I am using a 12 gauge Remington 870 Express with a 3 inch chamber on it. I live in Minnesota and its my first year turkey hunting. What is a good choke for turkey I have a modified and an improved i tested my pattern and the improved definately wont work but I havent tried the modified yet. Also I have to double check but I dont believe that I have to use steel on turkeys which do you preffer lead or steel and what shot size? Any help would be great. Also what is a desirable hit rate on targets and how far back should I go to?

Thanks,
It flies it dies

I would buy a extended trukey Extra or Super full choke tube.
Brands are Remington or others , here is a link to Cabelas . They show a bunch of different ones.
I would start out with a 3" 2 oz of 5 load ( I like Federal) .
This will get you started .
Patteren your gun to know where it shoots.

Johnch

Get a turkey choke as johnch advised. The factory choke tubes are absolutely going to shoot worse than about any good turkey tube you can buy. I doubt that you have to use steel shot for turkeys. I've never heard of the requirement in any other state. Steel shot doesn't have the impact to kill turkeys at extended ranges. As far as the minimum number of hits in the kill zone for a good pattern, my personal benchmark is about 20 hits on a turkey head/neck target with 5 hits in the brain/spine.

Also check into the "hevi-shot" type of ammo, about all the companies are now making a Hevi-shot turkey load. Since you are shooting a Rem. I would look at the Remington Ventilator choke tube, I shot one for years and was very pleased with it, its a .655 restriction, worked great with my 870 as long as I shot lead shot and they are not very pricey at all. I think it might be just a little to tight to shoot hevi-shot thru though.

A good turkey choke will help your patterns 10-fold. There are a number out there to choose from and opinions on them will vary greatly. I've found that a good quality, extended choke tube in a .665 constriction works well with an 870 3" shotty. I don't think any state mandates you shoot steel only. If you decide to shoot lead, I'd try the #5 pellet size. The size of a #5 lead is ideal for turkey, ethically, out to about 40 yards.

Speaking of 40 and since you asked... that would be my max suggested shot on a turkey. Pattern at 40 and dial in your chosen shell / choke combination there. As far as desirable pellet count? Every one in the payload impacting the turkeys head and neck. Of course that's not going to happen, so I'd want an evenly distributed pattern that has * at least * 6 pellets in the turkeys vitals at 40 yards. That was the NWTF standard, but with todays Hevi-shot loads and high quality chokes, that amount of pellets is pretty much considered poor.

If I can't get 15+ pellets in the brain and spine at 40 paces, (not just the outline of the turkey head / neck), then I move on and test another load. You'll do well to read as much as you can here and sort out opinions. Watch for those who give reports on their patterning results. I don't want to confuse, but keep in mind no two guns, even of the same manufacturer, are going to pattern the same.

If it were me, having owned a 870 myslef that was a 3" gun, I'd buy an extended choke tube rated to handle Hevi-shot in a .665 constriction. I'd pattern it with #5 shot first, if lead was my shell of choice. Try some from different companies, in various shell payloads, (mine seemed to like the 3" Winchester High Velocity #5's in 1 3/4 ounce), on large pattern board paper. If I wasn't against spending a little more for shells, (which I'm not), I'd try some Remington Hevi-shot. Personally, after what I've seen first hand, I won't shoot anything else at a turkey. It just shoots too darn good when compared to lead. That's the reason I suggested you buy a choke tube rated for Hevi-shot... just in case you lead didn't pattern well.

A side benefit to Hevi-shot is in retained downrange energy. Because of its weight, a #6 Hevi-shot pellet hits as hard or harder than a #5 lead pellet. So, with a 3" load of #6 Hevi-shot, you increased your pellet count on average, 75 - 100 pellets, while getting the same killing power as a #5 lead sized pellet. That's pretty dang nice. You can read a bit about it at this link... along with what choke makers are rated to handle Hevi-shot. http://www.hevishot.com/faq.html

If I stilled had my 870, I'd shoot Hevi #6 with a .665 or .670 rated choke... good look and hunt safe.