2011 turkey guns and loads
As if your wish list wasn't long enough…
Turkey Country got a sneak peek at the latest in guns and ammo for the upcoming turkey season. There are not a lot of new entries for 2011, but here are some well-designed products to add to your wish list and help you bag more gobblers. — J. Wayne Fears
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Mossberg Model 535 Turkey Thug Series
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Mossberg's "Turkey Thugs"
Celebrating Mossy Oak's TV series "Turkey Thugs," O. F. Mossberg & Sons offers four high-performance shotguns, each engraved with "Turkey Thug Series" on the receiver.
The 12-gauge pump guns feature Mossberg's Lightning Pump Action and a user-adjustable, creep-free trigger. Three of the models are dressed in Mossy Oak's Break-Up Infinity and topped with a Picatinny rail for mounting optics. Each gun has adjustable, fiber-optic sights, and two of the models come topped with a bore-sighted 30mm TRUGLO red-dot sight. Two stock options are available: classic stock in black synthetic or full-length pistol grip in Break-Up Infinity.
Choose from a Model 835 with a 3½-inch chamber and 20-inch barrel, two Model 535s with 3½-inch chambers and 20-inch barrels, and a Model 500 with a 3-inch chamber and 24-inch barrel.
MSRP: $409 to $642
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Remington Versa Max
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Remington Versa Max
Remington introduced the highly anticipated Versa Max shotgun last August. It's a 28-inch-barreled, semi-auto 12-gauge chambered for 3½-inch loads. The Versa Max features an advanced gas piston-operated action and is designed to withstand harsh field conditions while reducing felt recoil to less than that of some 20-gauge guns. It is fully adjustable for length of pull, comb height and stock drop and cast.
The Versa Max has received a lot of attention from waterfowlers and upland bird hunters, and the two new 26-barrelled offerings now available will interest turkey hunters.
One of the shorter barreled models is fully camouflaged in Realtree AP. The second comes in all black with gray overmolded grip patches. The black version includes five Pro Bore choke tubes in full, modified, improved modified, light modified and improved cylinder. The camo version is packed with four Pro Bore Extended choke tubes in improved cylinder, modified, full and extra full. Both guns feature stocks and fore-ends and HiViz sights.
MSRP: $1,599 (camo) and $1,399 (black)
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Viper G2 Turkey
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Viper G2 Youth
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TriStar Viper G2
TriStar offers two new turkey options in their popular gas-operated Viper G2. The 24-inch-barreled, 12-gauge Viper G2 Turkey is chambered for 3-inch shells and features a soft-touch finish on a durable, overmolded, pistol-grip stock. This fully camouflaged turkey slayer also is drilled and tapped for optics and includes a Picatinny rail.
MSRP: $579
New for small-framed hunters, TriStar has the 20-gauge Viper G2 Youth semi-auto. The youth model comes with a 24-inch barrel, 3-inch chamber, 13-inch length of pull, a soft-touch camo stock and fore-end, and durable blued hardware. Shoot light loads or heavy turkey loads without making adjustments.
MSRP: $536
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Winchester Super X3 NWTF Extreme Turkey
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Winchester Super X3 NWTF Extreme Turkey
The Super X3 NWTF Extreme Turkey is a gas-operated semi-auto designed for hunting in the harshest conditions. Protective Dura-Touch Armor Coating tops a weather-resistant Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity composite stock. It comes with a scope mount rail, adjustable rear sight and a TruGlo fiber-optic front sight. Active Valve technology expels excess gas to reduce recoil before it reaches the shooter's shoulder. The 24-inch barrel is back-bored. The 12-gauge has a 3½-inch chamber, and a 3-inch chamber in the 20-gauge. Each comes with an Invector-Plus Extra Full extended turkey choke tube.
MSRP: $1,399
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Federal Premium
HEAVYWEIGHT 2¾-inch 20-gauge |
Federal Mag-Shok Magnum Heavyweight Turkey
This new load is bound to pique the interest of those who like turkey hunting with a 20-gauge. Federal Premium's new Mag-Shok Magnum Turkey load in 2¾-inch, 20-gauge boasts 40 percent less recoil than 3-inch loads but is just as lethal downrange. The tungsten-based shot features a density of 15.2 g/cc (compared to 11 to 13 g/cc in Hevi-Shot and other denser-than-lead alternatives), which increases downrange energy with smaller, more numerous pellets. The load pushes 11⁄8 ounces of No. 7 HEAVYWEIGHT shot at 1,100 feet per second, and the FLITECONTROL wad — with its rear-breaking system — keeps patterns tight. This is a welcome option for those sensitive to heavy recoil, but make sure the smaller shot size is legal in your state.