Selecting a shotgun for turkey hunting

If you're currently a bird hunter – upland or waterfowl – chances are you already have a shotgun you can use for turkey hunting. If you’re a new hunter, here are some tips for buying a shotgun.

The most important features to look for when buying any shotgun are:

• Fit. Differences in the size and shape of the stock and butt, mean different shotguns “fit” differently. Spend some time shouldering a number of different weapons and brands to see which fits you the best. 
• Handling. Select a shotgun that you can shoot well. This includes gun fit, but also recoil. If the recoil is so great it influences your second shot, select a different action or a smaller gauge.

When buying a new gun for turkey hunting, or even assessing the appropriateness of you current gun, here are the things to consider:

Action

• A pump action shotgun requires manually sliding a pump backwards and forwards (cycling) in order to chamber a shell. Once a round is chambered, simply pull the trigger to fire a shot. Then cycle the pump to expel the empty shell and insert another.
• A semiautomatic shotgun instantly and automatically cycles a shell each time you pull the trigger. This means you can fire a second shot as fast as you can pull the trigger a second time. These guns tend to be "softer" shooters than a pump, because a semiautomatic shotgun diverts the gun's recoil to cycle the next round, meaning less perceived recoil for the shooter.

Both pump and semi-automatic shotguns can be equally effective for hunting turkeys, but each has advantages (and disadvantages) over the other. If price is a primary consideration, you may choose a pump. If you have a smaller frame or are buying for a youth, you may choose a more expensive semi-automatic that will be softer and more comfortable to shoot.

Pump vs. semi-automatic actions

Gauge

In shotguns, the smaller the number, the bigger the gun or gauge. A 10 gauge shotgun has a bigger bore than a 12 gauge shotgun, which is bigger than a 20 gauge shotgun. Also, the larger the gun, the bigger the shotgun shells – meaning more pellets and gunpowder.

But larger guns create more recoil (kickback) and can be uncomfortable for some to shoot. Choose a gauge you can shoot comfortably during longer practice sessions at the range, and not just when you take a single shot at a turkey.

12 gauge shotguns

• Most popular
• Larger shells -- more pellets and gunpowder
• More available shell sizes and load options
• More recoil

20 gauge shotguns

• Less recoil – more comfortable to shoot for youth and adults with smaller frames
• Fewer available shell sizes and load options
• Big enough to kill turkeys

What about a 10 gauge?

You can use a shotgun as big as a 10 gauge to hunt turkey in Oregon. And that used to be a popular weapon for turkey hunting. However, advances in 12 gauge shells – including 3-inch and 3 ½-inch shells – have made the 10 gauge obsolete for most applications. Besides, they kick like a bear.

Length

Many turkey hunters prefer a shorter barrel length (22-26 inches) to maneuver in a blind or heavy cover.

Sights

Most turkey hunters prefer a better sight on their shotgun than the typical one or two metal beads on top of the barrel. Turkeys are normally a stationary target – unlike a flushing pheasant or a decoying duck – and ideally you want to shoot them in the head for a clean kill that doesn’t spoil the meat. That’s a pretty small target you’re aiming at.

Here are two popular kinds of sights to help you acquire your target and shoot accurately:

• A fiber optic sight is brighter than a metal bead, making it easier to locate the sight and line it up with the head of a turkey. Many shotguns designed for turkey hunting come with a single fiber optic sight mounted on the front of the barrel. You also can buy aftermarket fiber optic sights to install on the gun you already have, as long as it has a ventilated rib and metal bead on top of the barrel. Popular colors are orange, yellow or green.
• A red dot sight contains an illuminated dot inside a sight housing. These are considered the most accurate sights for turkey hunting. A red dot sight is typically very low power; some have no magnification. Some need a battery to operate, some don't. In Oregon, a battery-operated sight or scope is legal on a shotgun as long as it doesn't project a beam onto the target.

Other considerations

• Color. A matte black gun is fine if you're shooting from a blind. But if you’ve set up in natural cover, you might appreciated the extra concealment of a camo-colored gun. Many dedicated turkey and waterfowl guns come in camo, which costs a bit more. In addition, there are a variety of tapes and other aftermarket materials you can use to camouflage your existing gun.
• Recoil pad. Almost all shotguns come with some sort of recoil pad – a rubber or plastic attachment at the end of the stock that helps absorb some of the recoil. There are aftermarket recoil pads that do an even better job at making shooting more comfortable. Buying one doesn’t make you a sissy.