Which gun to convert?

[Big Treble]

So I have two 870's I use for absolutely nothing else. I have a 12ga, express mag with a 28" barrel currently camo' and set up with truglo fiber optic sight but not crazy about such a long barrel.  I also have a youth with wood stocks 20 gauge express mag. This has a full rifled barrel, which I no longer hunt in illinois so I don't need a slug gun.

I am interested in changing the stock and barrel on one of the guns to convert it to a turkey killing machine.

Which with would you do and why?

[Gooserbat]

That 20 with Few HW #7 would be wicked.  Same with the 12 with a host of good turkey loads.  The thing about the 20 is they do carry better.

[Full strut]

My vote would go with the 20 aswell

[Big Treble]

Oh, and I know my man card says if I'm going to spend $250-$300 on barrel and stock, I should just go buy a new turkey gun, convincing my wife would not be an issue.

  However my safe is full and this process would lead to me not only needing another gun, but a safe as well.  While I'm on board with that plan, convincing my social director might be a bit more challenging.  And I would would not use the two original 870's

[bowmike]

I would convert the 20 as that is what I am doing now, but I had converted my 870 express as follows.

BSA boss turkey scope-90.00 not bad but did have a few issues

Knox Talon stock set up, recoil reduction- 100.00 off ebay, still a lot of them out there, and knoxx customer service is awesome.

truglo gobble stopper choke- 25-30.00

Here are a few pictures of the gun.

Original set up and first gobble kill, stock everything, modified choke, and Remington 4x6 shells



Last years coyote kill





it also has a 28" barrel but patterns awesome with 1 3/4-2oz heiv #6





40 yard pellet count in the head

10" circle at 40



265

I really like this gun and only thing I would change would be a smaller barrel, but that is just a personal preference. I am setting up a 20 ga youth gun for my nephew and son to use but may also carry it as well. THe only downfall to this set up is it gets a little heavy to carry. I am pretty mobile with my turkey hunting but if you are not this might be a decent set up. The stock is great for use with a scope, and the recoil reduction works fairly well but with 2 oz of 3" hevi shot it still lets you know its there. IF you want  to shoot me a pm if you have any questions.

[Tom Foolery]

I would convert the 20 gauge

[FullChoke]

I vote for the 20 gauge as well.

You could sell or trade the 20ga slug barrel and get one that is already threaded for a choke tube. You could also sell the 12 gauge and completely finance the new stock, a Sumtoy 562-5 choke tube, have it camo-dipped and spend what you have left on boxes of the Federal Flightcontrol HW #7 shot shells. A sighting system (fiber optic, holographic or scope) may have to come out of your pocket.

Fashioning a customized turkey gun to your specifications can be a lot of fun.

FC

[Big Treble]

Thanks fellas, so the consensus  was what I was thinking of anyway.  I could still have my 12 as is to kill birds.

Bowmike, nice set up, like you I would want a 21-24" barrel

Fullchoke, defiantly will put some sighting system on it and more than likely fiber optic open sights, it is not that I'm old fashioned, all my rifles and some of my pistols have optics of some sort.  Just a bit scared of the glare thing and or battery malfunction screwing up a hunt.  I just pasted a gobbler last weekend and didn't have any issues with the open sights, so I should be good to 40 with those.

[Snoodsniper]

Sounds like you got your build picked out. Sure you will have as much as a new gun but who cares. Putting one together is a lot of fun. I just bought a trashed BPS with half the parts missing. I'll rebuild it and it'll be a goose gun.

[Ralph-NY]

Try the 20

[beagler]

Another vote for the 20.

[Big Treble]

Sounds like you got your build picked out. Sure you will have as much as a new gun but who cares. Putting one together is a lot of fun. I just bought a trashed BPS with half the parts missing. I'll rebuild it and it'll be a goose gun.

That's what I was thinking, just hate to miss the opportunity on a new weapon. Lol

[Big Treble]

Alright, alright, alright your fellas expert opinion, has convinced me to convert the 20 after this season.  Kind of leaning that way anyway.

[surehuntsalot]

another vote for the 20

[762hunter]

I did my 870 20ga that I bought when I was 12,
SurShot stock, Burris FFII, Sumtoy choke, I'm getting somewhere around 160 hits at 40yds.
Thats about its range I believe.

My 870 12ga I have a Sumtoy and a CompNChoke tube for and they both are about equivalent. I'm getting around 260 hit and I feel confident out to 60 yards.

So my suggestion would be to fix them both up the way you like and as $$$ allows.

I still like my 12 but that 20 sure is nice toting around.


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