Is 24Gauge OK for Turkey Hunting?

[Wapaha]

Hello all , Is 24Gauge OK for Turkey Hunting?
Thanks !

 

[roundball]

Sure...it's basically a .58caliber...Halfway between a .54/.28ga and a .62/.20ga.

You can order wads and cards from Track of the Wolf.
Couple bags of Oxyoke .58cal prelubed wool wads (100/bag)
Bag of OS cards (1000/bag) but they're only a few bucks a bag

 

[Linc]

Don't see why not. As long as it is permitted in your State and you have a decent pattern and plenty of umpfffff.

 

[Wapaha]

Thanks guys. I am obviously all new to muzzle loading turkeys hunting.I have killed numerous turkeys with all sorts of firearms, but they were always for food and back in the day.
Now I am trying to find something for a friend of mine's son.
So if I go with a nice original 12 to 20+gauge, I should not alter the original barrels by jug choking them should I? And is jug choking a real necessity or Old School OK?
Thanks ! Michael

 

[Wapaha]

I should have added that I am looking at shorter barrels like 25" to 31", if that affects anyone's opinions on jug choking etc. Thanks !

 

[roundball]

If you're planning on a Spring turkey hunt, you'll be lucky if you find a gun and get it in time to get basic load development done.
If you're talking about a fall turkey hunt then you'd have time to send it back off and have it Jug Choked if you wanted to.

But Jug Chokes are definitely not necessary...the cylinder bore with the right load of hard #7.5s can get it done to around 20yds, hard #6s to 25yds. Penetration of hard #7.5s starts to get a little iffy around 25yds.
If you're an experienced turkey hunter and good at calling them into about 20yds give or take, you should be fine.

Steel Tuna Cans at 25yds...#5s / #6s / #7.5s with a 42" barrel .28ga / cylinder bore

 

[Snow on the Roof]

In theory, yes. However be sure to check your state regs. Here in the "People's Republic of Illinois" .20 gauge is the minimum allowed.

Snow

 

[Wapaha]

Hey Roundball, thanks for that info and photos ! Do you think a 25inch barrel is OK with a 16 gauge for turkey? THX !

 

[mnbearbaiter]

Sure its probably fine although illegal in many states with a 20ga minimum! That would be a 62cal!!!

 

[roundball]

Hey Roundball, thanks for that info and photos ! Do you think a 25inch barrel is OK with a 16 gauge for turkey? THX !

Not an expert on these things...pure guess is I'd think it should be fine...some modern turkey guns have 21" barrels

 

[Lonegun1894]

My modern is 18.25", but it is something I had made up when I had nothing else to spend the money on and several friends and I wanted to experiment with minimum legal lenght barrels and to see what kind of patterns we could achieve. Sometimes I miss the days of having almost no bills cause of living in the barracks. BAck then, even the gunsmith said I was nuts and wasting money but he would take it if I insisted and didn't hold him accountable for any performance results. My short modern patterns as well as some of the best longer barrelled guns I have seen, but it is kinda stubby and handles like it.

So, yes, you can achieve good patterns with a short barrel, but it takes more work and range time to get there. I dont know when your season starts, but if it was me, with mine starting next week, I know I wouldn't have time. Having said that, it is after all your money so spend it how you want, but I am kind of curious why the insistence on such a short barrel? I mean, there is no added lenght due to the action as on a modern pump or semi, and it may be easier to achieve the desired patterns with a longer barrel. Just curious, but I'm using my .54 smoothy GPR with a 32" GM, so not much longer.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Say what? A 16 gauge is larger in caliber(.662") than a 20 gauge!
Be careful in choosing barrel lengths much shorter than 30". IMHO. Any gun you choose should Balance well between your hands. Short barreled guns tend to be muzzle-LIGHT- and feel "whippy" for most uses. 99% of turkeys are shot standing, not flying, and having a muzzle heavy gun gives better stability for the "Point".

I happen to shoot an older gun with 22" barrels. Its about as short as I would recommend, and only because its a S X S double barreled shotgun in 12 ga. The two barrel's weigh help the balance of the gun, but its still muzzle-LIGHT!

 

[Mike Brooks]

Iowa states 20 bore minimum and 10 bore max.

 

[BillinOregon]

Oregon is the same as Iowa, and shot sizes must be 4, 5 or No. 6.