Dedicated Turkey Gun

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Sandhill Crane........Filet Mignon of the sky

Wow never knew there was a hunting season for them. South Ga has them migrating and attacking the Peanut Fields. The Cranes seem to love peanuts and can clear a field out of the leftover peanuts after the harvest.
Sure would like to cook a few!!!
Thanks
Len

 

[BuddyGeorge]

I've got several turkey guns and every one of them will get the job done. But, my favorite is my Stevens 310 in 20 gauge, With Federal TSS loads, this is a 50 yard killing machine. Less recoil and drops them in their tracks. I was so taken with this gun I got the same set up in their model 320, which is a pump. Great gun. Check it out!

 

[justinp61]

I started turkey hunting years ago with a 3 1/2" Mossburg 835, IMO it was a piece of ****. Sold it and bought a 3 1/2" 870 SPS Super Mag and killed a bunch of turkeys with it. It was a punisher, but not as bad as the 835. In December of 2011 I had to have surgery on my shooting shoulder and was off work for three months. I hadn't thought of a gun or picked one up until three weeks before turkey season. There were sparrows on one of my bluebird houses. so I grabbed one of my 20 gauge 870's and shot him off. The pain put me on my knees and the first thought that went through my pea brain was "there is no way I can shoot the Super Mag". There weren't many choices in 20 gauge at the time but I did find and buy a camo 11-87 SPS in 20. After finding what choke and ammo it likes, Federal Heavy Weight #7, I was ready to hunt.

I wish I'd made the 20 gauge change years before I did, the gun is a joy to tote around, doesn't knock you silly when you shoot it and flat out lays turkeys down. I weighed the Super Mag and the 11-87, both empty and the 11-87 was over two pounds lighter. Now at almost 61yo I really appreciate the lighter gun and way less recoil. I still don't know that today my shoulder could take the recoil of the 3 1/2" 870.

Don't be afraid of 20 gauges, the turkeys won't know the difference.

 

[Rob67gmc]

I bought a Mossberg 535 years ago for up close coyote hunting. Came with a 28" barrel for bird/dove hunting and an 18" barrel with a turkey choke. 3.5" chamber but use 3" #4 buck for coyotes. Should work great with whatever load you choose for turkey.

 

[brent.pa]

Mossberg 835. Don't let the naysayers over the 3.5 inch sway you. More shot is always better as long as you have the proper choke to match ammo and pattern well. DEFINATELY add a recoil reducing stock. https://www.kicklitestocks.com/ Adjustable (who doesn't need a 6 position stock on a dedicated turkey rig? the positions you find yourself in are varied). Also go with a scope or red dot. If it's a dot/reflex, then get a quality optic that has battery life of 2,000 hours or so. Can be constant on or auto on. Leupold Freedom is sweet. Mine wears a bushnell circle-plex but they are discontinued.

 

[Flash21]

Franchi Affinity 3.5 is pretty sick. They make a turkey model that comes in Bottomland camo with a vortex red dot. I have that model and it has been a good gun.

I've hunted turkey in 19 states over 50 years. I recently gave up on the big 12 gauge 3 and 3.5" loads. I purchased a Winchester SX3 auto Longbeard turkey model in 20 back in 2019 and will never go back to the 12 gauge. I mounted a 1-4 weaver camo scope on the cantilever mount. I also switched to the TSS loads number 9 shot and this is deadly patterns on paper to 65 yards. I still limit shots on game to 50. It has multiple cheek pieces and recoil pads, pistol grip, cantilever mount with fiber optic open sights as backup and shoots very soft. I'm never going back to a 12 and I'm gave am selling my Winchester 1300 turkey and mossberg 535 turkey guns

 

[Reelamin]

But you will when you can't find nothing but TSS, which was the case for me this past year. Also, how many shots do you typically take in a Turkey season? Just saying.

I can understand someone thinking this situation dependant. You will just have to take my word I never will pay that amount for a round to shoot something I could hunt. I would be happy to take you up on the bet....I probably wont be around long enough for us to settle it. I took some quick picks of my bird shot shelves. Quick math shows right about 3000 loaded rounds not counting my slugs and buckshot stash. I still have about 200 rounds of bird loads from what my grandma gave me of grandpas supply after he went hunting in the stars in 1994. Quick check....and I can load another 3-4K off my supplies. Turkey between me and others.....hunting....shoot 4-5 shots. My buddies 11yoa borrowed one of my 12ga gas guns after shooting several including a 20ga gas a few weeks ago. Yep shot himself a hen at 40yds with good old 2.75" 1.25oz #5 reloads with a standard old full choke, no pistol grip, no red dot, just a plain old bead on a rib sights.

 

[brent.pa]

agree on the cost of TSS - i'll stick with lead although the TSS patterns are amazing. BTW; my rig pic attached.

 

[Plowboy85]

I where do you guys buy the TSS shot? This thread got me reading on it and would like to try some. I do my own loading. Sounds like awsome stuff for turkey and coyotes as well as long range pheasant.

I order directly from Apex Ammunition in MS. If you are serious don't wait because turkey ammo will get sparse in a month or so. Have shot apex for going on 3 years and not a complaint.

 

[Dentite]

I personally chose a 12 guage, semi auto, gas gun, camo, 22" barrel with fiber optic rifle sights.

Just because it has a 3.5" chamber, doesn't mean I'm going to use 3.5" rounds. I like 3" rounds. My son who was 13 this past spring got his first turkey with and I asked him about the recoil afterwards and predictably he said "I don't remember" haha. Sure, you'll feel the rounds when patterning the gun, but not when hunting.

I can't recommend a Mossberg though unless you get it cheap. Mine came with a bent barrel and took 6 phone calls and 28 emails to finally get the gun back and they couldn't even replace the 22" barrel, they has to put a 24" barrel on it.

I've used it on turkeys and great for predators as well.

So my vote is for 12 guage and 3" rounds.

 

[Chas1]

Buy once, cry once. Get yourself a Benelli Super Black Eagle. They are top of the line and the recoil is mild.

+1 comfortable too !

 

[HunterMann]

The hardest recoil I have felt to date was patterning some 3.5" 2oz turkey shells in my Benelli Super Black Eagle II. Sat down and squeezed the 1st one off. Kicked so hard it took about 5 seconds to even realise what just hit me, it stunned me that bad. After about 10 shots my face and cheekbone were sore and swollen bad, not to mention my shoulder. The SBEII handles recoil well for regular shells but not for 3.5" Magnums with 2oz of shot.

My Benelli Super Nova does better with 3.5"'s and has a little more weight to it. I sold my SBEII after that experience lol. My Super Nova is my go to big bird gun.
View attachment 329475

Young and tender pterodactyl. I like mine slow grilled over wood with teryaki baste...

 

[HunterMann]

Wow never knew there was a hunting season for them. South Ga has them migrating and attacking the Peanut Fields. The Cranes seem to love peanuts and can clear a field out of the leftover peanuts after the harvest.
Sure would like to cook a few!!!
Thanks
Len

I like mine slow grilled over wood with a teriyaki basting... but I have to travel to hunt them now.

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

Just curious after reading about this TSS #9 shot. I looked at some videos online and yes the patterns are impressive but my concern is how is the penetration out at the 60-70 yard mark? The pellet energy at that distance can't be that great. Seems to me you would get a lot of crippled birds.