Turkey Chokes

[Saw557]

Looking for some ideas on a new Turkey choke tube for my 870. I know all guns tend to shoot a little different depending on load and etc. I currently have a "Undertaker" tube and it shoots o.k. but I would like to do better. Tubes are a little expensive to just start testing.

Thanks

Scott

[CornPirateKiller]

Saw,

I'm not really sure how much of an advantage a turkey choke tube will give you. I invested in an H.S. Strut tube and went to the range with a bunch of turkey loads. I spent a lot of money on shells, but I wanted to have the best "bang for my buck". I tested 3" Federal turkey loads in #4, #5, and #6 shot at 20, 30, and 40 yards using the turkey choke, the patternmaster choke that I use for geese, and my full choke tube. I shoot a Remington 11-87. To my surprise, the full choke tube using #5 shot had a better pattern.

With that in mind, I went with the full choke. It's worked incredibly well for me. I've killed 5 turkeys in Minnesota and Iowa in the last 2 years, the biggest, a 23 lb. tom at 43 yards. I'd say, pattern your full choke in your 870 before you invest in a turkey tube. If it patterns to your satisfaction, save your money.

Good luck!!

[Hotspotter]

Saw:

With the 870 being such a popular gun, there's quite a bit of info out there on the web regarding choke/load combinations. As far as choke tubes go, I'm a believer in constriction being probably the largest factor in tube performance (wad-catching/specialized tubes aside). While a .665 tube ain't a .665 tube, from what I've seen, the differences between your average factory vs. after-market tube of the same constriction are usually negligible.

I would do web searches on the 870 and recommended constrictions, then find an appropriate tube in that constriction range and stick with it. Keep in mind that lead will be "choked" a bit more than hevi-shot.

That said, I have a buddy that shoots the undertaker in his 870 with 3" remington copper-plated (reg. vel.) #6's. It patterns well for lead. He switched to hevi-shot reg. vel. #6's last year with remington's undertaker hevi-shot tube, and said his pellet counts were 1 1/2 times better at 40 yards.

It all depends on how retentive you want to be. I would say it's more important to know your limits in terms of killing distance, and the types of shots you know you can make. IMHO, the more you "know" your gun, the better it will treat you.

Post patterns/results here if you find a winner, and good luck!

Joel

[Borch]

It's impossible to give you a particular choke to use. Every gun shoots different. Even the exact same model will oftern like a different choke or ammo combo.

But...... here are a few chokes that a lot of people like in their 870....Comp n choke, Hastings, Tru Glo Strut Stopper, Rhino, ..... Usually .655 - .665 for lead shot and .665 - .675 for hevi shott.

If you have some friends who will be going turkey hunting each of you bring 3-4 boxes of ammo from one manufacturer in different loads. Then everyone can try different choke/ammo combos with out breaking the bank. If any of them shoot an 870 then you can try different chokes as well.

Good Luck!

[wingnutken]

I have an 870 turkey special and it came with a rifled super full. It patterns well with Rem. Win. and Federal.in #4 and #5 shot.The difference is negligable until you get out to 40+. My gun patterns best with federals out to 50yds. I can shoot my gun with any of those loads with confidence as long as I only take shots from 20-30 yds. Ken