r33h

I had the same delima a year ago..trying to get a turkey hunting gun and should it be pump or auto-loading. I choose the pump. The pump costs less, and I can care for the pump a lot easier. Also, if you are turkey hunting, most of the time you are only going to take one shot anyways, so why get an auto-loader? Most of the turkeys I have shot at are around long enough to only shoot once!

Are you a younger guy whose shoulder can handle lots of recoil (get a pump) and if your shoulder can't handle a lot of recoil, then get the auto because it will cut down on the recoil a little.

Just my two cents...

Rammer

Since you want to snipe turkeys, just get yourself a 10 gauge.

3 1/2" shotguns were a marketing ploy between the ammo manufactures and the gun manufactures to sell more guns. They offer NOTHING that a 3" won't do. Get whatever gun you like, then do some research on chokes. Then buy about 5 different boxes of turkey loads and do some banging. I've cleanly killed coyotes out to 60 yards with my Benelli M1 Super 90 with 3" 1 7/8 ounce #2 lead with a modified choke.

nchawkeye hit the nail on the head with his last post

statjunk

The pattern you get from a turkey gun is dependent on your choice of ammo, choke and pellet type. Not 3" vs 3.5". I've read articles that have proven that 3" shells have more range than 3.5". The article pointed out that your energy remains roughly constant because you have increased pellet count in a 3.5" gun. So there is no additional gain in distance or energy. They then pointed out what Rammer was refering to as the column length etc...

You'll do what you please but you may want to do some indepth research before you make a purchase.

Tom

younggun308

My uncle and hunting buddy shoot auto-loading 3 1/2 magnums, one, a Charles Daly, and the other, a Mossberg 935, both of them use Hevi-Shot as ammo, works great, also, Patternmaster turkey chokes, and both were devastating on turkeys, but not too much.

The reason I really liked the Charles Daly is because you can shoot 3" and 3 1/2, since his 3 1/2 weren't patterning worth a crap (This was before he started using Hevi-Shot), we decided to try his Winchester Supreme 3", #6 shot, they were really beefed up shotshells, and kicked well, and patterned excellently out to 40 yards, but from what my uncle tells me, he liked the Hevi-Shot better.

I actually shot my first turkey using the 3", but just from target practise, I see how the Hevi-Shot works better.

Heavy-Shot claims to be "Heavier than the average lead", which is supposed to combat deformation.


Here's a link, they actually do make it in 3", but if possible to get, I would prefer the 3 1/2, just because my family and hunting buddy have great experiance. With them.

The ammo does cost $25.00 a box, that's $5.00, so that's why they say, "I didn't come this far to miss"Pretty cool stuff, it works, and when added with a Patternmaster, look out turkeys!!!!
http://www.hevishot.com/products_turkey.html

younggun308

Well, what do you guys think of the set-up I had in mind?

younggun308

Ah, c'mon, guys, don't leave just because I might have offended you.

statjunk

YG,

Nobody's offended. You've asked for advice and you've gotten it. Now make up your mind and go buy your new shotgun. You'll love whatever you get because it's yours.

BTW - Turkeys aren't indestructable.

Also BTW - If you really enjoy turkey hunting, you wouldn't want to shoot a turkey much past 30 yards. The excitment is in getting them close. At least it is for me.

Tom

stalkingbear

The way I see it from a lot of experience both working on guns and using them are these thoughts. #1 3" is really all you need in 12 gauge with modern premium ammo. #2 a 12 gauge in 3.5" will never pattern as good as a 10 gauge 3.5" with all other things equal. #3 getting socked with 12 gauge 3.5" is considerably less plesant than 10 gauge 3.5". When I was still using shotguns for turkey hunting(pre bow only),and taking hunters out,I had 2 browning bps 10 gauge that I had worked on. This work consisted of backboring,tapering forcing cone,porting,honing,hand honed choke tube blanks,full saddle mount for red dot sights,etc. They would put out ALL shot at 38"-40" at 60 yards with right loads. They were heavy but had very light percieved recoil. It's all how ya want to hunt.

younggun308

Funny you mention that, the turkey I shot at 33 yards was one of two turkeys that snuck up on us.

Turkeys do have a tendencyof sneaking up on people. Of course,if I werehunting inthe woods here in TN,it would be thick enough that the farthest shot I would get would be at 30 yards, and most of the time, it's going to be much, closer, more like 15-20 yards. So I would be able to use the shotgun at close ranges, too, but many times when we're hunting on a field when the turkeys are heading for the roost, we have totake some long shots, becauseyou cancall all you want to at that time, but those turkeys are going to ignore you and go to bed, just fly up in theroost,that's why my uncle hadto shoot his turkey at 50 yards. It'sjustthe type of situations we hunt in for my area, and I could have my shotgun adjusted, like different chokes, or ammo, in case I needed to, but what I had in mind was what works for my uncle and hunting buddy, and they've beendoing it for several years longer than I have.

I still have to save up, I won't have enough money till later this fall.

I was just wondering, what is the price ofa Mossberg 935? You know, 3 1/2, camoed, no thumbhole stock, just a shotgun.
Price of a Charles Daly, I can just go to Wal-Mart and check it out.

"Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart, that's our store,
We shop there because we're poor."


It would be awesome if I find a Benelli Super Black Eagle in 3 1/2, for $500 like stalkingbear. Or a great deal on a 11-87, which is more possible, time will tell, because I won't be going to the gun store until I have money to spend, no need to tempt myself to get into debt for the rest of my life, lol.

I wouldn't mind getting a 10-guage, butthe ammois more expensive, less available, and the shotguns themselves cost much more, like the SP-10, it seems to cost more than the 11-87.

Rammer

The hell with the shotguns, just get yourself a bow. Thats the way I can do it, and I can kill them past the 50 yard mark with ease