New T-Gun Build in the Process... Finally bought one (or two)!

[BrowningGuy88]

Well, I finally put my money where my mouth is and started a turkey gun build. I bought a Browning BPS 10 NWTF and it will be here soon, but I realize how heavy it is and wanted a light gun also. This began my search and research. I settled on the two combos below and have purchased both. I will be shooting both over the summer and the one I don't like goes away. A buddy has offered to buy both for what I have in them so I will not lose money over either one.

Combo One
Benelli M2 Tactical Black Synthetic 18.5" barrel
Picatinny Rail
Eotech XPS 2-0
Rhino 660

Combo Two
Benelli Vinci APG 26" barrel
Burris Fast Fire III on a Marlin 336 base

Sill working on a choke for the Vinci. The Rhino of course plus maybe a Kick GT 655, a Wright's #3, a Hevi Shot Choke, or a SumToy....

Will be shooting H13 3-2-6 and Winchester Xtended Range 6's

[BrowningGuy88]

Spent some time on the phone with Rob Roberts yesterday and I am going to be running a Final Strut choke and the Triple Threat package for upland and waterfowl. He offered to let me try the Final Struts until I found the one that works. I figure if he is good enough for Benelli Performance Shop, he is good enough for me.

[albrubacker]

Sounds like you may end up with a few turkey guns!

[hookedspur]

Spent some time on the phone with Rob Roberts yesterday and I am going to be running a Final Strut choke and the Triple Threat package for upland and waterfowl. He offered to let me try the Final Struts until I found the one that works. I figure if he is good enough for Benelli Performance Shop, he is good enough for me.

You Cant go wrong here !!!

[BrowningGuy88]

I may end up with a turkey gun and also a duck gun, but they won't both be turkey guns.

Anyway, I shot both last night several times each and I can firmly say I ain't real crazy about the steady grip stock on the M2. It looks cool and feels alright, but when I am shooting it just feels awkward to follow up with another shot.

The lack of recoil in the Vinci really surprised me! With Winchester HV 3" 6's it is like shooting my 870 20 gauge with turkey loads. Maybe it just fits me better, or maybe Benelli is right about the stock - I don't care which - I love a 3" 12 gauge that doesn't kick!!!

Now that recoil may change when I drop a Nitro in or a Fed. HWT, but I doubt it will change enought to be painful. Compared to the 12 gauge turkey guns I have or have had (Winny 1300 NWTF 1984 edition and Mossberg 835 old style) I just could not believe how sweet the Vinci shot.

Clark Bush is definitely right about one thing - the Vinci has the least muzzle rise of any gun I have ever shot. With Winchester Drylock 3" #2's I never lost the target down the rib when I shot.

If things don't really fall off when I start patterning for turkeys, it looks like th M2 may take a ride and the vinci stays with me!

[HuntSource]

I think you'll continue to enjoy the Vinci. I have two -- a conventionally-stocked 28" and a steady-grip 24". I've spent a lot of time patterning a third that's owned by a friend.

I've found a Rhino .660" will really post big numbers in the 10" with Hevi-13 12-3-2-7 and it does well with Hevi-13 #6s too.

While sacrificing maybe 20 pellets or so in core, a Jeb's HH .665" will throw big, even patterns with Hevi-13 #7s. I'm only getting about 180 in the 10" with this load, but the 15" will be between 130-140 and another 80 or so in the 20". This choke delivers extraordinarily even 15" patterns. My 20" totals are within a few pellets of what I get with the Rhino. It just shifts a few from the 10" to the 15", which I find to be good thing with #7s.

Plus, this choke made me a believer in Hevi-13 #5s. I never really thought much of them until using them with this choke. Unlike the #7s, I'm getting very tight patterns with #5 -- an average of 47% in the 10" core. While it's not a wide pattern, Hevi-13 Old White 12-3-1.75-5 will yield 115 in the 10" core at 40yd. It's a good open field, fudge factor load. I've also tried a Jeb's in .650", .655" and .670", but the .665" was definitely the sweet spot for me.

I've also been tinkering with some of Rob Roberts chokes. I didn't have much success with a .650" and .655", but the  .660" is showing promise. I've been trying to find a choke specifically for my stash of Hevi-13 OW #6s.

[BrowningGuy88]

I will be trying the rob Roberts with Federal Heavyweight 7's and Winchester extended range. I hope to find a winner with either of those loads.  I hope to not have to use hevi 13 due to the lot differences, but I will if need be. I know William can make this gun shoot if the GG chokes don't work out.

[HuntSource]

If anybody knows how to get the Federal HWs to pattern, it'll be Rob as he does a lot of work with them. However, I've found Federal's FC wad a much more fickle beast than any Hevi-13 lot variation. Apparently, the wad can be tamed as some have found the mojo, but I couldn't.

Plus, Federal still can't seem to figure out shot sizes. If you buy the #7s, there's a decent chance you'll actually be shooting #6s. It was a big problem last year and seemingly is still an issue. Considering it's 15g shot and the 3" load is only 1 5/8oz, there really aren't that many pellets in a load of #7s. When it's really #6s, it's like shooting a 2oz load of Hevi-13 #4s in terms of pellet count.

I've never had success with Winchester's HTL loads either, but my experience is more limited than with Hevi-13. I may've just given-up on them too quickly. I tried several chokes over 20 shells of 3" #6s and never found anything that'd match Hevi-13 #6s. Both the Old White #6s and current production 2oz loads were much better in my guns.

[BrowningGuy88]

Shot the Vinci over the weekend with a Briley Straight Rifled choke a friend of mine runs in his SBE 2 with Winchester Xtended 6's. Shot nicely - up around 130 and considering the choke is a 670 or 675 that ain't bad.

You are right about the Rhino. It was bad to the bone with 7's in both the M2 and the Vinci. However after this weekend of patterning, a friend of mine was there and he loved the little M2. It now belongs to him. I just couldn't fall in love with it. I only shot it 3 times this weekend. Just couldn't put the Vinci down.

So now onto nailing down a combo for the Vinci! Obviously H13 3-2-7's are winning the numbers, but I am going to keep working with Extended 6's and Fed HWT 7's. I am looking for a full 15" pattern not super high 10" numbers. Also want the most consistant combo I can get my hands on!

[HuntSource]

Glad you're still pleased with the Vinci. If you're up for experimenting, you might handle the Steadygrip version of the Vinci. It's very nicely designed stock and is sculpted to fit the hand. It certainly doesn't feel like you're holding a stick as it does with many other tactical stocks. Of course, the standard Vinci is a great rig and more versatile.

Yes, the Rhino was a great performer with H-13 #6s and #7s in all three Vincis I've patterned. In fact, I've found that all three will shoot about the same with a given choke. Thus, I'm pretty confident you'll see similar results to mine provided the chokes are consistently machined.

As for the Rhino, it can get a bit tight for my tastes once the weather gets above 65F. It shot some eye popping 10" numbers for me in mid-July last year that I posted in the patterning section. They are intriguing patterns for sure, however, they aren't very wide. Still, it'll get you where you need to go during typical turkey hunting weather.

I agree with you. From my perspective, the opportunity with #7s is it affords the use of a more open choke yielding wider patterns that still retain plenty of numbers in the 10" core. I've had a couple of long conversations with Rob Roberts about this too. If your main goal, here's what I've learned with mine.

I've now tried every Jeb's exit diameter between .650" and .670". The sweet spots in mine are .660" and .665". The .660" is putting 40-45% in the 10" with #6s and 35-40% with #7s. I'm subjectively giving an effective pattern width at 40yd of 12-13" for #6s and 15-16" for the #7s.

The .665" is an interesting choke. It'll the only choke that's made me see value in HTL #5s. It'll put 45-50% of the pellets in 10" at 40yd with consistency and with extraordinary accuracy. Effective pattern width is only 10", but that core stays tight for a long, long way. I'd only use #5s with this choke with an optic for precise aiming, but it'd be a great load for open fields if you needed to stretch things on tom with hens. With #7s, I get a very consistent 32-34% in the 10" core regardless of weather. Basically, you can expect about 175-185 in the 10". Most won't too excited about that from #7s. However, I'm still getting about 75% of the pellets inside of 20". In my evaluation, this pattern has an effective width of 18-20" at 40yd. That may be for forgiving than necessary at 40yd, but it's a lot wider at 20 and 30yd too. I'd much rather have a 12" 20yd pattern than one that's only 8" wide in most situations.

The only Rob Roberts choke I've had success with is a .660" with #7s. It shows a lot of promise. If I ever decide to try Federal's HW loads again, that'll sure be the direction I'll go. He definitely done more work than anyone else with those loads.