Turkey chokes

[Duster340]

I use a Carlson flush fit X-Full tube in my 20" 500 12ga. Patterns well enough for consistent 35-40 yards kills. Though the majority of my gobblers are dropped at around 20-25 yards.

 

[tactikel]

Whatever you choose be sure to pattern as many loads as possible. Unsatisfied with the factory choke in my Mossberg 835 turkey gun I got a Pure Gold choke. Mag blends 3.5" threw killing patterns well past 50 yards.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I agree about different chokes for different size shot and different brands of shells, our local American Legion has turkey shoots and I've patterned all my shotguns with multiple chokes, I like the extended chokes (I feel the extra length equals less angle). I have a custom choke 8" long and .635 that throws a nice pattern at 20yrds but not at 50. I've used Carlson, Primus and Truglo and have had good results from each.
Also I found that polishing the forcing cone helps, I had a machineist student help knock the angle down then I polished them using a 2 shoe brake hone, steel wool and a cleaning mop with polishing compound.

 

[Barbaroja]

I agree about different chokes for different size shot and different brands of shells, our local American Legion has turkey shoots and I've patterned all my shotguns with multiple chokes, I like the extended chokes (I feel the extra length equals less angle). I have a custom choke 8" long and .635 that throws a nice pattern at 20yrds but not at 50. I've used Carlson, Primus and Truglo and have had good results from each.
Also I found that polishing the forcing cone helps, I had a machineist student help knock the angle down then I polished them using a 2 shoe brake hone, steel wool and a cleaning mop with polishing compound.

Thanks for the info. Ive been looking at the extended tubes ( though not 8” haha) with the same assumption that it gives a little more time for the load to be squeezed down gently. If it really makes a difference when your only talking about an extra inch i can’t say but I’d imagine it to really be a good thing when squeezing the load down to .635 like yours.

 

[22250Rem]

Update - The local place still had a Carlson's "Long Beard" extended turkey choke for my 12 ga. Mossberg 500 in stock and I snagged it the other day when I went in there for something else. The packaging claims it's a .660 and it extends about an inch & a quarter past the muzzle vs. the extra full which was flush with the muzzle. Now all I have to do is pattern test and compare it to the results I get with extra full. The pattern testing all gets done on a 30 yard pistol range at my club because where I've been hunting the last few years I would probably never even get a shot at anything beyond 20-25 yards anyway. Gonna be interesting to see how this thing patterns. I hope it likes #5 shot. There's a lot of turkey loads here from Remington, Federal & Winchester and every one of them is #5 shot. And I have yet to see any Turkey shotshells on any ammo shelves around here yet so at least I got ammo... .. .

 

[Captcurt]

I would like to pattern some of the new TSS loads with my turkey chokes but at $8 a shot I will stick to my LongBeards. It would take a full box of 5 just to shoot each choke one time. That's about $45 for one session. Ouch!

 

[dawei]

I'm sticking with Winchester® Longbeard XR® also. I never met a turkey I hated bad enough to pay $8 to shoot it! LOL!!!!!