I know it's a bit early to start thinking about turkeys but I'd like to know what all of you are using and you're favorite shot size.

Right now I'm using a Winchester 1300 that I bought a 22" barrel for and installed a red dot sight on. Using Winchester Supreme shells 1 3/4 oz #5 shot with a Kicks choke and get a good pattern out to 50 yards but last year a Mossberg 835 caught my eye. Mossberg came out with these new pumps with adjustable triggers that I've been meaning to try and was wondering if anyone here has tried them? The one I'm looking at has a thumbhole stock with a 20" barrel that I think would be ideal for turkey but I've heard those small barrels are hard to pattern.

For duck after I went semi-auto I won't ever go back to a pump but for turkey, nothing beats a short barreled pump for reliability and size. I think I'm just looking for an excuse to buy another gun.


This is the Mossberg 835 I'm talking about.




On my fourth turkey hunt ever in 2009 on public land while hunting with my wifes cousin we called in this 4 year old Osceola Turkey with a 10" beard. I took the shot at 35 yards with open sights and dropped him. So I thought turkey hunting was a breeze after that, little did I know. This year I didn't even hear a gobble.

I love hunting turkeys, shoot a mossberg 835 also, i prefer the normal stock though and have a kicks chock in it a think, hold a 90% pattern at 35 yards.

Get a pistol grip Super Nova leave all the fancy sites off of it, they just get in the way. I've got a regular Nova with a 28'' barrel, Primos Jelly Head turkey choke (I think its about .650 constriction so it's really tight), and I shoot the Hevi-Shot Duplex 4's, 5's, & 7's. I "COULD" literally kill one at 70 yards with that combo, don't do it often but I had one hang up 3 days in a row at about that so I decided it was do or die and he flopped at 69 paces (I'm 6'10'' so you do the math on what my stride is, comes out to be about 2.75 feet each step). I don't like short barrelled guns because patterns can be spotty and Mossbergs have that overbore system and IMO they don't pattern as well as other guns. I'd go with at least a 26'' barrel, it ain't gonna make no difference when old Tom comes strutting up there whether you got a 20 or a 30'' you ain't going to be swinging around on a turkey 90% of the time if you know what you're doing. But the pistol grips and thumbholes are so much more comfortable than a regular stock when they come in slow and you have to hold your gun up for long periods of time. I'm a die hard turkey hunter, if I had to choose between all other sports and turkey hunting, turkey hunting would get my vote hands down. I'm a young guy (23) and I hunt Easterns in the Mountains of North Alabama and have limited 4 years in a row so I know a thing or 2 about them old long beards.

What size barrel do you have on yours? I've read on quite a few places that the 835's with the overboared barrels produce an excellent pattern. Last year I used a red dot scope on my gun and really liked it which is why I'm looking for a higher combed stock.

I've got an 835 and have shot 3 different aftermarket chokes and just about every shell imaginable and it still sucks. Won't hold a candle to my Nova. My 835 has a 22 inch barrel and my Nova has a 28 inch. Both of which have aftermarket extended choke tubes. Buy a BPS so I can find out how they pattern. I always wanted to hunt them Osceolas, wanna swap a hunt?

26" i believe, i have a halographic sight on mine, it patterns great around here i dont get a 70 yard shot at turkeys, maybe a 40 if you lucky in this tight stuff. If i had to to it again i think id get a colonial arms chock tube for it

Not trying to be a smart ass but what happens when that red dot dies on you when you're in the woods without another battery? Turkey hunting is worse than duck hunting in the aspect that if something can go wrong, it will! Think about it. How do you out smart something with a brain the size of a peanut and out wit something with no wit? Turkey hunting is a mind game, once you get it figured out forget all that because you (not you personally but you in a metaphorical sense) don't know a phuckin thing.

You over thinking this turkey hunting stuff man, last bird i killed was a 4 year old bird and i killed him in hunters orange. I climbed out a stand and cut him off in a cut over and shot him.

i use my same browning gold hunter that i duck hunt with in fact the first thing i ever killed with it was a 26lb gobbler with an 11 1/2" beard and 1 1/4" spurs and that was my first turkey ever lol

I have a Mossberg 835 Utili-Mag that I'm definately willing to let go of. Its the woodlands camo turkey gun. Ported barrel. I think its a 24 inch barrel, but not sure.



This is pretty much the gun I have with a different front sight.

How much?

Actually, not really sure what to ask. Make an offer.

Imma have to check back with ya in a bit, I just had to spend 300$ for a pro life march in washington dc. That ate a hole in the pocket book along with the gas money for driving up to north mississippi every other weekend.

I know the feeling. I'm dropping quite a few dollars on a new 12 gauge to replace the 835. And the 4x4 Titan i have sure eats the gas when I'm heading back and forth between South La. and Mississippi to the deer camp these days.

Where you deer hunt at, we have alot of land in d'lo right below jackson. Killed some monster turkeys out of that club.

Meadville

You near the homochitto then arnt you.

About 5 mins away.

835s kick like a forkin mad mule.............

First turkey I ever killed was with a Sheridan pellet rifle. They die easy, I guess I just like the heavy rounds for that large quantity of overkill. :

yes you must just want another gun (i have the same disease) , my gun collection is at close to 40 and you know what, the sbe II & my remington 7 mag are about the only two that leave the safe to hunt as opposed to "check this out"....

For us the only ones that get used constiently are: my remington 7mag, the a5, and the .22 for nutria, my dad only shoot remington from what i have seen. He has 2 7mags he always shoots and a dozen or so different 12 gauge 1100s.

My collection is approaching 20 and I know exactly what you mean Wes, I haven't shot some of my guns in years but my Xtrema 2, Citori, Rem 700 .270 WSM, and Glock 17 are constantly being used. I have come to the conclusion that a man can fill 99% of his needs with three guns but the ones you don't have are always so much nicer.

One thing I will say to anyone contemplating the purchase of an expensive shotgun is this. To me, it is money well spent. You can spend $3000 on a deer rifle that will only fire a few shots a season at game if your lucky but a shotgun you will use year round. This doesn't apply to a turkey specific gun though since it's only used a few times a year also.

I use my SBE for turkeys with a Hastings ported choke tube. Same gun I shoot ducks with. It patterns good but trying to find the best patterning 3 1/2" shells sure did suck!!!!!

try a BROWNING 10 GAUGE !! mines got 28" barrel Hastings EXt-choke with Remington or Winchesters #5 or #6's !! More than enough gun to wad 'em up in his tracks

I know it's not a turkey gun, but I ended up buying a Sig P220 Compact Elite limited edition for Christmas from CDNN and it's a great gun. I've never seen a P220 for less than $800 at any of the local gunshops and CDNN is selling them for $600 now. This means I still have an excuse to buy me a new turkey gun before March!

i watched a dude shoot the head slap off one at 20 yards with a 10 ga. bps. he could kill them clean all day at 70 plus yards.

Never understood why people have another gun for turkey.
I shoot my sbe2 for Turkey and duck and have killed my fair share of both with it.
I just slap a pattern master full extended range in her and let it rip.

I've got a 11-87 SPTS with a 21 inch barrel, B-square mount and Tasco turkey scope, Hasting .665 tube and throwing Winchester Supreme 3" #5's! "The Tominator" lol