kingofspring

I killed probably 20 turkeys with an 870 wingmaster, walnut/blued. Every one I ever spooked (which was plenty) was because of a bad setup, movement, or just turkeys being turkeys. That being said, it can't hurt... I broke down and bought a camo gun 3 yrs ago.

metaldonnieg

Last weekend I was crossing a road probably 25-30 FEET from a turkey in broad daylight and it didn't fly away or pick up its pace any. Ethics are the only thing that saved its life

That being said, and granted I'm NOT a turkey hunter, I'd say if you were careful you should be fine. Think about how people survived when they didn't have all this fancy mess.

kingvjack

If you want both a turkey and a pheasant gun.. just get an 870... If your taking shots within 35 yards... a 2 3/4 inch #6 field load will kill a turkey all choked up.. Otherwise shoot a 3 inch. I have a Mossberg 835 and the first chance I can get a new 3 inch 870... I'm gonna shoot that mossberg. I dont use all that camo.. It might look coll but you dont need it.

huntnma

when my gun was camoed with tape, i never got a bird, lol......it's been untaped and i've been a turkey killing fool....[8D]

Adrian J Hare

I believe that everyone has killed a bird with a Non Camo gun.

The thing that you need to understand or think out is "How well do you want to become a Turkey hunter"

Do you want everything going for you, as you can get ?

Camo and Turkey hunting .....

Turkeys can see 10X better then you and I. They also can remember as well and when they travel their everyday travel routes, they study their living rooms as well.

Most times whena turkey hunter walks in and cuts out an area or sits out in the open along a travel route of birds, they see the birds and they are always walking out of range.

Why was that ? when you watched them walk right by that point for the last week !
The reason is- Out of place subject, that was not there every day they went by, or the woods has changed in that spot since yesterday. Alert! button On!

Camo and the patterns has lead the turkey hunter into a couple of different ways to help us with success and most turkey hunters don't realize this.

As body camo helps the hunter fit into the setupbetter without the keen eye sight of a gobbler picking you off before he gets into range. Gun Camo also helps.

How doesa camo gun Help?
The gun blends into the cover of the setup as well. The perception of a woods setup is never the same in the 4 foot square around the subject (Hunter) so most Non glare areas become unnoticed.
Shine becomes a glare and is noticed when fitted into a dull perception.

The camo gun helps fit in better, but we may have another problem.

A gobbler just walked out 30 yards and it is to the right, I need to move the gun 2 feet over to get the shot!

Camo also helps make movements, if a turkey hunter needs to move that little bit before he can get sighted on that gobblers head. The better a gun fits in the easyier you can make the move that you need too.

Black matt finished are a cheaper way to go over the camo products and they do help, but the better you blend in the more movement you'll get away with.

This all boils down to success and How successfull you want to be.

For a turkey hunter that only hunts a couple days or for a week for that matter, the extra money value on a camo gun may not be worth the exspence. The turkey hunter that puts the season in and wants a bird bad, then it is money well spent.

Hope that helps you with your question....

Bobgobble2

Good points BT!!!IMHO more important than your camo,on your gun or your clothing is having the patience and ability to sit still.Most hunters get busted not by there lack of camo but by moving..A gobblers ability to pick up movement is second to none especially in tight situations.Obviousily there comes a point in most cases when wehave to move and thats usually when it comes time to let the hammer down,even then its a great idea to point your gun when the bird is obstructed from you.I killed plenty of birds in my younger years with a non-camo'd gun simply do to the fact I was either already set-up in a good shooting position when the bird came into gun range OR I moved into a shooting position when the bird was obstucted by something.DoI think its neccassary to camo your gun,no not really,but understanding the importance of sitting still and recognizing when you can move is an absolute!!!!

zach54

i have been using a rem 870 wood gloss for years and have never had turkeys run way from a glare but i bought a beneli nova pump in camo cuz i wanted a bigger gun. i dont think u need a matte or a camo gun but the camo looks cool

Digi

Might I suggest you get black and spend the extra $$ on some dekes.
My personal experience is that the dekes allow you to move some at the moment of truth if you set them up properly i.e. the jake facing you.

I had two toms pass within 10-15 feet of me last year on the way to my dekes. One did not survive.
I was using a black benelli.
Other things to consider with a turkey gun are:

Barrel length- I like them short, less likely to hang on brush.
Weight- Dang guns get pretty heavy when you are doing the 100 yard squat and walk trying to get in front of some birds.
Cosmetics- you want a gun that you don't mind scratching up or getting dirty and muddy. When turkey hunting you get real intimate with the ground so you don't want a gun with a fancy finish and complicated action.

Good luck