H&R Topper 20ga for turkey?

[Philippe]

Hey gang, I was wondering on what everyone's thoughts on this specific shotgun is as far as turkey hunting. Is it worth the effort? Any specific shells that pattern in these guns well? Stick with 2 3/4 or bump up to 3 inch?

 

[32 Magnum]

Price is right. Design is 100+ years proven to work. Marlin stands behind the new ones. 2 3/4" #4 shot turkey loads should do the job, but for more pellets use the 3". You'll want a fixed choke in Full or Xtra Full or a threaded tube. What effort is there, other than going into the field and calling in some toms?

 

[Philippe]

I forgot to mention it is a fixed barrel modified choke. I guess all I can do is pick out some shells and pattern it and see how it works out.

 

[bejay]

would pick up some shells in 3 inch and see how it does if you keep your shots close it will probably do ok think most would preffer a 12 or 10 guage though.

 

[Fred Fuller]

It wouldn't be my first choice, given access to other more suitable guns. With any load that's going to be really useful for turkeys at any kind of range, I'd expect that a lightweight single shot 20 gauge is going to frankly kick the snot out of you. And that's not something I say lightly, the gun behind the front door here for pest control is a NEF 20 gauge youth model, and it romps pretty hard with most anything it gets fed. And I'm not terribly recoil sensitive, either.

If your calling and camouflage skills are good, and your ability to sit still is even better, it could work for you. But you'd need to exercise a good deal of self discipline and be very careful to stay within the gun/load's effective range and especially within your ability to hit a small target with a hard-kicking gun. As a side note, adding weight to the gun will help reduce felt recoil to some degree. Filling the stock bolt hole with lead shot might help, though it will alter the balance of the gun.

I see Federal has some loads out in 20 gauge with their FliteControl wad ( http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/shotshell.aspx?id=835 , http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/shotshell.aspx?id=939 , http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/shotshell.aspx?id=905 ), I'd take a look at how well those work out of my particular gun in looking for a useful load. Shotguns are notoriously unpredictable in their performance with different loads, it's almost impossible to say what any given barrel will do with a given load until you test it on paper. The FliteControl stuff has done amazingly well in some applications, 20 gauge loads of #4s out of a MOD choke isn't something I've tried myself though.

As is so often the case, more will depend on the shooter than the gun...

hth,

lpl

 

[azwizard]

35 years ago that was the only shotgun I had and I killed a lot of turkeys with mine. I have others now that are better suited but don't worry it'll do the job. Just think Bow range, 25-30 yards. See if you can pick up several different loads in #4's, 2 & 3/4 and 3" and pattern them at a turkey target at 30 yards and go with the best one.

 

[mio]

when float hunting geese my buddy and i use single shot 20 gauges. his is a new england with modified choke and it works fine with #4 steel shot out to about 30 yards. i doubt turkeys are any tougher and you get to use lead just be sure to pattern it for range since they all shoot a bit different.

 

[rcmodel]

The thing is, you shoot turkeys right in the head & neck with them standing on the ground with thier wings folded. Not flying with the soft underbody exposed like geese.

If you can get the 20ga. to pattern any smaller shot (say #5, #6, or #7 1/2) tight enough to put several pellets in the head & neck area, it will kill them just as dead as a 12 ga.

rc