Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting $1600 budget which 20 gauge Shotgun would you get?

I would say that it is fairly light on recoil. I could shoot it all day without issue. Then again I don't mind 12ga 3.5s either. In comparison I would say that it is much lighter than my 1100 20ga but has the same or less recoil.

Benelli M2 with 24" barrel. I use it as my main turkey gun and my kids use it too and have all killed turkeys with it. I shoot the 2 3/4" reduced recoil hevi blend loads or federal heavyweights for them. I limit them to about 35 yards but my middle son did kill a bird at 43 yards with the 2.75" heavyweights. I handload TSS in mine and have killed to 71 yards with it. I have killed to 52 with Nitro loads. With a 3" heavy handload the kick is about like a 2 3/4 pheasant load from an average 12ga. Much more pleasant than my SBE2 shooting 3.5" loads and still very effective. With the reduced recoil loads, it's a total lightweight and easy for kids to handle. They are a joy to carry in the field with weight being about 6.5lbs with sling and ammo and Fastfire sight on it.

Get a gun and FF site or something similar and you'd still be under budget.

Lee

Dont slip on my drool puddle

NICE stash you have there

Although I went the first 15 years on one shotgun, I would say turkey hunting cries out for a dedicated gun, and that it should not be expensive. Turkey hunting requires the shotgun to be aimed like a rifle. This is antithetical to wing shooting. If you crawl around in the briars the way we do, it'll get scratched up.

Therefore, I would first think about a decent inexpensive 12 GA pump that has the option of screw in choke tubes. It does not have to be all that fancy. We all shoot 12 GA Mossberg 500 or Rem 870 variants. Most of us at Turkey Camp have spray painted our guns. Why 12? If you're looking for less recoil, just shoot 2 3/4. It's about the same as a heavy 20 GA. You'll have more choices in ammo and choke tubes. We all shoot 3" lead Federal or 2 3/4" Rem Nitro Buffered Magnums.

I'm not knocking 20 GA for turkey. My son shot his first few birds using a 20 GA bolt gun. I'm just saying 12 GA is more versatile, and overall it will be cheaper to get the job done.

Deer? With a used Mossberg 500 you can add on a rifled deer barrel. It'll be good out to 100 yards with slugs. All of our shotguns are D&T's for scopes, whether we use them or not. I'm pretty well stuck with a scope, because my eyes are no longer able to pick up both the bead and the turkey.

Squirrel? Change the choke tube on your turkey barrel to modified and shoot low-brass #6.

With a $1600 budget that leaves you about $1200 for a really nice shotgun for wingshooting.

Rem 860 Youth 20 gauge with bird and cantilever slug bbl. Done!

Older Ithaca 37 12ga. Get good tube installed, forcing cone lengthened, optics added. 1 1/4 oz high brass. Way less than your budget, more versatile, better performance.


Not at all what you asked about.

I can't believe anyone would spend that money on a 20 for turkey..

WCH,

Without a doubt.

Benelli Super Sport

They will crowd the budget unless you go used or look around.


http://www.gunbroker.com/All/BI.aspx?Keywords=benelli+super+sport

WCH when I purchase something now I try to get something nice I would be proud to hand down to my son. I am not looking for the cheapest or what will get me by. I am looking for quality and something nice. For me it isn't just a turkey gun.

Couldn't agree more. Buy what you want and what you will use and pass along. There are plenty of things that I'm cheap on that other people may not be on. I don't begrudge them for spending money on things they want and saving money on others. I really enjoy my turkey guns and enjoy passing things on to my children. I hunt turkeys in 9-10 states each year and it's worth it to me to spend the money.

You can't go wrong with the M2 and Burris FF combo.

Lee

I have a nice A400 I'll sell you for $1250 and you can take the leftovers and buy an 870 compact. Have a useful one and a fancy one

20 gauges of today are a lot lighter,more compact and mobile than 12 gauges and if you use Federal Heavyweight 7's you have an easy 45 yard gun. If you handload TSS you have a shotgun that can shoot circles around any 12 gauge loaded with factory ammunition.
I used to always hunt with 3.5" magnum 12's....... these days my 20 is as big as I ever carry and I'm gravitating more and more towards my .410
The 12 gets to come out maybe once a year or so for sentimental purposes.
I never thought I'd say this but 12 gauge shotguns for turkey hunting have become totally obsolete

This is a 22" 1187. I plan on this being my main gun this year.



This is a pattern out of my wife's m2 with a 26"

I like both but the shorter barrel on the 1187 is gonna be my pick I think

I'm new to the tss game but I've not had a 12gauge shoot as tight as my little 20s yet.

thank me later.

http://www.benelliusa.com/m2-field-shotgun

An 870 Express 20ga will kill you turkeys to 50+ yards for $350. What more are you looking for?

I have the Benelli M2 in 20 and 12. They both kill turkeys for under $1600. Before that I've used my 870 20ga on countless birds. I think I bought it 15 years ago for $250'ish new and a $50 for a Primos Jelly Head choke.