What do you consider the "ultimate" turkey gun?

[bamagtrdude]

For years, the "ultimate" gun for me was an 835 Ulti-Mag w/a Comp-n-Choke choke tube; hunted for a really long time with that gun, and as Skeeterbait has stated well, it's a dang good turkey gun (much more really, but that's what I used it primarily for).

*However*, in the last 4-5 years, I switched over to a semi-auto - a Stoeger M2000 12g w/Primos Tight Wad choke tube; I'm shooting a custom shell that essentially equals the Magnum Blend's that are available off-the-shelf now.  I've had really great results with this gun - not only for turkey hunting, but skeet & bird hunting (and varmit hunting around the house).

I did this NOT because the 835 was a "bad" gun; I've busted birds with it out to 60 yards before; knocked 'em stone cold.  But, I'm a squirt of a guy, and carrying that 835 (for me) was a chore...  The Stoeger is a smaller, lighter & quieter gun (it doesn't make noise like the fore-arm rattling on my 835), and I've got it patterning as well as I need it to in order to kill birds consistently with it.  I was pretty quick on follow-up shots, but I'm quicker with the Stoeger than I ever was with the 835.

These are just my opinions - and as they say, opinions are like a certain body part - everybody's got one, it has a hole in it, and usually stinks!    haha...

[darron]

my turkey guns...

12ga M1 Benelli

20ga 870

11-87 supermag

SBE II (just now setting it up)

I am partial anymore to the little 20ga. With federal HW 7's and the right choke it is tough to beat.

The ultimate turkey gun IMO....Benelli M2 20ga.....just can't see dropping 1,000 on a 20ga.

[DirtNap647]

love Mossberg 835

[olejake]

Thanks to all who contributed..my 935 will be ordered today..going with the 24" in Mossy Oak Infinity

[surehuntsalot]

  835 pump      935 auto

[cahaba]

I really like my SX3. It's soft shooting and throws excellent numbers.

[reflexl]

835 with a .676 Stardot. W-W XX 3.5-2-5 = dead turkeys. Lots of them.

[01Foreman400]

SBE 2
870 SPS-T 20 ga.
M2 20 ga.
Montefeltro Camo 20 ga.

[Gooserbat]

If I were buying one today it would be a 3.5" Browning Maxus.

[Longshanks]

Beretta Xtrema
24" bbl
Hevi 13 choke
Tru-glo Pro series sights
Hevi 13  3.5/2.25/7's

333 in a 10" @ 40

[sierra6]

Please explain why the 935 patterns better than anything else?

Is this just an opinion?

No it is more than an opinion.  Countless patterns we have seen posted here over the years of many different guns, loads, and chokes, the 835/935 consistently posts higher shot counts.  The 835 and 935 have basically the same barrel.  Their barrels are unlike any in any other 12 gauges.  There was at one time a single shot also made by Mossberg called the SSI-ONE that also had this unique barrel.  Basically the barrel is bored out to 10 gauge bore.  The bore of these guns is .775 where the average 12 gauge is around .729.  European guns like the Benelli are even tighter. Any time a shotgun has a bore smaller than the shell itself requires a choke ahead of the shell called the forcing cone.  This forcing cone tends to be abrupt and compresses and deforms shot.  Basically the forcing cone is removed from a 835/935 because the bore is so large.  In addition, a small bore requires the shot to string out in the barrel since the area is narrower.  An 835/935 leaves more room for the shot to exit the gun in a shorter string.  These things combine to produce less pressure on shot, less deformed shot, less fliers, and more shot in a smaller area downrange.

Skeeter bait is spot on with his comments.   I've been turkey hunting for over 35 years, owned well over a dozen dedicated turkey guns and have spent countless hours at the bench testing and patterning different shotgun,choke,ammo combinations.  Among the dedicated turkey guns I've owned were,  Brownings, Berettas, Benellis, Remington's, Mossbergs, and Winchesters.  In a nutshell .......you can spend more, A LOT MORE, but you won't get more gun than a Mossberg 835 or 935.   If terminal performance is your end goal for a dedicated "ultimate turkey gun" then look no further. In all my testing spanning many years the 835 and 935 consistently outperform the others. They simply shoot tighter, denser patterns.  Now just to stay on point, I'm basing this on terminal performance.  If your into looks, pride of ownership, bragging rights etc then your idea of the "Ultimate Turkey Gun" may be different.  To each his own!

[mightyjoeyoung]

My "ultimate" turkey gun would be the one that can throw THIS pattern at 40 yards, still have enough wiggle room at half that and could take off a turkey's head inside of 15 yards.  Oh yeah!  i already have one that does all those things!   

[mightyjoeyoung]

And she looks like this...

[sierra6]

Mightyjoe,

Very impressive pattern right there.  What is your setup?

[mightyjoeyoung]

Mightyjoe,

Very impressive pattern right there.  What is your setup?

The 835 thumbhole in the pic with a 24" ported, super cleaned and mirror-polished pipe and a Truglo .670 Smackdown choke.  The sight is a bushnell Trophy Multi-reticle red/green dot and it has a custom "slug gun" trigger job.  You shouls see how it shoots the Federal 3.5" HW 7's!!  Pure turkey murder too!!