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2022 Turkey Hunting Thread

Jordan121787 said:
View attachment 60286
Here’s the new rig for this season
Franchi affinity 3
20g
.585 Trulock choke
Burris FF3
Sumtoy mount
Click to expand...
Those a nice guns. A buddy has one in 12ga for ducks/geese. Solid gun. I bought the Stoeger M3020 last year and the stock turkey choke is terrible! Shot at least 4 different brand shells and all bad. I have HS Undertaker one on order for it. Read some solid reviews on that combo. My go to is an 870 with an M4 style stock I put on it. Too heavy though that was the reason for the 20 purchase.

How many of you are using red dots? I still have yet to buy one.
 
Jordan121787 said:
View attachment 60286
Here’s the new rig for this season
Franchi affinity 3
20g
.585 Trulock choke
Burris FF3
Sumtoy mount
Click to expand...
I’ve been wanting a Affinity 3 sooo bad. Never heard of that Mount before. Very interesting!
That’s also a sick pattern! I’ve never truly been impressed with how my Benelli Vinci has patterned
 
Picture on left is federal tss 7-9 and right in hevi shot magnum blend! Not happy at all with how the Tss pattern ended up. For 60$ a box of 5 should be way better, also I can’t find where the extra “200-300” pellets went.
 

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Hall17 said:
Those a nice guns. A buddy has one in 12ga for ducks/geese. Solid gun. I bought the Stoeger M3020 last year and the stock turkey choke is terrible! Shot at least 4 different brand shells and all bad. I have HS Undertaker one on order for it. Read some solid reviews on that combo. My go to is an 870 with an M4 style stock I put on it. Too heavy though that was the reason for the 20 purchase.

How many of you are using red dots? I still have yet to buy one.
Click to expand...
Red dot guy here! Vortex Venom. This will be my second season with it. 10-20 shots of heavy Turkey loads and hasn’t moved.
 
Jordan121787 said:
View attachment 60286
Here’s the new rig for this season
Franchi affinity 3
20g
.585 Trulock choke
Burris FF3
Sumtoy mount
Click to expand...

I've read good things about the Sumtoy mounts.

For me:
Retay Masai Mara, 24" 12ga
.655 Jebbs Head Hunter
Eotech on rail

I wanted to do some patterning and refinement, but ammo was short last season, so I just hunted with my Dad's Ithaca semi. It's been getting it done for me with just a fiber optic bead on rib, no fancy choke and Winchster Longbeard.
 
Bowtie747 said:
I’ve been wanting a Affinity 3 sooo bad. Never heard of that Mount before. Very interesting!
That’s also a sick pattern! I’ve never truly been impressed with how my Benelli Vinci has patterned
Click to expand...

Sumtoy is very highly regarded.
 
Dare I ask to make myself sound stupid. Anyone have a problem using a black synthetic or blued gun? My Turkey gun is Camo. Just called the local hun shop and they have a affinity 20 in blued. Highly doubt it matters but curious what others think.
 
Bowtie747 said:
Darn good point sir, didn’t think of that. I might go run a full choke. Rn I have a Indian Creek shot in it and it’s really tight.
Click to expand...

Here’s a good example of a pattern being blown out. Sometimes tighter isn’t always better… XD
 
Bowtie747 said:
Dare I ask to make myself sound stupid. Anyone have a problem using a black synthetic or blued gun? My Turkey gun is Camo. Just called the local hun shop and they have a affinity 20 in blued. Highly doubt it matters but curious what others think.
Click to expand...

My brother and I both have been using blued/walnut. It's not been an issue.

My Retay is camo, but I don't feel I needed the camo.
 
Kinda one of those things that I figured didn’t really mattered but was curious! Considered buying that .20 gauge and it’s blued. Thanks. Btw those Retay shotguns looks sweet. I’ve never heard of them before you mentioned them
 
Bowtie747 said:
Kinda one of those things that I figured didn’t really mattered but was curious! Considered buying that .20 gauge and it’s blued. Thanks. Btw those Retay shotguns looks sweet. I’ve never heard of them before you mentioned them
Click to expand...

I was going to buy a Fabarm L4S in 26" (on sale demo), walnut/blued barrel, for an all-rounder, but I got such a good deal on the Retay and won't mind beating it about turkey hunting.

I like the used Beretta 390/391 for big birds too. Or a 16ga square back.

But there's so many good options. My older brother is looking hard at the Franchi.
 
Jordan121787 said:
I’ve been in turkey mode for a month lol

I also took advantage of the warm weather to test out some chokes with my new turkey gun

Franchi Affinity 3 20 gauge
Apex #9s
.585 Trulock choke
40 yards
1st picture clean bore
2nd picture dirty bore 2nd shot. Sight moved 1” right
View attachment 60279
View attachment 60280


Also, tested out the new Stevens 301 turkey .410 for the kids
Apex turkey ninja
40 yards
Stock choke .391
Clean bore
View attachment 60284

I have a Trulock choke coming for the .410.
Click to expand...

Dig the .410. Amazing what Apex has done for it.
 
Hopefully I can get out a bit this season. Got a Stevens .410 last year. Indiana legalized .410 for turkey right before last season. Shoots Apex Ninja pretty well with the stock choke. Put a Tru Glo Gobbler Getter on it.
 
I have an Ithaca M37 Turkeyslayer, an 1187, and a Rem 870 which I've used over the years. The Ithaca is the best pattern density to weight but all of them have taken birds. I've renewed my interest in Turkey Hunting again over the last couple of years though by hunting them strictly with archery or crossbow only. Ideally, I would like to use a GearHead T15 on one but haven't shot it enough to warrant it. I took a nice Gobbler on opening day last spring with my HC Mini Crossbow. The first gamebird/animal I have ever harvested with a Crossbow. I really enjoy bowhunting them the most though now.
 
Does anybody turkey hunt from the saddle? I tried it last spring at deer stand height, mostly to practice being in the saddle and if I got a bird I figured it’d be a bonus. Spooked a hen, but I think only because I was moving while climbing. Wondered if it’d be an effective way to try again.
 
Marmuzz said:
Does anybody turkey hunt from the saddle? I tried it last spring at deer stand height, mostly to practice being in the saddle and if I got a bird I figured it’d be a bonus. Spooked a hen, but I think only because I was moving while climbing. Wondered if it’d be an effective way to try again.
Click to expand...
I know @boyne bowhunter does and typically at ground level. Since I'm strictly archery hunting Turkey's now I use a ground blind.
 
Marmuzz said:
Does anybody turkey hunt from the saddle? I tried it last spring at deer stand height, mostly to practice being in the saddle and if I got a bird I figured it’d be a bonus. Spooked a hen, but I think only because I was moving while climbing. Wondered if it’d be an effective way to try again.
Click to expand...
I know for me personally that would not be ideal. As much as I set up, move, set up and move again on one bird that would drive me up a wall. I have to be mobile. For how I personally hunt at least which is mountain birds
 
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