Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting new shotgun experiment...

Well... I took the plunge on a shotgun and ordered a Savage 555 OU in 20 gauge because the price was too good not to try.

I like the concept of an OU for close & far shots.
My franchi affinity 20 gauge tubes fit it so I have them to start with.
I plan on doing the meadow creek red dot mount since I have a spare vortex.
Its a light gun at 5.5 pounds and I'm sure a stout 3 inch load will thump. Hope the aluminum receiver can handle it for the low round count.

If the barrels are too far off or the triggers are too horrendous heavy... I can always sell it or use it as a truck gun.

So has anyone tried a similar OU experiments?

my only cheaper O/U was a Stoeger 12 ga Waterfowler.
It did ok and the barrels were regulated very well.
I duck hunted with it several years before I sold it. I had no problem with it.

O/Urs look cool and the sound of saying it sounds cool.

Just listen....

I turkey hunt with an O/Ur I must be cool as hell.

In reality an O/Ur doesnt make a good turkey gun.....why because generally.the barrels don't shoot to the same point of impact.
Making one of your shots pretty much useless

Have a lot of rounds down an O/U. Likely more than all others except maybe 22lr combined. It's become the preferred action style for clay games.

Never really found them wanting. I do like having that 3rd shot in an auto for geese tho.

WTF???
Wanna tell that to millions of clay and bird shooters?
I can pattern my Browning at 40yards and not tell the difference between the top and bottom barrel.

Bird and clay shooters aren't aiming them like a rifle with a tite turkey choke.

Years back I went on an O/U quest for a turkey gun....3 Browning Citoris, (two 3" and one 3.5") a Berretta 3.5" Onyx and an American Arms 3.5".... All when aimed like a rifle shot the bottom barrel low...thrid to half pattern low.
When I contacted Browning and Beretta their rely was they were in their perimeters.

They are shooting a MOVING 4" target or a small woodcock going 50 mph.
You're clueless

I'd hate to be as clueless as you.

We weren't talking about clay games or shooting geese.

Many of the serious clays competitor I've known tend to be choked considerably tighter than "convention" would dictate.

Hitting birds and turning them into coffee grounds provides a psychological lift.

Yep. A turkey which in my area is about the size of a small dog and not moving all that fast like a goose or clay. Pretty easy to hit from a shooting perspective.

What ever you think brother....

Heres what i think you can type but you dont know chit from Shinola about turkey hunting.

And I've used O/U on ducks, clays, geese, pheasants, rabbits etc.

Again - never found it wanting.

In a 12 gauge, the barrels are basically .700 apart, C/L to C/L , so at 40 yards that's not even distinguishable.

Well get on a rest with one and it will likely open your eyes.

I know what it takes to hit a moving target, at speed with a shotgun. At one time I was better than 87% at it. Regardless of target size and speed, course or day.

We're not talking about calling in a turkey - we're talking about hitting one with a load of shot. Not hard to do and an O/U is more than up to the task.

I have

You guys must dip from the same Shinola can

Guess next you'll tell me how great #9 fairy dust sized shot kills turkeys.

I put over a thousand rounds a year down the tubes of my shotguns. How about you?
Fuggin turkeys are the easiest birds to kill.

Maybe a 100 years ago when barrels were soldered together by hand there might have been some miss matched sets but today, you are wrong in your thinking.

Go to you bench and set a target at ten yards and shoot it with two Winchester AAs of 9 shot, and you will find one hole of about one inch in diameter, if not then the chock tubes you are using are junk, and if you still don't think its the tubes, then simply switch the tubes to the other barrel. you will be surprised !

So you bozos are calling me a liar ?

No [bleep], it almost seems nuts at the efforts some people put into killing them, I use a 870 in the great 410, with 3" 6 shot, and I don't feel under gunned !

Learn to call better and you won't need a cannon to kill the love struck dummies either.

With a 12 gauges at 30 yards 70 % of the shot goes around the head neck area that you are shooting at, what's the point?

Not a liar just a dumb fug

I'm pretty sure the plural of Citori is Citori.


LOL

You are the only one name calling.

Thanks for the English lesson.


These guys are dumber than Gemby

Pizzin match about who shoots the most....before the shell shortage started I shot an average of 200 rds a week all year at clay targets...now it's down a 100 rds every few weeks....Next I guess you'll brag about your Kreigoff Remington copy and I could brag about my Purdey I used to own.

Yea and I've known people that turkey hunted for 30 plus years that don't know much more than when they started....so whats you point ?

I going to go out on a limb here, and say they were most likely kin folks of yours !

It takes a special kind of Idiot to shoot 410's for turkey.

You must be against TSS shotshells too.

The CZ Redhead Premier All Terrain I bought last Spring patterns 8” apart at 40 yards, with both the factory tubes and a Briley Turkey choke. I sent it back for that, and because it was waaaayyyy to hard to open. They corrected the tight action, then tested the patterns and informed me there was no problem; as the barrels were only 4” apart at 20 yards.Duh! I did a lot of online research about the issue and discovered that it’s not at all uncommon, even with guns that cost a lot more than my $1K CZ. The gunmakers are fine with that apparently, even the higher end ones. The “easy” fix is custom tubes from Briley or maybe others, but the job ain’t cheap, nor are the biased tubes that correct the POI. For turkey hunting, the easy way out is to use a sight adjusted for the tight barrel, and use a more open tube with another load for body shots or just learn the hold required. For upland wingshooting, it’s not a huge problem, as open chokes overlap pretty well at typical ranges. I’m still working on how much it affects my 5-stand shooting, but I clearly do better at that with either of my autos than the CZ. It’s going to take some time on the pattern board to see if it’s the barrels or just gun fit.

Yea they are tough to hit at 30 yards, willy critters they are ! You dumb [bleep] ! You should thank God you don't hunt dangerous game !

Or just you !

Gun fit can't fix barrel regulation.

There's always that, painful as it is.

At least the spread is only vertical; if it was horizontal, I’d pack it in. Using the turkey tube in each barrel and a red dot, the patterns stack as perfectly as I’m able to judge.

Interesting turn on the thread......

As OP here, I have ran experiments with turkey choke tubes on my Browning citori 725 out to 40 yards and that thing is regulated very well. The trigger is light and the inflex recoil pad works well too.

I could use the 725 with the two beads and be happy, but I don't want to take that gun out into the muddy rainy days. Trap season starts at turkey time so I don't want to fool with red dots on it either, but the OU concept works with that gun.


So my Steven's 555 may be an epic failure compared to the 725. At least I may have a new grouse beater.

I have a Browning Citori Satin Hunter 12ga 3-1/2" gun sitting in the back of the safe, going to see what it'll do... but NOT with 3-1/2" shells! Lol! Have a couple Jebbs tubes in a drawer too.

I used #9 TSS shot, from a 20ga, for the first time last year on an IL bird and a WI bird. Stuff works! Did it kill them deader than other shot? No! But for #9 shot, the performance is undeniable. Any slander about #9 TSS can only come from someone who hasn't used it, IMO.

You won't know until you shoot it. Hope it works for you.
Down here in Missouri, turkeys are about as likely to come to the call from behind you as from the front. Some hunters use a full choke over cylinder, and choose the barrel based on the range at which they shoot. The big advantage of a double over a single barrel gun is choice of chokes.

That is referred to as upland choking...it sounds cool but not very effective turkey or duck hunting.....for about 10 years I fall turkey hunted and occasionally duck hunted with vintage SxSs.....I wanted equal choke in each barrel.

Turkeys and upland bird hunting aren't too similar....

If your first shot is say 30 to 35 yards and you miss or God forbid wound a turkey and need a second shot the open choke is not going to be of much use unless the turkey runs towards you.

I like the thought of a more open choke when the bird slips inside 20 yards. Tight turkey chokes at close range are like shooting slugs at the gobblers head. Something like Mod for the bottom barrel and X-Full on top seems very practical.

You better be lined up at really close range.

If I'm hunting big woods I use a Patternmaster code black goose tube (it measures about .710)...if in hunting big fields I put in a Pattermaster code black turkey I think its .665....either choke in my gun can do the job at 50 yards if need be.

All I hunt is big woods, darn few fields in the national forest here. Early in the year when the woods are open before green up I usually use my trusty old Benelli M1 with either an Indian Creek or a Kick's turkey choke. With Hevi13 6's that old M1S90 has taken more than a few stubborn 50 yard gobblers in the open timber. Late season when things get greened up and bushy, I change out the turkey tube for a flush fit modified or often I'll break out my old 870 with plain modified barrel and 2.75" short magnum Winchester XX #6 loads. Late season in the timber means shots 30 yards and under, many times well under. The old 870 Wingmaster is a sentimental favorite that I have had since I was sixteen. That old shotgun is nearly silver, I have packed it so much as a young hunter I have the bluing nearly gone. It's fun to take it out once in awhile and it handles those sub 35 yard birds great.

I shot many turkey with my Parker .410, anybody can kill a turkey with a 12 ga, takes a real turkey hunter to bag one with a .410, just stupid talk

you never seen what a 3" with #9 will do to a turkey, I have, missing head

So that makes you a super turkey hunter?

never said that did i? you really talk stupid stuff, you really like to bully people on here. one thing for sure I'll forget more than your ever know, you got alot a growing up to do I suppose you can't kill a deer with a 22 long rifle either

i kill turkeys every year with a 410 and #9s

I probably shoot more shotshells in a year than you see, and a good share of them on a trap course. my trap gun has a pair of .655 constriction tubes in it. I wouldnt hesitate to use that gun and those chokes on turkeys



its pretty obvious you're the one who doesnt know Shidt from Shinola, well actuallt thats pretty clear on mist of your replies

I agree LFC think he knows everything but he dont, He probably hunted turkeys in the grocery store

If you shoot enough, things that "can't happen" tends to happen.

I've seen near 100 yard clays get broke, chokes that are "too open/tight" perform and break things at ranges they're not supposed to etc.

I averaged 1100 rounds a week for a couple years and one of the very cool things about sporting clays is that they don't separate the pros from the Joe's. If it's your class you might be squadded with Dave down the street or George Digweed/Andy Duffy/Jon Kruger and THEN you can see what can be done with a shotgun.

who ever told you that or is that something you dreamed up

before my grandson was big enough for a 20 gauge, he killed 3 gobblers (one per year) with his single shot .410.
Then he killed more with his Mothers 20 gauge and then I gave him a Weatherby O/U 12 ga and the beat goes on!
He is now home from college for the holidays and we were joking about the cactus thorns where his last turkey died (this is Texas).


He toted it out to the truck and cleaned it back at the lodge. The Brazos River is back of those trees.

No body told me anything guess you missed the post where I told of the different over and unders I tested for point of impact.

You said "anybody can kill a turkey with a 12 gauge takes a real turkey hunter to kill one with a 410"

I just figured that made you some kind of super turkey hunter....

You know the real McCoy.

Better get you a fow tin if you ever expect to be a real turkey hunter.


All kidding aside....you need to try some 2&3/4" Winchester Roosters #4 or #5 shot with the Shotlock Technology. The #4s shot really good in an old Win.97 I had.

I probably killed more turkeys with.my .410 Parker double than you ever will

you must buy cheap over and unders if you got that much of a point of impact between barrels

If you don't mind me asking you being the real deal turkey man and all..
...

Just how many takeys you kilt with yo Parker foe'tin little feller ?


Are you shooting that magic fairy dust #9 shot through that Paaka....if so are you not concerned about damaging the barrel ?

wow your a angry little boy aren't you, with .410 since I stated hunting in 1960 I would say 20 or 30ish, now with a 12 ga a whole alot more than that, you need to get hunting to catch up and all that with an plain jane Remington 870 with a 30" full barrel with 2 3/4 mags. I bet you would love to own that Parker GH grade .410 foe'tin little feller, but you could afford a fine piece of shotgun history

The way you act I figured you for some young hot headed punk....I guess you're reliving your childhood.

You hunted turkeys since 1960.

That's a long time....where you do all your takey hunting at ?

You being the real deal I figured you'd kilt a truck load or two with that Paa'ka 410....heck I've killed 20 to 30 in one year.

let's see, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida ect , I bet you did kill 20 to 30 in one year you don't even know the exact number. oh BTW you can keep listing your dies, I don't buy from dumb azz clowns

Your money is no good with me steveredd....not even on a "bet" that you would loose.

How many turkeys do you have to kill in a year or a life time before the exact number doesn't matter ?

I guess you ain't got there yet.

Wow you need some serious help buddy The only problem is the only help you're gonna give a rabbit dog is to put it down

Fairy dust only works out of a $100 single shot .410 used by kids in elementary school. They're not smart enough to know they need bigger.

8 year old (2019 bird)


9 year old (2020 bird)


10 year old (2021 bird)

Nice turkeys...they sure grow up quick.

Won't be long he'll be looking for a 20 gauge.

Says the "rabid" ol'man with his Paa'ka 410.......

BOOM, oh wait LFC said it can't be done

Sorry bud I don't have a rabbit dog

But I did have a turkey dog.


That 1925 W.C. Scott sidelock 12ga. 2&3/4" pigeon gun killed 4 or 5 times as many as your trusty .410 Paa'ka.

Added....

No limits were broken in this hunt the limit was 6 per day....

I was hunting by myself this day. This was two separate breaks/flushes...all birds were called back to the gun. I should have had the 6 bird limit but I missed one earlier that morning and I passed on a couple of young gobblers on the second break trying to kill another long beard late that day.

you sure

I would say and probably a lot of guys on here would agree that hunting turkeys with dogs is not turkey hunting

I have never used a turkey dog and don't know much about it. However, it is legal in some places and is an old time honored tradition with a lot of heritage in those places. No different than using a rifle IMHO. Or a .410... If it's legal, what's the complaint? I'm not in a position to determine the ethics of how another man legally takes his game. Are you?