Turkey Gun Question

[Kirk]

I have been shooting a Remington 1100 for years when I Turkey hunt. it is at the gunsmith getting some work done so I am looking for new Turkey Shotgun.

Everything I am seeing have short barrels on them. Do these short barrels pattern good at the longer ranges like 50 and 60 yards?

 

[KPH]

mine does

 

[Deer Assassin]

a few years ago i killed at 64 59 and 51 yds

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

I wouldn't be shooting that far period unless the time has been spent at the range pattern testing to see that the pattern is dense enough at that range. Why take the chance of wounding a turkey to be lost or just hope for that lucky few pellets to do their job?

I have shot many 12ga shells of various densities/load ounces/pellet size..... and have almost a dozen choke tubes.... NOTHING I have used would pattern well enough to be shooting 55-60+ yards.... really wasn't a decent pattern at 50.

You can sling pellets and hope for the best.... but in my opinion isn't very ethical or responsible as a hunter.

 

[deerhunter10]

yes it takes prsctice and finding the right load and choke but you shouldn't have a problem after finding the right combination.

 

[1 good shot]

i shot a coyote at 75 yards and he rolled
course that was the the third shot
the first was about 25 yards and the second about 40 and i don't know if it took him that long to die or i actually hit him
i won't take a shot a turkey over 40 yards, too iffy,
even though my gun still patterns well at that range(40 yards)

 

[Kirk]

My 1100 has the long 30" barrel and the turkey choke tube. It patterned pretty tight at 40 yards and still had a lot of lead in the kill areas at 50 yards.

These new shotguns all seem to have 21 inch and under barrels, ported and a choke tube. They look tiny compared to the monster I have been using. That is what prompted this question.

The Weatherby PA-459 has a 19 inch barrel.

The Mossberg 835 has a 20 inch barrel.

Both are 10 inches shorter than the barrel I have.

 

[TheLBLman]

Do these short barrels pattern good at the longer ranges like 50 and 60 yards?

Not a huge difference, but my question would be why be focusing on over 50 yards when your average shot is probably going to be under 30 yards?

IMO, many turkey hunters are reducing their odds at what they bring home by increasing their chances at a close-range miss due to trying to increase their chances at a long-range hit.

Most of my turkey hunting this year will probably be with a 20 gauge, and I own a super-long-range-capable 12 ga dedicated turkey gun. By the way, with the right shells (such as the Federal Heavyweights), a 20 gauge has an extended range over a 12 ga using copper-plated lead loads.

Back to your barrel length question, I think the shorter barrels have more practicality vs. a slightly more uniform pattern expected from a longer barrel.

 

[TheLBLman]

I have shot many 12ga shells of various densities/load ounces/pellet size..... and have almost a dozen choke tubes.... NOTHING I have used would pattern well enough to be shooting 55-60+ yards.....

You can sling pellets and hope for the best.... but in my opinion isn't very ethical or responsible as a hunter.

x 2

Although I do have one gun that I believe is "ethical" out to 50 yards. My main issue is misjudging yardage, so I try to limit my shots to about 45 yards, never mind most end up being under 30. Ironically, this big, heavy behemoth 12 ga only gives me about 5 yards range over a little lightweight 20 ga using Federal Heavyweight shells. If you walk a lot, carrying a lightweight 20 may be more appealing than trying to push the envelope on range.

 

[TheLBLman]

Kirk,

Take a look at this, in a 20 gauge!

http://www.weatherby.com/product/shotguns/sa_459

I've found that the autoloaders can be "quieter" to carry than the pump actions (which tend to "rattle").

 

[Kirk]

Do these short barrels pattern good at the longer ranges like 50 and 60 yards?

Not a huge difference, but my question would be why be focusing on over 50 yards when your average shot is probably going to be under 30 yards?

The same question could be asked for a rifle and a bow.

The reason I am asking this question is two fold. If the pattern is tight at 50 yards, that means it is going to be really good at yardage less than 50. If it is really a loose pattern at 40 yards then the "misjudging" factor is amplified if you mistake 40 for 30 yards.

I am just trying to see how the shorter barrel shotguns compare to the longer barrel shotguns. Thought someone that had a 19 or 20 inch barrel shotgun might say something good or bad.

 

[Kirk]

Kirk,

Take a look at this, in a 20 gauge!

http://www.weatherby.com/product/shotguns/sa_459

I've found that the autoloaders can be "quieter" to carry than the pump actions (which tend to "rattle").

I looked at the exact style of Weatherby Shotgun today in a 12 gauge. I really liked it. The price was a lot less than the one you have listed.

 

[Nhill]

In my opinion, there is way too much emphasis placed on a turkey gun. It is all marketing and getting people to believe that they need special $100 chokes and dedicated turkey guns.
Just call them within a reasonable distance and shoot them with a shotgun that has a tight choke.
It's just a turkey.

Of course, if you want to give yourself the best equipment for the job, and have the money to blow; I can understand that. It's just not as necessary as the marketing folks would have you believe.

 

[scn]

Do these short barrels pattern good at the longer ranges like 50 and 60 yards?

Not a huge difference, but my question would be why be focusing on over 50 yards when your average shot is probably going to be under 30 yards?

The same question could be asked for a rifle and a bow.

The reason I am asking this question is two fold. If the pattern is tight at 50 yards, that means it is going to be really good at yardage less than 50. If it is really a loose pattern at 40 yards then the "misjudging" factor is amplified if you mistake 40 for 30 yards.

I am just trying to see how the shorter barrel shotguns compare to the longer barrel shotguns. Thought someone that had a 19 or 20 inch barrel shotgun might say something good or bad.

What it also means is that if it is tight at 50 yds, then you will have a VERY small pattern at 10 yds. If you pull or the turkey moves, there won't be much margin of error.

Super, super tight isn't always the best way to go in the turkey woods.

 

[scn]

In my opinion, there is way too much emphasis placed on a turkey gun. It is all marketing and getting people to believe that they need special $100 chokes and dedicated turkey guns.
Just call them within a reasonable distance and shoot them with a shotgun that has a tight choke.
It's just a turkey.

Of course, if you want to give yourself the best equipment for the job, and have the money to blow; I can understand that. It's just not as necessary as the marketing folks would have you believe.

x2 I shoot dedicated turkey guns, but they sure aren't needed to kill a turkey. Turkeys were killed for decades with the same shotguns used for other hunting. The turkey gun craze is primarily the result of great marketing!

 

[Kirk]

I will just use my Dads old Stevens Double Barrel 12 until my 1100 is ready. It will shoot 30 yards without any trouble. Sort of cool using the old side by side anyway.

 

[muddyboots]

Mine does!

 

[TheLBLman]

The turkey gun craze is primarily the result of great marketing!

x 2

Add the super-tight choke tube craze to that as well.

I do appreciate the better shotgun shells available now, even if they are are also of little relevance at the ranges most turkeys are actually killed. The main advantage I've obtained from a "dedicated" turkey gun has simply been the ease of mounting an optical sight, which to me is of far more value than the gun itself.

IMO, most any factory full choke coupled with some #7 heavier-than-lead loads can make an excellent turkey gun, even in 20 gauge out to 40 yards or so.

In times past, I used to turkey hunt with the same #5 & #6 lead loads I used for squirrels, using my favorite shotguns that I simply used for anything and everything from dove to ducks, squirrels and turkeys. And those turkeys I killed with my Browning Sweet 16 "dedicated" quail gun never knew what hit them. Honestly, don't think I ever failed to walk out with every bird I shot at with that Sweet 16.

What any of us need most is patience. The gun in hand usually matters little.

 

[TheLBLman]

I will just use my Dads old Stevens Double Barrel 12 until my 1100 is ready. It will shoot 30 yards without any trouble. Sort of cool using the old side by side anyway.

I particularly agree with the "cool" aspect there. I've killed turkeys with two different old 16 gauge double barrels.

If your Dad's old double is somewhere near a factory full in one of the barrels, you're probably good to at least 35 yards, maybe 40 if you can get the right shells (which can be harder to find when dealing with 2 3/4" chambers). If you don't want to spend a lot of time and money experimenting (and looking for) some heavier than lead loads for that, consider the Fiocchi "Pheasant" loads in #7 1/2 shot. They are higher velocity than most "high brass" loads and the pellets are nickel-plated (harder and penetrate better than copper). Only go for a head/neck shot.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/fiocchi_golden_pheasant.htm

 

[TennesseeJed]

I shoot in stock gun shooting matches quite often. From what I've seen, the shorter and ported barrels on the turkey guns aren't any better than a normal shotgun, only louder.