scoping a turkey gun

B

bamaranger

New member
As some of you may have read in past posts, I am a big advocate of some type of sighting system on a turkey shotgun beyond the simple bead or double bead. Chokes and loads have gotten so refined that it is no difficult matter to miss a gobbler that is up close and personal, one is not working with much of a pattern around 20-25 yds or so with our equipment these days.

I had a good friend hunt with me last year, and was dismayed to note how his vision had slipped, and that he had missed several gobblers in recent years. And true to form, after hunting HARD in two states, he missed a bird in his home state on the next to last day of the season. Good sport that he is, he shook it off, but clearly, he needed some help.

His guns had beads. Aftermarket single fiber optic on one, dual oversize white and metal mid-bead on another. One morning with me, with a tom gobbling madly just out of sight at early fly down, he whispered to me "I can't see my sights". We needed to do something. Seemed like a traditional 'scope was the answer, as he was familiar with same on his rifles, and shot those well enough on deer. His Rem 870 is drilled and tapped.

I came upon a Leupold 2.5x Ultralight with a German #1 at a fair price. Big heavy reticle easily seen, and a slight boost in magnification to help him get on target, but not enough to spoil range estimation. He's acquired a base and rings. When he shows up this year, the scope in going on the Remington. I believe that we will really have something.

Anbody else put a traditional optic/scope on a turkey gun?
 
Some folks do but I wouldn't unless some vision problem required it.
My moderately customized turkey thumper has a tube front sight which is only visible when the shooter's eye is properly positioned thus preventing the problem of not looking down the rib when aiming.
Lots of hunters miss high because they're looking at the bird rather than getting their head down on the stock.
 
I am a big advocate of some sort of sights on a turkey shotgun, because it is indeed very easy to shoot with your head too high and miss. However, a simple set of fiber optic open sights does the trick for me. I can't see plain open sights well enough to use them for rifle hunting anymore, but I can put the blurry green dot between the two blurry red dots plenty well enough to hit a stationary target at 40 yards with a shotgun. (I can see at a distance just fine, only I can't see the sights clearly with that prescription lens).

Lots of folks do use scopes on turkey shotguns and there are scopes made for the purpose. The 2.5 Leupold would be a fine choice.
 
I didn't start turkey hunting until I was almost 30 years old and I taught myself. My first two birds harvested were with a single shot 3" 20ga which was the only shotgun I owned at that time.
When I decided to get serious about it I went looking for something better suited that I could afford with a non working wife, baby, mortgage, etc.
I found an 835 that the previous owner had mounted a fixed power scope on with a diamond reticle. The scope has no markings on it but I'm guessing it is a 4x with generous eye relief. At the time I really didn't know any different or better, and I love the set up.
I've been truly blessed in the turkey woods and have harvested almost 50 birds in just over 20 years since, all but two with that old 'throw away' Mossberg and no name scope.
I recently came across a Winchester 1300 for just $100 and couldn't say no to the deal. I promptly picked up a fixed 4x TruGlo optic for the top of it with a camo finish to match the shotgun. I'm not exactly ready to retire my old Mossy but I do at least have a comparable back up now, and these days my old eyes somewhat need the optic.
A Leupold at a slightly lower magnification would probably be a better choice, but the set-up itself is a hands down winner in my book.
 
I've had optics(both low power glass and red-dots) on my turkey guns over the years and always have gone back to barrel mounted sights. A few years back I had a Tom come in with another Tom that had a soft-ball sized hole dead center in it's tail. Saw him several times that year....I called him lucky, cause I knew someone had missed his head at close range......thus the hole in the tail. Always wondered how someone could have a bird so close and miss. Last year was a good year on the land I have permission to hunt. Had seen many birds pre-season and had birds come into almost every setup, but just wasn't presented with the "perfect" shot opportunity. I figured with so many birds around, I'd wait till one was standing on my gun barrel. Second morning I had two toms strutting in front of me @ 20 yards but would not separate enough for me to be sure I didn't shoot both. A pair of Coyotes came in and busted them before I could take one. I did get both yote's tho, one @ 20 yards, the other about 35 and running hard. Next morning I tried another spot and had a Tom fly down and go the other way towards where I had sat the morning before. Luck had it I was able to call the hens off roost to me and after they spent 20 minutes around me, trying to figure out where the other hen was they left in the complete opposite direction. That put me between them and the Tom.:D It took awhile but he finally got frustrated and virtually ran all the way in stopping only for a few seconds every 30 yards to gobble and strut. At 10 yards I clucked and he stuck his head out. Put the bead on the 870 on his neck and pulled the trigger. After the shot he stood there and looked at me and I was so dumb-founded I never racked in another shell. As he ran off, I wondered if he too, had a hole in his tail.:o
 
thanks all

I would love to see a pic of an O/U shotgun with a variable power scope......Vt birdhunter, care to post one?

I am at the put the "fuzzy dots" in alignment stage. I can shoot the factory rifle sights on my remchoked 20" slug barrel well enough when using shot shells, but the day is coming when I will have to go to an optic too. Bamaboy's 24" Mossberg with fiber optics is a bit better, and I am guilty of borrwoing it now and again, but I have a real attachment to the old 870 (which unfortunately is not tapped).

My misses on gobblers have all involved blowing limbs to bits that were in the path of the shot load, low below my line of sight, and close to the muzzle. Some of that may have been inability to focus on sights, bird AND see the limb too. Only done it twice, but it was grievous.......too much hard work to get a shot, then flub it....that hurts.

My pal calls regularly, anxious to hunt. I am anxious to fix him up with I am beginning to call the "no miss'em sight". I'll let y'all know how it goes.
 
Good Luck

I can't wait. I have had a super tough time finding a centered load for my two sons' 20 gauges, though. Youth day is this Saturday! :D
 
Yep, time comes when many folks need a scope. The Simmons 4X Pro-Diamond shotgun scope is a good one and inexpensive. i have that scope on a Remington model 670 Express 20 gauge shotgun and a muzzleloading rifle. Both have served me well.
 
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scope eye

A few years ago, I was experimenting with the concept, and mounted a standard eye relief Tasco ( it was a shgotgun model) on a bridge mount for my 870. It was a cheap arrangement at best, but the components had been given to me, and it seemed an interesting idea.

I set the thing up, got the pattern centered with cheap shells, and backed off to 35 yds for a shot with real turkey ammo. Shooting seated, knees up as one would when set up on a bird, I cranked one off, and promptly got cut by the ocular ring. No stitches, but it bled plenty. Never had that happen before or after with any firearm.

So I was a bit reluctant to rig my buddy up with something that was going to bite him. The difference is that the tiny Leupold has a whopping 5 inches of eye relief, which should make it plenty enough for a safe shot with the turkey gun.
 
maybe

I thought about that. Remington had a cantilever arrangement that was made as part of the barrel and extended rearward. A scout arrangement would certainly solve any eye cut issues. So too would a conventional dot like a Burris fast fire or an Micro Aimpoint, but my pal could use the magnification a scope offers.

I'm believing the Leupold with its long eye relief will solve the problem. I've even though about shooting milder loads, 2-3/4 short mags, instead of 3" shells, to reduce recoil. I suppose we could even drop down to premium field loads with 1-1/4 oz of shot, but I'd rather not.
 
I have two of the 2.5x20 Leupolds already mentioned, but if you want even more eye relief, you could try one of these:
http://www.opticsplanet.com/bush-rs-bnr-711436.html

Pretty decent for the money. Its listed 6" eye relief is accurate, so scope cuts really shouldn't happen. and it's built for shotgun use, so it should handle the recoil (mine was on a .357 Handi-Rifle, so I can't really say from experience).

The biggest drawback for me is you see a lot of black when looking into the scope:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51rsoYI-jxL._SL256_.jpg
 
I run a Primary Arms micro red dot on my old rusty Mosberg 500

Infinite eye relief

Both eyes open

Crystal clear optics
 
I've seen crossbows here with low power, light gathering scopes for those with declining eyesight in dim light.
 
Slug scope stays on for turkey . . .

Turkey Hunters:
I have a slug scope and barrel that go on my Winchester 1300 for the fall. Vent rib barrel sans scope goes on for clay pigeons and crows. Then the turkey choke goes on for the spring. It occurred to me that the slug scope should work should work fine for turkey too so I added that back on (vent rib still in place) and sighted it in on some turkey targets. Adjusted it so I have a nice even pattern all around the turkey's head and neck. Will be hunting this coming Monday at a spot with dozens (hundreds?) to recent tracks. Should be exciting.

Live well, be safe
Prof Young
 
mounted

My pal rolled in today, and we mounted the Leupold 2.5x on his 870. I had believed that his shotgun was drilled and tapped, but was mistaken. No matter, as he had a very tidy Remington saddle type mount. With Weaver USA rings, on went the scope. He lit up when he viewed the big, chunky, German #1 reticle. " I can see THAT!". A good start.

A handful of skeet loads later, and a turkey load for test, and we have a nicely centered pattern at 30 yds. My pal is greatly pleased.

With its 5" of eye relief, the scope sits well forward and is very tidy and business like over the receiver. The edge/end of the ocular lense is even with the end of the receiver, right where it joins the wrist of the stock. I don't see anyway to get a scope cut with this arrangement.

Now, if we can get a gobbler to stroll into range.
 
Now, if we can get a gobbler to stroll into range.
Click to expand...
I'm hoping for you fellas to get two lovelorn heavies to stroll in!

I walked into the woods out back yesterday morning to hear some barred owls fired up at one another and one lone tom scolding them out of frustration, hoping that's an indication of a good morning in a few weeks.
Zeroed in the Winchester with the Truglo on it with some no. 4s and checked the Mossy for function late yesterday morning, the itch has officially begun. ;)
 
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