NiteRunner Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 I've got a 500 20gauge and I'm looking to really sock it to the birds this year and help increase my range slightly (I'm shooting to 30 yards now) and get a better pattern. I have an UnderTaker choke in and have been shooting the Remington 3" turkey loads. What has worked for you in previous seasons? Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yarddog Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 my daughter took her first turkey at 37 yrd with a mossberg 500 20ga an undertaker choke and rem number 5's and it was a clean kill it just set down.i was never so proud:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowtech_archer07 Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 I would just get some different loads and try shooting them and see which ones pattern better out of your gun. When I used my 20 ga. for deer hunting, I shot 3 in. Winchester 5 shot out of it, and had a good pattern out to 35 yds. or so. But every gun will pattern differently so I would try Remington, Winchester, Federal, and maybe 1 or 2 other brands and see which patterns best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest turkeynutz64 Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 I've got a 500 20gauge and I'm looking to really sock it to the birds this year and help increase my range slightly (I'm shooting to 30 yards now) and get a better pattern. I have an UnderTaker choke in and have been shooting the Remington 3" turkey loads. What has worked for you in previous seasons? Laura I bought one like that two years ago from academy! Only I put in a truglo gobble stopper tube! It was a great shooten gun, I just cant stand the loose feel in those pumps! I go through the guns with a couple of buds! We buy sell and swap out all the time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawei851 Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 my daughter took her first turkey at 37 yrd with a mossberg 500 20ga an undertaker choke and rem number 5's and it was a clean kill it just set down.i was never so proud:) I wrote this almost two years ago an an NWTF Board I believe my experience will help you: As I get older (will be 56 in 6 weeks), the hills steeper, & the miles longer; I use a 20ga; and a Mossberg® by choice for several reasons: • I got tired of the heavy weight of a 12ga & the heavy recoil of the same. The 20ga is about 1½ lbs lighter & the recoil significantly less. • While I'm right-handed, I'm left eye dominant & thus shoot a long gun left handed. The ambidextrous top-tang safety was a big plus for me. Additionally the Winchester® & Remington® guns only have a 2 year warranty & the Mossberg® has a 10 year warranty. • Remington® guns require Remington® chokes. Within gauge however Browning Invector®, Mossberg®, SKB®, Savage®, Weatherby® & Winchester® chokes ARE FULLY INTERCHANGEABLE! • A Remington® 870 Express, on sale where I Iive costs $269.99+tax & comes with one choke, no sling or swivels. Conversely for $50.00 less I got a Mossberg® with three chokes, slings, and swivels. (You get the picture). I'm not knocking the Remington® or Winchester; it's just for me, the Mossberg® offers more for less money. The Mossberg® is not a cheap gun; it's an inexpensive gun, there's a big difference between the two. Now as to patterns & performance; chokes & ammo, this is what I have found & direction I'm heading (20ga Mossberg® specific): Mossberg® X-FACTOR™ Extended Ported TURKEY Tubes (lead only) Models 500®, 505® 20 X-FACTOR-Ported Turkey tube .584" 95231 $36.00 Mossberg® Accu-Choke™ Tubes (Models 500®, 9200® and Maverick 88™) 20 Full .590" 95215 $15.00 20 Modified .600" 95220 $15.00 20 Imp Cylinder .610" 95225 $15.00 20 X-Full .585" 95230 $15.00 Carlsons® 20 GA FLUSH MOUNT DISC ITEM# CONST PRICE Cyl #10107 .620 $19.99 Skeet #10101 .615 $19.99 I.C. #10102 .610 $19.99 Modified #10103 .600 $19.99 Imp.Mod. #10106 .595 $19.99 Full #10104 .590 $19.99 X-Full #10105 .585 $19.99 Turkey #10108 .575 $19.99 Hastings®SPECIAL 20 GA. EXTENDED TURKEY CHOKES FOR LEAD SHOT ONLY (wrench included) Stock No. Description Price I20562 20 ga. Chokes .562" Parallel Diameter $29.99 I20566 20 ga. Chokes .566" Parallel Diameter $29.99 I20570 20 ga. Chokes .570" Parallel Diameter $29.99 I20574 20 ga. Chokes .574" Parallel Diameter $29.99 I20578 20 ga. Chokes .578" Parallel Diameter $29.99 The tubes shown in red are the ones that I have. All are rated for Hevi•Shot® with the exception of the Carlsons®. My son & I have experimented with many load & choke combinations (his gun is a Winchester® 20ga pump). What we did was use the same, exact, choke tube in my Mossberg® and his Winchester®. Clearly understand I DO NOT MEAN TWO CHOKE TUBES EXACTLY ALIKE; I MEAN WE USED THE TUBE IN MY GUN THEN PUT IT IN HIS GUN. My Mossberg® has a 26" barrel; his Winchester® a 28" barrel. We used 3" Mag Remington Hevi•Shot® 1¼oz #4, 5, & 6 shot & 3" Federal GrandSlam® 1 5/16oz #4, 5, & 6 shot. Our findings were: • All chokes, in both guns, WOULD NOT PATTERN #4 SHOT IN A DENSE PATTERN SUITABLE FOR TURKEY HUNTING. [• The same choke & shot combination DID NOT PERFORM THE SAME IN EACH GUN. (I'll cite below • Conventional wisdom states that Hevi•Shot® needs a more open choke than lead shot. WE DID NOT FIND THAT TO BE TRUE. • Hevi•Shot® doesn't always pattern "tighter" than lead. My son's Winchester® has a definite preference for #5 shot. The absolute best load and choke combination for him was Carlsons® .575" Turkey Choke and the Federal GrandSlam® 1 5/16oz #5 copper-plated shot. My Mossberg® with any of our chokes DOES NOT pattern #5 shot as well as my son's Winchester®. My Mossberg® is at is absolute best with #6 shot and the Hastings® .570" Choke Tube. Using Hevi•Shot® or Federal lead it consistently puts 27-29 pellets in a 3" circle out to 40 yds. (With the Hevi•Shot® it's always 27 pellets! Using Federal lead shot its 28-29 pellets). My best target is before me from last year's tests. It reflects 61 pellets in the head & neck with 16 pellets in the brain & spine using Federal GrandSlam® 1 5/16oz #6. (This target DOES NOT reflect the 3" circle). I stated earlier the same choke doesn't perform the same in different guns; let me illustrate. When I shot the Federal® lead load of #5 shot with the Carlsons® tube I got 17 pellets in the 3" circle on the target. When my son used the same combination in his gun he puts 25 pellets into the 3" circle. When I use the Hastings® .570 tube & Federal #6 shot I put 29 pellets in the 3" circle. Using the same combination in his gun my son put only 11 pellets in the 3" circle. SAME CHOKES & SHOT YET THEY PATTERN FAR DIFFERENTLY. Thus you can see why my son uses the Carlsons® choke & lead 5's and I the Hastings® choke & lead 6's. What my son & I hope to do in the next couple of weeks is try Winchester Double-X Magnum loads & see how they perform with the above chokes; (#5 & 6 shot only). Additionally I will purchase the SWARM® Tube, & see where those tests take us. If we run out of Hevi•Shot® due to our testing oh well; both of us have proven performers in the Federal Grand Slam loads. Sorry to ramble on so much. Lastly take a look here: http://www.allaboutshooting.com http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3163692 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyt03 Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Best choke I've found is a comp-n-choke. Just shot it for the first time last night and you would not believe the type of pattern it was throwing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkeygirl Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 With my regular Mossberg 500 20ga with a 26" barrel, I started turkey hunting with it with the factory full choke and took around 8 turkeys with it...mostly pretty close range but I'd say one was out around 30/35 yards....and I didn't even really pattern back then, didn't kno such a thing. Started patterning a few years back and got an H.S. Undertaker choke tube for it. my spring and fall turkies of 07 were the first birds with that choke. Had a decent pattern, for me at least, out to 30 yards...haven't really tried past that, and really just patterned it with Remington and Federal shot. Now I have a brand new Mossberg 500 20 ga super bantam turkey gun with a 22" barrel, which is better fitting to me, haven't shot it yet though to find out what it likes best. But I think with a proper fit now, those birds won't know what hit them. I'm expecting it to perform just as faithfully as my big Mossberg. One thing about Mossbergs, their forearm may rattle a little, but it's a dependable gun and I haven't had any problems with em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Blade Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 I have a 500 20ga,,,I have not yet taken a turkey with it yet,,I usually take my 870....I bought a couple of cheap choke tubes last year and patterend the little 20......I bought a Carlson super full .575 flush mount and a Cabelas heavy shot extended tube.........Both tubes liked the Remington premiers in #5 shot,,,The extended tube was just slightly better......I tried some Winchester loads and other shot sizes from Remington but they didnt do so hot with my little combo.......... :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiteRunner Posted February 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Thanks for the help all! I'm going to get this gun of mine in shape for this season now!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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