# Turkey Gun Choke and Shot combinations?



## Handgunner

Reading Randy's "50 yard gun" thread got me to thinking, what choke tube and shot combination do you currently shoot, or have had the best luck with.

Last year with a borrowed Remington 870 I was shooting an Undertake Choke with Federal #5 turkey loads and was getting around 15-19 in the kill zone at 30 yards.

I've not patterned my Christmas present yet, the wife won't let me touch it until the 25th, But it's a Remington Express Super Magnum Turkey Camo...







Anyhow, what combo are you shooting?


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## bull0ne

If you wanna run with the big dogs you'll need a Rhino choke and Nitro Hevishot loads.

http://www.nitrocompany.com/index.htm


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## blindhog

I mainly hunt with a Baikal 12 ga auto.  Trulock turkey choke, Winchester extreme heavy shot #5 3.5" shell.

I have recorded kills at 100 yds......


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## gobblingghost

Blind, You can't see 100 yrds much less walk that far to pick something up.  
As far what I shot, Benelli Super Black Eagle with Rhino Choke. I am going to try a new shell this year. I'll have to report back on results.


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## Arrow3

The undertaker shot awesome in my Remington 11-87SP...

I got the best pattern out of Winchester #5's..


Delton,

Thats a good looking gun!!


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## Al33

Hastings 665 in my Win. 1300 with Win. 3" #5's.


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## Nitro

The true measure of how far a Master Turkey hunter kills his birds...............is how close he kills them................


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## Al33

agarr said:


> The true measure of how far a Master Turkey hunter kills his birds...............is how close he kills them................



Is that a quote from someone else or is it your own? If it is from someone else, please tell me who.

Thanks


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## Nitro

That is more of my opinion............. Don't quote me..........I know nothing about Turkey Hunting.


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## Sugar Hill Scouter

agarr said:


> The true measure of how far a Master Turkey hunter kills his birds...............is how close he kills them................



Ah...Well said, grasshopper !!
To answer the question at hand, I use a Briley choke tube with Federal Premium 3" #4s...


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## blindhog

gobblingghost said:


> Blind, You can't see 100 yrds much less walk that far to pick something up.
> As far what I shot, Benelli Super Black Eagle with Rhino Choke. I am going to try a new shell this year. I'll have to report back on results.




Just make shore you don't load that there new shell in backards   

I know I kin outwalk you turk huinting cause you will carry 100#'s plus more than me!   

You know I can at least see 75 yds, and the last 25 is frum pointing in the rite direction!


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## Dub

Nice looking gun Delton....congrats on getting a good one.

I'm just getting my feet wet on this stuff....man was I shocked at the cost of those Nitro shells and the Rhino chokes.  I thought for a minute I was seeing things.  Forty shells and a Rhino choke will set a fella back (for a 835 or 935 Mossberg) $350 plus shipping and handling from one of the online places I just checked.......ouch!!!!

Sort of makes me wonder how good of results one could get with a shotshell reloading outfit.


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## Randy

I have tried many many chokes and shots over the years.  Some better, some worse, some better in one gun and not the other.  But if I had to start somewhere wiht one choke and load it would be TruGlo Choke and Winchester #5's.  If it is good enough for GunDoc, it is good enough for me.  I have had more guns shoot better with that combination than anyother.


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## Handgunner

Thank's y'all.

But let me ask something else and maybe y'all that have been at it longer can help me understand.

Choke size, whether it be .65, .66, .67... whether it be a TruGlo, Kicks, Undertaker, Rhino, etc...

Are they all the same?  Being .665 is .665 in all of them? Just as .65 is .65.....

I guess basically what I'm asking is what sets each one apart from the other?


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## Randy

They are all different.  I am not sure the exact terminology but the length of the "choke constriction" does make a difference.  Some are ported and some not also.


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## Handgunner

Randy said:


> They are all different.  I am not sure the exact terminology but the length of the "choke constriction" does make a difference.  Some are ported and some not also.


So like the forcing cone on a barrel, a choke tube has pretty much the same?  Which is why one would shoot tighter than the next?

Have I got that right?


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## jcarter

no matter what type choke, gun combination you use just remember that the purpose of a choke tube is to throw a consistent dense pattern at a killable range ..not to extend the killing range of your weapon.


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## Handgunner

jcarter said:


> no matter what type choke, gun combination you use just remember that the purpose of a choke tube is to throw a consistent dense pattern at a killable range ..not to extend the killing range of your weapon.


I understand that, so far both turkeys I have killed have been within 20 yards.

30-35 would be about as far as I'd feel comfortable shooting one and actually let one walk last year that was at 40-45.

Big ol gobbler too....  Just futher than I felt comfortable with.


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## Randy

Delton said:


> So like the forcing cone on a barrel, a choke tube has pretty much the same?  Which is why one would shoot tighter than the next?
> 
> Have I got that right?



Yes.  But it is not only the taper of the restriction it is also the length of the restriction.  Try the TruGlo, you won't be dissapointed and it is fairly cheap compared to others.


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## Dub

Randy said:


> Yes.  But it is not only the taper of the restriction it is also the length of the restriction.  Try the TruGlo, you won't be dissapointed and it is fairly cheap compared to others.



I'm following you...longer surface to get to the same restriction diameter.  Seems like it'd be much smoother for the shot.  Cool.

When you say Winchester #5's, Randy, which ones?  I picked up a Winchester catalog last week.  There is a SuperX, Supreme and Supreme Elite, etc.


Dang...just checked out truglo's website...they are showing three different types of turkey chokes that they make.  This stuff can get complicated as heck.


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## gabreamfanatic

well this year i am using a 20 ga with a kicks choke. just got to get out and figure out what works best


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## RidgeRooster

Benelli Super Black Eagle 2 w/ Steady grip and trigger job. 
Burris 1X Extended Eye Relief scope.
Rhino .660 Choke.
Nitro Heavy Shot 4x5x7's 3.5".

RidgeRooster


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## Gadget

Pick your poison.

Browning Citori 525 12ga Titanium Comp-n-Chokes
Benelli SBE II 12ga Comp-n-Choke , Tru-glo 
Browning BPS 12ga Tru-glo, PureGold, Kicks GT, Browning Bird Buster
Browning BPS 12ga Tru-glo, PureGold, Kicks GT, Browning Bird Buster
Harrison & Richardson 20ga no choke necassary, custom 50 yd barrel..


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## Gadget

another shot


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## Handgunner

A'ight Gadget, you're just braggin' now! 

Nice lookin' weapons!

Another question.  On the chokes y'all are shooting, what diameters?

I'm thinking going with a TruGlo .665 I think it is...  I went to the TruGlo website, they have like 6-7 different ones, which ones are y'all shooting?


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## Ricochet

*Indian Creek & Hevi 13 combo*

NWTF Still Target Championship Winners:

*Steve Conover,* of Jamestown, Ky., won the 12-gauge Hunter division, shooting a Browning BPS with an Indian Creek .650 choke tube and Hevi 13 ammunition. *Mike Ponder,* of Altenburg, Mo., won the 12-gauge Open division, shooting a custom-built shotgun, an Indian Creek .640 choke tube and Hevi 13 ammunition. 

http://www.nwtf.org/nwtf_newsroom/press_releases.php?id=11999
http://www.hevi-shot.com/products_turkey_specials.html
http://www.indiancreekss.com/home.htm

Well, the above choke/ammo combos appear to work rather well.  I think this combo is worth a try and certainly far more affordable than the Rhino/Nitro combos.


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## Handgunner

Ricochet said:


> NWTF Still Target Championship Winners:
> 
> *Steve Conover,* of Jamestown, Ky., won the 12-gauge Hunter division, shooting a Browning BPS with an Indian Creek .650 choke tube and Hevi 13 ammunition. *Mike Ponder,* of Altenburg, Mo., won the 12-gauge Open division, shooting a custom-built shotgun, an Indian Creek .640 choke tube and Hevi 13 ammunition.
> 
> http://www.nwtf.org/nwtf_newsroom/press_releases.php?id=11999
> http://www.hevi-shot.com/products_turkey_specials.html
> http://www.indiancreekss.com/home.htm
> 
> Well, the above choke/ammo combos appear to work rather well.  I think this combo is worth a try and certainly far more affordable than the Rhino/Nitro combos.


Agarr had pointed me in the direction of the Indian Creek Choke Tubes.. .Looks like he was on the money.

Nice group that one got!  What distance was that shot taken?


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## Randy

Dub said:


> When you say Winchester #5's, Randy, which ones?  I picked up a Winchester catalog last week.  There is a SuperX, Supreme and Supreme Elite, etc.
> 
> 
> Dang...just checked out truglo's website...they are showing three different types of turkey chokes that they make.  This stuff can get complicated as heck.



I am shooting the winchester supreme elite and this choke:

http://www.truglosights.com/content/prod_choke_tubes/gobble_extreme_stopper.asp


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## Gadget

Delton it depends on the bore size of your barrel as to what contriction will be best for your gun. 
comp-n-chokes are my favorite. http://www.comp-n-choke.com/

Truglo make a gobblestopper and a strutstopper, I think one is ported and the other is not. 




Delton said:


> Another question.  On the chokes y'all are shooting, what diameters?
> 
> I'm thinking going with a TruGlo .665 I think it is...  I went to the TruGlo website, they have like 6-7 different ones, which ones are y'all shooting?


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## Handgunner

Gadget said:


> Delton it depends on the bore size of your barrel as to what contriction will be best for your gun.
> 
> comp-n-chokes are my favorite. http://www.comp-n-choke.com/
> 
> Truglo make a gobblestopper and a strutstopper, I think one is ported and the other is not.


How do I go about finding that out?  It's a Remington 870, 26" barrel...

I'm sending it to Gun Docc, he should know the right combinations for it.  But told me to go ahead and get the choke tube for it...

Am I complicating this thing WAY too much?


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## Gadget

Gun Docc is the one to talk to. Ask him about Comp-n-choke he knows those guys.

Your gun has a .730 bore. check it out.http://www.comp-n-choke.com/Chokes.html 

My Benelli has a .723 bore; so for comparison if you use a .660 choke, it would be the same as me using a .653.    I actually use a .655 in my SBE II and get a great pattern, so a .660 choke would be about what you want.

 Despite this difference Truglo uses the same diameter choke for both guns, which is not right. You need different sizes to get the same results, mine tigher yours more open. They even use the same size for a Browning with a .741 bore despite a .018 diameter difference. This is the difference between using an improved cylinder and a full choke when dove hunting......... 





Delton said:


> How do I go about finding that out?  It's a Remington 870, 26" barrel...
> 
> I'm sending it to Gun Docc, he should know the right combinations for it.  But told me to go ahead and get the choke tube for it...
> 
> Am I complicating this thing WAY too much?


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## Handgunner

According to that chart, the Remingtons have .730 

Am I looking at the right chart?


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## Gadget

Yep, so you see it's very easy.  If your bore is .730 and your choke .660 you have a .070 constriction. In comparison a standard full choke is .035. So a .70 is considered a XXX full, an X for every .010 over .035

Did that help you out?  Read the Comp-n-choke web site, Charlie is very knowledgeable.  Look at this chart too http://comp-n-choke.com/Hunting.html



Delton said:


> According to that chart, the Remingtons have .730
> 
> Am I looking at the right chart?


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## Handgunner

Ok, I think I got it now.

Bore diameter, subtract the choke constriction, gives you the new bore diameter.  Which is basically what we're shooting for...

Do I have it right now?

Sorry for the headache, just trying to understand it.


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## Ricochet

Delton said:


> Agarr had pointed me in the direction of the Indian Creek Choke Tubes.. .Looks like he was on the money.
> 
> Nice group that one got! What distance was that shot taken?


 
40 yards (see links for more info).


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## Gadget

I've heard of em, they're doing something right!

Interesting, the quote says he was using a Browning BPS but the target says he's using a Browning Citori. Not sure if that's his target in the pic, has his name on the bottom.



Ricochet said:


> NWTF Still Target Championship Winners:
> 
> *Steve Conover,* of Jamestown, Ky., won the 12-gauge Hunter division, shooting a Browning BPS with an Indian Creek .650 choke tube and Hevi 13 ammunition. *Mike Ponder,* of Altenburg, Mo., won the 12-gauge Open division, shooting a custom-built shotgun, an Indian Creek .640 choke tube and Hevi 13 ammunition.
> 
> http://www.nwtf.org/nwtf_newsroom/press_releases.php?id=11999
> http://www.hevi-shot.com/products_turkey_specials.html
> http://www.indiancreekss.com/home.htm
> 
> Well, the above choke/ammo combos appear to work rather well.  I think this combo is worth a try and certainly far more affordable than the Rhino/Nitro combos.


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## Ricochet

Gadget said:


> I've heard of em, they're doing something right!
> 
> Interesting, the quote says he was using a Browning BPS but the target says he's using a Browning Citori. Not sure if that's his target in the pic, has his name on the bottom.


 
Ah, good eye! He has scored a record 45 twice at different events (8/26/06 & 10/7/06) and apparently with 2 different Browning shotguns. Here is the 10/7/06 photo with the BPS (click on it for full size): http://www.nwtf.org/nwtf_newsroom/images/Conover_print.jpg


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## Gadget

Yeah that is a good example of a "blown out" pattern. Of course it's good for card and target shooting but not for Turkey hunting. 

I bought a Truglo Strut Stopper Extreme choke for my Benelli with a .643 diameter, was too tight, I was getting blown out patterns and fliers. Went up to a .655 with the Comp n Choke and made a huge difference, nice even pattern. I don't know why they made a line of chokes that tight ??? They use the same .643 on Browning with a .741 diameter, that's almost a .100 contriction....... way too tight for that gun, even for target shooting!!  Truglo's is even tighter than what this guy used for his target shooting.





Ricochet said:


> Ah, good eye! He has scored a record 45 twice at different events (8/26/06 & 10/7/06) and apparently with 2 different Browning shotguns. Here is the 10/7/06 photo with the BPS (click on it for full size): http://www.nwtf.org/nwtf_newsroom/images/Conover_print.jpg


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## BgDadyBeardBustr

Delton I have the same gun you are getting on the 25th. I use an HS Strut Undertaker .665 choke with Winchester Extended Range #6 shot in 3 and 1/2 inch. I had the barrel ported and the forcing cone lengthened as well as adding a must - Limb Saver/R3 pad. You want a 50 yard gun I would not be afraid to take the shot. 
Good Luck, Tim


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## NottelyBILL

*I have a question*

Ok, let's say you can only put 2 oz. of shot in your shell. Now when you start mixing shot sizes seems to me the game changes. Say 4 and 6, well the 4 are going to go futher than the 6's so if you have an ounce of 6's then on the long shots you have reduced your changes by reducing the number of 4's. I could be wrong but it seems that way to me. I have found that good old 5's do the best all around job and I know exactly what to expect at 40 yards.


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## Handgunner

TrophyHunterNGa said:


> Delton I have the same gun you are getting on the 25th. I use an HS Strut Undertaker .665 choke with Winchester Extended Range #6 shot in 3 and 1/2 inch. I had the barrel ported and the forcing cone lengthened as well as adding a must - Limb Saver/R3 pad. You want a 50 yard gun I would not be afraid to take the shot.
> Good Luck, Tim


That's the current choke I have and I'm sending the gun to Gun Docc after the first of the year to have some barrel work done on it.

Forcing cone lengthened, barrel polished, etc...

I'm going to put a TruGlo starbright front bead on it and put a Simms R3 as well.  I don't mind recoil, but after last year's pattern tests, I figure it's money well spent.


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## hawglips

agarr said:


> The true measure of how far a Master Turkey hunter kills his birds...............is how close he kills them................



That's why we should all shoot .410 single shots with #8 shot -- to make it sporting.  

Hal


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## deersled

hawglips said:


> That's why we should all shoot .410 single shots with #8 shot -- to make it sporting.
> 
> Hal



you got a point there. what did we ever do when all we had was fixed barrels and 2 3/4 inch shells?


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## NottelyBILL

*what we did*

We all took sure shots at a range we knew could kill a bird. The old mags in a full choke were pretty good for their time


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