Choke for Turkey

[Runnin_Chupacabra]

Hey All,

Like most of you, I'm looking forward to the spring turkey season. I've been looking at my chokes and curious to your opinions on choke size. Shooting out of my Benelli I have IC, Mod and full, although the full says "no steel." Would Mod be sufficient?

Happy Hunting!

 

[rwc101]

I've always used XF/turkey specific tube and lead shot. Pattern your load at the distance you would like to be able to shoot. That will tell you whether or not your choke/load combo will work for you.

 

[Runnin_Chupacabra]

I've always used XF/turkey specific tube and lead shot. Pattern your load at the distance you would like to be able to shoot. That will tell you whether or not your choke/load combo will work for you.

Unfortunately, over her in California everything has to be lead free but I will definitely try to pattern different loads with chokes. Thanks!

 

[rwc101]

Unfortunately, over her in California everything has to be lead free but I will definitely try to pattern different loads with chokes. Thanks!

Many people say steel patterns tighter than lead, so you may be able to step down to modified and keep range closer.

 

[WalkingBird]

Depending on your wallet/preference, I’d stay away from steel and shoot another non-toxic like bismuth or tungsten, which shoot more like traditional lead. I’d also lean towards a specific turkey choke if possible, but I’ve shot plenty of birds using Full, Modified and even one with Improved Cylinder (Steel Mod choke) at ranges from 10 feet to 55 yards. For the average turkey shot, a full will more than suffice, especially since the tightest chokes shoot more like a rifle, and if you’re not dialed in, it’s easy to miss those close shots. I’ve seen it happen.

good luck this season!

 

[Pucky Freak]

Turkey hevi shot 13 and the hevi shot turkey choke to match. $26 for 5 shells. It’s modified, but with plenty of heavy pellets, hot load, and precision manufacturing you should be good to 35-40 yards after you test your pattern on 3” shell 12 ga., 45 on 3 1/2. If you want to go cheap, any modified choke with Kent 3” steel #4, except that’s 30 yards and in and plan to follow up shot or run the bird down and suffocate it. I wouldn’t risk destroying any full choke on nontoxic loads

 

[Gellar]

Patterning a shotgun is easy. Get 3 or paper targets of a turkey or roughly that size. Shoot the target with your setup at different distances and count how many pellets land inside the vitals. I usually shoot for the head and neck on a turkey.

 

[howl]

For a factory choke, look at Federal Flite Control loads. Usually full works best, but sometimes mod will. Throw as many pellets as you can to fill in a pattern. Even a TSS #10 will kill a turkey on a fifty yard head shot, if the pattern holds. Considering how much tungsten loads cost, a dedicated choke can pay for itself by saving trial shots with different chokes you have. Trulock and Carlsons are the less expensive makers of TSS specific chokes. I'd have to try at least one shot with my factory full before buying one, though.

Test patterns on large sheets of paper or cardboard. You can get rolls contractors paper at the hardware store or equivalent. Wrapping paper works, too. Hang a sheet three feet long and shoot in the center. If you have 100 pellets in a 10" circle at point of aim at the distance you want to shoot, you are good to go. Personally I like 10 in 2" and even coverage out to 20". Smaller pellets don't hold a pattern as far as larger. You want to test for ten yards farther than you will shoot.

This is all for shooting turkeys at forty yards +/-. If you're going to watch dekes and shoot at 20 yards, just use whatever you use for crows or ducks.

 

[Runnin_Chupacabra]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback! Looking forward to finding some birds if the season arrives before a quarantine.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Personally I would get a turkey specific/extra full choke for two reasons, 1. Turkeys are tougher than you think, I have body shot a tom, knocked him over and then had him take off running like nothing had happened. Head shots are key and a tight pattern is important. 2. It’s possible you might call in multiple birds at once and while you will obviously try and wait for a clear shot on just one bird if your choke is too open you could send errant pellets at birds that are not your target. Last thing you want is to shoot at a Tom 30 yards away and hit him and the hen standing 5 ft from him.