Turkey time again...

Mongo

Mongo

Joined
Nov 5, 2001
Messages
8,969
Greetings all, I've posted elsewhere on hunting and firearm related forums, but they get pretty rabid there about brands etc.
I am looking once again for my turkey hunting rig. Here's my so far two choices:
1. Mossberg 835 with cammo, fiber optic sights, X-full turkey choke and a Knoxx spec-ops recoil reducing stock

2. Remington 870, cammo'd, X-full turkey choke, after market fiber optics sights, Knoxx spec-ops stock.

For now, I am limiting myself to these two because they are the only two that I can use a Knoxx stock on. Further info on these can be found at www.knoxx.com Looks pretty damn cool!

I figured I'd ask you all, because you run into so much rabid anti this brand or that brand. I was pretty much set on the Mossy until I read one guy's string of bad luck with both the 935 and 835 models. I also have a Mossy 500 20ga. as my home protection unit, and I figured that I could put the Knoxx stock on it while I'm not turkey hunting.

So, who here has one or both of these guns? How do you like it? ANY problems ever/at all? And yes, cost is a BIG factor... as it is, look for me to be selling off some of my knives to raise the coinage.

Thanks, Mongo
 
You need a shotgun to kill a turkey? .22 air rifle, prometheus pellets, telescopic sight, silencer and a head shot.
 
I have a regular 835, and turkey chokes, nice shotgun, be careful if you field strip it as a couple rail stops tend to fall out and if this happens can be a royal pain to get back together (I am a trained armorer and took this shotgun to a smith to have it put back together, smith charged $5.00 and took him about 5 minutes)
 
I'll admit up front I'm biased toward the Remington, but I'll also say the Mossbergs are fine guns as well. The Remington features a steel reciever as opposed to aluminum on the Mossberg, and when it comes to after-market parts and add-ons, the Remington 870 is the shotgun equivalent of the Ruger 10/22. Lots of choices. However, if it's a dedicated turkey gun, you're not going to be shooting it all that often, and the steel/aluminum distinction should not make a difference. Want to shoot 3.5" shells? (I don't.) Then the Mossberg may be your ticket unless you get a SuperMag 870.

I shoot an 870 for turkey hunting. It's the black matte Express model, to which I've added a recoil pad, a set of Tru-Glo Magnum Gobble Dot fiber optic sights, a Hevi-Shot XF choke, and a sling. Never had a turkey spook because my gun wasn't camo, but one of these days, I'll probably spring for one of the fancy camo'ed models anyway. It'll be an 870 BTW.

Aside: Am thinking of switching to these sights this year.
 
Mongo said:
Not legal in most states Andrew.:(
Click to expand...

Wow, really? Is this because and air rifle is so dangerous :D I suppose more likely the turkey isn't killed outright with a poor shot.

The thing with a shotgun and a nice bird like a turkey is all the shot in the meat. How about a .22 rimfire carbine. I used to have a Brno (Czech) 12 shot shooting high velocity hollow point ammo. That would do the trick.

I just think a shotgun on a slow walking, slow flying critter is overkill.

I also had a Browning 5 shot auto 12 gauge. Now that was a good and reliable weapon. Full choke, 2 3/4 magnum BB ammo would also work well on a big bird.
 
Andrew Taylor said:
The thing with a shotgun and a nice bird like a turkey is all the shot in the meat. How about a .22 rimfire carbine. I used to have a Brno (Czech) 12 shot shooting high velocity hollow point ammo. That would do the trick.
Click to expand...
Have you actually hunted turkey with a shotgun? Head shot with an XF choke doesn't damage the meat. I've shot numerous turkey this way. I even hit one in the head on the fly once at about 15 yards. Never had to pick shot out of the breast meat. The turkey's wings act as pretty good deflectors, actually. Many is the turkey hunter who has hit a bird in the body with a hurried, misplaced shot only to have it roll and then run/fly away.

Andrew Taylor said:
I just think a shotgun on a slow walking, slow flying critter is overkill.
Click to expand...
More ethical IMO. Shot at a proper distance in the head, the bird dies quickly.

Shotguns also make the woods safer for other hunters on public land. I don't want to be on the ground with lead zooming all around me.
 
Guyon said:
Have you actually hunted turkey with a shotgun? Head shot with an XF choke doesn't damage the meat. I've shot numerous turkey this way. I even hit one in the head on the fly once at about 15 yards. Never had to pick shot out of the breast meat. The turkey's wings act as pretty good deflectors, actually. Many is the turkey hunter who has hit a bird in the body with a hurried, misplaced shot only to have it roll and then run/fly away.
Click to expand...

No, of course not, the only 'wild turkey' in the UK is in bottles.

Guyon said:
Shotguns also make the woods safer for other hunters on public land. I don't want to be on the ground with lead zooming all around me.
Click to expand...

Good point. I'll get my coat and keep quiet.
 
Mongo, is there some physical reason that you want the spec-ops stock? Outside of patterning and the occasional shot afield, you probably won't shoot the gun enough to develop a flinch. And with 2 3/4" or 3" shells, I've never had a problem. If you're going to be shooting 3.5" shells, however, I can perhaps see the utility of some recoil absorption.

The only recoil problem I've ever experienced with a turkey gun (or any shotgun for that matter) was when I put a 3.5" Winchester Supreme turkey load down tube. I'll admit. That one kicked. I was patterning the gun in seated position, and the recoil caught me off guard. Actually drove my right wrist back into my nose. I wouldn't want to shoot those loads all day long. YMMV.
 
I was always a Remington and Browning guy. Then I won a Mossberg 835 turkey gun. Works fine for me, I use it for turkey and goose. Never had a problem with it. It groups shot very well, I have reached out pretty far on a couple goose.

I shot a nice Tom last May @ 25 yards,I must have had 50 pellets in his head/neck.

Most turkey are hunted with shotguns. In most states its the law. A head/neck shot makes a quick kill with no pellets in meat. Man if I could use a .22 rifle the would be way easier hunting. Now I have to call a bird into under 30 yards. With that set up, I could pick up a unsuspecting bird at 100 yards.
 
Guyon, the reason I want a Knoxx spec-ops stock is that it is so dang COOL! I like the idea of recoil reduction, especially when patterning the gun... I like to use several different brands to find out which works best. The last time I patterned a shotgun with turkey loads, (and only 3" magnums too) I lasted only about 8 rounds before I wussed out.
 
hrmmm....This post reminds me of a website I seen at work a week or so ago. Most of the guys I work with hunt with bows...Few are into guns. One decided to show me a website demonstrating the "gobbler guillotine".

Take a look for yourselves.....Interesting concept..I don't think one has to worry about pellets throughout the turkey.

http://www.arrow-dynamic-solutions.com/VIDEO PAGE.htm#VIDEO PAGE


Note: the above link doesn't seem to bring up the page correctly w/in firefox browsers.


Bill
 
Mongo ,this spring will mark 30 yrs of turkey hunting for me.
Ihave owned and killed turkeys with both Mossbergs and Remingtons.
Although my Mossberg was a 500 not an 835 I never had any trouble with it.
Likewise any Remington firearm I have ever had.
I don't think you can go wrong with either one. Pick the one you are most comfortable with and spend some time at the range to pattern it. Just like rifle shots placement is what counts, remember alot of birds have been killed with 2 3/4inch 12, 16, and even 20 ga. before the "supermag" turkey guns came into style.
If you like the style of one over the other go for it. After all personal taste has alot to do with all our gear.
My wife can't understand why I "need" two shotguns and two or three custom knives to go to turkey camp for a couple days each year! lol.
Just like turkeys the fun is often in the hunt, so good luck.
The Pa. Knifeguy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top