canyoncreek

Hi folks.

I've been out of hunting for too many years. Getting back into it, my how things have changed. Specifically shotguns.. they're all so specialized now.

Ideally, I'd like a gun I could use for both turkey and pheasant.(If I get two guns, then I've got to get the wife another saddle for her horse.) I've never hunted turkey, and I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about it (yet). It seems as though dedicated turkey guns are now all black synthetic or camo. Maybe it's just aesthetics, maybe tradition, but while I can envision taking a camo gun into the woods, I have a hard time imagining myself lugging one down a fencerow in Nebraska - they just don't look right.

Having grown up shooting hand-me-down 870 wingmasters, all of them brown and black, I'm wondering how much this camo business matters.
It seems as though overspecialization has touched just about every type of equipment that exists, from tennis shoes to hats.

Obviously I see the logic from the manufacturer's point of view: make everything so specialized that customers think they need one of each kind. Result: double (or triple) your sales.

From the hunters viewpoint, how much does camo matter, really???

I'm keeping an open mind here -- but I'm asking for ACTUAL EXPERIENCES where one of you think you lost an opportunity at a turkey because the gun was too visible...

Thanks in advance -- don't mean to be a grouch about it but I'm just a little tired of marketing bs.

jepcho

Actual camo itself isn't all that important, although it's not a bad idea, but you are gonna want something in at least a black matte finish. If you go get a shiny wingmaster or some other blued finished gun you are gonna want to put camo tape on it for turkey. I have hunting with a black synthetic remington 11-87 with a matte finish for years and just recently got a new one in camo. I like the synthetic so you dont have to worry about hurting the finish too much when you are crawling through thick brush, Basically just get some thing with a matte finish and you'll be ok.

dog1

As for as I'm concerned, camo or not, dosen't matter to me. I started hunting turkeys' with a gun and no camo. As I moved to guns specifically for turkeys, some had a camo forearm and stock, then all camo.

After turkey season ended this past season, I bought a new gun and had several modifications done to it just for turkey hunting. It is a blued gun with stainless steel on it, I put some vinyl camo on the SS part, leaving the blued part and wood as is.

As I'm sure jepco and others will tell you, when turkey hunting, you get that gun up to the shooting position before the turkey comes into view, and don't dare move. If you can see him, he can definitely see you. A good example of how sharp their eyesight is: Just a few weeks ago I was spuirrel hunting and sat down on a log, which was between two trees, with palmetos all around me (great natural blind). I had three mature toms' coming walking up on me, they got within about 20 yards of me, then I had a mosquito geting his second gallon of blood out of my neck and I couldn't take it any more, I moved my head slightly to move the mosquito, the turkeys immediately caught the movement and took off.

To camo or not I think is up to you, some do, some don't.

Good Luck this Turkey season. Oh yeah, stay in touch with this forum for the up coming Spring Turkey Season, it's a blast. I actually like the turkey forum best of all.

dog1

Rebel Hog

I remember when as a teenager in the early 50's, we would use Burlap Bagsto make our so call camo! Burlap was our camo!

TNHagies

I don't know that you MUST have camo on your gun but if you're hunting turkeys youARE going to want at least matt finish on your gun. My dad had an ol wingmaster that he hunted w/for years (71-98). He's been busted w/sun glaring off of it more times than he could count. However, being a pastor didn't allow him a lot of free cash to buy a new gun. But every spring he'd talk about "some day I'm gonna get me a matt finished gun" We both finally bought 870 turkey guns (mine in advantage his just matt) and neither of us have a problem w/spooking turkey w/glare. Turkeys have incrediable eyes and when I'm walking up to him in the woods and his guns shinin' like a tin roof you know good and well the turkeys are seeing that.

I understand your frustration w/the marketing business. But when it comes to turkey shotguns I really don't feel like it's a gimmick. Nothinglike some of the products you see w/deer.

SJAdventures

Any gun finish that is dull or dark with no shine will work just fine. Camo does look cool though.

superstrutter

[quote]ORIGINAL: Rebel Hog

I remember when as a teenager in the early 50's, we would use Burlap Bagsto make our so call camo! Burlap was our camo!
[
/quote]


Burlap makes great camo. I have used it many times while duck hunting. It blends in with everything. This is one reason I like Natgear so much. I don't wear burlap anymore though. I guess I need to camo my gun in Natgear. For now my gun is matte black, which does just fine.

canyoncreek

.. Thanks everyone for the replies.

So it seems I'm pretty safe with black matte on the metal. I assume oil/satin on the stock as well.

Which is fine by me, because that's how I prefer guns to look. Glossy guns just don't make sense to me, unless they're skeet/trap only.

Troutman10

I agree that camo looks real cool and would most likely help, but I got my first turkey this spring with a gun that doesn't have camo. Maybe down the road I could see myself getting a camo gun but not right now. Guns w/ camo work just as well. It's all preference. Maybe when I hit the lottery.

MikeVT

I've got a remington with matte black finish and the turkey I killed last year was a whopping 12 yards away. As long as the barrel and stock are dulled you should not have any problem.