Author Topic: Lets Talk Turkey Rigs (Read 1628 times)

VarmintController · « **on:** February 20, 2004, 12:36:31 PM »

Ok guys i for one will not be turkey hunting this year

i did not get my permit this year. but i was thinking we should post some info on our favorite turkey rig. and i will start.

NWTF 12ga. with a custom force cone job, drilled and tapped for a scope base, and is sporting a holosight. i also did alittle playing around with hevishot, and this gun with a fixed full choke, keeps plenty on the target even at 45yrds. now that is a 3inch load of #6 hevishot. it added 10 yards over what i was getting with last year with lead shot. it is alot more money, but now that its sighted in, i wont have to buy much in the future. and its worth evey penny to me.

H&R BANG · « **Reply #1 on:** February 20, 2004, 03:10:53 PM »

I didn't get drawn either. I am ready with my 243 utralight with the 24" 12 gauge turkey barrel with the screw in choke. To overcome the high cheek on the stock, I glued my Huntsman plastic sights on the barrel. The sights survived 5 shot with 1 oz slugs, so I don't think they will come off (unlike the glued on red dot sight). The whole rig weighs 5 pounds 4 ounces. I will decline to shoot 3-1/2" shells!

turkeyhunter · « **Reply #2 on:** February 20, 2004, 04:53:12 PM »

Ok VC, now you are talking a subject I can chat for hours about. I am new to the board and to NEF guns but I love both. I started out just looking for an inexpensive single shot rifle for my son and after buying a 243 youth I fell in love!

I just purchased an NEF 12ga. fixed full with the most horrible looking camo stock on it. I have refinished the stock (partly because I am too cheap to buy an new one and partly because I love woodworking) and I am looking to buy a barrel. I was going to send it in and add a 24" but I think I am going to wait until the vent rib barrel is offered. Too bad I won't make it in time for turkey season here. For now I will use my 835 with a "Gobblin' Thunder" choke.

Now, for some help. I am totally unfamiliar with a "force cone job". In three words or less can you explain to me what that will do for me? I have been watching ya'll for a while and I have really enjoyed all of the info shared on this and the former site.

WNY_Whitetailer · « **Reply #3 on:** February 20, 2004, 06:03:55 PM »

I borrowed this from another website called www.shotgunchokes.com Here is an explanation of a forcing cone and what it does. This guy explains it better than I ever could...Read up and learn.

The Mysterious Forcing Cone

The forcing cone is the constriction at the end of the chamber that forces the load down from chamber size to the size of your shotgun bore. If you hold the barrel up, point the muzzle toward the light and look through it from the chamber end, the forcing cone will appear as a short, dark ring, dark because the angle of the short forcing cone is severe and is hidden from the light. The distance from the beginning to the end is about 1/4". Most barrels come from the factory with this abrupt constriction, or forcing cone.

When the shotgun is fired, the shot load is immediately FORCED, under tremendous pressure, to squeeze through the abrupt forcing cone to the smaller size of the bore. This results in some of the lead shot becoming deformed, making them ballistically unsound and causing them to fly out of the pattern. Lengthening the forcing cone by changing the abrupt angle to a more gentle, gradual constriction results in a new length of around 1 3/4". This optimum new length allows the shot to make a more gradual transition from chamber to bore size, reducing shot deformation and allowing more of the shot to remain in the pattern. The combination of the screw-in choke tube and the long forcing cone can turn an old shotgun into a much better performer with considerable improvement in pattern density and versatility.

JohnDY · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2004, 01:29:26 AM »

I 'will be turkey hunting for the first time this spring. I've already bought a turkey choke tube for my shotgun and some #5 3" sheets but I haven't bought a call yet. Without breaking the bank what kind of call should I get.

Thanks.

turkeyhunter · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2004, 01:46:55 AM »

Thank you WNY_W for the great explanation. I guess I will add that to my to do list on my new turkey gun. Season starts here in Tennessee on April 3! I can't wait. This is my favorite time of the year.

JohnDY - If I were you I would find a good box call to start out with if you only want to buy and carry one call. They in my opinion are the easiest to learn and use. I would however recommend that you get some slate calls as well and play with them until you sound good. They are just like violins, you are bound to squeak a whole lot before you can play the music, but man do they sound great. Mouth calls are incredible too but they are harder to learn. The thing that I like most about turkey hunting is the calling and what you will learn quick is that you need to have an assortment of calls. One day one call may drive the toms crazy and the next day it won't. You just have to be aware and have an arsenal to calls to use. I started with one box call but now I carry it, 2 slate calls, and 5 mouth calls.

Welcome to turkey hunting! Be careful it is highly addictive! :grin:

VarmintController · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2004, 01:53:55 AM »

WNY beat me to it, and yes he is right. and it does make a big difference. it was $75 for the cone job. he of course pollised it very well and i dare say it was well worth it. now you can change alot if you have screw in chokes, but this was a fixed full, so i had to do a cone job to fix the pattern problems i had. i was going to add screw in chokes to my barrel, but it is just too much money. any way i dont really need them now anyway. as far as the calls go, they are kinda like a woman, its what you like and what works for you. i like slate calls, but there are alot of people who use the mouth diaframs, and love them. but they are harder to learn how to use. you really have to try a couple out, and see what you like. i want to go soooooooo bad

but i guess not this year.

Tcallbuilder · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2004, 03:12:49 AM »

hey VC
glad you brought this one up
im in the prosess of building a turkey rig now out of a partner shotgun
i sent the reciever in for a 24inch tk special barrel w/3.5 chamber,and a 28inch fixed full choke w/3' chamber
im kinda torn between the two barrels......havent really patterned the 28 yet but the 24 will throw turkey killin patterns out to atleast 40yds.

im still debating on the best way to mount a scope base on the barrel.
i want to mount a red dot or a halo type sight on the 24.

JohnDY
IMHO one of the best (mass produced) calls on the market is the LYNCH WORLD CHAMPION box call.......most are tuned farily well out of the box.
they are not cheap though....probably run you about 30 bucks.

dont settle on just one call though.....turkeys are finicky.....a call or tone that turns them on today....they may ignore tomorrow......then on the third day they may love the call you used on day one again.
i guess thats just the nature of the beast.....makes it fun though!!!
i uasually carry about 1/2 dozen calls.....and can uasually find one that will make them talk back :grin:

But be fore warned.....this turkey thing is iddictive

:-D

TCB

Mman · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2004, 03:47:02 PM »

VC, I for one will be out there come this May. Was drawn last year and was lucky enough to call in 2 jakes. The one I got was about 15 pounds. My dad got drawn this year and we'll be back at it in Southern Maine. Right now they are a plenty, just cant wait. I also would like to set up a single shot NEF for just this reason.

scruffy · « **Reply #9 on:** February 23, 2004, 04:07:34 AM »

Well, I did some work on my turkey rig over the weekend, a 12 gauge 28" fixed mod pardner. I removed the front brass bead with visegrips and installed a red truglo fiber optic bead. It took some filing to keep the bottom of the threads to keep from protruding through the fixed choke but after I was done it was a slick looking front sight. Also, by looking down the barrel at a light I noticed alot of burs from NEF drilling and tapping the front bead through the fixed choke. Before I changed the bead I thought the brass sight was protruding through the choke a bit, but it was a buch of metal burs. With a small cone shaped fine stone I removed the burs by hand, taking my time. It came out perfect.

Edit: here's a picture of the bead:

As far as sighting, at 40 yards if I sight this bead just over the reciever, centered left/right over the cocked hammer, and place the bead over my target, at 40 yards poi and poa are matched.
End edit

I also picked up a box of 3" Remington #4 hevishot. I'll use the hevishot where ranges are longer because it patterns so much tighter than lead. But in the timber where shots are much shorter (can't see over 20 yards...) I'll use 2 3/4" high velocity high brass lead pheasant loads, either #4's or #6's, I'm not sure. The #6 would have more shot, but I've never been let down by the #4's. And if an unlucky coyote come in looking for a turkey dinner I know the #4's will permintantly quench his hunger. Either way the mod choke works alot better in the timber than a turkey choke, been there, missed him... And I don't use "turkey" load in the timber. For close shots I think the regular loads do just fine, cost ALOT less, and have less recoil. Plus I have them left over from pheasant season...

I'm really getting the itch! I picked up some turkey magazines over the weekend, haven't had a chance to read them yet, but I can't wait for spring, turkeys, an the boom of the single shot.

later,
scruffy

Graybeard · « **Reply #10 on:** February 23, 2004, 08:23:59 AM »

Didn't get drawn? :eek: Ya mean ya hafta apply for a limited draw permit for turkeys? What is this world coming to? :eek:

Here in Bama ya can kill up to five (5) per season and there are no tags or draw. Ya just go out and shoot them on yer regular hunting license. :lol:

My #1 rig is a Taurus Model 44 in .44 Magnum with a 12" barrel. Yeah here in Bama in addition to being able to shoot five a season with no draw and no tags ya can even use handguns so long as there is no scope on them. :eek:

Now fer a shotgun I have a Remington 11-87 full camo with snub nosed barrel and super full turkey choke. Using 2 oz. of #6 shot it eats them up at 40 yards. No head will get thru that pattern.

GB

BIGBOREFAN · « **Reply #11 on:** February 23, 2004, 08:57:17 AM »

I know this is the shotgun forum but my #1 rig this year is my NEF 22 Hornet. My oldest boy (5 years old) will be going, don't think I'll be able to call them to close. We'll have loads of fun though.

BBF

VarmintController · « **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2004, 09:44:18 AM »

YES how sad the state of maine is. our turkey permits are drawn just like our anydeer tags, and our moose tags. i am hoping someday they will wake up and stop all of this.

DaveH · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2004, 01:07:28 PM »

Well my first full day in the desert is going well I found the internet tent.
Hey I have this new turkey rig.... Its a M-16A3. Looks like a pretty good gun.... Man can't wait to put it on rock and roll and see what it can do on a big ole TOM or Terrorist. Just kidding.......(Maybe)

Everyone stay safe and have fun Tom hunting while I'm gone.

I didn't get a chance to shoot my NEF 10 ga. but I'll do that went I get back.

Dave H.

Primer · « **Reply #14 on:** February 25, 2004, 06:43:49 PM »

Dave H,

Good to hear from ya! Geez, all the way from Kuwait. Hey,...I'm sure there will be plenty of big old gobblers waiting on your return. :grin:

That M-16A3 sounds like a lot of cure for any turkey. Especially the ones with beards. :roll:

Rock and Roll, keep your head down and YOU Stay Safe!

God bless,..........Primer