Help me pick my next shotgun

[chipper]

In a pump a 870 or 835 and in a semi a 935 ,Winchester sx3 or a browning gold, maxus  or silver.

[Phire Phite]

If it matters at all, the smack of an 835 is not noticeable when you bead up a tom and pull the trigger.  Last thing on my mind. 

[grousec]

You said Semi-Auto because of recoil.  So I say 935 or perhaps the Franchi Intensity (don't have a clue how they pattern) but do know about the 935 and it will do what you want without the recoil of a pump.

[allaboutshooting]

I own a number of brands of guns in many different price ranges. When I hunt and when I compete in still target shooting, I shoot 3" shells exclusively because they do all that needs to be done for me.

I have been shooting a Mossberg 930 in competition for the last couple of years and when I do my part, it patterns as well or better than any stock commercial shotgun and as well or better than  custom bolt action guns.

To meet your 3.5" chambered requirement, there are of course many guns that are available and I have several of those. You would however be very hard pressed to find a 3.5" gun that patterns better than the Mossberg 835 or 935.

Currently, I'm evaluating a new Mossberg 835 with a 28" barrel and the Matthews Harmonic Dampner Recoil Reduction System. It is a fine gun, tight, with a great LPA trigger, drilled and tapped and throws some excellent patterns with a variety of chokes and shells.

I will wrap up my evaluation in the next few days and publish my results as soon as that's done.

I hope that helps some with your decision.

Thanks,
Clark

[WildSpur]

870 supermag with the shurshot stock.  The stock will help with recoil and you will hold rock steady.    It's meant to kill turkeys.  Just be careful with 40+ yard talk on here.

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[Bigeclipse]

870 supermag with the shurshot stock.  The stock will help with recoil and you will hold rock steady.    It's meant to kill turkeys.  Just be careful with 40+ yard talk on here.

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I understand but it does not make sense to me. yes, calling in the birds is a lot of fun and part of the sport. but as technology progresses so should we...to a certain extent. the reason im looking for this is because for the past two seasons I have to compete with some other hunters. every time I've had a bird come in its to about 40-50 yards and then circles me and walks off. I've tried different calls and different tactics except hunting with a partner. I hunt with my father in law and he is stubborn and wont buddy up. im at my wits end so I would like the option to be able to take a birdfarther than my current setup of 30 yards. I will still try and call them in that close but if one hangs up at least I may have a chance. iI've been hunting Dee for years with rifle and bow, so I do understand limits and such..the bow I will only shoot at a deer 35 yards or less...due to my skills....not because it is "unfair" to the deer. I don't shoot more than my tag limits and I feel I am a very responsible hunter. it would just be nice to tag my first bird after two seasons of scouting and hunting long hard hours only to have them walk off around 40 yards away. I have read some setups going out to 70 yards...im not asking for that.

[WildSpur]

Missing the point. ..talk over 40 yards here can get you on admins radar.  Just trying to help you from getting your thread locked.

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[Bigeclipse]

Missing the point. ..talk over 40 yards here can get you on admins radar.  Just trying to help you from getting your thread locked.

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ah ok.  Well I apologize and want to clarify a few things about this 40+ yard shots.  To all, including the admin, I really believe I am an ethical hunter.  If shooting beyound 40 yards is unethical, please explain to me why first, before banning my account.  I am an avid deer hunter for years, but turkey is new to me for 2 seasons now.  I currently shoot a set-up that only patterns well out to 30 yards and has cost me a couple chances at the few tom's I have come in contact with.  I have been reading that with today's guns, chokes and heavy loads, ethical shots can be taken out past 50 yards, BUT I do believe maybe that is all hype and BS and wouldnt chance wounding an animal, HOWEVER, I feel that shots from 40 to 50 yards MAY be ethical with the right combo and pattern, along with some heavy 3in or 3.5in loads.  These, in my opinion, should have plenty of power up until 50 yards.  The key I am getting at is, if I pattern my gun at 50 yards, getting over 100 pellets every shot in a 10 inch circle with heavy tungsten shot, then i would feel confident at shooting a turkey at 40 yards...knowing that if my judgement of distance was slightly off (say 45 yards maybe even 47 yards) I would still ethically take that bird.  I do love hunting, and I do enjoy calling the Tom's in with my mouth, slate, and box calls.  I will always try and get them as close to the 20-30 yard range as possible.  So please, do not ban my account...first explain to me why it would be so bad to go out to 45-50 yards if new technology can get you there ethically.  Thank you all for your responses.

[R AJ]

I am "hung up" as to why these birds always start circling at 40-50 yards unless they are seeing movement , shiny objects, such as scope glare, poor concealment, etc.

Remember that pellet counts at certain distances do not equate to penetration or energy at a given distance and that pellets do not all arrive at the same instant, so that pattern boards can be somewhat deceiving .

Once you get a few under your belt I hope that the experience enjoyed afield while turkey hunting will amount to more than filling a tag. Wait until you have a hammering gobbler under ten steps for an hour or so while trying to hold a gun up with mosquitoes piercing your ears and nose and you still never get the shot. The best movies in the world do not have the suspense and drama that is sometimes built into a turkey hunt.

[Bigeclipse]

I am "hung up" as to why these birds always start circling at 40-50 yards unless they are seeing movement , shiny objects, such as scope glare, poor concealment, etc.

Remember that pellet counts at certain distances do not equate to penetration or energy at a given distance and that pellets do not all arrive at the same instant, so that pattern boards can be somewhat deceiving .

Once you get a few under your belt I hope that the experience enjoyed afield while turkey hunting will amount to more than filling a tag. Wait until you have a hammering gobbler under ten steps for an hour or so while trying to hold a gun up with mosquitoes piercing your ears and nose and you still never get the shot. The best movies in the world do not have the suspense and drama that is sometimes built into a turkey hunt.

I appreciate your comments.  I do not know either.  I am used to holding ROCK steady with a bow drawn at deer under 20 yards.  I believe I am holding as still as possible.  I have had 3 Tom's over the past 2 years come in to my calls pretty quick.  One came in to 40 yards (I actually paced that out) but again my current set-up gets me to 30 yards, 35 MAYBE...that would be risky though so I wouldnt want to shoot, but definitely not 40.  The other two toms, came in about 45-55 yards away (this is a guess) I had previously ranged some trees with a range finder so it should be pretty close.  Two of the times I was very well concealed.  one I was physically in a bush.  My buddy couldnt even see me at 30 yards and he knew I was there.  The other I was behind a fallen log, only the very top of my head and my rifle where sticking about the log.  My theory is...these birds heard a lady hen, went to where she was...circled around only to not find her and then went off.  The  third tom I was at the base of a tree, he definitely busted me...but only after he had already stopped and started walking around me looking for the hen.  I tried to move into a better position, swinging my gun to my right...thought his head was behind a tree but maybe it wasnt.. He went running off, but he was still circling me.  The story is, if I had a 50 yard gun, I would have definitely shot at the one at 40 yards...probably would not have shot at the other two, but I will be honest and say if it was last day hunting season MAYBE I would have if i really believed it was closer to the 45 yard mark than the 50 yard mark. anyways, I do understand what you are saying about penetration at greater distances, but theere have been plenty of tests out there showing that the newer heavier shot turkey loads, like tungsten alloys and such do penetrate very well out to 50, so I wouldnt be too worried about that.  Maybe I am wrong about this...

[the Ward]

Sometimes the animals win. As it should be. I started turkey hunting in the late 80s(?) when our county had its first ever turkey season. Had no clue as to what I was doing, except for reading up on it in magazine articles.Made every mistake there was to make, plus some .But I kept at it, learning all the way till I finally got a nice tom in '97. Almost 10 years of fruitless seasons went into that first gobbler, and you know I wouldn't trade those years for nothing. I leaned a lot about turkeys and turkey hunting and now I think i have become  pretty fair at it, although I am far from an expert. Technology will only get you so far, nothing wrong with having or working to have an awesome shooting gun, but if you don't combine it with knowledge and woodsmanship you are not going to be very successful. You came to the right place, there are a lot of very good and very experienced turkey hunters here that will help you if you are willing to listen and learn. I've had to pass up shots on gobblers that were out of range, and end up with unused tags at the end of  many a season. And you know what? My wife didn't divorce me, my dog didn't bite me and my kid wasn't picked on at school, and when I opened my fridge lo and behold there was food in it so I wasn't going to starve. Don't fall into the" just got to have something dead in the bed of my truck" mentality that is so prevailant these days. The game we take are living, breathing creatures and deserve to be treated with our respect, not just as a target in a shooting gallery. No offence meant toward ya, just my  on the matter

[Bigeclipse]

Sometimes the animals win. As it should be. I started turkey hunting in the late 80s(?) when our county had its first ever turkey season. Had no clue as to what I was doing, except for reading up on it in magazine articles.Made every mistake there was to make, plus some .But I kept at it, learning all the way till I finally got a nice tom in '97. Almost 10 years of fruitless seasons went into that first gobbler, and you know I wouldn't trade those years for nothing. I leaned a lot about turkeys and turkey hunting and now I think i have become  pretty fair at it, although I am far from an expert. Technology will only get you so far, nothing wrong with having or working to have an awesome shooting gun, but if you don't combine it with knowledge and woodsmanship you are not going to be very successful. You came to the right place, there are a lot of very good and very experienced turkey hunters here that will help you if you are willing to listen and learn. I've had to pass up shots on gobblers that were out of range, and end up with unused tags at the end of  many a season. And you know what? My wife didn't divorce me, my dog didn't bite me and my kid wasn't picked on at school, and when I opened my fridge lo and behold there was food in it so I wasn't going to starve. Don't fall into the" just got to have something dead in the bed of my truck" mentality that is so prevailant these days. The game we take are living, breathing creatures and deserve to be treated with our respect, not just as a target in a shooting gallery. No offence meant toward ya, just my  on the matter

I feel like I might have given the wrong impression of myself.  I would never shoot something, just to shoot something.  I have let many deer walk, that were either out of range or not the deer I was looking for.  I did not mean to seem like because I did not get my tom's in two seasons thats why i want to shoot further (it is part of the reason though I have to be honest).  The only thing im saying is, when technology progresses, why not take advantage...to a certain extent?  For example, back in the days of the traditional bow...80s' and 90's...one could only take a deer out to say 20 yards or so.  It was lots of fun and difficult work to seal the deal.  Then came compound bows, which are now allowing many hunters to extend their range to 50+ yards.  Many now use the <40yards as exceptable now.  I actually will only shoot less than 30 because that is about as good as I am especially when buck fever hits. If my accuracy increases drastically and I can calm my buck fever, I would be willing to extend my range to 40 or so.  Now for turkey, yes, I love calling them in and it is fun and very challenging.  But why stick to my 30 yard set-up when there are ones that can get me further?  Yes I may buy a set-up that can ethically get me a bird at 50, but it does not mean I will take that shot.  it is nice knowing that if I judge a tom at 40 and shoot, then come to find out it was 46 yards, that my tom will be dead none the less and most importanly it will be an ethical shot.  Some states have laws where you can hunt turkeys with pellet guns, some of which can now shoot 22+caliber faster than 1000 fps allowing hunters to stretch out to 75+ yards.  Now that to me is too much.  Also, there are states where you can legally shoot a tom on the roost, which again...just seems unfair to me, but shooting a tom at 45 (maybe 50) yards with a properly set-up shotgun/load combo seems fine to me.  Maybe I am wrong and other opinions on here will sway me from that train of thought.  I do look forward to honing my skills either way and eventually hooking up with my first gobbler.

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

I am "hung up" as to why these birds always start circling at 40-50 yards unless they are seeing movement , shiny objects, such as scope glare, poor concealment, etc.

Remember that pellet counts at certain distances do not equate to penetration or energy at a given distance and that pellets do not all arrive at the same instant, so that pattern boards can be somewhat deceiving .

Once you get a few under your belt I hope that the experience enjoyed afield while turkey hunting will amount to more than filling a tag. Wait until you have a hammering gobbler under ten steps for an hour or so while trying to hold a gun up with mosquitoes piercing your ears and nose and you still never get the shot. The best movies in the world do not have the suspense and drama that is sometimes built into a turkey hunt.

I appreciate your comments.  I do not know either.  I am used to holding ROCK steady with a bow drawn at deer under 20 yards.  I believe I am holding as still as possible.  I have had 3 Tom's over the past 2 years come in to my calls pretty quick.  One came in to 40 yards (I actually paced that out) but again my current set-up gets me to 30 yards, 35 MAYBE...that would be risky though so I wouldnt want to shoot, but definitely not 40.  The other two toms, came in about 45-55 yards away (this is a guess) I had previously ranged some trees with a range finder so it should be pretty close.  Two of the times I was very well concealed.  one I was physically in a bush.  My buddy couldnt even see me at 30 yards and he knew I was there.  The other I was behind a fallen log, only the very top of my head and my rifle where sticking about the log.  My theory is...these birds heard a lady hen, went to where she was...circled around only to not find her and then went off.  The  third tom I was at the base of a tree, he definitely busted me...but only after he had already stopped and started walking around me looking for the hen.  I tried to move into a better position, swinging my gun to my right...thought his head was behind a tree but maybe it wasnt.. He went running off, but he was still circling me.  The story is, if I had a 50 yard gun, I would have definitely shot at the one at 40 yards...probably would not have shot at the other two, but I will be honest and say if it was last day hunting season MAYBE I would have if i really believed it was closer to the 45 yard mark than the 50 yard mark. anyways, I do understand what you are saying about penetration at greater distances, but theere have been plenty of tests out there showing that the newer heavier shot turkey loads, like tungsten alloys and such do penetrate very well out to 50, so I wouldnt be too worried about that.  Maybe I am wrong about this...

The real problem is that youre CALLING TOO MUCH.

If they are only coming to 45-50 yards and looking for the hen, you're giving that gobbler too much talk on the way in and he knows exactly where a "hen" should be when he gets there.

Stop calling to them after they commit and you'll have turkeys walking a lot closer than 45 yards because they have to look for you.

In theory, it's simple.  In application, guys just watch too much TV and are enamored with hearing themselves call.

[Bigeclipse]

I am "hung up" as to why these birds always start circling at 40-50 yards unless they are seeing movement , shiny objects, such as scope glare, poor concealment, etc.

Remember that pellet counts at certain distances do not equate to penetration or energy at a given distance and that pellets do not all arrive at the same instant, so that pattern boards can be somewhat deceiving .

Once you get a few under your belt I hope that the experience enjoyed afield while turkey hunting will amount to more than filling a tag. Wait until you have a hammering gobbler under ten steps for an hour or so while trying to hold a gun up with mosquitoes piercing your ears and nose and you still never get the shot. The best movies in the world do not have the suspense and drama that is sometimes built into a turkey hunt.

The real problem is that youre CALLING TOO MUCH.

If they are only coming to 45-50 yards and looking for the hen, you're giving that gobbler too much talk on the way in and he knows exactly where a "hen" should be when he gets there.

Stop calling to them after they commit and you'll have turkeys walking a lot closer than 45 yards because they have to look for you.

In theory, it's simple.  In application, guys just watch too much TV and are enamored with hearing themselves call.

Honestly that is what i thought...after the first tom, but the second two I hardly called at all...the one that walked around me at 40-50 yards...I called three times.  I was walking down a path after sitting all morning on a field.  Trying crow calls/pileated woodpecker here and there with nothing.  So I moved on to some hen calls and bamn, before I knew it I heard a gobble from, I was guess, about a 100 yards away.  I then layed down behind the fallen tree I told you about (it was the only cover in the area).  Waited a few minutes with no more gobbles so i called again.  He immediately sounded off again.  This time I saw him about 75 yards away heading toward me.  He then stopped and started walking away though, so i called a third time.  This time he made a "B" line straight to me so I I froze perfectly still with my gun barrel on the log aimed at him.  He was moving pretty fast then bamn...he stops at about 50 yards and starts strutting.  So now it was a waiting game.  He strutted for about 5 minutes and then stopped and started walking around where I was..."almost in a perfect circle" around me at 40-50 yards.  And then he dissappeared. But yes, I will make sure and not to call too often.  I guess let me ask you this question. If you call at a gobbler and he sounds off at say 75-100 yards away and you cant see him...do you stopped calling and just wait?  If so, how long? When do you call again if you do not see something after a certain amount of time.  Thanks.

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

Yes, the bird is biologically designed to desire the presence of hens at this time of the year.  If I call and he gobbles at 75 yards I'm not calling again.  He can choose to come or leave but he only has to walk 35 yards to be in gun range at that point.

Let him tell you what he wants to do and stop expecting instantaneous results.  Sometimes, he'll gobble at 70 yards and it'll take him 30 minutes to show up.  But he's going to be looking for you at that point instead of knowing exactly where you are.