For turkeys as short as you prefer will do. I currently have a 26" on my ithaca and if I were to order another for turkey it would probably be a 22" or 24". You do not lose velocity with shorter shotgun barrels like you do with rifle barrels. Of course these lengths are more suited for shooting from a rifle like position and not the best lengths for wing shooting. I hunt turkey, deer and squirrel with this shotgun so all my shooting is done rifle style. If I were to do wingshooting (dove, ducks, etc.) my choice would be a 28" or 30". The longer lengths do not give you extra range or velocity but act in the same way as a flywheel or balancer (the extra weight out front) to smooth out the swing on flying targets. In the golf with a gun games it is not uncommon to see 32" or longer. One thing that I do advise is for turkey guns (and for that matter any shotgun used like a rifle) to have the very best quality iron or fiber optic sights available.