From largest to smallest, 10, 12, 16, 20, 28, 410 (ie, 10 gauge packs more punch than 20 gauge). Most popular seems to be 12 and 20. 10 is usually reserved for geese (and probably used for turkey on occasion). I would recommend 12 if you will be hunting both turkey and upland birds.
Chokes range from Full, Modified, and Improved Cylinder (and a couple others in between). Chokes simply control the "spread" of the shot. Full will keep the shot in a tighter pattern for longer distances. Modified is sort of a medium between Full and Improved. Improved will allow the pattern to spread rapidly at shorter ranges.
I own a Mossberg 835 Ulti Mag 12 gauge shotgun 28 inch barrel, all camo gun , and I think it is an excellent shotgun to have with excellent patterns. Mine came with 4 different chokes that allows you to hunt a variety of game and if you want, sheet or trap shooting. In addition I have purchased a super full comp n choke for turkey hunting.
The other guys are correct, extra full (very tight patterns) on down to imp cyl. (spreads fast) are what the chokes do. And speaking of the Mossberg, it has a back bored barrel, bored 10 gauge, chambered for 12 gauge, which makes the shot give you excellent patterns.
So if you are looking for a good shotgun that is dependable, that also can stand up to rugged use, such as duck and geese hunting, the Mossberg 835 Ulti Mag is an excellent choice. This is only my opinion.
Swampchopper
SouthShooter pretty well covered it. Get a good 12 or 20ga(20ga will have less recoil) in whatever style strikes your fancy (side-by-side, over-under, pump, etc) with modified, full, and extra full chokes and you will be ready for just about anything with wings. As far a range the 12 will reach slightly farther than the 20 but I haven't really found this to be a problem. My 20ga has killed everything I shoot at.
Personal preferance will play a major role here! Depends on how much $ you want to spend. All of the major name brands carry quality products (Remington, Winchester, Beretta, Benelli). You will find that certain ones will "feel" better and "fit" your hold much nicer than others. For example, Benelli offers ligther weight shotguns, but they are higher priced than Remington shotguns.
Remington Model 1100 is an all-time popular model. Choices with this model include wood or synthetic stock, barrel length, interchangeable barrels (rifled vs smooth-bore), etc.
I recommend you go to a gun store and have a salesman walk you through a few different makes and models. Research the manufacturers websites and catalogs in order to learn each shotguns available options.....then tailor your choice to your needs.
P.S. - This is the fun part of shooting sports.......picking out that "perfect" one!
If your looking for an autoloader I would suggest the REM. 11-87 or the 1100 with screw in chokes you can find them used for the 1100 between 300-450 and the 11-87 runs 450-600 used and new the 11-87 runs 650-800 all depending on what model you get but make sure if your going to hunt turkeys what ever you get is chambered for 3 in. loads
Shotguns
