Greetings Everyone,

I was wondering if you had any recommendations for 20ga bird hunting rifles that won't break the bank? Would like to potentially hunt turkeys at some point.

Not a fan of composite stocks, I prefer wood.

I've loved the over-under's I've had the pleasure of shooting but their price tags are ginourmous.

Thought about a Henry .410 but it's just too small.

Any tips?

Mossberg 500 at walmart right now.  Has slug barrel and 28" bird barrel, clearance $154.

Pawn shop 870.  You can still find them for $150-200 here.  Like the last guy said, the older the better, I would say they were OK until the 2000s, but all mine are from the 80s or earlier.

Used Franchi 48. Light as hell, great bird gun to lug around.

I've shot over a dozen 20 gauge models.  My three favorites that can be found for under $700 are

mid 90's or older 870 wingmaster

browning BPS

Winchester SX3

I like wood also, but it's getting harder to find today. I had hear horror stories about Remington's current quality, but I'm very happy with my recent tac 14 purchase, it actually funtions smoother than my mid '90s express. I did have to remove a nasty injection molding seem off the back of the trigger guard that drew blood on my ring finger.
If you must have wood, the new 870s are $270 at Walmart.
Otherwise a Maverick 88 is sub $200 all day, but they have synthetic stocks. I own several 12ga Mavericks and they're great.
ETA, you sound like a new shooter. I would rather see you with a new warrenteed gun in case you have a problem, rather than something from a pawn shop that may have a problem and you either need to learn gun smithing or shell out $100+ to get it going. The Maverick is a very cheap way to get into hunting / shooting and see if you like it. There are 2 stores local to me with Mavericks for $170 on Black Friday.

I picked up a Browning BPS for peanuts because nobody wanted a 20ga pump I guess. Bottom eject is nice, it’s very lightweight, and stock and bluing looks pretty good too.

If you can find a Charles Daily semi.,
I own around 15, maybe 18 20 gauges and it is an awesome shotgun.
A close second is a Mossberg pump . 3 in the safe.
Wife , daughter, and myself use them.

The tristar Vipers seem to get pretty good reviews over on Shotgun World if you're looking for a lower cost auto.

Do NOT buy a cheap auto.  Autos are Benelli and high end Berettas, the rest are hit and miss.  We have a $150 Escort that runs like a champ, but I've seen 3 other examples of the exact model that are complete jamomatics.  After owning or hunting with Auto 5s, CZs, 1100s, Mossbergs, Stoegers, TriStars, and a bunch of others, I won't waste money on an auto shotgun that isn't a Benelli.

Nothing like walking a mile back across the marsh to get some tools to fix your cheap auto while your party slays your limit for you.