[animalspooker]

I know almost nothing about this topic. Have a relative (in-law) who just acquired a Mossberg 835, and he asked me which choke he needed to put in it. You guys have any suggestions? Bonus points for experience with the suggested choke tube.

 

[AK Hunter]

I had to buy a few turkey chokes before I found one that worked well. Some chokes don't pattern well with all turkey rounds.

 

[mouser868]

I had an 835 and a turkey choke for it, but I never got to use it. I traded the 835 for a customized Argentine Mauser.

 

[Dutch]

Hornady ammo with a modified choke. I've taken quite a few turkeys with this combo. Hornady developed the load to work best with a modified or improved choke, eliminating the need for a specialized choke.

Hornady Heavy Magnum® Turkey Shotshells (chuckhawks.com)
Here's the Scoop With Hornady Heavy Magnum Shotgun Ammo (wideopenspaces.com)

 

[aht_six]

I'm certainly no turkey hunting expert. I just use my Winchester SX2 with the full choke and Federal copper plated 5 shot loads.

 

[animalspooker]

That's what I told him, but he asked what I thought had the best chance. I recommended Carlson's.

 

[RetiredFreedomfighter]

I took this pic about 30 minutes ago from my dining room. Zoom it. At about 110 yards there is a deer feeder with 17 turkeys around it, all of them are toms or jakes, a couple over 25 pounds, big for here. I started with an 870 Supermag with a Carlsons, 3.5 inch #5s.

Once you learn to call them they will easily come into 30 yards and any choke will do, even modified out to 40 yards. No need for .660 choke or any turkey choke at all. Just get good ammo and not to worry about the joke at all. Just use full choke.

I do not even hunt them anymore. Once you learn to call and stay hid it is just too easy. Turkeys are stupid but they have great eyesight and will bust you if you are moving around like a human. The first few you harvest are a hoot. Often they are covered in ticks, so clean them before you take them home.. They eat ticks and bugs love to have them around.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I know almost nothing about this topic. Have a relative (in-law) who just acquired a Mossberg 835, and he asked me which choke he needed to put in it. You guys have any suggestions? Bonus points for experience with the suggested choke tube.

Full choke or Fuller chokes. They call those turkey chokes.

Only thing you can really do is pick a turkey choke from about any of the manufactures marked turkey choke. Even among those they are different, a little. Be sure you get one marked for the Moss 835. Buy 'em at Walmart if you don't like the way it shoots take it right back and try another one.

Then you have to SHOOT at least one of the shells you are going to hunt with through it. Sit down at a bench and get a perfect aim at a target about like a baseball or smaller on the end of a 12 inch ruler. Head and neck. Aim for the base of the head like you are going to cut it off the neck. Now shoot one.

You are looking for... is the place I aimed in the center of the pattern? Does it look like it would have killed it? I like to use cabinet shims for "the neck". If I get full penetration on that, it would break a turkey neck for sure.

If you are not happy with the result, you can adjust the aim some how, move closer, try a different shell.
I shoot an ounce and a quarter, lead #4, reloads.

 

[animalspooker]

Those'll work Jack. You need my address so you can send me a box?

And I ain't shooting no 3" or 3-1/2" turkey loads for practice! I'm too old. Shooting em at turkeys is one thing, but practicing? NO WAY!

 

[animalspooker]

I took this pic about 30 minutes ago from my dining room. Zoom it. At about 110 yards there is a deer feeder with 17 turkeys around it, all of them are toms or jakes, a couple over 25 pounds, big for here. I started with an 870 Supermag with a Carlsons, 3.5 inch #5s.

Once you learn to call them they will easily come into 30 yards and any choke will do, even modified out to 40 yards. No need for .660 choke or any turkey choke at all. Just get good ammo and not to worry about the joke at all. Just use full choke.

I do not even hunt them anymore. Once you learn to call and stay hid it is just too easy. Turkeys are stupid but they have great eyesight and will bust you if you are moving around like a human. The first few you harvest are a hoot. Often they are covered in ticks, so clean them before you take them home.. They eat ticks and bugs love to have them around. View attachment 173768

I can remember seeing groups like that. Unfortunately, the MDC has let the population here take a beating. Between floods and predators, where I used to hear dozens of gobbles, now I'm lucky to hear 1. But I'm still trying!

 

[Jack Ryan]

Those'll work Jack. You need my address so you can send me a box?

And I ain't shooting no 3" or 3-1/2" turkey loads for practice! I'm too old. Shooting em at turkeys is one thing, but practicing? NO WAY!

I don't shoot 'em at a turkey. I shoot 1 1/4 ounce, 2 3/4" reloads. But I like to hunt them. If I was just going to snipe one that don't have a clue, I'll just pick it out from the freezer at Walmart.

It ain't practice, it is a test. Would you hunt with a rifle and ammo you've never shot before. If you don't shoot at least one, you don't have a clue what it will do. Especially a Mossberg.

 

[austinjoe13]

I pattern with full and extra full to see what does best with the shells I can find.

 

[RetiredFreedomfighter]

Those'll work Jack. You need my address so you can send me a box?

And I ain't shooting no 3" or 3-1/2" turkey loads for practice! I'm too old. Shooting em at turkeys is one thing, but practicing? NO WAY!

I bought 6 boxes of ten of the 3.5 inch turkey loads, with 2.5 ounces of shot, most are 5 shot. In the supermag forget about patterns they are good to about 80 yards on anything. That is over 400 pellets per shot. It only takes a few in the neck head of a turkey, just saying.

Of course I have patterned them in that gun. In fact I try to get other people to shoot it just for grins. Nobody has fired it twice. I put the recoil well above my 300 Weaherby. That ammo I bought 10 years ago? I still have about half of it. lol

 

[austinjoe13]

I’ll be shooting about 520gr at them, this year, with a big bad broadhead.

 

[mouser868]

The first one I killed was with a AA trap load out of a modified choke at about 30 yards

 

[animalspooker]

Sounds like you might have been hunting something other than turkey Mouser? What gauge?

 

[mouser868]

Sounds like you might have been hunting something other than turkey Mouser? What gauge?

Was out after grouse, it was a 12ga. The shotgun was a Lafever Nitro Special double barrel.

 

[animalspooker]

I hope you had a tag in your pocket, Young Man!?

 

[mouser868]

I hope you had a tag in your pocket, Young Man!?

Tag? I don't need no stinking tag. I was hunting on my dad's property. Did have to take it to get it checked in though

 

[animalspooker]

Tag? I don't need no stinking tag. I was hunting on my dad's property. Did have to take it to get it checked in though

You don’t have to tag on private property?