I have an old Belgium Browning Auto5 Magnum that I want to make into a turkey gun. It has a fixed 30 inch full choke barrel. I'm going to keep the original barrel as it is for wing shooting. After much looking, I found a barrel I can afford, and bought it to have cut short, and threaded for a good turkey choke. I want to shoot 2 ounces of heavy shot 5's or 6's, and would love for 50 yards to be a chip shot.

Does anybody have experience with any particular gunsmith to cut the barrel and cut threads for the choke? Carlson's seems to the biggest company I found with a preliminary internet search. Biggest isn't always best though. Anybody have a recommendation?

Any thoughts on choke type/constriction-.660? .665? for Heavy shot 5's and 6's?

I have an original 1970 belgium a5 that the barrel is a full choke, and I have killed many turkeys with it with turkey loads. I even shot a tom at 60 yds 3 years ago with it. However, this would be a sweet transformation to an old a5

William at sumtoy is a good one.

Check out Curtis Wilbanks, Toccoa, Ga. He has a good website with price lists and covers most FAQ's.

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OMG are you touched. Don't touch the barrel. Have you patterned the barrel you have now. SO MANY people think they have to hunt with something that says TURKEY on it. I killed my first 15-20 birds with an old Winchester single barrel with 30 inc full choke. Reloaded some dandy #4 shot 2 3/4 that would drop a bird every time out to 50. Save yourself some money and try it first.. !!!!

Put it in the gun safe . Go to duhnams and get the Mossberg 500 slug barrel / combo. 299 Get an extra full choke tube for it. You can order a camo kit for it on the internet.

The Shotgun Shop in Arnold Mo specializes in that. Call them and send them your gun and some ammo and they will get you what you want.

I second Curtis Wilbanks aka “the shotgun doc” he worked on a Remington 870 super mag for me about 15 years ago and I was 100% pleased. Curtis is a wealth of knowledge and wants his customers to be happy with the finished product. He did a custom choke for me as well as a trigger job on the 870 and now it is a turkey killing machine. 50 yards is no problem although I like to get them close. He suggested Winchester Supreme HV #5 and I have not had a reason to change other than they were replaced a few years ago with the Longbeard which shot equally well. His trigger job was sweet with a nice crisp 3.5 lb trigger.

William at Sumtoy Customs

I shoot a 2oz load od Federal 6s in my 30 inch 1100 barrel with great results. I have a spare Hastings barrel and with a turkey choke, the 30 inch Rem barrel is just as good. My gun has a 3 inch chamber.

1st) You haven't said how your current barrel patterns 2 oz hevi-shot.
It would be foolish to not try it.
Dads old A-5 was a turkey killer past 50 with factory barrel.

2nd) GO TERPS !

3rd) as a retired gunsmith, If I had to suggest someone, I go to Mark Bansner, just up in PA. Don't let his riflery website fool you, he does awesome turkey gun/choke/barrel work.

4t) GO TERPS!

5th) "Biggest isn't always best", applies to choke as well, MORE isn't always better. Trying to funnel that much shot thru a small opening may not do well.

Did I say GO TERPS!..?

6th) If yer set on another bbl, Bansner is your guy!

Sorry to zone out! Thanks to everyone for their replies and thoughts!

I'll answer a few of the questions generated by this discussion.

I'm going to keep the original 30 inch barrel as is. I've already ordered the second barrel to customize. Part of my decision to get another barrel, is that I would like a shorter gun for turkey hunting. That 30 inch barrel is very unweildly in a non-wing shooting scenario, and a shorter barrel would fit my style of hunting a little better.

Jbyrd, I am touched! Currently the A5 just sits in the safe. The old gun is really sad, mopes around all the time, and would really like to get out more to do what it was made to do. I'm not a collector, and don't care about what the A5 is worth. It's worthless to me collecting dust. I do have an 870 that I traditionally turkey hunt with, 28 VR barrel, Heavy shot compatible choke. It kills turkeys dead at 50 yards just fine. I've never shot any further. I just want to hunt with the A5.

I have patterned the A5 with several lead 5's and 6's. It was a 30 yard gun with everything I shot through it. I did not pattern any heavy shot through it. I wasn't sure about the harder shot through the old fixed full choke, and didn't want to bust it up.

I do kill most of my turkeys at 25 yards, but since I've started using Heavy shot, I've seen the benefit of it, and the capability of it. Before Heavy shot, every gun, choke and lead shell I ever patterned had me nervous to shoot one past 40. Maybe it's just a coincidence, or the load, choke and gun got lucky to shoot heavy shot, but now 40 yards is no stress at all. I'd rather kill one at 25, and normally do. But if the option to kill one at 50 on the last day of the hunt is the difference in success or going home empty handed, I want to be able to do it reliably.

Thanks to all for their thoughts!

X2............I shoot turkeys with my 20 gauge out to 40 yards. #5 shot through a full choke ! Why 2 ounces ???

I guess I just really fell in love with the lethality of the Heavy 13 ammo I got, It really impressed me so much that I was planning to keep shooting it.

You sacrifice pattern whenever you shorten length. It is a simple matter of physics.

I think in the old days of just lead shot and fixed chokes that was the norm, but I've read some stuff that says otherwise with modern technology in chokes, barrels and ammunition. I know physics hasn't changed, but I think the shotgun game has to a certain degree.

The guy I hunt turkeys with shoots an old 870 in 12 gauge. He uses that new Winchester XTR ammo. in 2.75 inch #5's. I have seen him hammer turkeys at 60 yards + with that load.

Tighter patterns only ups your chances of getting BB into their noggin/neck. Chokes don't make them faster or hit harder.

Briley; They were pioneers in screw in tubes for thin wall shotgun barrels.
As others have said a full choke 30" twelve is a made to order turkey stomper.
At least it was for eighty years or so
till the TV gurus convinced a lot of people they were doing it all wrong!