huntingkidPA

Well archery season just came out in PA. So i thought i would give turkey a try. i hunted them a little in bow season when deer weren't around. it was pretty fun. My choice is for turkey should i use a 12 g or a 20 g. my model 1897 12g patterns pretty well at about 35-40 yd. We were either shooting 4 or 6 shot lead. I think that's a good shot for turkey? We could get about 25-35 holes in a gallon of milk at that range. Its got a mod choke and cannot be changed out. Now i have a mossberg 500 in 20g. never patterned it for turkey or anything. i just use it for occasional small game. It has a full choke and can shoot up to 3" shells, the 12g can only handle 2 3/4". so what gauge do you think would be better suited, could i get away with using my 20?

firelt72

The 500 you have should be a changeable choke. The cost of a turkey choke is not expensive. I'd buy the choke, shoot a good quality load and look at the 20g as a turkey gun. It is lighter and less kicking than the 12, the 12 will work, but a milk jug isn't the best patterning object as the turkey head is about the size of the fist. To pattern, take multiple brands of shells and sizes of shot. try it out. I take a piece of construction paper and draw a 3 in circle. I pattern at 20 and 40 yards- the 20 will go out to 35ish I think. This year I am patterning at 10 also. I hit a bird last year at 10, and the shot was low. So it wasn't a clean kill. My pattern had not spread yet. After I get the best combo of pattern and choke (I like a strut stopper xtreme for a moss 500) after I get the best grouping I put a turkey target up or a pop can on a stick and see what happens. Long answer I like the 20 for your situation.

huntingkidPA

thanks. and with the milk jug i was basically just testing out how far i could hit something cleanly. we were mostly shooting clays that day. Could you suggest a certain couple chokes i should look at? i'd be lost, most of my knowledge is on rifles and bows.

firelt72

The SSX by truglow is a great one. There is a guy I think is here at HN and his screen name is allaboutshooting it is also his web site. He is an expert. He sold me my SSX and has a few others that are heavy weight chokes for the Hevi shot shells. I would even recommend those for your 20. They hold a better pattern and have more power at impact. They are expensive. He also carries a SWARM choke that I hear is great.

Nomercy448

If you're looking for chokes, I have to recommend both the Primos Tightwad and the TruGlo Gobbler Stopper.

I haven't used these chokes in 20ga, but in 12ga, these made patterning at 40yrds a joke. I bought these two to try against eachother in my wife's Benelli Supernova, planning to buy another of the best one to use in my own Supernova. We tried them out with 9 different loads and at 40yrds, with EVERY load, we were getting 10 or more spine hits on turkey targets with nice even distributions and 40-45% of the shot falling inside a 10" circle... FOR EVERY LOAD WE PATTERNED!

With both chokes (the Truglo in my wife's Supernova, and the Tightwad in mine), we had to move out to 50 and 60yrds to really make a decision on which load to use.

The Gobbler Stopper is available as a combo with a snap on set of fiberoptic sights for the same price as the TruGlo. We actually upgraded both of our shotguns with TruGlo adjustable fiber optice vent rib sights ($40), which allowed us to "sight in" our shotguns to really dial in the groups.

nchunter33

Primos tightwad is a good inexpensive way to go but kicks chokes IMO are the best. They pattern great in my 870, my moss 535 and my beretta al391. put a tightwad in my wifes 870 20 ga and it patterns well also.