autoloader for turkeys?

I am new to shotguns and am looking at getting a turkey gun. Should I consider a pump gun, or are autoloading guns the way to go?

I prefer gas auto's, because they don't kick my teeth fillings loose shooting turkey loads while backed up against a tree trunk.

A pump can hurt, me at least.

rc

I prefer gas auto's, because they don't kick my teeth fillings loose shooting turkey loads while backed up against a tree trunk.

A pump can hurt, me at least.

rc

+1. Semi's are lighter weight, too. I have a Winchester 1300 20 gauge. Both my father's Remington 1100 12 gauge and my polychoked Saiga 12 are lighter than it. The pump equipment adds so much extra weight to the gun. You have the action arms, and the reinforced handguard. That's all forward weight, too, where you don't want it.

I prefer semi but no problems with the pump.

I like Winchester sx3. Light and handles recoil well.

I much prefer a gas-operated semi auto. It handles magnum turkey loads much better than a pump (as far as transferring energy to my shoulder).

i have three 12ga 3 inch mags. a pump win 1300 turkey and a semi-auto rem 1100 and a semi-auto rem 11-87. and the 1300 is lighter than either of the rem auto,s, but the semi,s do kick less with the turkey shells i use. eastbank.

Either one is a viable option. Most likely you will only be taking one shot, and in the thrill of the hunt you probably won't notice the recoil. The recoil from turkey loads will certainly get your attention at the patterning board, though. If you are going to use the gun for clay games, or other wingshooting, besides turkey hunting, I would strongly lean towards an auto.

One shot...one kill. Either will do the trick but I like the pump.

I use a Remington SP-10 10 gauge. Very moderate recoil, but it's WAY heavy. Kills way out there with Hevi-Shot and a custom choke.

+1. Semi's are lighter weight, too. I have a Winchester 1300 20 gauge. Both my father's Remington 1100 12 gauge and my polychoked Saiga 12 are lighter than it.

You should really put some guns on a scale instead of just guessing. I don't know what a 1300 in 20 ga weighs, but a 12 is somewhere between 6.5-7 lbs depending on the exact version, barrel length, etc. and is the lightest pump ever made that I'm aware of.

You need to look at some manufacturers specs., but as a a rule pumps tend to be lighter. If you can find a Winchester 1300 it will be the lightest, with a Mossberg 500 just a bit more. Around 6.5-7.25 lbs depending on barrel length, stock etc. A Remington 870 will be around 7.25-7.5, as will the Mossberg 835. The Browning BPS, and Benelli Nova's are pretty heavy at around 7.75-8.25 lbs or so.

The Benelli' autos are the exception and will be very close to 7 lbs or so, but most gas autos are at least 7.5 lbs up to 8.5.

A lighter gun will kick a bit more, but I prefer to save the weight. My prefered gun is one of the 7 lb Benelli's, but I often carry an 870 as well at times. A lot depends on were, and how you hunt. I walk a series of old logging roads on public land and often end up walking 10-12 miles in a day of turkey hunting. I figure I'll shoot only once or twice a season anyway so I'll live with the recoil. The new recoil pads really equalize things so even the hardest kickers are a lot easier to deal with. The last bird I killed was 5 miles from my truck so a lighter gun along with a 15 lb bird made for a lot easier 5 mile walk. I'd already walked 6-7 miles before I shot the bird. If you have a short walk, then weight is not a consideration other than recoil management.

There is really no right or wrong answer. Pumps tend to be cheaper and are usually lighter, with a few exceptions. Multiple rapid shots are pretty rare, so there is nothing wrong with using a pump as a dedicated turkey gun. As an all around gun I prefer semi's, but use both depeding on the situation.

autoloader for turkeys
read that header thought it was a book

6 of 1 half a dozen of another IMO. I use both. My gloves sometimes slip working the action on a pump though.

I use a Mossberg 500 and a Mossberg 5500 mKII, both are 3 inch only.
Next year if a nice camo Mossberg 5835 or Remington 870 Supermag come on sale for under $450 I am gonna bite. I am pretty sure my non camo shotgun has gotten me busted before.


eastbank...is that a walnut stock under the paint on that 1100? :uhoh:

yes it is, i bought the rem 1100 at a sale for a friend who was very sick to help pay for medical bills, (to sell it back when he got better). but his illness was fatal. it,s a older 1100 with out choke tubes and the finish was worn a bit,so the paint job.,but it patterns just as good as my tubed shotgun. eastbank.

Action type really doesnt matter much in this case. All that really matters is gauge and choke (and maybe a recoil pad). So choose whatever type of shotgun trips your trigger... Autos soften the recoil, a pump will function with whatever loads your using without any issues or adjustment.