more turkey gun advice please

[redhedder]

Thanks for all your input. I am just now beginning to Turkey hunt and have very little experience. Any help appreciated.

My situation with the Rem 1100. I have had the gun a very long time-present from my Dad. It is a 28 in barrell with no screw in (as I can tell). I do also have an NEF 12ga slug gun that I can order a Turkey barrell for. It is a little lighter than the rem 1100 but a single shot.

I would like the best gun for my money. Of the two, would you have a choke put on the 1100 (I guess a good gun smith in order) or the barrell for the NEF single shot.

I will be moving around a good bit on our land, and believe that the Rem 1100 only shoots 2 3/4 in shells. thank you for your input and I look forward as to what you would do if you were me.
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Posts: 40 | From: gadsden, al | Registered: Nov 2003  |  IP: Logged

[Mike103]

If money is not a issue I like a 870 Express in 3" mag for turkeys. There are several dedicated turkey models. MIKE.

[backstrap]

What do u mean a rem 1100 only shoots 2, 2 3/4? i have a rem 1100 thats a fixed choke 28 inch barrel and it holds 5  shells with the plug out and 3 with the plug in for migratory birds and its only 2 3/4 inch chamber. if i was u i would use that shot gun get u shot 1 1/4 oz  4 lead shot  if leagel in your state and shoot them in the head at 25 yards or so i wouldnt go buy a new barrel when u already have a gun that will work unless u just want to buy another gun or barrel. just my 2 cents

[backstrap]

Sorry mess Read your post it should tell u on the side of the barrel  it chambered for 2 3/4 inch shells or 3 inch shells it will tell u

[jvs]

Even though I hunt turkeys with a Pump Shotgun, it has never taken more than one shot to bring a bird down.  Nor have I had to shoot more than 10 yds at one.  I like calling them in real close.  I know loads of people who use single shot shotguns for turkey because it never takes more than one.  I have even recently heard of a guy who uses a .410 for turkey.  He likes calling them in close too.   Don't let the 40 yd shot determine what you need to shoot.  Learn to call them in.  You don't need to be able to hit the next Area Code.

Either way, after you decide what you want to do, then you have to find out what loads your shotgun likes.  It will be up to you to get all different makes and weights to find out what patterns best in your shotgun of choice.  This is probably something that nobody can help you with because every shotgun ends up shooting different.


If NEF offers a barrel with removable chokes, I would buy one of those barrels and every choke they offer.  If NEF barrels are choke specific, then I would stick with the 1100.  Although having 3" Mag shell  capability would be preferable.   Maybe 2 3/4 Mag loads are still available but you should be getting not less that 1 3/4 oz Loads.  I use 1 7/8 oz #5's in mine.

If your 1100 is a 'full' choke, that is good enough for turkey if your camo, calling, load and patience is true to the task.   You take care of all of this and your shotgun will do the rest.

[sniperVLS]

If your 1100 is a 'full' choke, that is good enough for turkey if your camo, calling, load and patience is true to the task.   You take care of all of this and your shotgun will do the rest.

Solid advice, I'm sick of hearing people go on and on how they need turkey rounds to efficiently reach out to 50 yards or it's useless. Like jvs said, people need to be patient and learn the craft of calling and blending in, and knowing how their ammo patterns.

I've passed on a few because they were 40 yards or further. If I can't get them to come in closer, I felt I didn't deserve to take it home. I'm new to hunting that "very aware" bird, I have a lot to learn admittedly. One guy told me I need to dump my 870 and get a semi-auto as it's the only way to go for turkey, good grief

*sigh*

[jvs]

Ah yes, that little piece of advice on hunting the elusive ones.   Most people make the same mistake.  I used to do the same thing until I tried something different.  Even the most wary birds will come within 10 yds of you if they don't know where you are.   I had them 12 feet from me already.

Last spring I was surrounded by not less than 40 of them.

I pattern my shotgun at 25 yds, which is more than twice the distance I shoot at birds.  As far as Camo and calling, experience will be your best teacher.  As will what to do when you get an answer.  That is where I differ from most.

[Mike103]

Well I have to disagree. I travel over 200 miles from my home on Long Island to upstate NY to hunt spring turkey. Many times I only have one day in the woods. I want to know that if I have a turkey hang up on me at 40 yards that I can still reach out if I want.

I have very little time to hunt so I want to maximise my time and success in the woods. They are talking about a fall hunt this year for turkeys on Long Island for the first time. Hopefully we will get a spring season if the fall season goes well. MIKE.

[jvs]

No disrespect intended, but if you only get as little as one day in the woods, you probably have your mind made up before you leave as to what will work and what won't work.  You really have no time to scout or hunt.  Some seasons I don't have a whole lot of time in the woods either, but over time, trial and error will put you at the advantage.  In my opinion, if you need to take a 40 yd shot at a turkey, you are denying yourself an opportunity to fully enjoy the sport and to learn.  If a turkey won't come close to you, you are doing something wrong.  I can guarantee you that.

Your option to disagree with me is because you don't have time to try anything else.

[Mike103]

I have shot them very close, 30 feet and I have shot them over 40 yards. I hunt hard and try my best but I find no shame whatsoever in shooting a turkey at 40 yards if that is the best shot I can get.

I hunt with a 12 gauge mostly with 3" hevi-shot but will switch to a 20 after I have gotten my first bird and time permits.  I have patterned my guns extensively and know what size shot is best with each gun and choke.   

MIKE.

 

[sniperVLS]

Nothing wrong with how you approach it Mike, you want to maximize your time and I'd do the same if I was in your situation.

I had a 40 or so yard shot once but I admittedly didn't know if I could reach out that far with what I was using, big mistake. I sure wish I was prepared, would have been an awesome turkey I tell you what(starting to sound like Hank Hill).

I'm the type that, like jvs, is looking to challenge myself and push the limits so I started trying to call them in as close as possible, at the same time  hopefully eliminating hunter errors along the way lol.

I have no problem with people who chose ammo that works at 50 yards but when they tell me I *NEED" a 3.5 supermag and shooting at long range with a shotgun is where it's at, well that's where I have issues.

Some day I'll get one 

[jvs]

Ok, lets talk turkey here.

I will explain what I believe turkey hunting is to me.

Turkey Hunting is the only type of hunting I can do where I am the hunted.  I go out in Camo to be invisible and I make amorous sounds to sucker a male turkey into range.  If I do my job right, that turkey will hunt me down, he will pick my calls out from up to a half mile away, and pinpoint me within 10 feet from that distance, only to have the tables turned on him at the last split second.  If you have it in mind that I am the hunter, you are sadly mistaking because once I have that turkeys attention he is looking for me to have a "romp in the hay".   I even called two Toms in already, and when they got so close, they went into the Strut and were fighting over who was going to go first in having their way with me.  Talk about funny...  After I shot the biggest one, the other one start stomping the one flopping around on the ground until I stood up.  Sometimes it is worth the cost of a license just for the entertainment.

Now if you think that I did my job correctly if I can't get that turkey closer than 40 yds, that I am doing it all wrong when they are sometimes no more than 10 yds away and end up without a head.  If you can't do this, your technique is needs adjusting.

Sure there were years when I had more important obligations to handle besides going out for a turkey.  I didn't start turkey hunting until I was in my mid 40's.  But I still got out in the woods hiking or scouting on weekends or I did hunting at night for Raccoons, Coyotes and Fox.

There is NO law that says you can't go out unarmed in the woods on a sunday and practice calling or find the roost.  As long as you have an open mind about turkey hunting, there will always be room for improvement. 

I am still learning things about this too.

[Mike103]

I started turkey hunting in the late 80's but had very little success, killed one good bird with my brother. Had no time, little kids and all. Did not really get into it again until the late 90's and 2000's when my kids were old enough to hunt.

I killed several birds with a Remington 870 Express using 3" lead and 3" Hevi-shot out of both a standard 28" bird barrel with a extra full Remington turkey choke and a 23" turkey barrel with true glow sights and the Remington Hevi-shot choke tube. Both barrels/ choke combinations pattern very well.

The birds in the area I hunt are hunted hard and can become very difficult to bring in all the way. Once I had three very good tom's come in and fight over me and other times they hang up just out of range. I have tried decoy's but because it is so dense in most places in my area I have never had the Tom find the decoy!

Last year I got a decent bird, I called, he gobbled right away, I hit him again, he gobbled again and I could hear him coming. He passed within 15-20 yards of me on my right but I did not shoot because I wanted to see his reaction to the decoy. He walked within 20 FEET of the decoy and never saw the decoy! I hit him again he turned around and I killed him. 

This past year my brother got on to a big Tom first thing in the morning. The whole sequence of events would fill a small book but he got back on the bird just as legal shooting time was coming to a close here in NY, 12 noon. The bird responded to his call and was coming in but stopped 40 yards away. He was loaded with 3 1/2" #5 hevi-shot from a Remington 11-87 super mag with true glow sights. There was less that 10 minutes of legal shooting time and he hesitated. I told him that the bird was in range and to just shoot. He did and the bird rolled over like it was hit by a train. He later told me that if I had not been there he would not have shot.

I now own the same 11-87. I bought one cheep on gunsamerica as the season closed last year. I also bought a 870 special purpose in full camo with a 20" barrel and the true glow sights that Remington only made for a few years. Can't wait to kill a bird with my new guns. I have patterned the 11-87 with lead and the extra full turkey choke it came with but have not had a chance to pattern any hevi-shot yet. I have not even shot the 870 yet.

Looking forward to this year. Hoping to get a little more time off to hunt. The DEC is talking about a fall hunt on Long Island where I live but the fall is not my thing. I guess if they open the season I will have to take a walk in the woods just to see how many birds are out there.

As far as walking in the woods out of season I am all for that. But with a gun. I never walk anywhere without a gun. MIKE.