835 with 2.75"

[gwa]

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Do you get acceptable patterns?

Factory shotshell recommendation?

Chokes?

Thanks!

Denny

[dirt road ninja]

Denny,

I've never tried to pattern 2.75, but would think the same chokes that are use on the heavier loads would work well. Hevi 13 makes a 2 3/4 load in 6's that's where I start. As far as patterns go I think you could expect to see 130 maybe better. I'd start looking for a choke in the .670 to .675. Even though I've never shot the 2.75 I just have a feeling the tighter choke would perform a little better for you.

[mightyjoeyoung]

I know my thumbhole 835 will put up awesome patterns with 2 3/4" 1.25 ounce loads of #6 lead.  I use them alot for high flying crows, but do not doubt for a second they'd work very well on turkeys.

[allaboutshooting]

I have been trying to help a reader who has been shooting his 835 at "card shoots" at 30 yards. That's the only gun he has and does not feel that he can afford to buy another one, just for that sport. He's not been having any luck.

He's restricted to using a choke that will allow a 20 gauge shell to be fully inserted into it and they shoot very inexpensive 2.75" Federal 1 oz. loads of #7.5 shot, so he has a number of challenges to overcome.

For that reason, I've been shooting a lot of 2.75" shells through a variety of brands and different designs of chokes, trying to find a choke that will give him a fighting chance.

It's quite a different experience shooting that big old gun with very light 2.75" loads. There is hardly any recoil and yet, even with those 1 oz. loads, I'm seeing some good patterns at 30 yards with that small shot.

If you used a good 2.75" shell with #6 shot, a good .670 choke and restrict shots to whatever distance it gives you acceptable patterns, it should be an acceptable turkey hunting combination.

Many of us killed our first turkeys with 2.75" shells using guns with fixed full chokes. We also considered 25 yards a long shot then, so there's little doubt that you can find an acceptable combination to do the job with better shells and more options for chokes today.

A good bit of the fun of this sport is working with our guns, so have fun and good luck in your quest.

Thanks,
Clark

[surehuntsalot]

I've killed some birds with some 2-3/4" magnum Winchester 1-5/8oz #5's in my 835 with the factory full choke out to 40 yds with no problems

[lowoctane]

2.75" mag loads have killed many a rooster here! In lead!!!

[gwa]

Well the 835 came through again yesterday but with 3.5" Federal 6's. 1 1/4" spurs, 10 1/2" beard and 19 lbs.
Hard to change a good thing....

Denny

[Skeeterbait]

835's have been my gun of choice of many many years.  I have two of them, one set up as dedicated turkey and another as backup turkey and everything else gun.  What I have found is the backbored 835 is designed for heavy shot loads.  when using 2 and 2 1/4 ounce loads the chokes give expected results.  But with lighter loads, especially dove and field loads, you need to go tighter then you would expect to use for a standard 12 bore.  In other words, use modified to get an IC pattern, use full to get a modified pattern, use extra full to get a full pattern.

Now with heavy 3 and 3 1/2 inch turkey shells most 835's get great patterns with chokes in the .670 to .675 constriction.  So I would expect that 2 3/4 turkey shells would need at least that tight of constrictions.  I would try those and maybe even try as tight as a .660 or .665.

[Fatbeard]

My son uses my 835 with Xtended Range #5 in the 2 3/4 and I shoot the 3 1/2 #4 in the same shot and hey has dropped his turkeys dead from 10 yards to 30 and never had a problem and the pattern is very good also

[mohall64]

My 835 shoots excellent patterns with 2 3/4 Winchester #5.  These are some of the most uniform patterns I have seen.

[BandedSpur]

My son uses my 835 with Xtended Range #5 in the 2 3/4 and I shoot the 3 1/2 #4 in the same shot and hey has dropped his turkeys dead from 10 yards to 30 and never had a problem and the pattern is very good also

Any particular reason you are not shooting 6s?

[Frankinthelaurels]

Federal  used to make one in 2 3/4 #6's that patterned and killed as good as anything I've ever shot in my 45 years of killem' em..the old blue and gold box..don't believe they still make it these days...shoot it on paper and see what she looks like.