What Makes a Shotgun a Turkey Hunting Shotgun This week, I'm discussing what makes a shotgun a "turkey hunting shotgun." Any shotgun can kill a turkey when shooting the right shells, at the right point of aim, at a turkey at the proper distance. However, there are certain things that we need to know about guns in order for us to have any sort of success in the turkey woods. To make any shotgun into a turkey hunting shotgun, there are certain things that we need to look for in a gun that we are going to use for hunting wild turkeys. 1. Bore or Gauge - we want to be sure we are shooting a gun that we can handle. Some gauges are just too heavy and have too much recoil for some shooters. 2. Chamber Length - having the proper chamber length for our gauge and what we intend to hunt with the turkeys is important to ensuring our success when the opportunity arises. 3. Action - the type of the action of the gun may seem insignificant, but shooting a gun with the type of action best suited for real life hunting scenarios is very important. 4. Fit - a gun that fits properly is a gun that will miss less frequently and will result in a much more happy hunting experience. 5. Length of the Barrel - Years ago, the thought process with shotgun barrels was the longer the barrel the better the shot and shotgun. That is not the case today. With today's aggressive choke tubes, a short barrel with the correct choke tube in it will shoot just as well as a long barrel shotgun. 6. Sights - Front bead, front and rear bead, Rifle Sights, holographic sights, and scopes are all sight options for our turkey hunting shotguns. 7. Recoil Pads - a great recoil pad on a turkey hunting shotgun can mean the difference in a lower recoil and fewer pulled shots and more accurate followup shots. 8. Gunsmithed Modifications - Back boring, Lengthening the bore, and porting are modifications that need to be made by a gunsmith to help our guns shoot better. But do those modifications really work that well? 9. Looks - The more camouflage we can make our guns the less chance we have of being seen by a wild turkey. Listen in to this week's show to hear more about what makes a shotgun a turkey hunting shotgun.