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New shotgun recommendation

Started by Gut Pile, January 16, 2013, 07:44:04 PM

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TRKYHTR

I shoot a Benelli SBE but I also have 2 different Remington 870's. For the money you can't go wrong with the 870.

TRKYHTR
RIP Marvin Robbins


[img]http://i261.photobuck

Crappiepro

Mossberg 835. I really like mine, it's been a great gun so far! Best trade I ever made!

CT Spur Collector

If you are very serious about turkey hunting, don't mess around. Get the Benelli M2, top it with a good scope and put a Carlson cryo choke in it. It'll reach out and touch em', if you know what I mean.

I shot two nice toms in Nebraska at 60 yards. Now, I don't make that a habit but it works. In PA. I like to get them to 15/20 yards. It works great at that distance also.

ohiostrutter

870 sps turkey love the sur shot stock and rifke sights dont overlook the choke that comes with it shoots good with hevi 7 s

FttFttVroom!

Been shooting and 870s for the last twenty five years. Started with a wing master and now have a super mag turkey. Never had a problem with any of them and that's about as solid a recommendation I can give!

Old Gobbler

#20
Your going to get many recommendations , if the gun your looking for is going to be a multi purpose hunting gun , like waterfowl , you may lean to the side of a semi- auto - If its going to be a straight turkey gun , just about any shotgun with screw in chokes can be made to kill a turkey

1) opt to get the most value out of your purchase , for a little bit more money you can get a loaded turkey gun off the rack  ....a camo dip , sometimes a half decent turkey choke and some adj. fiber optic bead sights , and a good soft recoil pad, and a sling -----all these things can ad up if you try and buy them latter 

2) Get a 3.5 chamber (if 12) , its a no-brainer - barrel length is up to you - shoulder it ,and then you make the choice

2) Find what fits you best , shoulder all of the guns in the shop - when you snap it up to your shoulder at a object , ( those mounted gobblers in the hunting department are good for something )  you want to see that bead and mid bead ( truglow sights if it has some ) point true and center  at the gobblers head - if all you see is rib , or the rib to the side , it feels to long of a pull or too short - try some other guns or see if the stock has adjustable shims - shotgun fit is important , eventually every serious turkey hunter if he/she hunts enough will miss a gobbler , and the main culprit is poor shotgun fit - when you rush a shot on a poor fitting shotgun bad things happen

3) Avoid no-name brands with obscure choke thread patterns - get a gun with a mobil type choke, rem choke , invector etc.. a big name brand thread pattern ,that's important cause you will be able to get that all important aftermarket choke - warranty  and repair service is simpler with the larger brand firearm makers 

4)Cycle the action , some of the longer 3.5 actions have a long stroke , make sure the gun cycles well for you ---  forearm rattle , some don't care , test out the gun you like in the store - make sure the safety is okay to operate

5) When you round it down to a gun you like make sure you get one that is put together right ,make sure the rib is soldered on true - most importantly , some choke installations are put in crooked at the factory , put the recoil pad down flat on the floor { make sure unloaded of course} and look very closely at the very thin muzzle around the choke , make sure it is even all around , it will be hard to tell because its probably only 10-20 thousands of a inch thick , make sure it is centered , look down the bore with the choke and make sure the choke seats the bore centered - if it is off even by .003 your going to have lets say a choke (.665 example) that will be a .662 on one side of the shot charge and .668 on the other side - I have seen chokes installed .010 off resulting in a gun that shot 1 foot to the right - that shotgun was a PITA to hunt with  -For Example , I have SP10 that is .003 off and shoots about 3-4 inches to the right -- Take the barrel off and make sure there are no wobbles down the bore and the forcing cone in front of the chamber wasn't butchered at the factory- they can be polished out , but if there is another gun in the back with a better barrel get that one - 

-If the gun your looking at has a uneven choke , put it back on the rack ,and ask if they have another new one in the back - that uneven choke gun will be someone Else's problem not yours - aftermarket sights will help correct some of this

  this is a exaggerated graphic of what to look for 
image courtesy of http://theshotgunshop.net/about.html

It don't matter how tight or hard a turkey gun shoots if it wont shoot where it is aimed , it is useless most important thing is to get it shooting straight - then work on the load and choke 

For about $400-$500 bucks for a good camo pump will fix you up good , I have owned countless shotguns , Remington's have a reputation for having solid reliability and a good fit for most statures plus after market parts galore ,Winchester& Browning's are of excellent in Quality , Beretta's & Benellis are good on performance and quality watch out for the price tag on the autos  , Mossbergs especially the 835's are Value packed and proven to have it where it counts -   

There are some newer makes of Turkish makes like Winchester pumps and the Stoegers are hard to beat , especially the Auto Stoegers you can pick up a 3.5 chamber Stoeger auto for about $600 - Stoeger is owned by the Parent company Beretta who also owns Benelli -

Good Luck--Shannon   
 
:wave:  OG .....DRAMA FREE .....

-Shannon

Tail Feathers

I want to shoot 3".  How does the SuperMag 870 shoot those?

My 3.5" Mossy don't like 3" and won't pattern very well with them.  It love 3.5 stuff tho.
Love to hunt the King of Spring!

Ruger M77

I eat therefore I hunt

neverstopchasin

cant beat the 835. smoked one at 81 steps and aint even jokin but it kills on both ends

ohiostrutter

thats all i shoot in my 870 supermag is 3 inch shells got good nimbers so never tried 3 1/2

TN Beard Buster

just purchased an 870 super mag turkey/predator with a shur shot stock. comes with a tru glo red dot which i do not like so i traded the scope for Nikon rings and put a Nikon turkey pro BTR on it! went today with a buddy  to pattern it today. it is freakin awesome. even with 3.5 shells it is still manageable.the recoil pad and that stock make it a pleasure to shot. not too heavy and the 21" barrel will make a true gobbler buster.

VaTuRkStOmPeR

Autos: 
1. Browning Silver or Gold
2. Stoeger 3500

Pumps:
1. Remington 870 supermag sps
2. Benelli Nova

bbcoach

If you plan on waterfowling, the Mossberg 835 has a Waterfowl/Turkey combo that is hard to beat.  I have the 62338 combo and it does a great job with Turkeys or Waterfowl.  I think I picked mine up for about $380, at Walmart, for both 24 and 28 inch barrels and it came with 4 chokes (improved, mod and full along with an extra full turkey choke).  Good Luck with whatever you decide. 

totallycluckedup

Old Gobbler offered up some excellent advise.  I too would recommend getting your hands on different guns to see what feels best for you.  For example I really like the fit and feel of a benelli steady grip stock.  If you don't want to break the bank, you can get a supernova with a steady grip for about $600.00.  There are a lot of options out there, that's for sure.  The Weatherby SA08 has gotten some great reviews on this forum as well.  I checked one out in my local Bass Pro the other day and the fit and finish was very nice... much better than I would expect from a $400-$500 semi auto.  If they go back on sale, I plan on picking one up in 20ga.

BrowningGuy88

It really all boils down to your preference and pocket book. I have had them from $100 single shots to Benelli M2 and Vinci's - they will all kill turkeys. You have to pick one that you are happy with and can pay for.

My personal favorites are the Remington 870, Browning BPS, Mossy 935, and the new Browning A-5.

Remington 870 and Mossy 835 will be hard to beat value wise. Benelli or Browning will be hard to beat for an all around duck/upland/clay/turkey gun.

Good luck on whatever you decide!