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What would you recommend for a 20 gauge shell for turkey? I plan on taking the GF after a turkey or two this spring and she shoots a 870 20 gauge. It does have a 3 inch chambering but I think a 2 3/4 would not make her recoil shy.

What says the fire?

I have shot quite a few with copper plated lead 6's in both 2 3/4" and 3" cases. The shorter case holds 1 oz. of shot and the 3" holds 1 1/4. If your calling them in during the Spring season the 2 3/4" shells are fine to about 30 yards with a full choke, at least in my experience. The best pattern I get in my Ithaca SKB is with the 3" shell from Remington called Nitro Turkey.

Just get some good 2 3/4" turkey loads, a damn good choke (I'm assuming her 870 has screw in chokes) and make sure her aim is true...Not too much to it...Oh yeah, practice your calling too....Don't want to sound like a love sick ostridge out there

Get a Remington Super Full choke tube and some Federal Heavyweight #7's. The pattern that this combo throws should rival some 12 gauge patterns.

+1

The Federal Heavyweight #7's are crazy deadly. You do not need to go with a a super tight turkey choke because of the "flite control wad".

These things kick ass. They make me want to carry a short barrel light 20 ga instead of a 12. My son uses these in is browning pump, and they flat out kill turkeys.

http://www.americanrifleman.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=2251&cid=33

I didn't think the 3" 20 gauge turkey loads produced hard recoil. It felt like much less than a 2 3/4" 12 gauge. Didn't do much experimenting with various loads for patterning and haven't used one for turkey hunting.

So don't pay any attention to me.

Winnie,

I use my 870 20 almost exclusively. I run Hevi-13, 3" #5's. I run a Primos Jelly-head choke. They pattern fantastic in my gun. I've not had a turkey like the load from 45yds and in. I don't like that long of a poke. I like to see how close I can get them in.

Hevi-shot is the king for 20ga. Before my son was able to handle a 12ga he shot the 20ga Hevi-shot #5 it was a real good load from a youth 870 with a X-Full tube. We gained a good 10 yards over standard 3" lead loads.

Indian creek choke and shells from Nitro Ray. I actually think I have a 20 ga. Indian Creek choke that will fit your 870. The shells from Nitro Ray are custom loaded in Missouri. I have yet to find another shell that has the range, patterns tighter, or hits harder. The only shell that will come clost is Hevi-Shot. I chase turkeys every year in MS, KS, NE, and SD so I test everything I can get my hands on.

I'll have to try some!!!

I think it really depends on the gun. The same make gun doesn't necessarily shoot the same pattern.

I have never seen the need for extreme turkey shells unless the objective becomes how far can I shoot/kill. I'd find a shell that gives you the pattern you are looking for with the least amount of recoil in consideration of how far you are willing to shoot. With all that being said the Hevy stuff is damn lethal.

Federal has come out with a 20 ga. 2 3/4" Heavyweight #7 with I believe flite control. 20ga 3" flite control # 7 Heavyweights are very deadly at 40 yards. I'd bet the 2 3/4 " would do the job. Web

Those Heavyweight #7's sound very interesting! Do they make them
for 12's?

Yep.

My daughter got her first gobbler at 68 yards using the Federal FC Wad and #6 HW shot. She was shooting a Remington 1187 in 20 gauge loaded with 3" shells. I wouldn't have let her shoot that far, but, she saw the birds walking toward us, and when the birds paused she felt like they were about to get away so she fired at the lead bird without saying anything. I was watching them through my rangefinder, waiting for them to get closer when I heard her shoot.