I have been thinking about getting a 20 gauge turkey gun.With the new 3 in mag hevi-shot load I think it would be effective.Turkeys are hard to find around here so I do a lot of walking.Remingtons new SPS-T 20 gauge is only 6 lbs and 40 1/2 inches long so it would be a handy little gun.I was also thinking about a Benneli Nova but it's a little heavier and 5 in longer.Witch is the better gun?Will a 20 gauge work on turkeys?Opinions wanted.Thanks!
rem 870 SPS-T 20gauge turkey gun
- Thread starter kane
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A 20 will work fine on turkeys, even with ordinary old lead shot. The disadvantage, if you look at it that way, is that you will need to be closer. The 20 just does not throw enough shot for the 45-55 yard shots of a 3.5" 12 or the 10 gauge, you run out of pellets in the pattern to maintain density. You will need to get on the pattern board to find out what your max range will be, but I would guess it in the 35 yard range. Hevi is another entity all together, hit the pattern board to find out what it does for you.
Aside from steel shot the 20 is plenty of shotgun for anything that can be done with a shotgun.
Aside from steel shot the 20 is plenty of shotgun for anything that can be done with a shotgun.
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
Like H said. It'll do the job, you just have to be a little closer.
One caveat, the lighter a shotgun is with a given load, the harder the free recoil.
One caveat, the lighter a shotgun is with a given load, the harder the free recoil.
labgrade
Member In Memoriam
Another consideration, kane.
Barrel length doesn't equate to tight(er) patterns - choke does that (combined with a "proper" loading) & too, figure you'll "lose" 20 fps for every 1" less than a 30" barrel (usual published velocities - yada), but you'll likely see variations more than that in a box of shells.
Length of barrels has more to do with pointability & swing than anything patterning & velocity.
& a caveat to HSMITH's good post is a 3" 12 is nothing to sneeze at - if you pattern properly. You certainly don't need a 3-1/2" 12 or a 10 ga to take turkeys plenty far (relatively speaking).
Depending on choke & loading (& how your shotgun is set up), pretty incredible patterns can be had with 2-3/4" 12s & certainly with a 3" 12. (Try a search on "card guns" sometimes to be very surprised). FWIW, I'm gettig incredible patterning/density in a 21" 12 w/Fed's 2 oz #4 turkey load - in one shotgun, & it really does suck in the other two (but I'm not using those for turkeys
).
I would never buy a SG based on what some new whiz-bang ammo will do. Likely, anything already proven & much cheaper will do the same job.
Best bet = buy a gauge you think you'll be happy with & do all the things you'd want it to do, decide on a model/manufacturer, buy a few boxes of the type/size/quantity of shot to do that job & go pattern it to see if it will.
Sounds like you really want to get a 20 gauge for turkey hunting. My advice would be to get that 20, but then dedicate yourself to finding the best lchoke/oad to do just that.
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Barrel length doesn't equate to tight(er) patterns - choke does that (combined with a "proper" loading) & too, figure you'll "lose" 20 fps for every 1" less than a 30" barrel (usual published velocities - yada), but you'll likely see variations more than that in a box of shells.
Length of barrels has more to do with pointability & swing than anything patterning & velocity.
& a caveat to HSMITH's good post is a 3" 12 is nothing to sneeze at - if you pattern properly. You certainly don't need a 3-1/2" 12 or a 10 ga to take turkeys plenty far (relatively speaking).
Depending on choke & loading (& how your shotgun is set up), pretty incredible patterns can be had with 2-3/4" 12s & certainly with a 3" 12. (Try a search on "card guns" sometimes to be very surprised). FWIW, I'm gettig incredible patterning/density in a 21" 12 w/Fed's 2 oz #4 turkey load - in one shotgun, & it really does suck in the other two (but I'm not using those for turkeys
).I would never buy a SG based on what some new whiz-bang ammo will do. Likely, anything already proven & much cheaper will do the same job.
Best bet = buy a gauge you think you'll be happy with & do all the things you'd want it to do, decide on a model/manufacturer, buy a few boxes of the type/size/quantity of shot to do that job & go pattern it to see if it will.
Sounds like you really want to get a 20 gauge for turkey hunting. My advice would be to get that 20, but then dedicate yourself to finding the best lchoke/oad to do just that.
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