just getting started...

[Lunchbox]

So I was on a local classified site and I found a Remington 870 Super Mag for $350. Should I be jumping all over that?

I would be very interested, just make sure to check out the condition of the gun(especially the barrel).

[mnturkey]

i see you are just getting started, the Rem 870 will give you years of good service and is very verisitile, if you want to try grouse, phesants, ducks or just about any small game you can also use it for that.
A lot of deer are taken in the Eastern states with a Rem 870 and slugs.
I do not know about the Mossburg or the Bennelli but they should be about the same.
Good Luck and keep asking questions, someone here will give you a answer.

[camp man]

Like many on here, I have a 870 and an 835....both have been reliable. The remington feels like it is built better( not as much play in the forearm as the 835) but the 835 holds a better pattern. Every gun is different in patterning though, so for me it is a toss up. Good guns for the money!

[Kywoodsman]

Can't go wrong with the Rem 870 super mag. Great reliable gun. It's never let me down.

[Squall_409]

Ok so guns that are available to me are a Remington 870 Exp, a Bennelli Nova and Super Nova. The 870 super mag sold already and they forgot to take it off the classified listing.

[redleg06]

You can probably pick up a good deal on an 870 at walmart or a pawn shop. They are extremely common and can be had for pretty reasonable.

[Spring_Woods]

Ok so guns that are available to me are a Remington 870 Exp, a Bennelli Nova and Super Nova. The 870 super mag sold already and they forgot to take it off the classified listing.

I'm curious, does the gun store you work at not stock what you need?

[Squall_409]

We mostly specialize in ar-15s. So we only get shotguns every so often. I was mostly interested in the 870 exp that we have. It's more in my price range. Would that be a good way to go?

[Lunchbox]

We mostly specialize in ar-15s. So we only get shotguns every so often. I was mostly interested in the 870 exp that we have. It's more in my price range. Would that be a good way to go?

It's what i have, and it hasn't let me down. Turkey, squirrels, coons, targets. Heck, get yourself a rifled barrel, and you can take out a deer too.

[Spring_Woods]

I gotcha. I don't think you could go wrong with an 870. Afterall, it is America's most trusted shotgun! 

[Squall_409]

Just an update, I just put my 870 exp on lay away. So i will own that soon. What else should I start to look into now? I know I will need to practice with calls. So what kind of calls should I look into buying?

[redleg06]

Just an update, I just put my 870 exp on lay away. So i will own that soon. What else should I start to look into now? I know I will need to practice with calls. So what kind of calls should I look into buying?

As soon as possible, I'd get the gun out and pattern it to make sure that it shoots straight and throws a pattern good enough to kill. The shooting straight is referred to as POA=POI (point of aim = point of impact).  Some of these guns dont shoot right on the money with turkey chokes and shells so it's important to know where your gun hits.

There are a lot of good chokes out there for remingtons and a good inexpensive option is a Jellyhead in either a 660 or 665 constriction.   You need to pick out some good shells also. A lot of us on here shoot Hevi Shot for turkey so if you want suggestions on this then you can find plenty on the shooting forum or just send me a PM and I'll be glad to help.

As far as calls, I'd go get a calling instructional CD that shows you how to do it OR you can go to youtube.com and get quite a  bit of general instruction on running most of the popular calls.  I'd say the easiest to start making a turkey sound on is a push pin call and while they dont seem to be as popular, I called in a bunch of turkey the first 10 years I was doing this.  I'd also probably go pick up a "pot" style call which is what some guys call a slate call.  You can get one for pretty cheap at just about any sporting goods store or even walmart. You dont need to get the most expensive custom call out there to call turkey and just starting out, I'd probably just get one and try to get decent at it and go from there. 

You dont have to be a great caller to call turkey. Spend time scouting your area and knowing where they want to be and then be a half way decent caller and you will kill birds.

[Squall_409]

So getting the gun should be my main priority. I can make that happen fairly quick.

The two main sporting goods store I have around here are cabelas and sportsmans warehouse. A choke that I was doing some research on was the Hevi Shot turkey specific one. Is this one any good or should I just go with the Jellyhead chokes?

A push pin call? I'm not sure what that is (sorry I am brand new to hunting so I'm kinda in the dark). Are the box calls any good to go with or should I mostly stay with a slate call?

And another main question I had; I'm in Utah, and I have only ever seen a turkey once here. That was up Provo Canyon (for anyone who is familiar with the state). And I am pretty sure I will be doing this on my own. I know of no one in Utah that does turkey hunt. So where are some good places to start to look for signs of turkeys?

I'm sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to learn as much as I can.

[mnturkey]

Do not be sorry about the questions.
I am sure you are herlping someone else out also.
As far as Turkeys in Utah call the Department of Natural Resources and talk with the people.
Go to the website look up Turkeys.
Depends on what the rules are you might have to take a Hunter Saftey Course.
Find out if there is a chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, the chapter president might be able to set you up with a mentor to help you.
Learning a little about calling to start will help.
You will need some camo clothes or some dull clothes to hunt in.
One of the biggest things is to scout the area you might want to hunt so you have a idea of the terrian.
Check at local sporting goods stores they sometimes have a Turkey Hunting seminar for free.
3 or 4 hours in the evening that covers the basics.
There are other Turkey Hunters around you you just have to find them, we are a secerative bunch we do not want anyone knowing our honey holes.
There are also some good books around that you can get about the basics of
Turkey Hunting.

Good Luck in your quest

[redleg06]

So getting the gun should be my main priority. I can make that happen fairly quick.

The two main sporting goods store I have around here are cabelas and sportsmans warehouse. A choke that I was doing some research on was the Hevi Shot turkey specific one. Is this one any good or should I just go with the Jellyhead chokes?

A push pin call? I'm not sure what that is (sorry I am brand new to hunting so I'm kinda in the dark). Are the box calls any good to go with or should I mostly stay with a slate call?

And another main question I had; I'm in Utah, and I have only ever seen a turkey once here. That was up Provo Canyon (for anyone who is familiar with the state). And I am pretty sure I will be doing this on my own. I know of no one in Utah that does turkey hunt. So where are some good places to start to look for signs of turkeys?

I'm sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to learn as much as I can.

Yeah, I'd make sure I had the gun situation taken care of ASAP because it's hard to kill one without it...

I'd try the jellyhead choke first because they seem to pattern as well (and in a lot of cases better) than most other chokes out of a remington and they are less expensive than most others, including the heaby shot choke. Go to wingsupply.com  and they should have them. Depending on the kind of the Hevi Shells you are shooting, (6shot, 7 shot or Mag Blends are the most popular) you might be better with one constriction (either a .660 or .665) over the other. If I was shooting the 7's then I'd probably go with the .660 and If I was shooting the 6's or Mag Blends, I'd get the .665. My remington really liked the Jellyhead .665 with the 3 1/2" Mag Blends but a lot of guys have great patterns with the .660 jellyhead and the straight 7's.    

PM me if you want to and I might even be able to hook you up with a lightly used one. I've got one in each constriction for a remington and since I switched loads, I switched chokes.  

Google a "Push pin turkey Call" or go to the turkey call forum. There is some GREAT advice on this site under that forum and some very very good custom call makers also that can give you all the advice you'll be able to handle.

Box calls are good and fairly easy to use but a little more difficult to use well on the softer calling, without a little bit of practice.

I personally use diaphram calls primarily and then a anodized aluminum pot style call but will use a box and push pin on occassion and have killed birds with all of them. I just get the most functionality (just me personally) with a mouth call and pot call.  

A "slate call" is actually just the surface or playing material on a pot call...slate is the playing surface in this case. Some people lump all pot calls into the category of "slate calls" even though the playing surface on a pot call could be anodized aluminum (my personal favorite), slate, copper, glass, crystal, ceramic, titanium and probably a few others I dont know about. They are all pot style and played with a striker.  Anyhow, I find them to be some of the most realistic sounding calls and they maybe one of the most user friendly calls available IF you get the right surface...Slate and Aluminum are the two most user friendly IMO.  Go to the call forum if you want more detail on this...lots of guys over there willing to help.  The other benefit of a pot style call is that if you get different strikers, you can completely change the sound of the call.  

You dont have that long to practice before the season starts so If I were you, I'd pick ONE type of call and try to get decent with it by listening to turkey sounds and instructional cd's and dvds if you dont know anyone else that can teach you to call.  (pm me if you want and I can try to help you out more and you can even give me a call if you want.)  The easiest for ME to learn was a old slate call or a push pin. You can learn to make the basic sounds in a relatively short period of time if you practice.  

As far as finding turkey in Utah...sorry brother, I'm a LONG way away from you and have never spent any time around there. Generally speaking, I'd get boots on the ground in the area you've seen them before and scout as much as I can between now and the season.  A good place to start is going to be to look for creek beds and places that have good roost trees. Again, I have no idea what the terrain looks like up there but in area's like Tx and Western Oklahoma where I hunt primarily, it can be as simple as finding the creek beds and look for the big cottonwood trees because there are relatively few places to roost.   But if you've seen turkey in an area before then scout that area hard and look for tracks, listen for birds and try to find roost trees. Hopefully that will give you a good idea of where to start and keep notes on what kind of terrain you saw them in before and try to figure out why they were there....then use that to go find new spots based on what you know they like in your area.