It took me a long while and probably well over a thousand dollars to come to this conclusion:

If you plan on hunting turkeys (which involves getting them in close.... like inside of 40 yards close), it doesn't take much more than a modified choke tube with just about anyhigh brass 6, 5 or 4 shellto get it done.

I don't even want to contemplate how many countless dollars I've spent on high density shells, choke tubes, driving miles, and just time.

I put together an 835 grandslam with a Pure Gold choke tube about five years agoand as of last year when I kinda saw the light and went back the other way,it would put over 200 pellets of #6 shot in a 10" circle at 40 yards. Ain't many guns that aren't using #7 straight up or #7 triplex loads doing that.

That said... why? Why when I turkey hunt for the sole purpose of trying to convince a turkey to come and jump on my shoulder by his own accord would I want a pattern designed for killing them at such an impersonal distance? I guess I just got over needing to have a 'turkey rifle', so to speak.

The bird I shot last year, after calling three or four in for other folks, I shot at 30 yards (still not exactly close, but he walked by me at 12 yards to the decoy.... so I was asleep in the sun at 530 in the afternoon... sue me)with my Beretta 390 Silver Mallard (my duck gun) anda Jellyhead choke tube. I used plain old Copper Plated 6s and that bird went down like a French Prize Fighter.

This year, I've got a new set up. I got a turkey barrel for my Encore, and I'll probably shoot an extended mod or IM briley choke and either lead #6 or Hevi-13 #5s just because I have a lot of them laying around.

But heck, I'm still thinking about using my 20 gauge Beretta.... I'm torn.