New Turkey Specific Gun

[BrowningGuy88]

Well guys a little background first. I had put a BPS 10 on lay-a-away (I shot one and toted it around a good bit) and now that ain't going to happen. I don't think I could tote the thing around! The patterns are impressive, but not that impressive. So I swapped over to an M2 20 gauge on the lay-a-way. Got it home a couple weeks ago and my FIL fell in love! What can I say, he lets me hunt prime real estate - I gave it to him. I already had him an 870 20 gauge compact on lay-a-way for Christmas at the same place so I just rolled that money over to my lumber bill that month. Now to present...

I have always hunted with an 870 20 gauge youth model that my grandfather gave me for my twelfth birthday. This year, he went on blood thinners and can no longer shoot his NWTF 1300 laminate 12. So we swapped. I hunted with the 1300 this year and killed two coyotes and no turkeys. Well I got to looking at it this weekend and noticed I had added a fair amount of small scratches to it. Normally my T-gun gets a beating and I don't mind, but the 1300 is worth far too much sentimentally to me to do that to it each year. So the wife, sweet thing she is, gave me the go ahead to buy me another turkey gun (remember I just bought an M2 and gave it away).

Well I have been looking at the patterns posted here and on other boards. I had completely decided on a 935. Well went into Academy today to look at one and all they had was a 535 Turkey Thug and an 835 Turkey. I looked the 835 over.

Mossy Oak camo, 24" ported barrel, fiber optic sights, drilled and tapped, sling swivel studs. Best of all it was LIGHT!!!!! I mean it felt like a 20 gauge compared to the BPS I held it against. I loved that gun! I did not buy it since turkey season don't come back in until November here and I want to keep looking, but at $370 I think I may have found the one for me!

Okay now the fun part. I will be shooting Hevi 3-2-6's or Xtended range 6's, maybe 3.5-2.25-6's if I can't get the 3" to pattern. I want to run probably a .690 to .710 choke. Either IC or Sumtoy. I plan on mounting a FFII maybe or Eotech if the good graces and honey do's hold out. So what do you guys think about this? Will I be able to have a good 20 yard comfort zone pattern and a 200+ 40 yard pattern with the above mentioned chokes and loads? Also what are your preferred setups with this gun?

Daman

[davisd9]

They got that exact gun at Walmart and I am going to be picking it up real soon.  It is light but I do not think it is going to be too bad with kick.  May change my mind when I throw some 3" Mag blends with it, but it feels so good.  It shoulders great.  I held the 870SM and the 835 back to back and then one in one hand and the other in the other hand and did not see a big difference in the too.  I am going with the 835.  Going to throw my star dot in it and try some mag blends.  Going to mount my Simmons Pro-diamond 4 x 32 mm and head to the woods next April!

[BrowningGuy88]

Not real concerned with the recoil. Also not hung up on the 835/935, but I am hung up on lightweight and moderately priced. I will not shoot the gun more than 10 times per year after getting it zeroed and I have a sled for that. We have a 5 turkey limit per year, combined fall and spring season. So I figure a couple coyotes, 5 gobblers max, and 2 shots to check everything preseason is at max 10 shells per year. I shot 3 or 4 this year through the 1300, but walked about 50 miles combined on the 12 hunts I went on. So with a gun that will be toted so much more than it will be shot, recoil doesn't bother me too much.

That said, I do love the 870SM Bottomland and plan to look at it before I buy one. I am just very, very impressed with the pattern ability of the 835/935 if I decide to try to break 300 in a 10".

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

The 835 won't kick any harder than a 870 if you put a Simms recoil pad on it.  The 835 is the better shooting gun over the 870.  I do think the 870 is the better built gun.  But I got money that my 835 will out shoot a factory out of the box 870 with dang near any load you care to shoot.  And I mean that on a consistent basis and not you beat it one time out of 100.  But I am a 870 man when it comes to my favorite.  

I shoot a Star Dot and Pure Gold for Hevi-13 3.5" #7 loads.  If I am going to shoot 6's, I like the MAD Max .680.  

But the 835 is a very good turkey shotgun if you are wanting optimum pattern performance. 

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

And since you said you want to shoot 6's I'll show you why I like the MAD Max .680 choke with the Hevi-13 3.5" Hevi-13 2.25oz #6 load. 

[goblr77]

I think you will be pleased with the 835. I've owned several and had zero problems out of any of them.

[WyoHunter]

Regarding your comment about the SP10. My son had one and he took it spring turkey hunting in Nebraska and after two days of carrying it up and down the Pine Ridge he said "Never again". Those SP10 are not for the "run and gun" hunter. Good luck with whatever you decide to buy.

[BrowningGuy88]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the pattern pic ILH13. That is what I am hoping to see. I move a lot and spend daylight to dark in the woods when I have a day off to hunt, so I need light.

WyoHunter, that is what struck me off the BPS 10. I could not tote it in the 70 degree to 80 degree heat we have some days down here. I also hope to start hunting North Alabama and those hills/mountains are steep!

Has anybody tried the .690-.710 chokes from IC?

[chatterbox]

I have recently aquired an 835 and added a .690 JH and limbsaver recoil pad.
I wouldn't look any further than the 835 for a turkey slayer. Nothing shoots like them with that overbored barrel!

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

My experience with the .690 chokes is that you won't get the denser patterns you will with the chokes say .670 to .680 in the 835's.  They will still shoot a very good overall 20" pattern and the 10" will still be very good.  But it won't compete with the tighter chokes.  That's with 6's or 7's in Hevi-13.  Now some may argue, but I'm going on what I have seen in my gun. 

[BrowningGuy88]

I have recently aquired an 835 and added a .690 JH and limbsaver recoil pad.
I wouldn't look any further than the 835 for a turkey slayer. Nothing shoots like them with that overbored barrel!

That is my finding through research! I am in process of a deal for a Mad Max .695 for when I get the gun. That seals the deal on it being an 835! I believe I am going to try and get a Realtree version instead of Mossy Oak. I hope the ported barrel helps the barrel flip as Mossberg states.

Daman

[BrowningGuy88]

My experience with the .690 chokes is that you won't get the denser patterns you will with the chokes say .670 to .680 in the 835's.  They will still shoot a very good overall 20" pattern and the 10" will still be very good.  But it won't compete with the tighter chokes.  That's with 6's or 7's in Hevi-13.  Now some may argue, but I'm going on what I have seen in my gun. 

That is what I am looking for. I have a few 3" 4x5x7 Nitros and am going to try some Mag Blends as well through the .695. If it don't work out for the turkey loads, it ought to rock buckshot for predators.

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

I got a pattern I shot with the Jelly Head .690 but it's with the 7's.  I'll see if I can't find it to show you.  It's a 10" 40yd pattern.  Less desne than the Star Dot.  But pattern is more open too. 

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

Here ya go.  I wished I would have kept the 20" pattern. 

[BrowningGuy88]

Thanks ILikeHevi13. I really do appreciate the help.