I have a Remington 870 Express Magnum 12 gauge and was wondering if I can effectively hunt turkey with my current set up? I have a 20" cylinder smooth bore barrel, fixed sights, and the black (non-camo) finish. I have read it is impossible to hunt without using chokes as well as not having a camouflaged shotgun because of how well turkeys can see the black finish. Can I get some opinions on this?
Can I Hunt Turkey With My 870?
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mljdeckard
Member
Turkey hunting has bred a whole new family of guns, in camo 3-1/2" magnums, but at the same time, I'm pretty sure that plenty of turkeys were killed before these innovations were introduced. Get some turkey load and do it. I'm pretty sure your gun takes 3" shells, look at it to make sure, but I think most Express models do.
The camo couldn't hurt, and there are a few options to consider, you would have to decide if it's worth it. My dad bought a camoflage cloth sleeve to slide over the barrel of his varmint rifles. The thing is, for a shotgun, that will likely block your sight picture. Anything you wrap or drape over the barrel will burn up if you practice shooting a lot, but it would be fine for a few shots. Something else to think about, I am about to set up what I need to use Duracoat. You can apply it with an airbrush or paint sprayer, easy if you have an air compressor already. (They are a lot cheaper now than they used to be.) You can color things anything from camo patterns to hot pink. Setup would be a few hundred dollars, maybe not worth it for one project, but I think that once I have it, I will be able to think of all kinds of things to color. (My wife is already getting mad.
The camo couldn't hurt, and there are a few options to consider, you would have to decide if it's worth it. My dad bought a camoflage cloth sleeve to slide over the barrel of his varmint rifles. The thing is, for a shotgun, that will likely block your sight picture. Anything you wrap or drape over the barrel will burn up if you practice shooting a lot, but it would be fine for a few shots. Something else to think about, I am about to set up what I need to use Duracoat. You can apply it with an airbrush or paint sprayer, easy if you have an air compressor already. (They are a lot cheaper now than they used to be.) You can color things anything from camo patterns to hot pink. Setup would be a few hundred dollars, maybe not worth it for one project, but I think that once I have it, I will be able to think of all kinds of things to color. (My wife is already getting mad.
Camo is nice to have, but not required. Here's one way to add camo to your gun:
http://www.camoclad.com/Camouflage-Shotgun-And-Hunting-Kits.php
The weak spot in your current setup is the cylinder choke. It will be difficult to call birds in close enough for a cylinder choke. You will want a tighter pattern than it offers so you can keep a tight pattern at realistic distances. Either get your barrel drilled for choke tubes or get a barrel that will accept tubes or at least has a full choke.
http://www.camoclad.com/Camouflage-Shotgun-And-Hunting-Kits.php
The weak spot in your current setup is the cylinder choke. It will be difficult to call birds in close enough for a cylinder choke. You will want a tighter pattern than it offers so you can keep a tight pattern at realistic distances. Either get your barrel drilled for choke tubes or get a barrel that will accept tubes or at least has a full choke.
Pistol Ranch
Member
Citori
I have killed quite a few turkeys with a Browning Citori O/U w/typical glossy stock. I have never worn camoflage clothing, but I use a face mask.
If you can build a ground blind (or buy one) and learn to sit very still, it is doable. Use a decoy!!
Before you give up on your cylinder bored barrel, buy a couple turkey targets and pattern your shotgun at 25 yards. 3 or 4 hits on the head/neck will kill the biggest turkey that ever strutted. Try several different shotshells/ shot sizes. I use #4 shot (lead).
P.R.
I have killed quite a few turkeys with a Browning Citori O/U w/typical glossy stock. I have never worn camoflage clothing, but I use a face mask.
If you can build a ground blind (or buy one) and learn to sit very still, it is doable. Use a decoy!!
Before you give up on your cylinder bored barrel, buy a couple turkey targets and pattern your shotgun at 25 yards. 3 or 4 hits on the head/neck will kill the biggest turkey that ever strutted. Try several different shotshells/ shot sizes. I use #4 shot (lead).
P.R.
Virginian
Member
Unless you are the best turkey caller ever, I wouldn't begin to try to hunt turkeys with a cylinder bore barrel. You'd be way better off with a used 2-3/4" Full choke barrel. Camo is just icing on the cake, but a good tight choke is essential. Go shoot some shots at a turkey head target at 40 yards and you will see what I mean.
bigalexe
Member
Ok there are 2 statements here in the OP:
1.) Can't shoot turkey with a Cylinder Bore
2.) Can't see turkey if you aren't all in camo
On statement #1, well I would recommend choking that down to super-full. Turkeys have small heads and so you want a very tight pattern. You could in theory use a Cylinder Bore but you are going to need to be within 5 yards to reliably hit them and that's just ludicrous. A super-full can extend your range out to 50 yards and beyond depending on who you choose to believe.
On statement #2, hunt from a blind. I get told that I don't have enough camo for deer, for turkey, and for anything. Well guess what? When I am sitting on the interior of a realtree pattern (not the splotchy army camo) blind the darn animals don't care if I am wearing rainbow overalls because they can't see me! I generally hunt with green canvas pants, and some kind of camo upper body with a camo hat. When it got hot out last year for turkey I wore a black or dark green T-shirt because our blind was in the woods. Also, in theory the turkeys (or anything else for that matter) shouldn't have tons of time to be oogling your hardware until you starting popping rounds off and then it's too late for them.
1.) Can't shoot turkey with a Cylinder Bore
2.) Can't see turkey if you aren't all in camo
On statement #1, well I would recommend choking that down to super-full. Turkeys have small heads and so you want a very tight pattern. You could in theory use a Cylinder Bore but you are going to need to be within 5 yards to reliably hit them and that's just ludicrous. A super-full can extend your range out to 50 yards and beyond depending on who you choose to believe.
On statement #2, hunt from a blind. I get told that I don't have enough camo for deer, for turkey, and for anything. Well guess what? When I am sitting on the interior of a realtree pattern (not the splotchy army camo) blind the darn animals don't care if I am wearing rainbow overalls because they can't see me! I generally hunt with green canvas pants, and some kind of camo upper body with a camo hat. When it got hot out last year for turkey I wore a black or dark green T-shirt because our blind was in the woods. Also, in theory the turkeys (or anything else for that matter) shouldn't have tons of time to be oogling your hardware until you starting popping rounds off and then it's too late for them.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
+1 on a mod, full, or tighter choke is necessary .
+2 on cammo is not necessary.
A turkey sees a black shotgun as just something else black in the woods.
Is it a black tree branch? Or just a black shadow of one?
Turkeys have fascistic eyes, but they can't reason out the difference between a black gun and all the other black things they see in the woods every day.
Besides that, if you do it right, all they will see is the round hole in the muzzle, because you already had it pointed the right direction before they could see you moving the gun in their direction.
BTW: I killed a turkey every year I hunted them with a shiny blue & wood Browning A-5.
rc
+2 on cammo is not necessary.
A turkey sees a black shotgun as just something else black in the woods.
Is it a black tree branch? Or just a black shadow of one?
Turkeys have fascistic eyes, but they can't reason out the difference between a black gun and all the other black things they see in the woods every day.
Besides that, if you do it right, all they will see is the round hole in the muzzle, because you already had it pointed the right direction before they could see you moving the gun in their direction.
BTW: I killed a turkey every year I hunted them with a shiny blue & wood Browning A-5.
rc
tactikel
Member
Cylinder bore is not good for turkey. Try hevi-shot loads (3" of 6 or 7 shot if you can find it) shoot at 10" paper plates at 20,30,40 yards-at whatever range you can put 100 pellets in the plate is you max range- spend the money on good shells and time on patterning-you wont be disapointed.
Thousands of turkeys have been killed with shiney blue shotguns, and ones that had little or no choke. Know your limitations, take only ethical shots, and have a great time. I predict next year you will have bought a turkey barrel for that Rem.
Thousands of turkeys have been killed with shiney blue shotguns, and ones that had little or no choke. Know your limitations, take only ethical shots, and have a great time. I predict next year you will have bought a turkey barrel for that Rem.
Black Knight
Member
My step-son had an 870 Express Magnum in 20 gauge that came with screw in choke tubes. You may want to check an see if you can change the choke by unscrewing one tube and screwing in another. As far as needing a camoflaged gun, that is utter hogwash. Will it help? Maybe, maybe not. Just think of how many turkeys have been taken before someone came up with the idea of camo on a gun.
35 Whelen
Member
I'd go for it. The last Tom I killed was with an old SxS 16 ga. (not camo'ed), an Improved Cyliner choke, and a measly 1 1/8 oz. of #4's. They weren't even "turkey load" #4's...just high brass field loads. I wonder how many people here would've told me my gun and load wouldn't work?
Before you or anyone else condemns your gun, buy a few shells and pattern it at 30 yds. or so. And don't go straight to the biggest, longest shell with the heaviest shot load you can buy.
Open chokes typically pattern large shot better, so I'd try #4's first. Buy the 2 3/4", 1 1/2 oz. lead "turkey" loads first, and if you're not happy with them, try the "Hevi-Shot" type shells.
Another thing, I can almost guarantee you the lighter 2 3/4" shells will pattern better than 3" or 3 1/2" shells. That is why I suggest trying the shorter shells first.
Don't worry about camo on your shotgun. Any hunter with any sense won't be waving his shotgun around for a tom to see. Keep it in your lap or laying next to you on the ground and sit still. By the time you pick it up to shoot and Mr. Tom sees it, it'll be too late for him!
Turkey hunting is like all other hunting....it's been marketed to death. Manufacturers want you to believe that you MUST have the latest camo pattern, the newest, biggest, most distastefully camo'ed shotgun firing the heaviest shells known to man, through a choke no larger than the groove diameter of a 22 LR. Heck I've even seen SCOPES specifically for turkey hunting!!!
Here's pics of a couple of guys I guided. You might notice the lack of camo on the shotguns....then notice that they DID both get birds!
Learn to call and call them in close, and you can kill them with a .410!!
Good luck!
35W
Before you or anyone else condemns your gun, buy a few shells and pattern it at 30 yds. or so. And don't go straight to the biggest, longest shell with the heaviest shot load you can buy.
Open chokes typically pattern large shot better, so I'd try #4's first. Buy the 2 3/4", 1 1/2 oz. lead "turkey" loads first, and if you're not happy with them, try the "Hevi-Shot" type shells.
Another thing, I can almost guarantee you the lighter 2 3/4" shells will pattern better than 3" or 3 1/2" shells. That is why I suggest trying the shorter shells first.
Don't worry about camo on your shotgun. Any hunter with any sense won't be waving his shotgun around for a tom to see. Keep it in your lap or laying next to you on the ground and sit still. By the time you pick it up to shoot and Mr. Tom sees it, it'll be too late for him!
Turkey hunting is like all other hunting....it's been marketed to death. Manufacturers want you to believe that you MUST have the latest camo pattern, the newest, biggest, most distastefully camo'ed shotgun firing the heaviest shells known to man, through a choke no larger than the groove diameter of a 22 LR. Heck I've even seen SCOPES specifically for turkey hunting!!!
Here's pics of a couple of guys I guided. You might notice the lack of camo on the shotguns....then notice that they DID both get birds!
Learn to call and call them in close, and you can kill them with a .410!!
Good luck!
35W
Coltdriver
Member
I bought a barrel threaded for a choke for my 870. Got a tight choke for it. You can easily swap in another barrel.
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