20ga big enough?

[bankwalker]

would a 20ga be good enough for turkey? if so what distance should i limit myself to?

[jackelope]

pattern it.
30-35 yards based on pattern.

[Wacenturion]

Absolutely...as Jackelope said.  A good turkey choke will also help.

[OneHorn]

my first 5 birds as a youngster were killed with a mossberg 20 gauge. A good choke can go a long ways.

[bankwalker]

this is just a single shot 20ga no choke. ive killed grouse out to 50yds with it...but thats beyond any sort of "pattern" and more of a lob shot.

[Intruder]

Proper choke and proper load a 20 gauge will cover about 90+% of the shots you'd ever encounter.

[fishunt247]

OneHorn and I used to shoot Mossburg 20's with the HS Undertaker Choke, shooting number fives. We killed lots of birds with them. One bird I stepped off to 42 steps. Like everyone said, pattern it.

[turkeydancer]

As said, pattern ... NWTF recommends a minimum 6 hits in the vitals of a turkey target (I myself perfer at least a dozen).  My first bird was killed at 7 steps (yards) ... most have been within 20 yards even though I can harvest one at 45 to 50 yards. But the bottom line is this: only shoot as far as your gun is effective for a clean, ethical kill .... be patient and get them close enough you won't just wound one and have it run off to die elsewhere. You will spend a fair amount of money and time in the pursuit, and it's no fun going home with an empty cooler and having to ask for someone's turkey tag soup recipe.

[dawei]

The evolution (improvement) of 20ga ammunition is absolutely mind boggling. HTL (heavier than lead) loads, Flitecontrol™ technology have really brought the 20ga into the big leagues as far as turkey hunting is concerned. Here are two patterns w/Pb to use as a guide from two different 20ga guns.........

[C-Money]

Those are deadly 30 yard targets with your 20ga!

[bankwalker]

The evolution (improvement) of 20ga ammunition is absolutely mind boggling. HTL (heavier than lead) loads, Flitecontrol™ technology have really brought the 20ga into the big leagues as far as turkey hunting is concerned. Here are two patterns w/Pb to use as a guide from two different 20ga guns.........

wow that really makes me second guess buying a 12ga with those patterns at 30yds.

[dawei]

wow that really makes me second guess buying a 12ga with those patterns at 30yds.

Well please understand I had to shoot a couple of hundred rounds through about 10 different chokes to get there! But what I have now are two 20ga guns, each with a super LEAD load. With these two guns, one shooting #5's and the other #4's I have a self imposed limit of 35yds. I tried a lot of shots w/Hevi•Shot™ and then Hevi13™ and was VERY DISAPPOINTED! I'd get a beautiful pattern and then the next 4-6 shots would be terrible; then I'd get a good pattern again. The problem, for me, is Hevi•Shot™ IS NOT CONSISTENT. I have yet to try the Winchester®, Remington®, or Federal® versions of HTL. I'll start testing after the season closes.

FWIW I've got 12ga's that don't pattern as well as these two 20ga's. Clearly understand however that YMMV.

[Mookie]

I have a 20 with a poly choke so I cannot use steel shot. But I have found Federal 3" Mag Shot works good for me. Plenty of power and holds a good pattern.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=461548

[strutnrut1984]

a 20 gauge will work fine, in  the 30yd area

[dawei]

a 20 gauge will work fine, in the 30yd area

There are 20ga gun/load/choke combinations that are 100% 40yd turkey annihilators. (I just have not yet been able to achieve that). I've have a gun and load however that at 35yds will turn a rooster into a roaster via a Face Full of Fours!) Additionally if you wish to learn more about 20ga shotgunning for turkeys go here........

http://www.allaboutshooting.com/

http://oldgobbler.com/TheForum/index.php?PHPSESSID=f3c35540f1da7e7e673572f1ce75a058&board=2.0

http://www.nwtf.org/message_board/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=2&page=1