Where I turkey hunt is very hilly and requires a lot of hiking. I'm looking for the lighest 12 ga. possible that will shoot 3 1/

[doug59]

Where I turkey hunt is very hilly and requires a lot of hiking. I'm looking for the lighest 12 ga. possible that will shoot 3 1/2 in. shells. Anyone got any suggestions? Doug

[Beekeeper]

Why do you need 3.5 inch shells? I use a Remington 870 with a cylinder bore 20 inch "Deer" barrel with adjustable sights factory fitted for choke tubes. I use an HS Strut turkey tube and 3 inch shells. With sling and one up the spout and 2 in the bomb bay it weighs a handy 7.5 pounds.

A three inch turkey load will kill any bird that walks at any sane range, for that matter so will a 2 3/4 inch shell. It's all in the pattern. You will find many 3.5 inch loads will be slower than the 3's and the 3's slower than the 2 3/4's.

[usmcturkey]

I agree with Beekeeper, you do not need 3.5 inch shells. I use a Mossberg 500 with a 28in barrel and a HS Undertaker turkey choke with 3in shells. I have killed two birds. One at 45 yards and on at 33 yards. You do not need 3.5.

[bscoones]

I also use a Mossberg 500 with 3 inch shells. I shot it last weekend at turkey paper target and 61 BBs in the head and neck. That was at 25 yards. I've shot birds as far as 43, and that was only a 2 3/4 inch shell.

[shane]

These guys are right. All a 3.5 inch chamber gets you is more weight. You don't need 3.5s for turkeys. Believe it or not, people kill turkeys with 2 3/4" magnums and 20 gauges all the time.

On the other hand, you can get an NEF/H&R single shot with a 3.5 inch chamber that weighs about 5.5 pounds. They are freakishly cheap. You only have one shot, but that's all you should ever need. You can actually reload pretty fast with practice, too.

You also might reconsider 3.5s after you let one loose from this gun, being ridiculously light and balanced towards the rear more. Get ready for a lot of muzzle jump and getting your cheek bashed.

With the break action, the barrel sits way back. Instead of having a long receiver that extends the gun's overall length. This makes for a very short, light, handy gun. Having a 26 or 28 inch barrel on these things is like having a 20 or 22 on a pump or auto.

I use an all matte black turkey version of this gun with a shorter 24 inch barrel and their TK2 extra full extended choke. I don't even want to know how much it weighs. Not much. Being a sadist, I used to use 3.5s in this thing for turkeys, but now, being a money miser, and one that likes my cheekbones where they are, I use 3s.

[Del in KS]

The cadillac of turkey guns is the Benelli Super Black Eagle. Mine is also weatherproofed with a flat green finish. Rem. #6 heavy shot loads with the correct choke tube are deadly as Cyanide out to 50 yds and beyond. The gun is not heavy, yet recoil is not bad. Add a sling and you are ready for the woods. This gun has taken roughly 30-40 turkeys, and no bird has ever walked (or ran) after the shot. It's great on Pheasants, ducks and geese too. Get the shorter barrel.

[shane]

Does that make my little turkey gun the Geo Metro?

[JohnR]

Remember, and Shane alluded to the fact that you will pay a price for recoil using the 3.5 inch shells. Couple that with a light shotgun other than the Benelli or another gas operated auto and you will have a real bruiser. Recoil can be a might still with 3 inch shells in a lighter shotgun too.

[buckhunter]

light gun + 3 1/2in shells = OUCH!

[shane]

Yeah...I'm a beast.

[Del in KS]

BTW my Browning Citori with 3 inch turkey loads kicks quite a bit worse than the SBE. I have shot birds with 2 3/4, 3, and 3.5 inch 12 gauge and 3.5 inch 10 guage pump, semi-auto and O/U guns. IMO the all around best gun of the bunch is the SBE. Pumps recoil much harder and if you need a second shot you have to move to pump the thing. A bird sometimes will ignore a shot but not movement. That SBE has had many duck, goose and Pheasant loads thru it in the 10 years since I bought it and it still works like new.

[Far Rider]

I don't know what the lightest 3 1/2" gun would be, probably a single shot like shane said. I have a Benelli Nova and hunt with 3 1/2" shells (not out of masochism, but because I feel more confident in their ability to kill turkeys at 40+ yards). I hunt in the very hilly Ozarks and do a lot of walking, but my Nova's weight has never bothered me. The specifications list it at 7.8 lbs, but like I said, it has never seemed overly heavy to me.

[hunt_fish_sleep]

You just committed a cardinal sin. Saying "Light" and "3.5 inch" in the same sentence. I hope you think you're tough.