20 ga modified choke for turkey?
- Thread starter Vermonter
- Start date
pabuckslayer08
New member
Killed my first bird at 56yds running with the 20gauge. Since I have shot 2 others and one them was at 45yds. They are a great gun and are just as deadly as a 12gauge and they hold about the same size pattern imo but they just have less pellets in the air.
pabuckslayer08
New member
What model of gun is this, Im sure someone can tell you nearly how it will perform. Usually those tappered guns like that shoot great. I have a Ithica 16 gauge thats a modified and it unbeatable at the local turkey shoots.
seansean1444
New member
i killed one at 30 yards with a 20guage mod choke no prob
pabuckslayer08
New member
Your good to go then, it will shoot great for you but Ill go ahead and warn you so it doesnt scare your girl, it will kick. And when I say kick those little rossis will do damge. I got one for a friend and before they shot it I took a few shots and loaded up a high brass and its got a thump. Just tell her to hold onto it and she will be fine. They were 9-10 when my friend got theirs
seansean1444
New member
ya my h&r 20 kicks like a mule
SumToy Custom Barrel
New member
With the new shells that are out for the 20ga you can make them shoot as hard at 40 yards as alot of 12ga do now. We have saw 180 rang at 40 yards in a 10 inch circle
bamaranger
New member
well.......
I'm gonna get scorched for this, but here goes.
A twenty is not the equal of a 12, similarly loaded and choked. Period. A 3" mag 20 is the near equal of a std 12ga field load (1-1/4 oz of shot), but not a 3" mag 12 w/ up to 2 oz of shot.
The fact that your gun is a mod choke is working against it for turkeys. Turkeys are a head shot proposition and different from all other shotgunning. TIGHT chokes and sighting systems rule. Think "a short range rifle that shoots a gob of pellets".
Selecting a turkey gun for a youngster is a pickle. Not only is a 12 to much gun recoil wise, but it it often to much gun period, as in too heavy. And a 20 ga single bbl, with a load in it suitable for turkey, and properly choked full or tighter, will rattle a youngsters teeth.
There are two options: buy a dedicated youth gas operated 20, which the youngster will grow out of as a turkey gun, but could still be useful as a GP shotgun, OR a lightweight alloy/polymer 12 ga pump, loaded down with field loads, as in 1 0z, or 1-1/8 of shot, and a real turkey choke. The NOVA comes to mind. Shorten the butt on the 12 and add a space rubber recoil pad.
As the youngster matures, the 12 can be incrementally loaded up.
BAmaboy started w/ my 20" 12ga., loaded w/ 1-1/8 of shot. It was a bit heavy and he could not support if for extended periods of time as a 12 yr old. He was lanky enough that a factory length of pull worked OK.
Despite these stories of killing turkeys at 40 yds plus w/ a 20 ga. A full choked, heavily loaded 20 is a 35 yd and under turkey gun. Loaded w/ std lead pellets and an oz of shot, it is a 30 yd gun
The down loaded 12's are the same deal 30 yd or so turkey guns (assuming full or better chokes)
I'm gonna get scorched for this, but here goes.
A twenty is not the equal of a 12, similarly loaded and choked. Period. A 3" mag 20 is the near equal of a std 12ga field load (1-1/4 oz of shot), but not a 3" mag 12 w/ up to 2 oz of shot.
The fact that your gun is a mod choke is working against it for turkeys. Turkeys are a head shot proposition and different from all other shotgunning. TIGHT chokes and sighting systems rule. Think "a short range rifle that shoots a gob of pellets".
Selecting a turkey gun for a youngster is a pickle. Not only is a 12 to much gun recoil wise, but it it often to much gun period, as in too heavy. And a 20 ga single bbl, with a load in it suitable for turkey, and properly choked full or tighter, will rattle a youngsters teeth.
There are two options: buy a dedicated youth gas operated 20, which the youngster will grow out of as a turkey gun, but could still be useful as a GP shotgun, OR a lightweight alloy/polymer 12 ga pump, loaded down with field loads, as in 1 0z, or 1-1/8 of shot, and a real turkey choke. The NOVA comes to mind. Shorten the butt on the 12 and add a space rubber recoil pad.
As the youngster matures, the 12 can be incrementally loaded up.
BAmaboy started w/ my 20" 12ga., loaded w/ 1-1/8 of shot. It was a bit heavy and he could not support if for extended periods of time as a 12 yr old. He was lanky enough that a factory length of pull worked OK.
Despite these stories of killing turkeys at 40 yds plus w/ a 20 ga. A full choked, heavily loaded 20 is a 35 yd and under turkey gun. Loaded w/ std lead pellets and an oz of shot, it is a 30 yd gun
The down loaded 12's are the same deal 30 yd or so turkey guns (assuming full or better chokes)
Try some different loads in the gun you have with the wife shooting. When you find what she likes to shoot recoil wise, go buy some shoot nc turkey targets and shoot them at 20, 25, 30, and 35 yards. This will give you the yardage max for a clean kill provided the Mrs. makes a good shot.
Then practice, practice, and practice judging the distance and don't let her shoot at a turkey out of range.
Michael Waddell says "all turkeys should be killed at 20 yds and under" and you don't need a 12 guage 3 1/2 inch magnum with max loads with a turkey choke to do that
Then practice, practice, and practice judging the distance and don't let her shoot at a turkey out of range.
Michael Waddell says "all turkeys should be killed at 20 yds and under" and you don't need a 12 guage 3 1/2 inch magnum with max loads with a turkey choke to do that
michael waddell shoots tame turkeys and other tame animals, on pay to hunt game farms with 1000,s of acrer of posted lands where they feed them all year, i could kill a turkey there from a blind useing a sling shot. eastbank. ps have you ever noticed that most tv hunters use thompson contender and encore rifles, in the normal world of hunters maybe 3 percent use them,i know if i see 5 a year in the field i,m shocked.
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A 20 ga. at 30 to 35 yards is fine. Don't let anybody tell you differently, especially the ammo dealers and gun makers. 
It doesn't take a 12 ga. to kill a turkey.
Prior to the invention of plastic hulls and wad cups, paper shells and a full choke were used - and they threw a fairly open pattern - and a 20 ga. worked then. And everybody I knew used plain old #6 high brass shells.
Why are Mod and IC guns more in demand now? Because modern shotshells throw tighter patterns than the old-style ammo ever did. Probably 80% of the old shotguns had full chokes.
It doesn't take a 12 ga. to kill a turkey. Prior to the invention of plastic hulls and wad cups, paper shells and a full choke were used - and they threw a fairly open pattern - and a 20 ga. worked then. And everybody I knew used plain old #6 high brass shells.
Why are Mod and IC guns more in demand now? Because modern shotshells throw tighter patterns than the old-style ammo ever did. Probably 80% of the old shotguns had full chokes.