Help with my new turkey gun platform - 20ga

[FLA Swamp-hunter]

I have used a Mossberg 835 Ulti 12ga 3.5" ported turkey gun for the past 10 years or so with excellent results in close and at some impressive distances.  I have never pulled the trigger on bird with this gun and not walked out of the woods with my bird.  I have never had to shoot more than once on a bird.  I am confident in my patterning and marksmanship abilities.  The gun is heavy and long and it ain't getting any lighter or easier shooting on me...  These days I seem to to chase and call birds for friends and out of state guys in exchange for deer hunts, etc.  I am ready to carry something light and maneuverable yet capable.  Most of my shots are in the swamp 30 yards and in to within feet of me, with an occasional 40.  Occasional.  Where I hunt it is fast and furious. 

The gun I buy this week will be the platform for a turkey only gun.  It will be dipped, smithed, and tweaked with no punches pulled.  Stock will likely be replaced with collapsible Knoxx or the like. Forearm will likely remain stock.

What say you?  Thanks!

--- I attempted to post this as a poll, but I'm not sure if I did it correctly.  The two guns I am narrowed down to are the Nova Compact and the 870 Compact.

[allaboutshooting]

A well choked 20 gauge gun with the correct shells will do anything that you need done. It shoots just as far as a 12 gauge, it just carries a lower payload of shot.

Although I'd shot 20 gauge guns off and on most of my life, I became very interested in them while at the NWTF Convention in 2000. Doris and I had a booth and we had so many shooters come to us asking about shells and chokes for 20 gauge turkey guns. The performance was terrible then, there were no really good chokes and no really good shells available.

Rob Keck came by to visit and I was discussing that with him since I knew that all he used for turkeys was a 20 gauge shotgun. He agreed that chokes were not good and shells weren't either but he was in to calling them in very close, 15-20 yards, and the hunt was more important than the kill. He asked me to develop a good 20 gauge choke tube. I'd worked with another designer, Stu Wright, on 12 gauge chokes and he was aware of that.

I bought every 20 gauge choke I could find and spent a lot of time at the range. Then, for the next several years, Stu and I experimented with different designs.  Eventually, when it was introduced, we started using Remington Hevi-Shot shells with 1.25 oz. of #6 shot as our shell of choice.

In mid-2004 we'd settled on a design that worked very well with those shells. In October of 2005, Hevi-Shot introduced its own 20 gauge shells at the still target shoot World Championship. We went on to set 2 World Records and Doris won 4 World Championships (her World Record still stands), and convinced me that a 20 gauge shotgun, with the right shell and choke was as effective as any other gun.

I chose a Remington 870 Express with a 26" barrel since it was inexpensive and readily available. It was not altered in any way. Eventually, I did put an ATI adjustable hunting stock (AKITA) on that gun and both Doris and I could use it. Still later we experimented with a StraightJacket barrel sleeve but that did not improve performance on that gun like it did on my 12 gauge.

I like the 870 for turkeys much better than the Nova. When you fire the Nova, the slide is released and starts a rearward movement unless you put forward pressure on it. That can cause a shot to go high. It's a great wing gun but I don't like it for turkeys.

If you plan to really customize it, I'd recommend the ATI stock and then Rob Roberts for any other gun work you want done. I'd recommend a 26" barrel. We discovered that anything shorter makes it really hard to pattern well but you don't gain much, except less muzzle whip, with a longer barrel.

There are now several good 20 gauge turkey chokes and several good shells. I still use #6 shot most of the time because I know exactly what it does but #7 is also an excellent choice. I really like the SSX or Swarm with Hevi-13 #6 or #7 shot and the SSX with Heavyweight #7 shot.

Whatever you choose or however you go, all my best and please keep us advised of your choices.

Thanks,
Clark

[FLA Swamp-hunter]

Thank you very much, Clark for taking the time to go through it with me.  I will definitely post finished product and results.  So, I guess I shouldn't try to go so compact and go ahead and get the 26" barrel.  I was thinking about mobility etc, but accuracy and reliable pattern is more important to me.  thanks!

JD

[dirt road ninja]

I voted 870, but I like your original idea of keeping it short and compact. The 21 inch barrel with that SSX and Hevi 7's will give you a solid 40 yard gun, at least mine is. When I carry mine it feels like I'm toting a toy. Good luck!!

[R AJ]

Up to you but my vote is for the 26" barrel as well. I had a 21" years ago and for whatever reason I tended to look over the barrel instead of down it and this caused three straight misses for me. Enough of that.
Since then I have tried barrels as short as 18.5" but still opt for a 26". Look , a 20 gauge 26" barrel still weighs less than a 12 gauge 21-22 inch barrel. Recoil is sweet as well.

Good luck on your project gun and decisions made.

[FLA Swamp-hunter]

Thanks guys!  I appreciate it.  I'm going with the 870 and the SSX choke but haven't decided on barrel length...  My gut says go 26, but I aways wanted a compact, especially for moving around in a small pop up blind.  I may let cost decide or maybe sort of split the difference with a 24"
Either way, I'll let you know know and I will post pics of the gun and the patterning results.  Thanks again!

[SumToy]

look at the BPS.   Get the Fed HWT 7 and good choke.  Then have fun. 

[gophert]

I vote 870 20 ga and you will regret not getting the shorter barrel (21").  There's just not enough difference in pattern to warrant going to the longer barrel in my opinion.  I agree with Dirt Road Ninja, it's like hunting with a toy it's so light.  With the right choke they are one of the best turkey hunting values on the market.  I have 2 and have no desire to hunt with anything else. And I can tell you from experience they will bust a turkey's head a lot further than you are comfortable to shoot.

[FLA Swamp-hunter]

NICE, gophert!!  Thanks for the pics too.  Let me know if you ever want to jettison one of those babies.

[FLA Swamp-hunter]

NICE, gophert!!  Thanks for the pics too.  Let me know if you ever want to jettison one of those babies.