Rakkin beat me to it. If a heavy dose of waterfowl isn't in your future and you are buying for turkey and deer, I'd recommend the 20 ga with TSS shot. Since buckshot it illegal for all hunting in TN, a 20 ga with slugs will be a more than adequate combo for deer. An open choke and a side-saddle scope mount an low power scope can make a great deer hunting combination..
Good beginner turkey gun
- Thread starter Black Titan
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Carlos
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I'd recommend the 835.
ScLowCountry
Well-Known Member
870,500,835. These will do anything you need.
Get a 12 ga, factory full choke and some tss and you have a turkey slayer
Get a 12 ga, factory full choke and some tss and you have a turkey slayer
Just my opinion, what do you want out of turkey hunting? If all you want is a dead bird, if you just want to kill them go the tss route, you can killem at 70 yards.
If you want to hunt them and sometimes you win and most times the gobbler wins tss is ridiculously expensive and totally unnecessary. A gobbler called to 30 yds or so is not walking/flying away from a 1 1/4 oz load of #7.5 shot from a tight choked 12ga gun. Cost for a box of 25? $14.99 was what I paid.
If you want to hunt them and sometimes you win and most times the gobbler wins tss is ridiculously expensive and totally unnecessary. A gobbler called to 30 yds or so is not walking/flying away from a 1 1/4 oz load of #7.5 shot from a tight choked 12ga gun. Cost for a box of 25? $14.99 was what I paid.
ScLowCountry
Well-Known Member
Yea but cost off ammo. 2-3 shots a year is negligible. I shoot tss but wont shoot past 40. It just takes the patterning and choke testing out of the equation for average distance. You will spend just as much buying turkey chokes and several different lead loads and patterning. Just use a factory full and shoot it one time at the range to check poa/poi with tss.
Rakkin6
Well-Known Member
No such thing has to dead lol!
Black Titan
Well-Known Member
I appreciate all the responses and suggestions. I looked at several today, including some that weren't mentioned here. I couldn't find any mossbergs with the features I wanted. The one i was considering with two barrels was out of stock, and while it could have been ordered, I'm not sure when I would get another opportunity to get up there before season starts, so I looked at what was in stock.
Wow, Browning are expensive huh? And Beretta. Maybe one day, but not today.
I ended up going with the stoeger I was originally looking it. Only $300 with club points, came with two chokes, couldn't really find any bad reviews on it, and so far the only downside I see is I will need to find a gunsmith to drill and tap it for a rail if I want to add a dot or 4x scope for deer season.
I picked up two different kinds of shells for turkey, and a cheap box to run through it to get used to shooting it. I also got a case and a carlsons longbeard choke to go with it. They were out of the longbeard #6 shot.
The pic of the target is a customer review pic for this gun on the basspro website. Hoping the one I got will shoot just as good.
BT
Wow, Browning are expensive huh? And Beretta. Maybe one day, but not today.
I ended up going with the stoeger I was originally looking it. Only $300 with club points, came with two chokes, couldn't really find any bad reviews on it, and so far the only downside I see is I will need to find a gunsmith to drill and tap it for a rail if I want to add a dot or 4x scope for deer season.
I picked up two different kinds of shells for turkey, and a cheap box to run through it to get used to shooting it. I also got a case and a carlsons longbeard choke to go with it. They were out of the longbeard #6 shot.
The pic of the target is a customer review pic for this gun on the basspro website. Hoping the one I got will shoot just as good.
BT
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Rakkin6
Well-Known Member
Congrats on the new toy. If you decide to just run a dot you don't need to get it drilled and tapped. You can run a meadow creek mount on the rib of the shotgun. I have one of my guns set up with one already and will be using one on my new Stoeger 3020 since it also didn't come drilled and tapped. Here is a link to their website if you are interested. Super easy to mount, requires no gunsmith and will save you some money since you would have to pay the gunsmith and still purchase a mount for the red dot.
Low Profile Direct Rib Mount - Universal
*Yes, our mounts fit the new Mossberg Eventide Silver Reserve*Universal Red Dot Rib Mount , choose model below based on which optic you are going to use. Our "All Ribbed Shotguns Semi-Auto - Pump - AND - Over/Under" fits any gun with a rib. There are a couple of special options for guns that...
meadow-creek-mounts.myshopify.com
Did u get the Stoeger pump or auto? Both are great guns.
Looks like you're fixed up!
Looks like you're fixed up!
I've had a couple. Only thing to be aware of is that extra barrels, ie new 18" home security barrels etc, are really hard to find last few years. Don't think they make to sell separate anymore because they want folks to buy two shotguns instead of one. Extra barrel combos are still available, though, at least to some extent.
I have both the 835 and 500 mossbergs. I like both but If I wanted a beginner gun I'd go with the 500. Edit- just seen you bought the stoger. Good choice too imo!
Black Titan
Well-Known Member
Congrats on the new toy. If you decide to just run a dot you don't need to get it drilled and tapped. You can run a meadow creek mount on the rib of the shotgun. I have one of my guns set up with one already and will be using one on my new Stoeger 3020 since it also didn't come drilled and tapped. Here is a link to their website if you are interested. Super easy to mount, requires no gunsmith and will save you some money since you would have to pay the gunsmith and still purchase a mount for the red dot.
Low Profile Direct Rib Mount - Universal
*Yes, our mounts fit the new Mossberg Eventide Silver Reserve*Universal Red Dot Rib Mount , choose model below based on which optic you are going to use. Our "All Ribbed Shotguns Semi-Auto - Pump - AND - Over/Under" fits any gun with a rib. There are a couple of special options for guns that...meadow-creek-mounts.myshopify.com
I actually stumbled across these last night! Haven't decided yet though on which dot I want to use.
I may still go the pic rail mount though, so I can do a small power scope for slugs in deer season.
BT
Black Titan
Well-Known Member
Rakkin6
Well-Known Member
What distance were you shooting?
Black Titan
Well-Known Member
Rakkin6
Well-Known Member
Try it out at 40 yards and look at your pattern and adjust if needed. Once you are good at 40 bring it in to 15-20 yards and shoot. That way you see how condensed the pattern will be at close range also. Expect a soft all size pattern in closer. Which means there is not a lot of wiggle room for error.
Black Titan
Well-Known Member
Rakkin6
Well-Known Member
No problem brother, it's just good to know your pattern at 40 yards and in close. Lessons learned by yours truly. I am also a self taught turkey hunter starting in 2011. Just gathered has much info has I could on here and watching videos etc.
Congrats on the new toy and addiction. Until I switched to a 20ga I shot the 3 1/2" Longbeard #5's out of my 12ga and they'll wreak havoc on a turkey's noggin.
Saw a guy do that with a Belgium A5 once, ouch
