Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
This may be what you've been advised against....by those "short shuckers" amongst us who have never learned to use their firearm correctly....but, Mossbergs Remington pumps have served military well in far more critical applications than turkey or upland bird hunting. I have been very successful using 20" Mossberg 835 Turkey Tactical for turkeys.....yes, they often overrun my position thus the tactical...
.....has pistol grip and collapsible stock....great for holding motionless extended periods in odd positions often found in dynamic turkey setups. The 835 allows lighter 2-3/4" , 3" or teeth rattling 3-1/2" shells. I use an EoTech 512MO (1MOA dot; 65MOA circle reticle) Holographic Weapon Sight....in matching camo naturally.....our prey have high expectations of their predators....yeah, camo is for the hunter's eye and the merchant/manufacturer's bottom lines....it's motion that will get you busted every time. Not looking through a red dot tube tunnel; offers great peripheral vision for bird/birds coming in from unexpected direction. Interchangeable chokes allows swapping for aftermarket choke which your patterning finds best to your application. Great turkey setup. Never have needed more than one shot/bird. You could then buy a longer interchangeable barrel for other upland birds. Shorter turkey barrel carries and slings (I use a Boonie Packer style sling) easily for working 1 or 2 hands free in heavier cover, rough terrain. Never have liked the autos for bird hunting of any specie. Just my imprinting with a Ithaca 37 pump at 9yr old. But unless finances are a real issue, turkey and upland birds present a great reason to buy more guns. Over/under and side-by-sides are fantastic upland bird guns. If one knows how many guns one has....one obviously doesn't have enough guns....or too much wife!!! Sorry, no adult supervision in my life. Ah, life is good. Hope you learn to really enjoy turkey and upland bird hunting.Long, long ago, when I was introduced to Spring gobbler hunting, a very wise man gave me some pointers to be a better hunter. First , whatever shotgun you use, pattern it ! Try different chokes, different loads. Second, don't fall for the more shot is better. Those 3 1/2 inch shells shoot the big payloads much slower than a lighter load and when you pattern them, they may be a lot less effective,too. Lastly, sometimes "jealousy" will bring in the tom. I used a hen call one time and she came in close, but the tom was right behind her. Another time, a tom would not come to the hen call. Changed to a gobble and he came a runnin!
Amen to the gobble call, but make sure you are the only hunter on the bird...good way to get shot.Long, long ago, when I was introduced to Spring gobbler hunting, a very wise man gave me some pointers to be a better hunter. First , whatever shotgun you use, pattern it ! Try different chokes, different loads. Second, don't fall for the more shot is better. Those 3 1/2 inch shells shoot the big payloads much slower than a lighter load and when you pattern them, they may be a lot less effective,too. Lastly, sometimes "jealousy" will bring in the tom. I used a hen call one time and she came in close, but the tom was right behind her. Another time, a tom would not come to the hen call. Changed to a gobble and he came a runnin!
