Honestly, there is absolutely no reason to stress over what gun to get for turkey. Buy something that suits you and pattern it with the choke/shot of your choice. Once you know it’s effective range, hunt accordingly.

I use a 12 GA Remington 870. While I had it on hand, I used heavy shot #5 with an extra full coyote choke. I’ve shot and killed gobblers on the spot at 75 yards with that load/choke combo.

After I ran out of heavy shot loads and they got crazy expensive, I switched to #4 Winchester turkey loads with the same choke. I was too cheap to pattern the load and really didn’t care if I got a turkey but haven’t missed one yet under 55 yards.

Buy what fits you when you pull it up all you see is the whole bead then with no adjustment needed, if recoil is a issue look at a auto a lot of pumps and single shots kill on both ends often.

Yep, this. When I bought my shotgun about ten years ago i spent a bunch of time in the store shouldering different shotguns, picked one up that I hadn’t tried yet and shouldered it, looked at the salesman and said “start the paperwork” he asked me if I wanted to know the price and I said “nope, I’ll find out when I write the check.” Cause when a gun speaks to you like that one did, it doesn’t matter what it costs. It was $1,400 and worth every penny. I’ve carried that thing many many miles and killed many many birds. Buy a gun that really fits you, be willing to pay good money for it and you won’t regret it.

This gun has taken approximately 30 toms for me. All clean kills and no chasing “dead” birds.
Remington 1187 Super Magnum Special Purpose turkey gun.
21” barrel.
The Monte Carlo stock helps alignment with the scope.
Leupold 2-7 shotgun scope.
Super full extended and ported choke tube.
Federal Supreme 3.5” super magnum turkey loads. 2ounces of buffered copper plated lead shot.
Effective stone dead killing range is 20-55 yards. At less than 20 yards, the pattern is the size of the muzzle.
It will kill birds at longer distances - I have made long follow up shots when helping others.
Many hot rod high performance modifications.

Started turkey hunting in 1977
with a Remington 870 Wingmaster
with a 30" ventilated rib barrel in full choke.

Chambered for 2 3/4" shells only.

Shot many turkeys at 30 to 40 yards
with #4, #5, and #6 shot.

In 1989 at a D.U. banquet won a sponsor
raffle for a Mossberg 835 Ultimag guide's gun
Serial #070 so started to use it for turkey.

I still use the 2 3/4" #5's as I think 3" and 3.5"
shells are a waste of powder and lead.

Both guns killed my turkey mostly stone dead
as long as I was aiming correctly.

walleyed

Savage 77E here with full choke for everything, the old #6 black Remington shot. Dont shoot past 35 yards, most at 20. Works for me and is a lot more fun........jk

I'm curious on your comment here warrior. Just because you can kill a turkey with a 410 that has more lethality than a 12ga with lead makes it wrong?

As said before, if you want a 12ga lead shot is just fine. Please pattern your gun before you go hunting. A lot of times with super tight chokes and heavy lead loads they don't hit exactly where you point, know what your gun does.

I hate a semi auto for turkey hunting. I like knowing if I need a follow up shot it is there. My preferred turkey gun is an 870 pump. I know when I rack it back there will be another one waiting if I need a follow up shot

Purposely skating on thin ice doesn't make you a hero. The 410 shell no matter what magic beans you stuff it with can never hold anywhere near what a standard 12 can.

You might as well use a rifle.

Turkey hunting has become more about the kill than the hunt to many.

Yes warrior it can. There is no thin ice. A standard load I shot for many years was a 3.5" 12 ga longbeard xr by winchester. With 2 oz of #5 lead it has 340 pellets

A load I shoot now is 1oz of tss #9. It has 365 pellets and is ballistically equivalent to #4 lead shot. It is more lethal than a 3.5" 12ga load of #5 lead

If it wasn't I wouldn't be shooting it

Don't over think it. Most any shotgun will work. Don't need the latest wizz-bang equipment to kill a turkey. Standard Pheasant/Duck shells will work fine as do Factory chokes. Just like anything else let them get into descent range before you shoot.

Swiftkill that is sort of what I was saying. I am very used to my gun, have had it for more than 60 years......jk

What warrior said, too many guys in it for mostly the kill. references in this thread about shooting birds at 50 plus yards, 75 yards, super tight choke, heavy shot, etc. All that is pointing towards killing more. What happened to calling bird in to your lap? If it hangs up at 50 yards, and it don’t work out, hunt the bird another day.

I posted this to another social media site and I stand by it.

If you're out hunting the end result is to kill a bird, period, spin as you want. Some guys want to take a bird and move on to hunt other states. Doesn't mean they enjoy the hunt
any less than someone that lets one walk to hunt another day.

I've been hunting them with a cheap Remington 870 Express since soon after Remington came out with the Express about thirty-five years ago. I got a X-Full choke for it and did some patterning. I found out it didn't like three-inch magnums, most had a thin spot in the center of the pattern. I got my best results with 2 3/4" Winchester XX Turkey Loads in #6 shot. Been using them ever since.

Four or five years ago I missed two gobblers because I was lifting my head off the stock. I put Tru-Glo rifle-style sights on it and that solved that problem.

Last week I passed on a nice longbeard. I called in the hen he was with and she came within fifteen feet. I was so certain I was going to kill him I was thinking about how I was going to mount the fan.

He didn't follow her. He stayed down at the base of the ridge. I had a bead on him at right around 45 yards. A lot of guys would have taken that shot but I passed. I like them under 40 yards.

I like a pump, tight choke and rifle-style sights on a dedicated turkey gun. Whatever you end up with, pattern test it with various ammo and recognize both the weapon's and your own limitations.

If that's the case then why not roost shoot?

Or ambush or shoot in field with center fire rifle?

Because rifles and roost shooting is legal?