Shorter barrels have become the general norm for turkey guns because they are more maneuverable and lighter to carry. Choosing a turkey gun with a barrel length between 21 – 24 inches will suit you well.
What size barrel is best for turkey hunting?
20″-24″ barrels: These short barrels are best left to turkey hunters, who are taking careful aim at standing-still birds.
What round is best for turkey hunting?
Lead Turkey Loads
A good compromise is #5 copper-plated lead pellets loaded in a 12-gauge 3-inch magnum shot shell. With this setup, you’ll be good out to 40 yards, and perhaps 50 if your gun is patterned tight. If you want better range and lethality, you’ll need to consider using tungsten shot.
What gun is best for turkey hunting?
Both pump and semi-automatic shotguns can be equally effective for hunting turkeys, but each has advantages (and disadvantages) over the other. If price is a primary consideration, you may choose a pump.
Is a longer barrel more accurate?
As long as you know your velocity—and your bullet’s ballistic coefficient—you can know your trajectory. Longer barrels are not more accurate. If anything, it’s quite the opposite. Shorter, stiffer barrels tend to vibrate more consistently and are probably more accurate on average.
Why do turkey guns have short barrels?
A shorter barrel allows a hunter to maneuver the shotgun easier, avoiding catching the gun on brush, and ultimately eliminating unnecessary movement in front of a keen gobbler.
Can you turkey hunt with an 18 inch barrel?
(Shotgun barrels must be at least 18-inches.) So, for all practical purposes, don’t worry about barrel length when considering a new shotgun for turkey hunting. Simply call a bird in as close as possible, put a bead on its beak and pull the trigger.
Where do you aim a turkey?
When hunting wild turkeys with a shotgun, greater success is achieved when hunters shoot at the head and neck area of the bird. The most effective firearm shot for a turkey is to the head and neck. The preferred shot angle for bowhunters is broadside, aiming for the heart or lungs.
Can you shoot tungsten through a turkey choke?
Tungsten is definitely harder than steel, and as such, there have been a flood of warnings about not shooting it in ultra-high-end guns or through standard chokes. It will leave marks in a choke tube, but as of yet, I’ve not seen any adverse effects in a barrel.
How far can you shoot a turkey?
A good rule of thumb for shotgun shooters is 40 yards. Anything further than that and there’s a good chance you might not hit the head and neck with enough pellets to kill the bird. Any closer than 20 yards and your pellet pattern may not have time to open up enough for maximum effectiveness.
What’s the best choke for turkey shoot?
Full choke has tight constriction. The shot holds together even longer, making this choke good for squirrels, turkey, and other game shot at 40-yard and longer ranges.
Does a turkey gun have to be camo?
Almost all modern turkey guns are available in camo patterns, but many people prefer a more subtle, regular black gun.
Is a 410 good for turkey hunting?
“TSS pellets make hunting turkeys with a . 410 a very viable option,” he says. “It provides the performance of conventional 12-gauge loads with a significant drop in recoil.”
What is the best barrel length for accuracy?
Barrel lengths above 20 inches will be more accurate at longer distances. However, most hunting shots are taken at ranges that allow a lighter more manageable 18 to 22 inch barrel to be more practical.
What is the advantage of having a rifle with a long barrel?
Increased Effective Range – having a longer barrel increases muzzle velocity, as the bullet has more time to accelerate within the barrel while being driven by the propellant’s burning gases, which in turn, increases the effective range of the rifle, allowing the bullet to travel further.
Is it better to have a longer or shorter barrel?
Barrel length is an important part of the gun’s overall balance. Longer barrels tend to make the gun more nose heavy while shorter barrels make the gun more stock heavy. Shorter barrels are quick and longer barrels provide for more deliberate shooting. Field guns tend to have shorter barrels than target guns.
Can you hunt with a 18.5 inch barrel?
The cylinder choke will limit your options. While it can be very good on up close and personal shooting (early season grouse or close range rabbits) throwing even, wide patterns it’s range is limited. You would definitely be handicapped for turkey, upland and waterfowl.
What is a 24 inch shotgun barrel good for?
In dove hunting, where the birds just appear and fly wherever they want, a lighter handier gun is easier to use and probably a better choice. This usually limits the barrel length to 24″. Long-barrel shotguns are ideal for 3-Gun, trap, skeet and hunting.
What length barrel is best for duck hunting?
If you have long arms and a correspondingly long length of pull, then a 30-inch barrel will work best. The odds-on favorite for 12-gauge shooters is a 28-inch barrel. It balances well for a wide range of shooters and most production stocks, and that’s why it’s the most popular barrel length for semi-auto duck guns.
What is the best time to turkey hunt?
A turkey’s peak breeding season is in the spring. Hunters are targeting male gobblers. This time frame is when the toms are strutting around and showing off to attract the hens, making spring the best time to hunt turkeys. April – May is prime turkey season for most states and states like Florida are as early as March.
Where do you hit a turkey bow for hunting?
Draw a horizontal line from the base of the bird’s beard. Then, draw a line straight up from the offside leg. An arrow placed at the intersection of these two lines should drive straight into the heart and lungs. If you hit high, you might impact the spine which is equally as effective, if not more.