Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting 10, 12 or 20? What's your "gauge"

Mossberg 500A. 3" 12Ga. Mr Claymore--- Web

When i hear a gobbler on the roost i try to get within 100 yards before he comes off the roost. I start with the tree yelp with my slate or diaphragm call and if he answers i will wait a few minutes and then try him again. I then wait until it is shooting light and then i use a wings to simulate the fly down. If he is roosted aways from the hens you have a good chance of him flying down close to you. If he gets with the hens it is very hard to get him to come in unless you can call the hens in and he will follow, which doesn't happen very often. If not i try moving and calling until i can find one with no hens. Most birds i kill happens after ten when the hens start going off to lay. I personally believe if you stay home and didn't go in the woods until late morning you would kill just about as many birds as being in the woods when daylight is breaking, but this is hard to do, because i love watching the woods come alive in the spring. I like the box call for finding and locating birds and the diaphragm for close in calling because of less movement. The real secret to killing birds is finding them. My favorite choke in my Super 90 is the Kicks Gobbling Thunder. I few i have taken in the last few years.

Great name. Had me smiling for 5 minutes.

Since about 1999 or was it 2000? I have been using a Benelli SBE. Before that Remington 870.

Youkonal----- My shot gun is named after someone from back in the early 70's. Nice guy, but could be very mean if you got on the wrong side of him. Sounds like you knew him. Web

I'm all 20s, all the time. Right now, my favorite is a Benelli M1 24" 20ga shooting Nitro straight #7 Hevis thru a PureGold .555. Over the last 4 turkey seasons, I've killed 22 gobblers with a variety of 20ga guns. I can't see ever going back to a 12ga. Here's a pattern shot from that Benelli 20...
Measured 40yrds, 10" circle, 259 hits!


Mike

MKW,
That's too awesome of a pattern. Congrats!

22 birds in 4 seasons; wow! That's spectacular.

What all states do you hunt?

Thanks. I hunt GA and FLA every year, which gives me five gobblers a season. In 2007, I hunted FLA, GA, TX, OK, KS, and NEB. That was the sping when I killed 2 Grand Slams in one spring. I only killed 4 in 06 myself, but that spring, I called 29 longbeards to the gun...my best spring ever. I've been turkey hunting for 14yrs, but only started keeping up with numbers 4 seasons ago when I started hunting exclusively with 20ga guns. Before that, I didn't even keep the beards or spurs.
I know it sounds like an aweful lot of turkey killing, and it is, but y'all have to understand that turkey hunting is the one passion(besides my family) that I have in life. And, I am fortunate enough to be able to hunt 6 days a week for about 10 weeks, so I'm in the woods A LOT!

Mike

My turkey gun is a Remington 11/87 supermag with a rifle sighted smoothbore and a .665 Kicks Gobblin Thunder choke shooting 3 1/2" Winchester 2 3/8 ounce copperplated #5's.
My wifes turkey gun is a Remington youth NWTF 870 with a 18" barrel and a Primos Jellyhead choke shooting copperplated #5's also.

I use 3. I like them all equally well. 1 is an H&R 10 ga. 36" barrel, 2nd is the newer version. NEF 10 ga turkey gun with a Kick's Gobblin thunder choke. An lastly is a Rem Super Mag 12 ga 3 1/2", also with a Kick's choke.

[quote=Longbeardking] 1 is an H&R 10 ga. 36' barre, 2nd is the newer version. NEF 10 ga turkey gun with a Kick's Gobblin thunder choke. An lastly is a Rem Super Mag 12 ga 3 1/2", also with a Kick's choke.

OUCH!

No OUCH I neglected to tell you I am 64 years young. Of course you feel it when you pattern it, but you only do that once. Shooting at a bird, it's just natural.

Browning A5 Magnum in 12 Ga.for me. Plain old factory original 32 " full choke barrel it has always worn. Seems to work ok

Remington 870 express 20ga. jelly head choke. federal #5's. Wichester black box used to be the shell but now they're $40-50 bucks a box.

This is a really great thread! And seems like a great site.

Since the OP suggested this will help Newbs, maybe I could get some advice.

I have a desire to turkey hunt. I've never done it before and don't know squat. I used to hunt deer and loved it. I had a quite a few good experiences with it and grew up doing it with my Cousins and Uncles. However, I had some health challenges and am just getting strength back. Anyways, Turkey is something I can eat regularly and I thought it might be a good way to make inroads back into hunting.

Anyways, I have 2 shotguns. Well, now 3 but one is a .410. I don't think either one would work unless I modify. I have a mossy 12 Gauge with a Smoothbore slug barrel and an Ithaca 12 gauge with a 26" barrel that has modified choke integral. That one is also only a 2-3/4". That one seems like the best bet but I'm thinking not enough choke. Is it not?

So I have a couple of options, get a different barrel for the Mossy, or a get a new one. Or use the Ithaca if that's "good enough".

I've been looking at 20's because I wouldn't mind getting something that gets the job done with the least amount of pain. I've never been into recoil and I'm lighter now than I used to be and not as strong. Trying to find the balancing act or best of both worlds of a not so heavy to lug around gun with the least amount of recoil that will work. hehehehehehe. Lot to ask for eh? Anyways, I was thinking a 20 Semi with a choke. Maybe the Mossberg SP20? Or an 11-87? I don't really like the mossberg 500 I have, it doesn't really fit real well. I actually like the Ithaca better fit wise.


Sorry for the long post and thanks for the help. And thank you guys for the info posted already.

JJ, welcome to the site.
I think a 11/87 in 20 gauge with screw in chokes would be a perfect combo for you as the semi-auto soaks up a little kick.
It would be in a 2 3/4" - 3" chamber so very versitle as well as the screw in chokes you could have an array of combo possibilities.
If buying a new gun with your prerequisets thats the way I'd fly but if just buying a new barrel I think the mossy would get a new tube with screw in choke capability.
Good luck.

So the Ithaca is probably a no go, eh? I haven't patterned it yet, but I'm not sure I should even bother. I suppose I could get an idea as to how close I'd have to be and go from there.

Thanks for the response, btw, and the welcome.

Probably wouldnt hurt to try the Ithaca, at least then you will know where you stand with it.
Just try different loads and shot sizes at a turkey sized target at various distances to see what you come up with.
If it doesnt seem to do what you want than work your way to your next gun or if you want/need a new one than at least you know you've exhausted your current options.

JJ--Welcome to the fire. If you are not all that keen on your Mossberg, an option (and a good one) would be to trade it off on a 20gauge Encore turkey gun, and at the same time, order a 20gauge slug barrel. You can use the same gun for both seasons, just switch barrels.

My Encore slug barrel is VERY accurate, and the gun fits and feels great. Hope this helps.

That is a good suggestion. I hate the way they look though. I don't know why. I know, that's probably stupid.

I don't know if I'm all that worried about keeping a slug barrel around though, although I probably should. Hmmmmmm...