Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting 12 or 20?

I know! Four 3 1/2” shells, scope and saddle scope mount on an 870 Super Mag and she is a heavy one.

Round and round and round.

When I was younger turkeys were just birds that were shot
with squirrel or pheasant ammo.

Then, in the eighties they became tough. 3" magnum required.
90's, 3 1/2".

Now, let's sell some new chit, suckers will chase "The newest/bestest".

No 20 gauge load will out do a 12 load. Apple's to apples. Ever.

Look at the weights on true field auto's, my Beretta 390 is as
light as many 20's.

For the guy who "don't need no 12, I'm man enough to kill with a 20",
1 1/4oz 12gauge loads will dump them quick.

Or, 1/18 2 3/4 loads from a 20.

Thing is, don't be like a gobbler.
Don't fall for the sweet marketing, and get your wallet shot.

All true, more or less. But there’s nothing wrong with trying something different, especially if it might be a bit better. The new spendy shells definitely pattern better than older stuff, but whether that matters or not depends on the shots you get, or take. The expense is miniscule when the number of opportunities most get are factored in.

I’m switching to light break-actions because the 12 I have is long and heavy. The 20ga O/U will get used for other stuff as well with light loads that kick less and are easier to carry. The break actions are shorter for any barrel length, and quieter and easier to load and unload.

At some point I’m going to dream up a “cleverly concocted rifle load”, as Jim Carmichael called it as well, perfectly legal here, for shooting them at the same ranges as with shotguns, just because I can. Might be a CF or a ML, or even a pistol.

It’s all good.

+1
A 3" 20 GA is roughly equivalent to 2 3/4 12 GA, give or take. My son's Yute gun was a 3" 20 GA, and I can honestly say better than 80% of my shots on turkey have been ones that would have been a chip shot for my original turkey gun, my Dad's Model 12 GA Trap. I shoot lead throughout-- going on 40 years. I'd say if you want to lighten the load, go to a #4 or #6 pheasant load and be done with it.

I like Dave Owens style... something to play in the back ground while I'm working or doing projects... . I may start smoking premium cheap cigars too.

The poi can be adjusted by filing chokes

I have a 410 sxs that I have been setting up. I have 2 Indian Creek chokes in it. It shoots great. I’m currently at the stage where I want to install a middle bead and a sling. May not get a chance to hunt it this year.[/quote]


I would love to know how to tweek POI of my patterns. Could you please elaborate on that.

I would love to know how to tweek POI of my patterns. Could you please elaborate on that.[/quote]

https://www.gobblernation.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=14385

Thanks for the info. I have a 20ga tube coming back tomorrow that I sent out to be threaded to accept TruChokes. It's nice to know that if it doesn't pattern to POA, I can try to remedy the situation myself. And if I screw it up, it only costs me a $20 bill for a replacement choke tube. I'm assuming I'll need to make some witness marks so I can index back when I swap tubes in and out. Thanks again.

Unless TSS is outlawed, there’s zero reason to waste all the extra TSS pellets by shooting a 12ga. Arguments over buying a new gun ( just for turkeys), or having some stash of 12ga turkey loads you’re loathe to sit on for HD or coyotes or such aside.....why wouldn’t you have a 20 (or even 28 or 410, if it fit your hunting) shooting tss, in lieu of a 12? Any of my 12s will work on turkeys, if needed. Several are better adapted to turkey hunting than others. My main, ‘turkey specific’ guns, that get hunted over the last 7-8 years are 20s, and I doubt that changes anytime soon. Makes no sense to shoot a 12...unless I suddenly have to be miserly on shell cost or can only have one shotgun.

I’ve gone round and round and shot them with everything from 2 3/4 20g and 16g all the way up to 3 1/2 12 and even one with a 10 gauge. By far my favorite is 2 3/4” 12 gauge and I’m setting my kids up with a soft shooting Remington 1100 with just that shell this year. No fancy turkey loads, #6 heavy field. These days I mostly hunt with whichever shotgun I find in my safe that needs to go for a walk with me!

Only reason for 12ga is if shooting them up close with dove loads. If you're buying turkey shells and chokes, 20ga is a big gun.

I shoot my first of the year with the big 20 and carry a 410 the rest of the season unless traveling OOS. Break actions only with me. Break it down before crossing barriers and use the lever to close it quietly.

I wouldn't fool with heavy loads or hard shot from a sxs. Get an o/u and zero your sight for the top barrel on the head. Bottom barrel will center on neck when dot is on the head. No filing or custom choke rigamarole. Helps keep shot out of the breast and keep shot on the head with the second shot on a missed runner. Not that I've ever done that. 😁.

One of the other threads on this turned into the usual schittstorm, possibly because those who’ve killed turkeys as targets of opportunity while hunting other stuff, or practice the Pennsylvania scatter and call method in the fall don’t see the utility of specialized ammo for head-shooting gobblers- maybe. I’ve always just used whatever gun I had and heavy loads of medium-sized shot, but the new stuff is pretty compelling for head-shots, so I’m all in this season. Scoff if you must.

Either a 12 or 20, a good load of #4s #5s or #6s in a full or extra full choke will work fine.

If you find a gun you really like im either gauge grab iit up.


You can tell what my favorite gauge is by my username but with the advent of Winchesters Longbeard it is hard for my 10 to keep up w lead shot.

I see no need for the TSS, I can kill turkeys to 50 real easy and if it stretches to more than that I'll let him walk and come back to play another day.

The TSS is handy for smaller gauges but if I want to play that game I will just work him to within 30 yards and make it real fun.

Those loads will kill more turkeys than I want to breast out.

I used to think I needed the tightest pattern with the heaviest load out there but then I started noticing I killed a schittload of birds under 30 yards and a field load of about any type will work just fine.

BTW, I still shoot those heavy loads as I am sitting on about 20 boxes of them!!

Well... I pulled out my 2 12 gauges and 20 last night and old patterns targets...
You can really tell the difference picking up the heavy 870 @ 7.5 pounds, the the 7 pound franchi 12, down to the 6 pound franchi 20...

And the 40 yard #9 TSS targets are incredible.

The decision has been made other than I'm sitting on a pile of 12 gauge hevishot and federal heavyweight shells. Maybe a couple more 12 gauge seasons still.

I was watching The Hunting Public last night and Greg was displaying his turkey stuff. His gun is a 3.5” Benelli that he shoots Winchester 5s in. He said it’s not bad, but the in the video it really rocks him!

JB’s article in the current Handloader is on hard shot. He quotes the price of tungsten shot, and that explains the cost of the shells. I probably have a lifetime supply in 20 and .410, unless my luck takes a remarkable turn for the better. In a world where 9mm is a buck or more a pop, and slugs $4, $5-$8 ain’t so bad for one or two pokes a season at a gobbler.

John’s article is well-worth reading, btw.

I remember I was patterning my 2 oz hevishot with the deer shack kids and they watched me shoot and couldn't believe how much the loads rolled me back. No one volunteered to try them.

So.. now that I committed to the 20 gauge, I bought the last 4 boxes of fed TSS 3 inch because it was priced unusually low and federal is running a $5 per box rebate. I was an expensive hit, but you can't find much ammunition anywhere.

Now to hide the credit card charge from the wife...

My walking shotgun is a youth model 870 20ga which is fed 3" #6 Tungsten. My field shotgun is an old 1300 Winchester with Red Dot and Nitros. Both work great for intended use. Other than finding a good load for your choke, the rest of the worry's are overthinking the issue from the perspective of my 40+years of hunting!

Overthinking is what we do here. Right now, a lot of us have more time to do it.

Same principal applies to picking loads for whitetails.

I was going to use a 20 last year on turkeys but ended up filling all my tags with traditional archery equipment.

So this year I am going to use the 20, and with TSS loads I will have no issues out to 40 yards. If I cannot call one to 40 yards, I do not deserve to fill my tag.

The main reason I am going to a 20 is ease of carry. I have used 3.5's in my Browning Cynergy and Benelli SBE, but they are heavier to carry. I have not needed the 70 plus yard range of the 3.5's for many years.