Turkey Hunting Rifles
The variety of turkey hunting rifles has grown over the last few years and the turkey hunting fans have more weapons to choose from. Many consider choosing a turkey gun a hunt itself due to the large variety available on the market. People consider turkeys to be quite dumb but as a matter of fact these animals are one of the hardest targets for a hunter to hit..
In the past many hunters used the classic 10 gauge because they thought that the large loads would give cleaner kills but that was entirely false. A 12 gauge with 3 – 3 ½ shells does the exact same job and is way more lighter. The most difficult choice a turkey hunter has to make is which one to choose between a pump shotgun and a semi-automatic model. It is quicker to have a second shot ( if you need one ) with the semi-automatic but many wild turkey hunters still enjoy hunting these animals with the regular pump action repeater.
Due to the fact that most wild turkeys are taken from a standing position, a short barrel is preferred because it will be easier for the hunter to swing around and shoot freely without any hang-ups. This is truly useful when a turkey approaches the hunter earlier than he might have thought and he has to shoot as quickly as possible. Another advantage a short barrel has is that it is easier to carry around in heavy brush areas.
No matter which length barrel you prefer, short or long, you have to keep in mind that a shotgun isn’t created for being accurate but you must be a bit accurate if you want to bag a few of these birds so you will have to hit the head or the neck of the bird that is why a sight system added to your gun is highly recommended. The turkey scopes usually run from 1.5x to 4x in power, keep in mind that you won’t be needing a high-powered scope but you will need to have good light gathering capabilities.
Regarding the choke, many of today’s turkey shotguns have screw-in chokes so if the shotgun you plan on purchasing is equipped with a standard full choke you might want to swap the choke out with an extra-full choke tube ( turkey choke ). As far as the proper shotgun shell is concerned, this would be the most difficult choice a turkey hunter has to make. There is a vital relationship between the gun and the shell and choosing the proper combination will result in a high rate of efficiency. Many of the turkey loads are copper-plated while some are buffered. The buffering and copper plating detour the pellets from deforming in the barrel thus creating a tighter pattern.
The shot sizes range from 4 to 6 ( 5 would be a good middle ground ). A normal shot of 4 will provide a penetration that will allow a longer range shooting. The most important thing every hunter must do is practice until he will find the right ammo that will get along not only with the shotgun but with the hunter himself.
One last final advice, if you plan on purchasing a turkey gun, we would recommend buying camouflaged models so that you will reduce the chances of being detected by these birds. We are sure that you own camouflaged clothing, hats, gloves so why not have a camouflaged gun?
Useful Info :
We will now offer you a small list of turkey hunting rifles you might consider purchasing:
Benelli Nova Pump
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With dual-action bars and rotary head locking lugs, the Nova will handle anything from target loads to 3½" magnums. To help dampen the recoil of today’s super-heavy magnum loads, the Nova 12-gauge is specially designed to accept a Benelli recoil reducer. Benelli’s Nova is truly a 21st Century pump shotgun. In a revolutionary shotgun manufacturing process, corrosion-proof polymer is over-molded on a skeleton framework to form the one-piece receiver and buttstock. The lightweight polymer stock also provides plenty of room for mounting an optional 14 oz. recoil reducer.
Savage Turkey Gun, Model 210FT Camo
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Based on the proven Savage 110 rifle action, the Savage turkey gun, the model 210FT, is the perfect choice for turkey hunters no matter what the environment is. This durable 12 gauge features a 24" barrel and a camo synthetic stock and delivers the utmost in bolt-action shotgun performance. It’s the perfect choice for matching wits with a Tom.
Benelli Montefeltro
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Light, slender and quick pointing never described a semi-auto better than the Benelli Montefeltro. The Inertia Driven system allows the Montefeltro’s fore-end to be slim and graceful, while the lightweight anodized aluminum receiver keeps weight to a minimum. New this year are the Montefeltro Silver in 12-and 20-gauge. Both guns feature a distinctive single-piece, nickel-plated alloy receiver, complete with scroll engraving, gold embellishments and a beautifully figured, AA-Grade, satin finished, walnut stock.
Remington Model 870 Express Super Magnum Turkey
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The Model 870 Express Super Magnum Turkey Synthetic provides the heavy load capacity of 12-gauge, 3 1/2-inch shells for turkey hunting at an affordable price. Simultaneously, it allows the optional flexibility of using any other 12-gauge loads in 3-inch or 2 /4-inch shell lengths as well. The standard Turkey Extra Full Rem Choke delivers desirably dense patterns with all loads, and can be interchanged with other, more open Rem Chokes when appropriate. Fast pointing and precise sighting result from the 23-inch vent rib barrel with both ivory front and steel mid beads. And the black synthetic stock and matte black metal finish on barrel and receiver blend unobtrusively into any background.
Benelli Super Black Eagle II
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The Super Black Eagle II sets the standard for style, versatility and performance by which all other semi-auto shotguns are judged. That judgment is based on unfailing reliability - the kind of reliability that you can count on, shot, after shot, after shot. As the original 3½" semi-auto shotgun, the Super Black Eagle was on the cutting edge of shotgun development. The newly-designed Super Black Eagle II features the innovative recoil-reducing ComforTech stock.