Turkey chokes

[surfs]

I've never used a specific choke for turkey....just the ones that come with the gun. I shoot a SBE II, but was wondering if anyone has a suggestion on this subject. What do you use and what's the best one out there?

Thanks!

[Borch]

Best out there... Well depends largely on who you talk to and will vary greatly from gun to gun. My personal favorites are compnchoke, Kicks, Primos and Hastings. Indian Creek chokes did very well in the NWTF still shoot competions. Rhino chokes when paired with the nontoxic chokes seem to perform very well. Especially with the Nitro custom loads.

Most aftermarket chokes will outperform the factory chokes.

[mntraveler]

Well...everything I've read would agree that aftermarket chokes will do better for you. I got out to pattern my new 870 last weekend and had the extra full rem choke that came with the gun and a primos jellyhead. Shot 4 different shells. Some of them did better in the primos and some better in the rem choke. My favorite pattern came with Hevi 13 3.5" 1 3/4 oz. 6 shot in the rem choke. So I guess what I'm saying is get a selection of chokes, a selection of ammo and head to the range. Just because the choke has a high price tag doesn't mean it will pattern well. I had a tru glo choke in my beretta and it did very well. That was only a $15 or $20 choke.

[slotlimit]

I use the patternmaster choke for all of my hunting and love it. My buddies and I go to Canada every year and I drop Geese dead from yards higher then they can even think of.

[FrontenacPike]

I just went to patternmaster HSOforum and they are the ones with the big price tag. I'm also looking for a good turkey choke but don't want to shell out a hundred for a choke.

[Hotspotter]

FrontenacPike:

The Patternmaster, while great for waterfowl, is somewhat un-noticed as a turkey choke. I do know the constriction is not what I'd like it to be for an aftermarket tube on turkeys. Also, it was developed primarily for waterfowl to the best of my understanding.

My only experience with it was through my brother, a big-time waterfowler. He never patterned his gun (big-time no-no) and screwed it in the end of his barrel, ready to hunt. That said, it was a BPS 10gauge, using Winchester HV #5's, a combination which in and of itself should be plenty to do the job.

I called in 3 gobblers to 40 yards, and he let the biggest one have it.......at least 3 times of 4 shots. He drew blood. We followed the trail, big drops, almost 200 yards. We blew the thing out from under thick cedars with no shot.....and that's the last we saw of it. Breaks my heart even thinking of it.

From now on, I make sure the people I guide or take out for fun either show me a pattern, or use my gun

I'd be searching for an aftermarket tube in some of the constrictions Borch recommends (stay tuned), by some of the major turkey choke manufacturers. The cost will be much easier to swallow, and you'll have something designed specifically for turkey hunting.

Joel