20" vs. 22" Turkey Gun

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Captains1911

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I'm in the market for a dedicated turkey shotgun, and have it narrowed down to one of the Mossberg 500 Turkey guns in 20 gauge with a red dot optic. Cabela's has a 22" model in stock, but Mossberg just came out with essentially the same gun but with a 20" barrel. I don't have a lot of experience with hunting shotguns with these short of barrels, and can't decide if I should hold off for the 20" or just get the 22". Perhaps its splitting hairs. The turkey hunting I do is stationary from a blind or sitting against a tree, not moving around a lot. Any opinions or insight is appreciated.

https://www.mossberg.com/500-turkey-holosun-micro-dot-combo-50133.html
 
My dedicated Turkey Gun has for many years now been an older Mossberg Model 9200. It's a semi-auto 12 gauge and has a 22" barrel which has been a very reliable shotgun ever since I got it. I really don't think having a 20" barrel is going to make much of a difference while hunting but if it makes the gun feel and balance better for you , then by all means go with the shorter barrel.
U0rUJtR.jpg
 
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i like and use a short barreled Remington 870 12 ga 3" magnum with 2x leupold scope. i think the best thing thats come along for turkey hunters has been TSS shot that allows clean kills out to 40 yards. i know some turkey hunters claim kills at fantastic distances with it, but i like my shots to be 40 yards or less.
 

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I had a Remington SPS 870 with a 21" that I used for everything for quite a while, I'd probably prefer shorter than any longer but wouldn't be a huge deal.
 
I don't think it matters much. I've hunted with barrels ranging from 21" to 26". I have 870's in 12 and 20 ga with 21" turkey barrels. I have a Weatherby SA-08 in 20 Ga with a 24" barrel, a 24" 12 ga Benelli M1 with a 24" barrel and a 12 ga Winchester 1300 with a 22" barrel.

I've hunted with all of them and didn't feel the barrel length mattered. Lots of people do it with longer barrels, but I just prefer something shorter than the typical 26-28" barrels seen on most shotguns when turkey hunting.

Lately the Weatherby gets taken hunting most. Even with a bit longer barrel it is the lightest of the bunch. And I've decided 20 ga is plenty for turkey with today's loads. I'll probably never use one of the 12's for turkey anymore.
 
Captains1911 said:
I'm in the market for a dedicated turkey shotgun, and have it narrowed down to one of the Mossberg 500 Turkey guns in 20 gauge with a red dot optic. Cabela's has a 22" model in stock, but Mossberg just came out with essentially the same gun but with a 20" barrel. I don't have a lot of experience with hunting shotguns with these short of barrels, and can't decide if I should hold off for the 20" or just get the 22". Perhaps its splitting hairs. The turkey hunting I do is stationary from a blind or sitting against a tree, not moving around a lot. Any opinions or insight is appreciated.

https://www.mossberg.com/500-turkey-holosun-micro-dot-combo-50133.html
Click to expand...
Don't matter. 20 dosent kick much less than 12. 870 ,12 and 20. H&R looking 12, 20240212_194240.jpg 20 sxs. Ive tested plenty There is a difference on paper . Been there. I use good old school ammo. Not the exciting new school. This old single shot 12 x 3 inch has killed a lot of old school toms.
 
Before I knew I "needed" a short barrel on a turkey shot gun, before I knew I "needed" special ammo, and before I knew I "needed" a semi-custom call, I killed turkeys with a New Haven 600 (a rebadged Mossberg 500) with a 28" barrel and C-Lect choke, and 2 3/4" #4 and #6 high brass loads. And I called them in with a Lynch box call my grandad gave me that he ordered out of a magazine, in the 1970s, which I still have.

Since then, I've hunted turkeys with .410s (just recently) to 10 gauges. With barrels as short as 22" on my old Remington 870 NWTF special edition, to 28" barrels on various guns. With red dots, after market fiber-optic sights, and the standard sights that came on my gun. I had fun and succcess with them all.

Right now, I enjoy hunting turkeys more than any other big game. And I don't even have a dedicated turkey gun anymore. All of my shotguns pull double, or triple duty on other things, like deer and small game.

I tend to gravitate to 26" barrels since they. I have guns as short as 24" and as long as 28" and, to me, it doesn't make much difference.
 
I've hunted with a 20" 12 ga Mossberg 500 for many years. I love the short barrel for ease of carrying in the woods, for the same reason I'd prefer a 20" carbine to a 24" rifle in the woods. The 20" barrel won't project past your head when carrying the gun on a sling, which will prevent a lot of hangups on brush. There is a slight decrease in velocity, but not enough to matter. Patterning is the same for all practical purposes. The biggest drawback is that a 20" barrel is louder, but you should be wearing hearing protection anyway. I use a pair of Peltor 6 electronic muffs. If you adjust them properly there is no problem telling where sounds are coming from and the reduce a short barreled shotgun's BOOM to a faint faraway boom.
 
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I believe you should have complete powder burn by 20", and with a red dot there's no advantage to a longer sight radious. And you won't be swinging this so there's not much reason to worry about balance. So the advantage of the 22" barrel is an insignificant lower amount of recoil and muzzle rise from 2" of barrel weight, vs a small advantage in maneuverability for the 22. I guess the 20 might be ever so slightly louder to your ears too.

So yeah, splitting hairs. If they are exactly the same price flip a coin.
 
bassjam said:
I believe you should have complete powder burn by 20", and with a red dot there's no advantage to a longer sight radious.
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Sight radius is relevant for target rifles. It's a completely irrelevant for shotguns, given the short ranges involved and the fact that they are shotguns. The turkey isn't going to get away because your pattern is 1/4" off center.
 
My Ithaca 37 turkey gun has factory 22" barrel. Love it. Lots of turkey guns have 24", a few have 20", I think 22" is just right!
 
bannockburn said:
My dedicated Turkey Gun has for many years now been an older Mossberg Model 9200. It's a semi-auto 12 gauge and has a 22" barrel which has been a very reliable shotgun ever since I got it. I really don't think having a 20" barrel is going to make much of a difference while hunting but if it makes the gun feel and balance better for you , then by all means go with the shorter barrel.
U0rUJtR.jpg
Click to expand...
Excellent choice
 
Keep in mind that most choke tubes that turkey hunters use extend an inch or more beyond the muzzle. That means the 20" barrel becomes 21" and the 22" barrel becomes 23" with the choke tube installed.
 
Sight radius is important on a turkey shotgun since it's aimed like a rifle (double beads help too).

Obviously an optic negates such.

While I do love a 21" 870 Special Field 20 ga for general upland hunting, my preference is for a 23" in a turkey gun.
Have run 23-30" 1100/870 magnums.

Never have found 23" to be "too long" for turkey hunting.
Have an 1100 SP magnum w 26" steel shot Remchoke bbl.
All turkey loads kick.

The 870 is lighter and a little shorter (23" Supermagnum) so I grab it most often.

WW HV 4's, Superfull Remchoke, 42 yards. 24# w 13.5" beard.

24#.jpg
 
Hookeye said:
Sight radius is important on a turkey shotgun since it's aimed like a rifle (double beads help too).
Click to expand...

Again, no. Sight radius is a big deal in target rifles where a tiny sighting error can make a bullet land 1/8" off at 50 yards. A longer sight radius will shrink that 1/8" error somewhat, and every tiny fraction of an inch is a big deal when shooting groups.

When you're talking turkey shotguns with a pattern with a 10" sweet spot, a fraction of an inch one way or another simply doesn't make a difference. So pick your barrel length based on something that will make a difference in the woods, like portability, not the insignificant difference in precision you'd get from a couple of inches more sight radius.
 
The 22" will work as it always has. Either will work, and the turkey won't know the difference.
 
natman said:
Again, no. Sight radius is a big deal in target rifles where a tiny sighting error can make a bullet land 1/8" off at 50 yards. A longer sight radius will shrink that 1/8" error somewhat, and every tiny fraction of an inch is a big deal when shooting groups.

When you're talking turkey shotguns with a pattern with a 10" sweet spot, a fraction of an inch one way or another simply doesn't make a difference. So pick your barrel length based on something that will make a difference in the woods, like portability, not the insignificant difference in precision you'd get from a couple of inches more sight radius.
Click to expand...
Having run 30", 26" and 23" bead guns, I'll disagree.
But will agree shorter is better in the thick stuff.
Also think lighter is a bit nicer for run n gun LOL

IMHO slap an optic on a short rig and don't worry.
 
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I have shot all my turkey with a 26" Browning BPS in 3.5 inch 12 gauge. I have hunted some pretty thick cover of both south east Ohio and middle Tennessee and never found a real need for the shorter barrel. No doubt the shorter barrel might be easier is some really thick stuff but that has yet to cost me a bird. Most of Turkey hunting is calling them to you so you have allot of influence on the location for the shot, choose wisely.
 
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