what's your favourite turkey gun?

[upperleftcoaster]

I plan on heading out this spring for some turkey! looking forward to it, but need a gun to get the deed done.

Whats your favourite setup? if i interpreted the regs correctly, rimfire and centrefire are legal as well? curious if anyone has success with one of those.

my standby that i'm looking for is gonna be a 12ga with a full choke...also considering a 20ga if one comes up that i like.

[bluesman]

Personally I don’t think you should hunt turkey with any rifle . Shotgunning you should use a 12 gauge . They are tough birds . Use a shotgun with 3 inch turkey load shell . I would take a shot no further than 25 yards . I have taken turkey with traditional bows and shotgun. The nature of turkey hunting is to wear camo and call them in . It is a ton of fun and B.C. numbers are not high so finding them is not always easy . Last year I shot one and it took 2 1/2 hrs for him to come to me ... I was calling for two hours and was about to leave the area when finally a gobbler responded and I set up and another 30 minutes and he showed up with a hen . I took him at about 25 yards . Good luck
yes full choke 12 gauge . Make sure nothing reflects light . Use box call to start as it carry’s sound far . Learn to use mouth call as the gobbler gets closer so you don’t move . Move at all and your busted . I use a jake decoy and a hen. If I carry only one decoy it’s a jake .

[bluesman]

I suggest a leafy suit . Face needs to be covered and hands .

[boxhitch]

Better reinterpret those regs for Turkey in BC

I like an 1187 with turkey choke, 2 3/4 #4

[MRP]

I always see turkey hunters with shotguns. But rimfires are legal, headshot should be no different than shooting chickens.

[upperleftcoaster]

Better reinterpret those regs for Turkey in BC

I like an 1187 with turkey choke, 2 3/4 #4

thanks. I just rechecked them and missed the footnote on centerfire. rimfire or shotgun only for turkeys

I was mostly curious if anyone was picking off the birds with a rifle, or slightly different setup than your standard 12ga.

Looking forward to the season, will be using a shotgun. turkey choke is tighter than full? i'll see if i can get one.
thanks for all the tips so far.

[acal57]

20 gauge single shot with a turkey choke. Super light to hold up for the LONG time it takes for a wary mature tom to work his way in. Move and its game over.

[bluesman]

Rifle hunting turkey is outlawed in most other jurisdictions . Should be in BC too in my opinion . Went thru this with a bunch on here before. Most people hunt them with shotgun or bow . Wearing very good camo to get close . A guy using a rimfire may not see a well camoflauged hunter close to a turkey. Hopefully no one gets shot before the regs change some day.

Turkey are tough birds so I would say 20 gauge is too light . Go with a 12 gauge 3 inch shell . #4

good luck and sure hope you don't go the rimfire route.

been said here before buy do not overcall. If one is around he will know where you are . And be patient .
good luck

[Krico]

The turkey shells available today make 20 gauge shotguns very effective on turkeys, most hunters use a 5 or 6 size shot. Good to 35 or 40 yards, farther with tungsten shot. There is a huge .410 movement in the US as well, using tungsten shot, generally smaller like 7-9 shot size.
I shoot a Mossberg 535, 3.5” Winchester Long Beard #6 with a Vortex Viper red dot.
my son shoots a Mossberg 510 mini 20 gauge, 3” Remington nitros with a Bushnell red dot.
Tons of options out there, just pattern your gun and know your limits.

[Hugh Mann]

While I wouldn't trust a 22lr to put down a turkey, a 22wmr or 17hmr should do the job with decent shot placement.

[btridge]

Rifle hunting turkey is outlawed in most other jurisdictions . Should be in BC too in my opinion . Went thru this with a bunch on here before. Most people hunt them with shotgun or bow . Wearing very good camo to get close . A guy using a rimfire may not see a well camoflauged hunter close to a turkey. Hopefully no one gets shot before the regs change some day.

Turkey are tough birds so I would say 20 gauge is too light . Go with a 12 gauge 3 inch shell . #4

good luck and sure hope you don't go the rimfire route.

been said here before buy do not overcall. If one is around he will know where you are . And be patient .
good luck

Ban Ban Ban Ban !
Get over it, I've been using 22WMR since Turkey was opened in BC. THAT is part of our heritage here, NOT shotgun or bow only .

[boxhitch]

Rimfire for head/neck shots or body shots?

[btridge]

My favorite shot is broad side, about an inch below the wing joint. average shot between 10 and 20 yards. never found a bird with bullet in it , but a few over the years with pellets in them.

[upperleftcoaster]

My favorite shot is broad side, about an inch below the wing joint. average shot between 10 and 20 yards. never found a bird with bullet in it , but a few over the years with pellets in them.

awesome! i knew there had to be some guys sniping these birds off with a rifle. great to hear, thanks for the tips.

in the latest meat eater season 8, the turkey hunting one with the chicks...they are using a 20ga shotgun.

i picked up some mouth calls, damn they are difficult. will be fun once i figure them out.

[theoutdoorsman]

My season progression will go Recurve, franchi affinity 20ga, cz 455 17hmr... a progression of desperation balanced with the fact that once a tom is down I'm back to waiting for sheep/goat season so I don't want to tag out day one

[alpinedust]

The turkey shells available today make 20 gauge shotguns very effective on turkeys, most hunters use a 5 or 6 size shot. Good to 35 or 40 yards, farther with tungsten shot. There is a huge .410 movement in the US as well, using tungsten shot, generally smaller like 7-9 shot size.
I shoot a Mossberg 535, 3.5” Winchester Long Beard #6 with a Vortex Viper red dot.
my son shoots a Mossberg 510 mini 20 gauge, 3” Remington nitros with a Bushnell red dot.
Tons of options out there, just pattern your gun and know your limits.
is turkey shot lead?


Ban Ban Ban Ban !
Get over it, I've been using 22WMR since Turkey was opened in BC. THAT is part of our heritage here, NOT shotgun or bow only .
what rifle model you Use? Would 22lr do the job?