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Posted: 10/10/2004 1:22:34 PM EDT
[#1]
870 with 21 inch barrel turkey choke, and some #4 shot will do the trick
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Posted: 10/10/2004 1:23:08 PM EDT
[#2]
Fall turkey?
I'd use a .22 magnum rifle. For spring turkey I'd use a 18-22" barreled 12 gauge with a tight pattern and number 4 shot. CRC |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 1:24:20 PM EDT
[#3]
22 short
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Posted: 10/10/2004 1:24:30 PM EDT
[#4]
They make loads specifically for turkey....while I missed the chance at both toms I saw last year, I was using a Federal load of 4x6's, called Grand Slams.
They did work and netted a nice sized tom for one of the members in my hunting party.  He was using a 26" Remington 1187SPS.....but shot it with 3" shells not the 3.5". |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 1:25:11 PM EDT
[#5]
You need an extra full choke or a turkey choke which is super tight. You want to use between 4 and 6 shot. Make sure you pattern your shotgun before you go to see which shells pattern best with your shotgun/choke combination. So far as barrel length is concerned, turkey guns generally have shorter barrels than shotguns used for waterfowl, etc. 18" is common, as is 20".
  That's me last year. I used a Mossberg 835 with a Hastings Turkey choke, 3" #4 shot, and a Leupold 4X scope. He was 20 lbs with a 8 " beard and 1 inch spurs, probably a 2 year old bird. YUMMY! |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 1:27:29 PM EDT
[#6]
Thanks for all the responses so far. What is the difference between a spring turkey and a fall turkey? |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 1:29:40 PM EDT
[#7]
I wonder why people don't use accurized 10/22's for turkey. Lazy?
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Posted: 10/10/2004 1:29:58 PM EDT
[#8]
Fall Turkey in Oklahoma is hunting with a BOW in most counties...
Spring Turkey is Shotgun....... For spring get a good 20ga or 12 ga, if $$$$ is a issue, then go with a NEF single shot.. |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 1:30:02 PM EDT
[#9]
Fall turkey you shoot the 1st one you see. They are in flocks.
During the spring turkeys are breeding and you use calls to bring them in. You shoot male turkeys- gobblers almost exclusively in the spring. Only idiots end up shooting bearded hens. Some states allow rifles and pistols, some don't. Check your regs. CRC |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 1:30:41 PM EDT
[#10]
Illegal?  CRC |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 1:45:22 PM EDT
[#11]
OK, I read the regs and from what I can figure it is shotgun only, unless I go buy a bow or get myself a falcon.
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Posted: 10/10/2004 1:47:21 PM EDT
[#12]
Shopping cart at Safeway...
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Posted: 10/10/2004 1:59:31 PM EDT
[#13]
Remington 870 Express is a good choice.
I think they make a plain 18" barrel one. CRC |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 2:00:28 PM EDT
[#14]
Kroger has them on sale.
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Posted: 10/10/2004 2:01:28 PM EDT
[#15]
Chevy Malibu!
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Posted: 10/10/2004 2:10:05 PM EDT
[#16]
I have for years |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 2:12:47 PM EDT
[#17]
Id go with the Falcon
hunting with a rifle isnt illegal in several states in Texas it is legal to hunt them with an centerfire round |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 2:25:57 PM EDT
[#18]
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Posted: 10/10/2004 3:31:19 PM EDT
[#19]
I hit a nice hen with my suburban once
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Posted: 10/10/2004 3:33:18 PM EDT
[#20]
GAU-8
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Posted: 10/10/2004 3:43:47 PM EDT
[#21]
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Posted: 10/10/2004 3:44:36 PM EDT
[#22]
winchester model 12, full, 3". worked well for years.
ohio spring has a 1-bird/day bag limit, 2-bird season limit. fall is 1-bird limit, period. resident permit is $20. scattergun or long/cross/compound bows. |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 3:51:01 PM EDT
[#23]
Mossberg 835 Ultra-Mag, extra full turkey choke with 3 1/2" magnum #5 shot. Judge you shot well within 20 yards or you will remove his head.
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Posted: 10/10/2004 4:15:53 PM EDT
[#24]
Check the laws in your state. In Minnesota you cannot use a rifle and there are specific regulations on the size of shot. If you are on public lands be safe. We are in full camo and with small game hunters wandering around they are not always expecting to see you. I have had a couple run-ins with them in the past. It is probably the most dangerous hunting there is. It is also the most fun. I enjoy the spring hunt much better because there is not as much pressure on the public lands. It is really cool to call a turkey in and see him come in full strut too.
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Posted: 10/10/2004 4:50:18 PM EDT
[#25]
Shopping cart and a debit card....
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Posted: 10/10/2004 4:57:59 PM EDT
[#26]
Beat me to it! If it doesn't say Butterball, it isn't worth the effort! |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 5:02:34 PM EDT
[#27]
I take my trusty 12 guage double barrel shotgun and crawl around on my belly. I track and move and decoy and play games and try to outsmart them. I kind of play the wind. That's hunting .
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Posted: 10/10/2004 5:19:14 PM EDT
[#28]
That's how I hunt deer, but I'm after turkey.  I think it'll be safe, I'm hunting on private land. Oh yeah, I'm taking it the idea is to take a head shot? Is that correct? |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 5:19:21 PM EDT
[#29]
Mine is a Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag, Mossy Oak Hardwoods Camo, Fiber-Optic sights, with a NWTF Extra-Full choke. I prefer #6 shot, and it patterns well in my gun. I suggest getting a gun that's camo'd already, with synthetic stocks. Besides being more resistant to the weather, it's better for close-in turkeys. They're very stupid, but equally paranoid. If they see a reflection of a shiney barrel or stock they'll run. I glossey shotgun while hunting would be like wearing highly polished black leather shoes.
When waterfowl season starts I switch to a Briley Duck choke, load up with #2 steel (for ducks), and I'm set. I use BBB shot for geese. Turkeys and geese get 3.5" magnums shot at 'em, ducks get 3". I like the extra payload in my pattern. |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 5:20:43 PM EDT
[#30]
Ideally you're aiming for the neck between the shoulders (do birds have shoulders?) and the head. |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 5:25:04 PM EDT
[#31]
Check out a Benelli Nova 12 gauge. It costs around $300, and is nearly indestructible.
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Posted: 10/10/2004 5:32:34 PM EDT
[#32]
I use a Mossberg 835 Ulti Mag with a full choke loaded with 3" magnum #5 shot.
Jim |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 5:34:42 PM EDT
[#33]
Thanks. Oh yeah, thanks for the tip on the Nova, that was one of the ones I was looking at. I sure do like my Winchester Defender though, and wouldn't mind adding another winchester. |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 5:36:14 PM EDT
[#34]
That's what I have and is an excellent choice with a super full turkey choke. Don't let the domesticans fool you, wild turkey meat is excellent, even better seasoned and deep fried. I'll never bake another turkey. |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 5:39:16 PM EDT
[#35]
The best turke I ever ate was smoked. My dad had a 55 gallon drum he made into a BBQ pit, and smoked my turkey in there for 6 hours with hickory chips.
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Posted: 10/10/2004 6:20:18 PM EDT
[#36]
Last Thanksgiving I made a turkey in my side smoker using mesquite wood charcoal. Took about seven hours for the 20lb turkey but it was the best turkey I have ever had if I do say so myself. Yeah, looks like I can get a Nova for about $350 around here with a full choke. Does anyone know if they sell the turkey choke separately? |
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Posted: 10/10/2004 7:25:51 PM EDT
[#37]
<---------------Turkeys tremble  (edited because my "aim" sucks )
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Posted: 10/11/2004 11:04:37 AM EDT
[#38]
What is that, if you don't mind my asking? Looks like a semi? |
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Posted: 10/11/2004 7:46:04 PM EDT
[#39]
There's lots of after-market chokes. Check Cabela's, Bass Pro, etc. |
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Posted: 10/11/2004 8:00:21 PM EDT
[#40]
Well, I pulled the trigger and got the Nova with the Max4 cammo. I like it. Sadly, being in CA now I have to wait ten days to hold it again. Ah, to live in freedom. They did sell the turkey choke there as well so I may get it when I pick up the gun.
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Posted: 10/11/2004 8:05:17 PM EDT
[#41]
It's worth the wait. I love my nova (black, 28in barrel). Extremely easy to take apart. If you shoot magnum loads, consider the stock-mounted recoil reducer. It's basically a bracket and a tube full of mercury, but it actually seems to work. Enjoy!
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Posted: 10/11/2004 8:07:23 PM EDT
[#42]
Thanks. Mind if I ask how much that recoil reducer cost you?
BTW, I got the 26" model cause a) it was the only one they had, and b) this will be used exclusively for turkey and pheasant. OK, I might try some clays with it but I have my SxS for when I rarely do that. |
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Posted: 10/11/2004 8:11:28 PM EDT
[#43]
I think it was around $50 (I have no idea what other dealers charge). I got the gun and the reducer for a gift, so I didn't really check around.
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Posted: 10/11/2004 8:11:32 PM EDT
[#44]
I'm curious how many you've killed. 
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Posted: 10/11/2004 8:40:44 PM EDT
[#45]
No one here would do that!!!!! Now for what gun... There is no "IDEAL" barrel length or choke. Mossberg probably makes the cheapest, most effective pump shotgun that you will find. A Rem 870 might be a good choice too. You need a full choke. People spend an ass load of money every year buying this kind of choke tube, that kind of shotshell and spend more time pattering a gun than they do in the woods. After all we are talking about a damn shotgun here. The most important thing you can do is get a box of cheap #8 bird loads, go to the range and practice shooting targets. Squeeze the trigger like you would on an AR15 on your shotgun. The biggest cause of missed turkeys for a beginner is flinching. Put the bead halfway down the top of the birds head and above where the neck starts and SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZE the trigger. You'll never miss. |
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Posted: 10/11/2004 8:44:15 PM EDT
[#46]
That is the quote from John Kerry on how he hunts deer. Real man of the woods he is. 
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Posted: 10/11/2004 8:57:36 PM EDT
[#47]
Ah, I missed that one. I promise John Effing SKerry has never killed a deer. The only "wind" he plays is blowing out of his ass.  To answer your original question--I use a Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag and a bow. If you are going with a friend, and are not already a bow hunter, you will want to use a shotgun. If you are buying one, I highly recommend the Mossy--about $400. They come with the needed tight choke and will handle the #4-6 shot needed to hunt them well. They are chambered for 3 1/2" shells, but I stick with 3"--plenty good out to 35 yards. My gun patterns #6 shot best. Only take head shots at <40 yards. The vast majority of birds shot in the fall are hens and young birds. The most common method is to locate a flock (usually several hens join together with their babies and form a "fall flock") and run toward them waving and yelling, scattering them as much as possible, trying to NOT get them to all fly in the same direction together--you want to split them up, so they seek to come back together. Sit and wait a half hour, then call like a young bird with the "kee kee kee" call and an occasional cluck. You should be seated with your back against a tree wider than your shoulders, gun up on your knees to minimize movement and FULLY camouflaged--head to toe, including long-wrist gloves and high socks. The 835 comes already camo'd. Shoot the bird in the head when it is (ideally) 20-25 yards away--and run like a mofo to get on top of it, while practicing safe gun handling, of course. You do not need a decoy in the fall--nor lots of calls. You pretty much MUST be able to "kee kee" call. Get a video to learn how. If there are birds in the area, and you know the terrain, it is fairly easy to kill them in the fall. If a rifle is legal in your area, it is too easy. Use FMJ's and shoot them level with where the wings join the back--it will get the heart/lungs. Good luck--and BE SAFE!
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