835 Turkey Thug

[coyotetrpr]

Does anyone have any experience with the 835 Turkey Thug shotgun? I am very bseriously thinking about getting one but would love to hear some opinions first. Pattern results and red dot quality are my main topics of wonder, but any opinion would be very apprecieated. Thank you all for the info.

[cahaba]

I dont know much about them. The thing I dont like about them is that short short barrel. I would pick a Remington with a 26" barrel anyday.

[sugarray]

What's the worry with the 20" barrel?  I have the thumbhole 20" barrel and it is a shooter now.  I shoot TSS and my best is 296 in a 10" at 40, with an open .710 IC.

I don't like the tube style red dot, but don't worry about the the barrel.  Shoot an IC .675 or a PG .670, or even better a SumToy .675 and you will have all the pattern you want.

[cahaba]

 I just prefer a 24-26" barrel. You may not like those size barrels. We are each entitled to our preference arent we? I prefer a longer sight plain, easier to get good patterns and less barrel whip. The only negative about a longer barrel is it gets in the way sometimes. I have had short barrels and they are nice to tote. To each his own.

[fountain2]

I've got one...love it.  Its a great gun and will throw great patterns...don't worry bout the short bbl.   I have 2 with 20"  black and both outshout my other 28" bbl one evening.  Its a nice gun and the optics hold up well too.  This is my second season with it.  My dad win this gun last year at the nwtf convention. I've shot hevi, nitros and tss loads out if it and all pattern nice and will do all a turkey hunter will need. 
Here are some pics:
First is hevi 13 7 with a Sumtoy 675..330 in a 10 @ 40
Next is daddy with the gun and turkey thugs

[Hooks' n' Beards']

To light and Kicks like a Mule.

[sawtooth]

Thats a pretty pattern but 7's loose steam (even Hevi-shot) past 40 yds.  I shoot Hevi #5's out of a short barrel Beretta and get 210-230 in a 10" circle @ 40yds but still get well over 100 pellets in that same circle at 60yds.  I call it the Turkey Shredder.  Its an amazing setup and doesn't take many #5 Hevi's to really screw up a gobbler.   

[Grunt-N-Gobble]

Thats a pretty pattern but 7's loose steam (even Hevi-shot) past 40 yds.  I shoot Hevi #5's out of a short barrel Beretta and get 210-230 in a 10" circle @ 40yds but still get well over 100 pellets in that same circle at 60yds.  I call it the Turkey Shredder.  Its an amazing setup and doesn't take many #5 Hevi's to really screw up a gobbler.   

NOW THAT IS A PATTERN WE'D LIKE TO SEE!!!!!!

I for one have never heard of such high 10" numbers with #5's.

[fountain2]

I will take my chances once with em...I figure with that many pellets to the head, a gobbler can't take the trauma like that in the head/neck.  I don't plan on shooting past 40 although I would feel good to 50 with that pattern.

[mightyjoeyoung]

Thats a pretty pattern but 7's loose steam (even Hevi-shot) past 40 yds.  I shoot Hevi #5's out of a short barrel Beretta and get 210-230 in a 10" circle @ 40yds but still get well over 100 pellets in that same circle at 60yds.  I call it the Turkey Shredder.  Its an amazing setup and doesn't take many #5 Hevi's to really screw up a gobbler.   

Yeah, feel free and post up that pattern!  I have a bunch of 2.25 ounce hevi 5s and can't get anything like that out of my super cleaned/pollished 24" 835 that'll put up over 300 at 40 with 3 1/2" mag blends.  And "well over 100 in the 10" at 60 yards?...I'm gonna use a missourr term here.  SHOW ME.     Further...it only takes ONE pellet...in the head/neck to screw up a gobbler.  It takes more I'm sure if you're body slamming them at 60. At ethical ranges, either 5s or 7s while kill a gobbler just as dead as the other.

Cahaba, the sight plane is irrelevant on the turkey thug as they come with a either a red dot and/or sights and 20" pipe isn't going to give any more "barrel whip" than 24".

[sawtooth]

Guys i couldn't agree more with what your saying as i've had a many turkey gun and just couldn't get them to shoot the larger shot well at all.  Actually the Mossberg 835 did decent with 3.5" #4's (copper plated lead) but were only talking 140 or so pellets in 10" circle at 40 yards.  For some stupid reason i'm into testing turkey guns and loosing money like crazy in doing so but i'm just addicted to finding the most bad #%$ turkey setup on the planet and to date i think i have found it.  Anyway, i'm posting some targets later this week of my gun and also a friend of mine has ordered and just received this same gun, choke, shells etc.  Well do some testing and i will post the results.  Anyway for those that have a Extrema 2 just try this setup and post back to the thread i've listed below.  I would love to see if your getting the same results. 

http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,18986.msg214169.html#msg214169