Turkey chokes

[Jeremy]

Are turkey chokes necessary? Also what is a good shot size and load to use for turkey hunting nay preferences out there?

[Wreckless]

I've never understood the need for an "ultra tight" choke, myself....I'm not a "hard core" turkey hunter, I've killed 1, but it seems to me that if they are in range a good load of #6s out of a modified barrel would be like hittin' 'em with man hole cover at 1300fps. The only Tom I ever took was at 23 paces with a heavy load of #6s out of the modified barrel of my double.

My 2 cents

Dennis

[img]graemlins/lurk.gif[/img]

[danger]

Go pattern your gun at 20 then 40 yards on the outline of your fist and wrist with an appropriate load and decide for yourself...I think you will decide to buy a turkey choke.

[Rauly]

I don't believe you need turkey choke. I started hunting turkeys in 1975 in Georgia, also hunted them in PA. and NY. all with a modified choke. I now shoot a full choke and it hasn't made a differance for me. Maybe even makes it a little harder to hit them. I like to try and get them in as close as possible. When you get a gobbler within 10 yards and have a full or tighter choke on you don't have much of a pattern. Maybe 9 to 10 inches would be my guess. Called one in close for a guy last year and he had a Patternmaster on and missed his first shot.(7-8 steps away) Second shot he got it on the wing.

Pattern your gun at 35 - 40 yards with 4,5,6 shot and see which one gives you the best dense pattern at that distance. That will cover you in most all situations. Good luck. One thing is for sure. Once you call a gobbler in, you will be hooked for life.

My .02

Rauly

[nitrobass]

I have a turkey tube on my turkey gun, and have used it for years. I shot quite a few before putting that choke tube in but you can get an awesome pattern with it in there.

In thick brush or facing tight shooting windows, or with the presence of other birds, the turkey tube is perfect.

2 ounces of coppered 4's has worked great for me.

[Blue Tip Spinner]

i use a remington 870 turkey gun with a 24" barrel and i do use an ultra tight turkey choke.
just after buying it, i shot it with the standard choke that came with it. it didn't hold a very tight pattern at 40 yards. i went out and bought a briley choke, and it held the pattern real good at the same 40 yards. the last turkey i shot was at 10 yards. i almost took the head off of it. i believe the tighter the better. if you are not sure how you gun shoots, then pattern your gun so you are less likely to miss if you get that tom within 20 yards.
i have found (through experience) that if you are not sure where to aim or how your gun patterns on a tom with your shotgun, it's like going deer hunting without zeroing in your rifle.
i also use my shotgun for long range grouse hunting. :grin:

[Fish Hawg]

I need to get a couple turkey choke tubes for my benelli nova. It has a 28" barrel The gun is in full H.D advantge timber cammo. Where is the best place to pick acouple different ones up at. I want to see what choke tubes work best in my Gun. Thanks.....Ross

[Gun Rod Bow]

Be a little careful guys.

Choke tubes should be matched to your gun's bore diameter. Use an internal micrometer measuring right behind the chokes (gun shop or machine shop), the European guns are typically tight (.724 to.726) some newer guns are "overbored" (.735 to .740).

You might imagine, if you have internal bores of .740 let's say and put in a choke with a .725 entry, the lip can fold a choke over in the barrel. If that happens, you could blow up a barrel in your face!

Check your bore diameter, it should be matched to the entry of the choke tube. From that diameter, somewhere around .030 to .035 is considered a "full" choke. Some "turkey" chokes are .035 to .040 constriction (meaning that much tighter than your bore diameter)

On some guns, you could have a tighter pattern at 40 yds with LESS constriction than a "turkey" choke. A pattern board with your hunting load is the best test.

Buy some butcher paper, draw a small X or dot to aim at. Check the "center mass" of the pattern (the fist idea sounds good).

Remember, a gun is designed to let you see the target above the barrel. So you may get center mass by holding a few inches low at 40 yds.

More Turkeys are miss over the top that any other way. I recommend that you hold on the turkey's neck (where the feathers end).

Good Luck!!

[ 03-04-2004, 01:06 PM: Message edited by: Gun Rod Bow ]

[KingFisher85]

What Gun Rod Bow said is right [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

I have a Mossberg 835 12ga 3 1/2in gun, with what GRB said, look at that 835 had a 10ga boar but chambered for a 12ga. If that aint over size then I don't know what is :grin:

I have an x-full and a turkey full choke. Way tighter then full or mod. I would say if your only gonna hunt turkeys once or twice, just stick with the mod and take the right close range shot. My buddy had no problem droppin his bird with a mod choke but then again, he put a good hunt on that bird

[StickFish]

Originally posted by Jeremy:
Are turkey chokes necessary? Also what is a good shot size and load to use for turkey hunting nay preferences out there?

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">As a matter of fact Turkey Chokes are very important. I prefer the Full Nelson, but the trick is catching the dang birds first. Whole lot easier to shhot the thing than it is to Choke em out!

[Blue Tip Spinner]

stickfish.... (gasp) too funny...

[straightweave]

Full nelson. That is classic.

Call 'em close and it don't matter what choke hold you use.