Turkey gun for the Mrs.

Not a 12 that's for sure, if she's happy with the 20 keep it there, if she wants a bit more oomph let her decide but maybe a 16?

There's nothing wrong with a 12, but it's a pretty big step in both weight and kick, and that may be counter intuitive to the sport for her.
 
Depends how much you want to spend....and if you prefer Turkish or American, or Italian. There are metric shit ton of semi autos out there.

There are some solid Turkish guns that will save you money if its just a turkey only gun and your not blasting off rounds. Steoger makes a nice Turkey gun in 12 or 20 in full camo all decked out with xtra full choke, sights and ready for red dot. They are an arm of Beretta and have very good quality. I had a 20 Semi Auto and I ran several thousand rounds thru it and it never hiccuped.

You can get into lower end Turkish gas guns as well that soak up recoil better. Tristar makes an NWTF gun. Many guys at the club have used Tri Stars without issue for lots of rounds.

If you go Beretta or Browning they have turkey guns as well....in gas which will soak up recoil, and inertia which won't

Pumps....even cheaper...but I'd just go with a Benelli Nova in Turkey flavor but its gonna kick.
 
Turkey hunting is about fun, and recoil is not fun for petite individuals ( or youngsters)

A 20 gauge with 2 3/4 kills turkeys quite well. You just need to pattern with choke and ammo you will use to determine effective distance. A little heavier 20 gauge is better than a lightweight one for taming recoil

In my Turkey hunting career Ive gone thru

10 gauge ( overkill)
12 gauge 3 1/2 “ shells ( even more overkill on birds)
12 gauge 3” or high brass 2 3/4. ( prefer #5 shot). What I shoot now
20 gauge 3” or 2/3/4” ( grandkids). Again #5 shot. Seems to work fine

Ive gone to having decoys close 10-15 yards. If they hand up 10-15 yards out, still plenty close for the 20’s

My best friend ( who taught me calling) and his wife both shoot the TSS. He and his wife ( and guests he calls birds in for) have made some unintentional ridiculously long kills with TSS Expensive but it’s all he shoots for a couple of years now
 
Does Montana have the same "two-shell max capacity while turkey hunting" ruiles?

would that affect bolt vs pump vs semi-auto choice? A semi-auto seems overkill if you only get two shots

what distances will you be shooting at? That may help determine gauge, length of barrel, choke selection, etc. Do you have a preferred ammo and would THAT affect decision-making?

edit I found this. no mention of magazine restrictions.

Hunt By Species: Turkey | Montana FWP

Hunting regulations and information for turkey in Montana.
fwp.mt.gov fwp.mt.gov

"Wild turkey may be taken with: a shotgun not larger than a 10 gauge; a long, recurve or compound bow and arrow; a rifle, handgun or crossbow may be used during the fall season except in areas with weapons restrictions limiting their use; an air rifle: fall turkey may be taken with an .177 caliber air rifle shooting a performance ballistic alloy pellet at least 1250 feet per second as specified by the manufacturer or with an .22 caliber air rifle shooting a performance ballistic alloy pellet at least 950 feet per second as specified by the manufacturer. (MCA 87-6-401, CR) All other means of taking are prohibited."
 
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peterk123 said:
She is a little lady, 5'4" and goes about 115 pounds or so. What would you guys recommend we consider and would you go with 12 gauge or 20? Right now she is using an old bolt action 20g. Time for a dedicated turkey gun. Thx Pete
Click to expand...
this one comes in 26" 20ga.
www.beretta.com

A400 Xplor Action | Beretta

The A400 Xplor Action semiauto is today's fastest shooting, lowest recoil shotgun with a wood-blue finish. Find out what makes it the best choice for both hunting and sporting clays.
www.beretta.com www.beretta.com
1741383054015.png
 
Sparkey said:
If the gun she has works for her why change ? If going to change I would look at the savage 220 turkey gun
Click to expand...
I have one and it's awesome. Lights out with TSS. It's one of my favorite hunting shotguns, even though it only gets shot a few times a year.

1741383230452.png

peterk123 said:
How about a 410 with TSS loads? Seems like a bunch of folks use them. Good to 40 yards.
Click to expand...
Stick with 20G and just run TSS. Plus some states still restrict the use of 410 for turkeys.

My son and I both run 20G shotguns for turkey and both of us run turkey chokes with Federal TSS #7. If you do your job, TSS knocks them out.

Another suggestion for a shotgun would be a 20G compact semi auto.
My 14YO son runs a compact Tristar Viper in 20G and it's been great.
He used it for most of his hunting until he got big enough for a 12G.. now he just opens my safe and says "I want to try that today" LOL

The Tri-Star has been great though.... can't say enough good things
www.tristararms.com

Viper G2 Compact - TriStar Arms

3” gas operated, semi-automatic shotgun that allows you to shoot light target loads to heavy waterfowl loads interchangeably.
www.tristararms.com www.tristararms.com
 
OP - is she turkey hunting, or turkey shooting?

Not being snarky, but if she's harvested birds with the bolt gun, ask her these questions:
Does she want an upgrade?
If she wants an upgrade, what is she looking for?
If she'd taken birds, and wants an upgrade, but is unsure what she wants, have her try a few.

IMO, shotties are very personal things, (I know that turkey hunting is different than wing or target shooting), and fit is very important, including for recoil management.

If she wants a 12, look into youth models, for shorter length of pull.
 
If I were to be buying a gun I would be using solely for hunting turkey, it be a .410 pump with a dot. .410 has plenty of pellets when using tungsten.
 
MisterHappy said:
OP - is she turkey hunting, or turkey shooting?

Not being snarky, but if she's harvested birds with the bolt gun, ask her these questions:
Does she want an upgrade?
If she wants an upgrade, what is she looking for?
If she'd taken birds, and wants an upgrade, but is unsure what she wants, have her try a few.

IMO, shotties are very personal things, (I know that turkey hunting is different than wing or target shooting), and fit is very important, including for recoil management.

If she wants a 12, look into youth models, for shorter length of pull.
Click to expand...
She always wants to upgrade guns, god bless her.

The old bolt is not very forgiving, even though it's a 20 gauge. I could replace the solid plastic recoil pad, but we don't want to change anything on it out of respect for the gun. It was given to her by a very close friend who was almost like a father to her. We want to leave it as is.

Turkey loads just kick, so an auto load will go a long way toward reducing that recoil for her.

Bodhisattva said:
If I were to be buying a gun I would be using solely for hunting turkey, it be a .410 pump with a dot. .410 has plenty of pellets when using tungsten.
Click to expand...
After a bunch of reading and some vids, she is sold on a .410 turkey gun. She is going with the Mossberg SA-410. I'm going to top it off with a red dot. I couldn't believe how popular the .410 is today for turkey. TSS loads seem to be the ticket. Expensive to shoot but who cares. It's not like your shooting 100 rounds at a time.

She is excited to use it. We are heading out in a month or so for our annual three day turkey camp. Hopefully she gets to take the shot.
 
peterk123 said:
She is a little lady, 5'4" and goes about 115 pounds or so. What would you guys recommend we consider and would you go with 12 gauge or 20? Right now she is using an old bolt action 20g. Time for a dedicated turkey gun. Thx Pete
Click to expand...
20 for sure. With the right choke and load a 20 can have a tighter pattern than a 12 anyway. Killed a few toms with a mossberg 500 20 gauge and a 3 inch turkey load.
 
I'm gonna catch hell i guess.....but here goes

What is this thing with "dedicated turkey guns"?

A turkey is just a very large galiform.....same genus as grouse and pheasant....just bigger......so bigger shot and tighter choke right? I have a shotgun for grouse and pheasant (same gun i use on bunnies and squirrel lol).....I use that one on turkey as well......I've never even splurged on a "turkey choke".......full choke and a 3 inch 20 gauge shell.......does the job just fine. I've used 20 gauge mossberg 500 and my browning a5 full choke barrel with #4 high brass 2 3/4 inch shell. Kills em out to 40 yards no problem.
 
whacko said:
I'm gonna catch hell i guess.....but here goes

What is this thing with "dedicated turkey guns"?

A turkey is just a very large galiform.....same genus as grouse and pheasant....just bigger......so bigger shot and tighter choke right? I have a shotgun for grouse and pheasant (same gun i use on bunnies and squirrel lol).....I use that one on turkey as well......I've never even splurged on a "turkey choke".......full choke and a 3 inch 20 gauge shell.......does the job just fine. I've used 20 gauge mossberg 500 and my browning a5 full choke barrel with #4 high brass 2 3/4 inch shell. Kills em out to 40 yards no problem.
Click to expand...

1) I like using a red dot for Turkey. So having a dedicated turkey guns means I don't have to worry about removing and installing and checking aim with my red dot every year. It's always ready to go.
2) Shooting turkeys is a bit different than shooting upland. Turkey hunting is one of the only times where you're actually aiming the shotgun and not just pointing it.
My dedicated turkey hunting shotgun is Savage 220 turkey.. with the accustock and accutrigger, it shoots more like a rifle than a shotgun.
3) It's fun... I like guns.. so having an excuse to buy another gun is never a bad idea.
 
Bodhisattva said:
If I were to be buying a gun I would be using solely for hunting turkey, it be a .410 pump with a dot. .410 has plenty of pellets when using tungsten.
Click to expand...
40 or 50 yards with 410 for a turkey sounds like it may not do the job, at least I wouldn't want to be using the 410 for that. It will certainly bounce off a duck at that range with 4 shot then again thats steel. is tungsten heavier? or just harder? How far have you bagged a turkey with the 410?
 
RDG said:
1) I like using a red dot for Turkey. So having a dedicated turkey guns means I don't have to worry about removing and installing and checking aim with my red dot every year. It's always ready to go.
2) Shooting turkeys is a bit different than shooting upland. Turkey hunting is one of the only times where you're actually aiming the shotgun and not just pointing it.
My dedicated turkey hunting shotgun is Savage 220 turkey.. with the accustock and accutrigger, it shoots more like a rifle than a shotgun.
3) It's fun... I like guns.. so having an excuse to buy another gun is never a bad idea.
Click to expand...
ya red dot is the shit, but i keep it on for upland bird. its a cheapo and i shoot a turkey or two a year and a lot more partridge than that. I feed the turkey to my dogs and make the feet into fists with the middle finger up.
 
bigben111435 said:
40 or 50 yards with 410 for a turkey sounds like it may not do the job, at least I wouldn't want to be using the 410 for that. It will certainly bounce off a duck at that range with 4 shot then again thats steel. is tungsten heavier? or just harder? How far have you bagged a turkey with the 410?
Click to expand...


Tungsten is significantly denser than lead; while lead has a density of around 11.34 g/cm³, tungsten has a density of approximately 19.28 g/cm³, making tungsten roughly 1.7 times denser than lead.

They say that a #9 tungsten pellet carries as much energy as a #5 lead pellet.
and since the #9 is so much smaller than the #5... your pellet count dramatic goes up.

I'm obviously a fan of tungsten for turkey... I'd shoot it at more game if I could afford it.
 
whacko said:
I'm gonna catch hell i guess.....but here goes

What is this thing with "dedicated turkey guns"?

A turkey is just a very large galiform.....same genus as grouse and pheasant....just bigger......so bigger shot and tighter choke right? I have a shotgun for grouse and pheasant (same gun i use on bunnies and squirrel lol).....I use that one on turkey as well......I've never even splurged on a "turkey choke".......full choke and a 3 inch 20 gauge shell.......does the job just fine. I've used 20 gauge mossberg 500 and my browning a5 full choke barrel with #4 high brass 2 3/4 inch shell. Kills em out to 40 yards no problem.
Click to expand...
Some people like camo, red dot, xtra full choke and just buy a shotgun and leave it setup that way.

Similar to buying a shotgun for deer only and leaving the slug/red dot/scoped cantilever barrel on it ready to rock and roll on day 1 of deer season.

No one needs these things, they justify it to buy new guns and gear.

A cheap 12 or 20 pump shotgun with a slug barrel and a 28" VR barrel with all the choke tubes.... can do anything you need to do in MA. You can argue you don't even need the slug barrel and that is true.

This is coming from a guy that owns probably 20 shotguns (some thru osmosis from my dad) but yeah. Most of them get used for sporting clays.....but the slug guns now....have been either given away to my nephew who is still in MA or will go to my son, or get sold for another sporting clays gun. I never had a dedicated turkey gun because I wasn't a turkey hunter, but if I was I would have cause I am blessed with enough income to have one specific for the purpose.

That said in MA I could shoot Turkeys with the bow off my lawn.....so realistically filling my tag I didn't need it....and probably why I never turkey hunted because it was too easy to shoot a dumb bird I see weekly from my slider window
 
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bigben111435 said:
40 or 50 yards with 410 for a turkey sounds like it may not do the job, at least I wouldn't want to be using the 410 for that. It will certainly bounce off a duck at that range with 4 shot then again thats steel. is tungsten heavier? or just harder? How far have you bagged a turkey with the 410?
Click to expand...
I shoot 12/20/28 gauge regularly for skeet and sporting clays, and scores don't change that much. 28 is a little more challenge on far birds....

.410 is a different animal. I drop at least 10% -15% more birds with .410. Your shooting a pencil sized shell with 1/2 oz of shot. Its a hard game to master a .410.

I would not choose a .410 for western turkey. Add to that shells are harder to get, more expensive by a ton, which makes very little sense because they are half the lead of a 1 oz 12 gauge load. And lead is where the money is. So if you go that route, you'll need a reloader and it will make very good sense to reload them saving 7 dollars a box, like I do for 28 gauge.

A 20 gas semi auto would definately be my choice for her.
 
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Mark from ? said:
I shoot 12/20/28 gauge regularly for skeet and sporting clays, and scores don't change that much.

.410 is a different animal. I drop at least 10% -15% more birds with .410.

I would not choose a .410 for western turkey. Add to that shells are harder to get, more expensive by a ton.

A 20 gas semi auto would definately be my choice for her.
Click to expand...
i hear you on the .410 is so damn expensive, and it is real fun to shoot, but i don't hunt with it
What makes you a higher success rate with the .410 for upland bird? l
why a semi not just a pump for turkey?
 
RDG said:
obviously a fan of tungsten
Click to expand...
and why would one want to shoot anything you going to eat with lead? it is not going to kill you of course, but, just escapes me why, as we have alternatives now, it is not 1700s anymore.
 
bigben111435 said:
i hear you on the .410 is so damn expensive, and it is real fun to shoot, but i don't hunt with it
What makes you a higher success rate with the .410 for upland bird? l
why a semi not just a pump for turkey?
Click to expand...
That was confusing. When I say I drop 10-15 percent more birds I mean skeet or sporting clays.

And the term drop means miss meaning im not nearly as good with a 410 and that gauge for me is alot harder than the others

I would never hunt actual birds with a .410. Not enough room for errors for me. Lowest ill go for any birds on the wing is 28 gauge, I use fiochi golden pheasant loads 6’s and it will take down pheasant pretty well
 
paul73 said:
and why would one want to shoot anything you going to eat with lead? it is not going to kill you of course, but, just escapes me why, as we have alternatives now, it is not 1700s anymore.
Click to expand...
Tungsten is expensive. Ill burn 4 boxes easy of shells in pheasant season. We kill a lot of birds, and miss as well.

Steel patterns like shit and is tougher to take down birds with.

But for the occasional hunter that buys a box a year for hunting, don’t disagree. It makes sense to buy tungsten.
 

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