New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

Hi folks.

I've been out of hunting for too many years. Getting back into it, my how things have changed. Specifically shotguns.. they're all so specialized now.

Ideally, I'd like a gun I could use for both turkey and pheasant.(If I get two guns, then I've got to get the wife another saddle for her horse.) I've never hunted turkey, and I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about it (yet). It seems as though dedicated turkey guns are now all black synthetic or camo. Maybe it's just aesthetics, maybe tradition, but while I can envision taking a camo gun into the woods, I have a hard time imagining myself lugging one down a fencerow in Nebraska - they just don't look right.

Having grown up shooting hand-me-down 870 wingmasters, all of them brown and black, I'm wondering how much this camo business matters.
It seems as though overspecialization has touched just about every type of equipment that exists, from tennis shoes to hats.

Obviously I see the logic from the manufacturer's point of view: make everything so specialized that customers think they need one of each kind. Result: double (or triple) your sales.

From the hunters viewpoint, how much does camo matter, really???

I'm keeping an open mind here -- but I'm asking for ACTUAL EXPERIENCES where one of you think you lost an opportunity at a turkey because the gun was too visible...

Thanks in advance -- don't mean to be a grouch about it but I'm just a little tired of marketing bs.

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

Actual camo itself isn't all that important, although it's not a bad idea, but you are gonna want something in at least a black matte finish. If you go get a shiny wingmaster or some other blued finished gun you are gonna want to put camo tape on it for turkey. I have hunting with a black synthetic remington 11-87 with a matte finish for years and just recently got a new one in camo. I like the synthetic so you dont have to worry about hurting the finish too much when you are crawling through thick brush, Basically just get some thing with a matte finish and you'll be ok.

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

As for as I'm concerned, camo or not, dosen't matter to me. I started hunting turkeys' with a gun and no camo. As I moved to guns specifically for turkeys, some had a camo forearm and stock, then all camo.

After turkey season ended this past season, I bought a new gun and had several modifications done to it just for turkey hunting. It is a blued gun with stainless steel on it, I put some vinyl camo on the SS part, leaving the blued part and wood as is.

As I'm sure jepco and others will tell you, when turkey hunting, you get that gun up to the shooting position before the turkey comes into view, and don't dare move. If you can see him, he can definitely see you. A good example of how sharp their eyesight is: Just a few weeks ago I was spuirrel hunting and sat down on a log, which was between two trees, with palmetos all around me (great natural blind). I had three mature toms' coming walking up on me, they got within about 20 yards of me, then I had a mosquito geting his second gallon of blood out of my neck and I couldn't take it any more, I moved my head slightly to move the mosquito, the turkeys immediately caught the movement and took off.

To camo or not I think is up to you, some do, some don't.

Good Luck this Turkey season. Oh yeah, stay in touch with this forum for the up coming Spring Turkey Season, it's a blast. I actually like the turkey forum best of all.

dog1

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

I remember when as a teenager in the early 50's, we would use Burlap Bagsto make our so call camo! Burlap was our camo!

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

I don't know that you MUST have camo on your gun but if you're hunting turkeys youARE going to want at least matt finish on your gun. My dad had an ol wingmaster that he hunted w/for years (71-98). He's been busted w/sun glaring off of it more times than he could count. However, being a pastor didn't allow him a lot of free cash to buy a new gun. But every spring he'd talk about "some day I'm gonna get me a matt finished gun" We both finally bought 870 turkey guns (mine in advantage his just matt) and neither of us have a problem w/spooking turkey w/glare. Turkeys have incrediable eyes and when I'm walking up to him in the woods and his guns shinin' like a tin roof you know good and well the turkeys are seeing that.

I understand your frustration w/the marketing business. But when it comes to turkey shotguns I really don't feel like it's a gimmick. Nothinglike some of the products you see w/deer.

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

Any gun finish that is dull or dark with no shine will work just fine. Camo does look cool though.

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: Rebel Hog

I remember when as a teenager in the early 50's, we would use Burlap Bagsto make our so call camo! Burlap was our camo!
[
/quote]


Burlap makes great camo. I have used it many times while duck hunting. It blends in with everything. This is one reason I like Natgear so much. I don't wear burlap anymore though. I guess I need to camo my gun in Natgear. For now my gun is matte black, which does just fine.

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

.. Thanks everyone for the replies.

So it seems I'm pretty safe with black matte on the metal. I assume oil/satin on the stock as well.

Which is fine by me, because that's how I prefer guns to look. Glossy guns just don't make sense to me, unless they're skeet/trap only.

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

I agree that camo looks real cool and would most likely help, but I got my first turkey this spring with a gun that doesn't have camo. Maybe down the road I could see myself getting a camo gun but not right now. Guns w/ camo work just as well. It's all preference. Maybe when I hit the lottery. :D

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

I've got a remington with matte black finish and the turkey I killed last year was a whopping 12 yards away. As long as the barrel and stock are dulled you should not have any problem.

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

I killed probably 20 turkeys with an 870 wingmaster, walnut/blued. Every one I ever spooked (which was plenty) was because of a bad setup, movement, or just turkeys being turkeys. That being said, it can't hurt... I broke down and bought a camo gun 3 yrs ago.

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

Last weekend I was crossing a road probably 25-30 FEET from a turkey in broad daylight and it didn't fly away or pick up its pace any. Ethics are the only thing that saved its life ;)

That being said, and granted I'm NOT a turkey hunter, I'd say if you were careful you should be fine. Think about how people survived when they didn't have all this fancy mess.

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

If you want both a turkey and a pheasant gun.. just get an 870... If your taking shots within 35 yards... a 2 3/4 inch #6 field load will kill a turkey all choked up.. Otherwise shoot a 3 inch. I have a Mossberg 835 and the first chance I can get a new 3 inch 870... I'm gonna shoot that mossberg. I dont use all that camo.. It might look coll but you dont need it.

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

when my gun was camoed with tape, i never got a bird, lol......it's been untaped and i've been a turkey killing fool....[8D]

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

I believe that everyone has killed a bird with a Non Camo gun.

The thing that you need to understand or think out is "How well do you want to become a Turkey hunter"

Do you want everything going for you, as you can get ?

Camo and Turkey hunting .....

Turkeys can see 10X better then you and I. They also can remember as well and when they travel their everyday travel routes, they study their living rooms as well.

Most times whena turkey hunter walks in and cuts out an area or sits out in the open along a travel route of birds, they see the birds and they are always walking out of range.

Why was that ? when you watched them walk right by that point for the last week !
The reason is- Out of place subject, that was not there every day they went by, or the woods has changed in that spot since yesterday. Alert! button On!

Camo and the patterns has lead the turkey hunter into a couple of different ways to help us with success and most turkey hunters don't realize this.

As body camo helps the hunter fit into the setupbetter without the keen eye sight of a gobbler picking you off before he gets into range. Gun Camo also helps.

How doesa camo gun Help?
The gun blends into the cover of the setup as well. The perception of a woods setup is never the same in the 4 foot square around the subject (Hunter) so most Non glare areas become unnoticed.
Shine becomes a glare and is noticed when fitted into a dull perception.

The camo gun helps fit in better, but we may have another problem.

A gobbler just walked out 30 yards and it is to the right, I need to move the gun 2 feet over to get the shot!

Camo also helps make movements, if a turkey hunter needs to move that little bit before he can get sighted on that gobblers head. The better a gun fits in the easyier you can make the move that you need too.

Black matt finished are a cheaper way to go over the camo products and they do help, but the better you blend in the more movement you'll get away with.

This all boils down to success and How successfull you want to be.

For a turkey hunter that only hunts a couple days or for a week for that matter, the extra money value on a camo gun may not be worth the exspence. The turkey hunter that puts the season in and wants a bird bad, then it is money well spent.

Hope that helps you with your question....

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

Good points BT!!!IMHO more important than your camo,on your gun or your clothing is having the patience and ability to sit still.Most hunters get busted not by there lack of camo but by moving..A gobblers ability to pick up movement is second to none especially in tight situations.Obviousily there comes a point in most cases when wehave to move and thats usually when it comes time to let the hammer down,even then its a great idea to point your gun when the bird is obstructed from you.I killed plenty of birds in my younger years with a non-camo'd gun simply do to the fact I was either already set-up in a good shooting position when the bird came into gun range OR I moved into a shooting position when the bird was obstucted by something.DoI think its neccassary to camo your gun,no not really,but understanding the importance of sitting still and recognizing when you can move is an absolute!!!!;)

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

i have been using a rem 870 wood gloss for years and have never had turkeys run way from a glare but i bought a beneli nova pump in camo cuz i wanted a bigger gun. i dont think u need a matte or a camo gun but the camo looks cool

RE: New hunter: how much does gun camo matter?
 

Might I suggest you get black and spend the extra $$ on some dekes.
My personal experience is that the dekes allow you to move some at the moment of truth if you set them up properly i.e. the jake facing you.

I had two toms pass within 10-15 feet of me last year on the way to my dekes. One did not survive.:D
I was using a black benelli.
Other things to consider with a turkey gun are:

Barrel length- I like them short, less likely to hang on brush.
Weight- Dang guns get pretty heavy when you are doing the 100 yard squat and walk trying to get in front of some birds.
Cosmetics- you want a gun that you don't mind scratching up or getting dirty and muddy. When turkey hunting you get real intimate with the ground so you don't want a gun with a fancy finish and complicated action.

Good luck