Ok I am looking to get into Hunting, and I was looking at Turkey season. I have a Mossberg 590 Retrograde 18.5" Barrel pump action shotgun, and I was wondering if this would be ok to hunt with? One of my co-workers said that the barrel is too short and to get an actual Turkey Shotgun. However at my hunter safety course I talked with the instructor and he said that what I had would be fine just as long as I get the right Turkey shotgun shells and practice a lot on the range. So I ask the hunters here on this board, what your thoughts were, do I need a Turkey Shotgun or is my shotgun that I have sufficient?
Hunting with an 18.5" Barrel Shotgun?
- Thread starter gfan1984
- Start date
TEXASforLIFE
SAINT
no reason it wouldn't work fine! just choose the correct ammo/shot for it
Biggfoot44
Elite
Is your Bbl threaded for Choke Tubes, or cylinder bore ?
bc22wm
Professional
And shoot only when the target is withing range. It's turkey hunting, part of the alure is calling the bird within range of the gauge, choke, and load. I know a very successful turkey hunter that uses a single shot 410.
Biggfoot44
Elite
Still didn't hear back from OP about his chocke situation.
If threaded - His options would start at Full , but might as well get a specialty Turkey Choke tube .
If cylinder bore - Essentially useless for Turkey Hunting .
Options would include having gunsmith thread the Bbl , or Mossberg Bbls can be found used for reasonable $ compared to other brands .
If threaded - His options would start at Full , but might as well get a specialty Turkey Choke tube .
If cylinder bore - Essentially useless for Turkey Hunting .
Options would include having gunsmith thread the Bbl , or Mossberg Bbls can be found used for reasonable $ compared to other brands .
KillerFord1977
SAINT
I have an old Browning BPS shotgun that is not choked.
Have no issue killing turkeys with it for last 20yrs
Biggfoot44
Elite
I can't claim to know the specs of every 18.5 in M'berg Bbl . I do know that some Remington shorties , and some Turkish Imports do , so it wouldn't be inherently out of the question.
Bassbob
Emissary
Useless ? Massive exaggeration there I assure you. Not optimal for Turkey, but neither is an 18” gun with a 3” chamber.
TEXASforLIFE
SAINT
I'm the successful 1! I shot with a 410 and killed 4 when I was 8 or 9. I was truly trying to kill only 1. A "within range" does make the difference for sure.
Biggfoot44
Elite
It's not * Choked * , or that it's has fixed Choke, instead of threaded for Choke tube's?
HansGruber
Ronin
Hmm.
I know how Federal’s Flite Control wads do with buckshot out of an 18” cylinder bore—VERY tight patterns out to 25 yards, and fairly respectable at 50 (7 out of 9 pellets of 00, on average, is VERY respectable performance—most others you’re lucky to get 3 or 4 pellets).
I wonder how the field loads perform; if similarly, I’d say you could reach out a decent ways with it.
The OP needs to get some loads and pattern his shotgun, methinks.
I know how Federal’s Flite Control wads do with buckshot out of an 18” cylinder bore—VERY tight patterns out to 25 yards, and fairly respectable at 50 (7 out of 9 pellets of 00, on average, is VERY respectable performance—most others you’re lucky to get 3 or 4 pellets).
I wonder how the field loads perform; if similarly, I’d say you could reach out a decent ways with it.
The OP needs to get some loads and pattern his shotgun, methinks.
Biggfoot44
Elite
Never say Never, a hunter and a turkey could accidently stumble into each other.
But typically, you're using great stealth and camouflage, and careful calling, trying to get a turkey to come within 40 - 50 yards , and turkey specific guns have very tight , very center dense patterns , to put multiple smallish pellets ( 4 , 5 , or 6 , or duplex loads combining two of those ) .
A cylinder bore would have patterns of similar density at 15 - 20 yards . Never say Never , but it is very atypical to call in a turkey that close .
Purpose built Turkey Guns frequently have short Bbls of 20 to 24 inch , and the difference between 18.5 and 20 inch is negligible . 3 inch chamber , shooting 1.75 to 2oz of shot . Short Bbl is no hindrance, balance for swing is moot . A turkey gun will be aimmed much like a rifle .
Patterns on target are what matters.
I'm not hating on shorty shotguns . ( But I do prefer my shorties with a little Choke, and once bought one primarily because it had threaded 20 inch bbl .)
If the question was more generally " can I hunt with this gun " , my response is Sure !
Be cognizant of distance , and select Shot Size on the smaller end of the gennerally accepted sizes to keep up Patten / Hit density . ( i.e. my #2 shooting & hunting partner swears by #4 for squirrel. Particularly with the open ( no ) choke , I'd be using #6 . )
Rabbit , Squirrel, Quail , Grouse , Dove , etc, you're ok. You will have to be selective about the distances, and pass up shots that could be taken with a Modified Choke . ( Context of the intermediate constriction between Full and Improved Cylinder .)
Deer , Boar , Bear with Slugs , no issues , and probably preferred for handier for heavy brush . ( Before Fully Rifled Shotguns were common , we hunted with smoothbores , and it seemed normal to us . Random brand of slug * probably * within Minute of Whitetail * to 50 yds . Might take trial & error testing to be confident at 75 yds . )
Biggfoot44
Elite
Yes , Flite Control is the snizz with buckshot from open chokes . With hunting loads with usual shot sizes , their is some difference in patern between premium loads and cheap " promotional " loads , but no where near the difference. Oversimplified rule of thumb , 5% to 10% tighter . An improvement is an improvement, but not of the magnitude to be suitable for Turkey or Pass Shooting Geese .
Bassbob
Emissary
Thanks for the primer homey. Been hunting Turkey with shotguns for about 45 years now though. Including with cylinder bore shotguns.
Talyn
SAINT
Also, check your stte game/hunitng laws/regs to see if there is a magazine capacity limit.
Biggfoot44
Elite
Yes ! Of recent years , there are .410 Shotguns for Turkey . But they're using TSS shot . ( Exotic alloy significantly more dense than lead. 18g / cc , 60% more dense than lead , but $$$$ . The shot itself for handload your own shells , the cost for ONE pound of TSS is about the same as 25 lbs of lead . Loaded Turkey .410 shells are over $50 for Five shells.
HansGruber
Ronin
When I started using Flite Control (Prairie Storm) on pheasants, I went from a Modified choke early and Full late to an IC early and Modified late. 30-40 yard shots with IC are pretty consistent (as I found out when I forgot to change chokes a couple years ago). Given, that’s out of a 28” barrel, but that’s still much further than IC is typically good for.
Again—the OP needs to pattern HIS gun with various loads and see how it performs.