicated turkey gun, lol.
I don't mind spending money, but good value would be nice. At this point I'm between the NWTF Bronwing BPS and the Benelli Supernova turkey as i think a pump fits the bill, but God knows there are some incredibly tempting autoloaders (NWTF silver, Super Black Eagle II Turkey, and the list goes on)
So folks, without further adieu, let's have you suggestions folks. Oh, and I've got better part of a year to make my decision so more than one suggestion is welcome
Benelli M2 20 Ga is all you need to kill gobblers farther than you think ! :icon_thumright:
Interesting suggestion. Is there a steady grip for it? Another consideration for myself is a used camo M1 at the local gun shop. Although it is a 28 inch barrel. I feel like the weight of it would allow it to carry fairly light in the field.
Edit: Nevermind, a quick trip to the Benelli website answered that question about the steady grip.
Whatever ya get, get a 20 gauge....you ask me that a year ago and I would of said youre crazy , I want my 12....after this year, I doubt I ever go back. ????
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Quote from: Swampchickin234 on June 17, 2014, 04:44:36 PM
Whatever ya get, get a 20 gauge....you ask me that a year ago and I would of said youre crazy , I want my 12....after this year, I doubt I ever go back. ????
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Same here! :icon_thumright:
HAVE U GAVE THIS A THOUGHT
Remington Versa Max Sportsman 12 Gauge 22" Barrel Turkey Camo Mossy Oak Obsession
I FOUND A GOOD DEAL ON ONE AND ORDERED THIS , THERES NOT ALOT OF INFO ON THIS PARTICULAR ONE , BUT WHAT I HAVE FOUND, IT SOUNDS VERY IMPRESSIVE JUST WITH THE STOCK
CHOKE ..... GOOD LUCK ON YOUR CHOICE :icon_thumright:
Gotta love a dedicated turkey gun! :you_rock:
Quote from: RAY on June 17, 2014, 10:05:28 PM
Gotta love a dedicated turkey gun! :you_rock:
Yes indeed , but can you really own just one ??? ;D ;D
A 20 gauge is definitely in the running. Only thing I find a bit disconcerting about them is they almost seem to be exclusively auto loader. I'm certainly not against getting an auto loader, I just find that it limits selection. Of course the off the board selection would be to do a build on something, and then there's always the chance I buy one sometime this year, and another after that, and then another, and then another.....
Some interesting suggestions thus far, keep 'em coming folks!
William @ Sumtoy says the Winchester SX3 in 20 is king at his range...
I have a Browning BPS 20 ga that I really like (It's not a turkey gun). But I have a buddy who got a Franchi 20 semi-auto in camo. He loves it!
I have a bps Realtree all purpose AP hunter that is absolutely outstanding with Fed htl 6 & 7's and a hevi choke. I average 170's with it with nice even numbers. It is my favorite turkey gun, and that's even over my Benelli, 870, and 835.
I bought my son a Mossberg 500 bantam this year for his first real turkey shotgun.
I have to admit, carrying that vs. carrying my old school original 835 is worlds lighter and I think has good range as well.
I'm thinking about dropping back to a 20 guage.
Get yourself a 24" or 26" barrel for that 500 and you'll be fine. I have a 500 field model that I hunted with for years, has a 28" barrel and I never had any issues with it. Just added camo tape to it to knock off the shine. eBay usually has fair deals on barrels especially the 500's. Mossberg 500's tend to be overlooked in the turkey gun dept.
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Quote from: trkehunr93 on June 19, 2014, 11:11:33 AM
Get yourself a 24" or 26" barrel for that 500 and you'll be fine. I have a 500 field model that I hunted with for years, has a 28" barrel and I never had any issues with it. Just added camo tape to it to knock off the shine. eBay usually has fair deals on barrels especially the 500's. Mossberg 500's tend to be overlooked in the turkey gun dept.
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I've definitely considered another barrel for the 500, I'd also like a sight for it though, and I've only got one shotgun, so another shotgun is pretty much inevitable. Time will tell though.
I would suggest a Remington Versa Max Sportsman. I have been very impressed with mine. It goes toe to toe with my SBEII. If you look around you will find some Great deals on them too. I saw one at a Dick's Sporting Goods store for $700 recently.
That 20" is loud! I went from a 24" to a 20" and could not believe it was the same gun. That was about the time I got some Walker's Game Ears.
If you use a sight that affixes to the barrel, changing the barrels out will not require sighting in over again. The way a 500 is made, the barrel moves around in the receiver. So, if even if you did clamp use a sight mounted on the receiver it'd always be a little off anyhow.
If it were me, I'd just get a 26" and shoot beads.
Quote from: howl on June 20, 2014, 03:28:11 PM
That 20" is loud! I went from a 24" to a 20" and could not believe it was the same gun.
So it's not just me? I went from a ported 28inch barrel to the 20 and thought "Wow, this thing has gotten loud." Lol
Quote from: rkm456 on June 20, 2014, 03:59:03 PM
Quote from: howl on June 20, 2014, 03:28:11 PM
That 20" is loud! I went from a 24" to a 20" and could not believe it was the same gun.
So it's not just me? I went from a ported 28inch barrel to the 20 and thought "Wow, this thing has gotten loud." Lol
A ported short barrel is even worse. Had to swing around a tree on a bird this year and my ear that was on the tree side was ringing for about 3 days. I love a short barrel but being able to hear is kinda important to me so I'm considering switching back to my 26" barrel.
Luv my m2 20!!!
I have a tricked out SBE2 I really like but just ordered a 20 gauge m2 and can't wait to use it
Quote from: reynolds243 on June 21, 2014, 09:31:52 AM
I have a tricked out SBE2 I really like but just ordered a 20 gauge m2 and can't wait to use it
As a guy that goes 5'7" and about 155lbs the more I think about a 20 gauge, the more I like the sounds of it, lol. Even a 16 gauge would be a nice compromise, between the 12 and 20, but I digress. Where I am anything that isn't a 12 gauge is tough to get your hands on, and you're usually pretty badly gouged for anything "special order". I also wish more of the factory turkey gun offerings came in 20, but hey, time will tell, and I've got about 11 months to make any sort of decision, lol.
I bought a franchi 20 and used it some last year and it was so nice to carry I decided to go ahead and upgrade to the M2 20
Super Black Eagle II.
I am picking up a m2 12 GA 21 inch tube this coming weekend.I have been lucky enough to hunt with one already..It's really light IMO.
I am a 20 GA guy myself but that m2 12 GA weights less then the 20 GA I have.
I was able to shoulder the m2 20 GA,and let me tell ya that is one fine handling gun..I'll have one in a few years.
I also shoulder the SBE and Vinic both 12 GA.Me personally wouldn't take one turkey hunting.For the fact I'm a smaller guy about the same size as you.They didn't felt me well.
Stick with what you like, a Mossy! The 835 or 935 would be my suggestion. See how the POA/POI is with the gun you get then add a Dot sight of some kind if you want or need it. If you can't handle the recoil of the 3.5's then drop down to the 3's. Plenty of excellent chokes out there for these two that won't break the bank. Good Luck with whatever you choose.
Quote from: outdoors on June 17, 2014, 08:31:57 PM
HAVE U GAVE THIS A THOUGHT
Remington Versa Max Sportsman 12 Gauge 22" Barrel Turkey Camo Mossy Oak Obsession
I FOUND A GOOD DEAL ON ONE AND ORDERED THIS , THERES NOT ALOT OF INFO ON THIS PARTICULAR ONE , BUT WHAT I HAVE FOUND, IT SOUNDS VERY IMPRESSIVE JUST WITH THE STOCK
CHOKE ..... GOOD LUCK ON YOUR CHOICE :icon_thumright:
I bought one for the kid that lives with me for his High School graduation in May.
It is throwing killing patterns with several shells with the stock choke.
He has over 2k rounds through it this summer without a failure of any kind.
Quote from: bbcoach on June 23, 2014, 07:56:59 AM
Stick with what you like, a Mossy! The 835 or 935 would be my suggestion. See how the POA/POI is with the gun you get then add a Dot sight of some kind if you want or need it. If you can't handle the recoil of the 3.5's then drop down to the 3's. Plenty of excellent chokes out there for these two that won't break the bank. Good Luck with whatever you choose.
Another option for me is to just get a 24 inch barrel and a burris fastfire for the 500 I currently have. That's not nearly as fun as gun shopping though :funnyturkey:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1sml6O9OVU
versa max turkey
Quote from: rkm456 on June 17, 2014, 02:02:25 PM
Ok guys, looking for some input. I've got a Mossberg Flex 500, and I like it. It came with a 28 inch barrel, but this spring I got a 20 inch barrel for it which made carrying it a lot more comfortable in the woods this spring. A 20 inch barrel however being that much closer to the shooter made it ridiculously loud to use as the shooter. The rig also lacks a proper optic. That's a long winded way of saying that I want to get myself a dedicated turkey gun, lol.
I don't quite understand the logic here. You have a 20 inch barrel and a 28. One's handier the other is not as loud. Pick which one you like better. Personally, I'd go for the 20 and wear electronic muffs for hearing protection, which you should be doing with either barrel anyway.
The Mossberg flex is D&Ted for scope mounts, get a red dot or mount fiber optic sights on the rib.
Unless of course you just want to buy a new gun, in which case logic goes out the window anyway. ;D
Quote from: natman on June 28, 2014, 11:14:40 AM
Quote from: rkm456 on June 17, 2014, 02:02:25 PM
Ok guys, looking for some input. I've got a Mossberg Flex 500, and I like it. It came with a 28 inch barrel, but this spring I got a 20 inch barrel for it which made carrying it a lot more comfortable in the woods this spring. A 20 inch barrel however being that much closer to the shooter made it ridiculously loud to use as the shooter. The rig also lacks a proper optic. That's a long winded way of saying that I want to get myself a dedicated turkey gun, lol.
I don't quite understand the logic here. You have a 20 inch barrel and a 28. One's handier the other is not as loud. Pick which one you like better. Personally, I'd go for the 20 and wear electronic muffs for hearing protection, which you should be doing with either barrel anyway.
The Mossberg flex is D&Ted for scope mounts, get a red dot or mount fiber optic sights on the rib.
Unless of course you just want to buy a new gun, in which case logic goes out the window anyway. ;D
1) Of course I'm looking for an excuse to get a new gun, lol.
2) I also enjoy upland hunting, so to a degree it behooves me to have a second shotgun.
At this point I'm seriously considering turning the 500 into a dedicated turkey rig and then getting a 20 gauge for upland.
Quote from: natman on June 28, 2014, 11:14:40 AM
Quote from: rkm456 on June 17, 2014, 02:02:25 PM
Ok guys, looking for some input. I've got a Mossberg Flex 500, and I like it. It came with a 28 inch barrel, but this spring I got a 20 inch barrel for it which made carrying it a lot more comfortable in the woods this spring. A 20 inch barrel however being that much closer to the shooter made it ridiculously loud to use as the shooter. The rig also lacks a proper optic. That's a long winded way of saying that I want to get myself a dedicated turkey gun, lol.
I don't quite understand the logic here. You have a 20 inch barrel and a 28. One's handier the other is not as loud. Pick which one you like better. Personally, I'd go for the 20 and wear electronic muffs for hearing protection, which you should be doing with either barrel anyway.
The Mossberg flex is D&Ted for scope mounts, get a red dot or mount fiber optic sights on the rib.
Unless of course you just want to buy a new gun, in which case logic goes out the window anyway. ;D
Wear electronic muffs while turkey hunting?
SBEII! :you_rock:
Quote from: Spurcollecta on June 30, 2014, 01:35:14 PM
Quote from: natman on June 28, 2014, 11:14:40 AM
Quote from: rkm456 on June 17, 2014, 02:02:25 PM
Ok guys, looking for some input. I've got a Mossberg Flex 500, and I like it. It came with a 28 inch barrel, but this spring I got a 20 inch barrel for it which made carrying it a lot more comfortable in the woods this spring. A 20 inch barrel however being that much closer to the shooter made it ridiculously loud to use as the shooter. The rig also lacks a proper optic. That's a long winded way of saying that I want to get myself a dedicated turkey gun, lol.
I don't quite understand the logic here. You have a 20 inch barrel and a 28. One's handier the other is not as loud. Pick which one you like better. Personally, I'd go for the 20 and wear electronic muffs for hearing protection, which you should be doing with either barrel anyway.
The Mossberg flex is D&Ted for scope mounts, get a red dot or mount fiber optic sights on the rib.
Unless of course you just want to buy a new gun, in which case logic goes out the window anyway. ;D
Wear electronic muffs while turkey hunting?
I wear electronic muffs for ALL hunting. I've done so for the last 20 years and have hundreds of hour of experience with them. If you adjust them correctly you can tell where a sound is coming from as well as without them. It's really nice when they turn a shotgun's
BOOM into a faraway, muted
boom.
Quote from: rkm456 on June 17, 2014, 02:02:25 PM
A 20 inch barrel however being that much closer to the shooter made it ridiculously loud to use as the shooter. The rig also lacks a proper optic. That's a long winded way of saying that I want to get myself a dedicated turkey gun, lol.
A 20 inch barrel is even louder than a 28 inch barrel which is plenty loud enough to damage your hearing as it is. Get some electronic muffs and protect your hearing. I've used Peltor 6s for years. There's something wonderful about the way they reduce a shotguns
BOOM to a faraway
boom.
Just to provide an update to those who might curious, my turkey gun search has been temporarily put on hold because I bought a Browning BLR in .243. I've wanted a lever gun for years, so I finally pulled the trigger :funnyturkey:
Just to provide an update to those who might curious, my turkey gun search has been temporarily put on hold because I bought a Browning BLR in .243. I've wanted a lever gun for years, so I finally pulled the trigger :funnyturkey:
[/quote]
CAN'T SAY I BLAME U .. THATS A REAL NICE GUN TO HAVE , It'll LAST YA FOR YEARS TO COME
While you were pondering and buying a rifle, I bought a 20 gauge SX3. :toothy12:
Quote from: Tail Feathers on December 15, 2014, 08:42:24 PM
While you were pondering and buying a rifle, I bought a 20 gauge SX3. :toothy12:
I also purchased the 20 gauge SX3 with the cantilever barrel. Keep me posted on what choke/shell combination you decide on. I'm gonna top it off with a FastFire III and try a Sumtoy/Federal Heavyweight #7 combo and see how it patterns. I'd be interested in information from others using this setup. :OGturkeyhead:
I will. Please do the same.
I read up on them and found a guy who really liked the flush mount Carlson's with HW 7's out of his. The choke was less than $22 to my door so I will start with that one. I like the idea of not extending the barrel any longer if I don't have to.
If that doesn't work for me, I'm calling Sumtoy chokes. I expect it will be at least a couple of weeks before I hve time to pattern. I just got word the gun is at my local gun store. :toothy12:
Hopefully we'll get some of that pleasant Texas weather in the 60's pretty soon and I can get some powder burned thru that Carlson's. I only have two or three HW7's left tho. Have some on order but they were backordered. I will post pics.
Oh yeh, I got the universal hunter. 26" barrel that comes drilled and tapped.
Sorry to have abandoned the thread over the winter folks, but I thought I'd come give you awesome guys and update after heading out to the range last weekend. I might not have been on here; I've been spending the off season preparing, but I digress...
Unfortunately my geographical location doesn't lend itself to extensive firearm and firearm accessory selection. So, in some instance I have to take what I can get.
I invested in a Patternmaster Anaconda choke, and some electronic ear muffs (under the advice of natman). I took it out to the range last weekend and had a pattern I was pretty happy with at 40 yards, about 50 pellets in the 10 inch circle, and about 15 directly in the head and neck area. I'll likely continue to pattern with a couple other types of ammo to see if I can get something even tighter as I'd like to have a more dense pattern in the 10 inch circle. I'll likely give longbeard xr's a try and see if they're all they're advertised to be. If anyone's got any suggestions I'm all ears. Also added a couple Avian X decoys to the collection :funnyturkey:
Finally got the BLR out too. The actions even smoother than I thought it would be. some user error was a factor, but 2 inch groups at about 50 yards freehand shooting through the factory irons. Very happy with it.
Hope you guys are all doing awesome OG'ers.
Another update, lol. I was able to grab a box of Longbeard XR's for about 12 bucks today so i grabbed them. I'll let you guys know how they pattern when I get the opportunity.
Holy smoke. 50 in 10 inches is awful. Remember to draw your circle around the core of your pattern AFTER you shoot.
Quote from: Oconeeguy on April 04, 2015, 10:38:18 PM
Holy smoke. 50 in 10 inches is awful. Remember to draw your circle around the core of your pattern AFTER you shoot.
I'd have to pull the paper out and recount after doing that. It's entirely possible the pattern is better than I thought. The wind at the range was a lot worse than we expected which effected the quality of shooting.
Quote from: Oconeeguy on April 04, 2015, 10:38:18 PM
Holy smoke. 50 in 10 inches is awful. Remember to draw your circle around the core of your pattern AFTER you shoot.
Wow, thanks for the advice. After moving the circle, it's just shy of 100 inside 10 inches. Looks like POI is a little left of POA at 40 yards, rookie move by me. Even with that, I'm still not thrilled with the consistency of the pattern. More range time needed.
Quote from: rkm456 on April 04, 2015, 11:37:58 PM
Quote from: Oconeeguy on April 04, 2015, 10:38:18 PM
Holy smoke. 50 in 10 inches is awful. Remember to draw your circle around the core of your pattern AFTER you shoot.
Wow, thanks for the advice. After moving the circle, it's just shy of 100 inside 10 inches. Looks like POI is a little left of POA at 40 yards, rookie move by me. Even with that, I'm still not thrilled with the consistency of the pattern. More range time needed.
Shot size and air temp?
Quote from: 10gaugemag on April 05, 2015, 12:06:51 AM
Quote from: rkm456 on April 04, 2015, 11:37:58 PM
Quote from: Oconeeguy on April 04, 2015, 10:38:18 PM
Holy smoke. 50 in 10 inches is awful. Remember to draw your circle around the core of your pattern AFTER you shoot.
Wow, thanks for the advice. After moving the circle, it's just shy of 100 inside 10 inches. Looks like POI is a little left of POA at 40 yards, rookie move by me. Even with that, I'm still not thrilled with the consistency of the pattern. More range time needed.
Shot size and air temp?
#6's, right around 35 degrees.
Try it around 60 degrees or above and you will be surprised. I shot at 73 the other day and my numbers were a fair bit better than todays 62. I lost 15-30 in the 10 depending on choke/load.
Quote from: 10gaugemag on April 05, 2015, 01:31:08 AM
Try it around 60 degrees or above and you will be surprised. I shot at 73 the other day and my numbers were a fair bit better than todays 62. I lost 15-30 in the 10 depending on choke/load.
Hadn't given air temp a lot of thought. Good point though. It should be warmer next weekend so I'm hoping to get back to the range then.
Shoot at the temps that is normally what you encounter during the season in the mornings. Shooting on 80 degree days with high humidity may look good on paper but it doesn't tell you what it does during hunting. I shoot mine around 40 degrees. It was 28 this morning
That's tough to do around these parts even though it's sound advice. In the a little over a month our season lasts we'll go from 45 degrees - 80 by then end of it, lol. I certainly wouldn't hunt as cold as it was last weekend, but we regularly get huge temperature swings.
Yeah but if you pattern in the coldest temps you will see it will only get better the warmer it gets. Getting 200 in a 10 at 80 degrees does no good when you pull the trigger on a gobbler at 45 degrees and it's half that. I do recommend shooting in both extremes though just as a confidence booster.
Quote from: turkey_slayer on April 05, 2015, 05:31:34 PM
Yeah but if you pattern in the coldest temps you will see it will only get better the warmer it gets. Getting 200 in a 10 at 80 degrees does no good when you pull the trigger on a gobbler at 45 degrees and it's half that. I do recommend shooting in both extremes though just as a confidence booster.
Kind of where I am at. Normal 50-60 mornings here then getting to 75+ throughout the morning. Try mit through several temp ranges to make sure all is well.
Quote from: WildTigerTrout on June 22, 2014, 10:34:45 PM
Super Black Eagle II.
I agree...Can't beat a Benelli SBE2 or Benelli Super Vinci.
Got out to the range today with some Winchester Long Beard XR's. Weather was right around 60 degrees, beautifully sunny, and just a slight breeze. I honestly didn't think I'd be as impressed by the LB's as I was.
After doing a bunch of patterning with some old #2 lead shells I had, to make sure that my gun was shooting point of aim, it was time to get down to business. I was using some of the larger Quaker Boy turkey targets, which means that circle is 12 inches as oppose to the 10 that appears to be the standard. Anyways, at 35 yards inside the 12 inch circle I had 275 pellet hits, and after measuring a 10 inch circle from the densest section of the pattern, unless I miscounted, I was still about 250. As for the head and neck of the bird pictured on the target, well I stopped counting at 50 something. I did have a dud round in the box which left me a little disappointed, but overall I'm pretty excited to get out into the turkey woods when season opens up in a few weeks.