Turkey and goose chokes

B

BrianBM

New member
Is there a difference that seriously matters? You'd want a tight choke for turkey; if shooting at geese from a pit blind in a large open field, you'd want the same, wouldn't you?
 
That used to be the case when lead shot was allowed. With today's required non-toxic shot, most shooters are using steel. Using steel with a turkey choke is liable to result in a bulged barrel In fact, most barrel makers want you to use no tighter than mod with steel shot.
 
With turkey hunting it has alot to do with what shell you are going to use. You can choke on down small with most guns. With the water fowl you will be shooting #2 to BB steel and you need to stay around the HM to M for the longer rang stuff.
 
Ahh, I see. In that case, a different barrel for each pursuit, even with the same 12ga., seems like a good idea.
 
A shorter barrel with tight choke tubes is handy for hunting turkey, but a long barrel is not out of the question. With large steel shot a fairly open choke usually works pretty well. You don't have to have 2 barrels.

Ideally a 21" or so barrel is considered good for turkey and a 28" or longer barrel would be ideal for geese. I try to keep things simple and compromise on 26" barells on most of my repeaters.
 
Brian, are you decoying or pass shooting. If decoying, then that 26" will indeed be perfect for you. If you are pass shooting, you may find that the longer sight plane of a 28 will give you a better swing.
 
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Don't assume ! Always pattern you loads . My surprise was to shoot BB steel with MOD choke --and got an EXTRA, EXTRA Full Choke ! So I thought about shooting the geese like shooting a turkey, head shots .. I was hunting them in a canoe and became very successful with head shots ! With the added benefit of no shot in the body.
So yes do the turkey thing with geese !:D
 
Brian,
I agree with Mete, you need to pattern your gun with the shot you want to use. I shoot a Browning Gold, and hunt turkeys more than geese, but hunt both. For turkeys, using Federal copper plated Mag-Shok #4s, I use an extra full choke. This demolishes a 6" paper plate at 35 yards. For geese I've found my Gold patterns Remington HD #2 best using a Light Modified choke.
 
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