Best Chokes for Turkey Hunting
 

Hey all! I have a blog where I go out and learn new hunting techniques and then share my experiences and what not. So, I am going out turkey hunting this next week...and I really want to learn more about chokes. I don't really know much about them or their benefits. So, I was wondering if anyone would be interested in just sharing with me their choke of choice and why. I use both a 12 gauge and 20 gauge...so I am pretty open if that matters or changes anything. Anyway, thanks so much.

Your're putting the cart before the horse, as you don't go out hunting until you have found the proper choke for your gun that gives a tight pattern to humanely kill the bird with a decent number of pellets in the head/neck area. That is done by experimentation with various shells on paper and is generally with #4, #5, or #6 shot on paper targets out to 40 yards. Each gun is different and until you know what the gun will do you shouldn't be hunting a live bird with it. If you don't have a turkey choke for your shotgun, start out seeing what your full choke will do for a tight pattern and that might be all you need to kill a bird at 30-40 yards.

12 gauge,

You got the full "monty" there ! :wave:

If you can handle the recoil of a 12 ga., this shot shell will put more pellets in the pattern than an equivalent shot sized 20 ga. However a 20 ga. "turkey" load is adequate provided you know the pattern and put it on the bird!

If you decide to go with the 12 ga. and it will take a 3 1/2" shell and you decide to go there, be prepared for a shoulder stomping jolt. I have killed many a gobbler with 2 3/4" high velocity shot shells, but I like the 3" because the recoil is not so bad and a few pellets flying out there and my shot gun patterns a few of the 3" factory loads plenty adequate to drop a gobbler at 40 yards if I do my part. I have tried 3 1/2' shells. They just hurt my 66 year old bones too much!!

If you decide to use a so called "turkey choke", look at Rhino and Pure Gold. These are the two that I am most familiar with. I use the Prue Gold .670 on my 12 Ga. Nova. Excellent patterns but so tight hat if the bird is close (10-15 yards) there is not much room for an error in my aim.

Back to Topgun 3006's comments .... ditto. For sure, you should check the pattern before you head to the turkey woods. You might get lucky and the shot shell patterns great. Or you could be so far off that you end up missing the bird or worse wounding it.

Good luck.

More than anything I think making sure that your shot is well positioned with your sight is the biggest concern. Some guns shoot better with more constriction...others with less. That is a moot point if the majority or your pattern is not in line with your sights.

I say that the tighter patterns and hot loaded shells are more about distance than humanely harvesting a bird. If that were the case then 20 ga shells would be illegal as they don't have the same hitting power at 40 yards that a 12 ga does. An improved cylinder can be just as effective (if not more so) as some of the high dollar chokes. The difference becomes distance. Don't be afraid to shoot an IC, Full, or Extra Full factory choke. Just make sure you know the limitations of the gun at certain distances, make sure that the bulk of your pattern is hitting where you are aiming, and make sure you can identify proper ranges in the field.

Now I know there will be some disagreement. I know a whole bunch of turkey hunters that have never owned a gun with screw in chokes or if they do they never have bought an after-market choke. These folks are smart hunters that make the shot count and don't take 60 yard shots.

Having said all that I shot a 3.5" shell out of a Benelli SBEII with a Primos JellyHead .660 choke. I have used Nitro, Mag Blend, and Hevi-shot shells but this year switched to Winchester Longbeard XR.

I would suggest the HEVI13 Turkey Choke from Hevishot....it is
a superior choke

Here is a good Choke!


JW

Ps...Sorry could not resist.....BTW there is a wealth of 'All about Chokes' if you take the time to search on this forum. Then see if a few actually fit the Make and Model of your firearm. Then go try a few, with your selected round of ammunition and see what pattern you get.

Cool picture JW. Took my first turkey with a humpback.

Actually I think that is a Model 11 Remington Autoloading Shotgun. I own one as it was my 1st ever shotgun given to me by my granddad way back when.



Overview:

Description: First autoloading shotgun produced in the U.S.A.

Introduction Year: 1905

Year Discontinued: 1947

Total Production: Approximately 850,000 (including 65,000 made for Browning during World War II)

Designer/Inventor: John F. Browning with subsequent improvements by C.C. Loomis and other Remington designers

Action Type: Recoil operated – Hammerless – Side ejection – Take Down

Caliber/Gauge: 12, 16, 20 gauges

Serial Number Blocks: 12 gauge – approximately 10,000 – 794,990
16 gauge – approximately 1,500,000 – 1,557,000
20 gauge – approximately 1,000,000 – 1,075,000

Grades Offered: 11 A – Standard Grade
11 R – Riot Special
11 P – Police Special
11 B – Special Grade
11 C – Trap Grade
11 D – Tournament Grade
11 E – Expert Grade
11 F – Premier Grade

Variations: Sportsman


JW.

Ps sorry to hijack this thread...

These are my "coyote chokes," but there are a couple "turkey chokes" mixed in there.

The Primos Tightwad and #5 Winchester loads are my go-to combination. I have yet to find a #5 or #6 load that does not shoot well in the Titewad choke, even though #4 shot has been hit or miss for me (holes in the patterns).

One thing I might comment, even though the OP only has this one post from 4months ago and hasn't returned since: Announcing that you have a blog and want to learn HERE so that you can post your 'knowledge' on your blog is a big turn off. Experience blogs are one thing - I wouldn't personally read them myself, but if seeing your "i tried turkey hunting, it was fun" blog post encouraged someone else to pick up turkey hunting, then great. But it really turns me off to see so many blogs around the internet where people pass themselves off as "experts" because they picked up a shotgun 6wks ago and went out and killed one turkey. If you're writing a "I tried turkey hunting" piece, then great - if you're writing a "I know a lot about turkey hunting chokes and want to pass it on, even though I just started and learned it all from reading online," then please stop.