Mossberg SA-20 Turkey Thug

[bornagain64]

Looking to get a 20 gauge set up for turkey hunting.
I am leaning towards the SA-20 turkey thug. I know it comes with a rail, I am not sure I
Will like that. Seems like the scope will sit pretty high up.
I am looking at either a fast fire 3 or vortex red dot scope.

How do you guys like the gun? ( for those that have 1)
Do you like the scope mounted on the rail or without the rail? ( how is the sight picture? My 12 gauge has a cantilever barrel and comes with a check paid to raise up my eyes for better allignment)

Any other comments or suggestions on this gun? ( chokes, shells...)

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[Turkeyfever]

I have one and absolutely love the gun! I have a tasco red dot on mine  that is on the rail and have zero problems with field of view or it sitting to high. The choke tube I prefer is the Carlson's .575 non ported turkey. The shell I use is the Federal TSS #9, it is an awesome combo! The shell I shot before Tss was a federal Hvw #7. The gun shot that well but Federal discontinued the shell and TSS is just simply better. I truly believe you will not be disappointed in this gun! I have turkey hunted for 35 years and this is my favorite turkey gun. Light as a feather and is hard on the gobblers!

[kwild835]

I haven't hunted mine yet, but it shoots POA and is light as a feather.  Perfect size and barrel length.
Shoot crazy tight patterns with my 1 7/16oz handloads with Indian Creek .555 and shoots good hunting patterns with the Indian Creek .562. I have used an Affinity, M2, and SX3 all in 20 gauge and I think this one is going to top them all; especially in ease of carry, no inertia click, and price.

[TalksToTurkeys]

I got one last year after the season closed. I really like it. I think they dropped Thug from the name and just call it an SA-20 Turkey now. The rail was way too high for me. I mounted a Vortex Venom on a SumToy base. The gun comes with stock shims and I was able to shim it up high enough to get a good sight picture without adding anything to the comb.
I'm shooting a 1 7/16 oz. tss handload through a carlson's .575 and getting a great hunting pattern.

[bornagain64]

Thanks for the replies. Everyone has different opinoins or things effect us differently, usually trial and
Error until we get it how we like it.

Does the rail come attached to the gun or you can add it if you want?

Talkstiturkeys, I believe the barrel is predilled: do the holes that hold the rail match up
With the red dot scope? Or did you have to have it tapped and drilled?   


    John

[Turkeyfever]

The gun I bought was model #75782 and was called the thug. The gun now is model # 75790 and is just called turkey with no thug in the name. The rail was not attached with mine and came with the gun. One other difference was mine came with the dead ringer beard buster sight which I hunted with until last season. The new gun comes with fiber optic sights that are more like rifle sights. Like the above post my poa was on but I put the red dot on thinking it would help my 10 year old son but soon discovered that I liked it also! I think you are correct in some trial and error. I put the scope on got it right with some federal low brass, then I shot one Tss #9 to check the pattern and that was the end of it. Three gobblers later and I had no issues whatsoever finding or seeing them to shoot. The red dot has no magnification so to me it's no different than putting a fiber optic sight on the waddles!

[TalksToTurkeys]

Trial and error usually ends up mostly error for me and I end up with a lot of spare parts.
The supplied rail mates to the pre drilled and tapped receiver. I mounted the rail on the receiver. The Venom came with a picatinny base so I attached the sight to the base, mounted the base to the rail. It was too high for my liking, but I didn't think about the stock spacers that came with the gun. The spacers go between the receiver and the stock, they are cut at an angle. When installed, it will change the angle of the stock in relation to the receiver, effectively raising or lowering the comb. It is possible that if I had thought to install a stock spacer with the rail attached it would have been to my liking. I ended up needing a spacer with the SumToy base anyway.

[backwater]

I got one last year after the season closed. I really like it. I think they dropped Thug from the name and just call it an SA-20 Turkey now. The rail was way too high for me. I mounted a Vortex Venom on a SumToy base. The gun comes with stock shims and I was able to shim it up high enough to get a good sight picture without adding anything to the comb.
I'm shooting a 1 7/16 oz. tss handload through a carlson's .575 and getting a great hunting pattern.

Interesting.   When you removed the existing rail and put a Sumtoy base on, did the base line up with the existing holes in the receiver?
If so, do you remember what Sumtoy base you used?
Thanks

[TalksToTurkeys]

I got one last year after the season closed. I really like it. I think they dropped Thug from the name and just call it an SA-20 Turkey now. The rail was way too high for me. I mounted a Vortex Venom on a SumToy base. The gun comes with stock shims and I was able to shim it up high enough to get a good sight picture without adding anything to the comb.
I'm shooting a 1 7/16 oz. tss handload through a carlson's .575 and getting a great hunting pattern.

Interesting.   When you removed the existing rail and put a Sumtoy base on, did the base line up with the existing holes in the receiver?
If so, do you remember what Sumtoy base you used?
Thanks

It lined up. Message William here or email him through his website and let him know what optic you want to mount on what gun. He can answer any questions you may have.