Dove hunting is one of the most popular wingshooting sports in the U.S. Each season 1 million hunters spend 3 million days afield to shoot between 15 and 20 million mourning doves, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife. And 40 of the lower 48 states have established dove hunting seasons. In Texas, where 250,000 people dove hunt, the opener might as well be a state-wide holiday. That’s because dove hunting is fun, relatively accessible, and doves make excellent table fare.

Finding access to dove hunting can range from easy to difficult depending on where you live. In states like Texas, the birds are abundant on many properties. If you don’t have your own property to hunt them on, there are public-land hunt to be had in the southern part of the state. You can also pay a day rate for as little as a $100 to go dove hunting in Texas. In other parts of the country birds and access can be sparse, but if you scout hard or have a few acres to plant a dove plot in the spring, there’s a good chance you can locate enough birds for a favorable shoot.

Finding doves and having access to them are the two main hurdles to clear, but there are a few more things to consider, like where to setup, which shotgun gauge to shoot, and managing hunting pressure. To have a prosperous dove season you need to take all of these variables into account and balance them equally. In our ultimate guide to dove hunting, we’ll cover the following. Read straight through, or click on a section to jump in.

1. How to Find Doves
2. How to Plant Your Own Dove Field
3. How to Set Up on a Dove Hunt
4. Dove Hunting Decoys
5. Dove Shooting Tips
6. Dove Hunting Shotguns, Chokes, and Loads
7. Managing Dove Hunting Pressure
8. Hunting the Late Season

1. How to Find Doves

Locating doves in late August is paramount. Plenty of hunters will simply show up to a sunflower patch on the dove opener and expect to shoot 15 birds. Get an edge on the competition by scouting several locations in the days leading up to Sept. 1. This is critical especially if you hunt public land, but it’s also worth finding private, fresh-cut agricultural fields. When you find birds on private land, knock on doors and ask for permission to hunt. Look for recently burned wheat fields and fields that have been disced.

Water sources, gravel roads (more on this later), and power lines are also good places to find birds. Doves must drink, they use grit to properly digest their food, and perch on the lines. If all three elements exist in one location, you’re likely to find good numbers of doves.

Once you locate the birds, don’t just call it good. Spend time studying their flight lines, that way you can get under the birds before the flight begins on opening day (you may have to arrive several hours before legal shooting time on public land to claim your spot). — J.G., M.P.

Natural Food Sources Are a Good Place to Locate Doves

Given the chance, doves will concentrate on natural foods such as foxtail, ragweed, wild sunflowers, and any native grass that carries a head of small seeds.

Monocultures—areas that are dominated by a single plant species—can provide doves with abundant food, but areas dominated by a single food source generally offer a boom-or-bust proposition for birds. When seeds are mature and available the birds will have plenty to eat, but when the crop is cleaned-up the birds will largely vacate the area. Wildlife biologists know this and generally plant dove fields with a variety of mixed seeding plants including browntop millet, barley, grain sorghum, and sunflowers. A good dove hunting tip is to pay special attention to areas where there are a variety of seeding plants in proximity to one another when you’re scouting. These areas will attract birds throughout the season.

Most hunters recognize agricultural crop fields will attract birds. However, if you understand which native plants are most attractive to doves, you’ll be able to identify a potential hotspot that might be overlooked by others. Doves feed on a variety of native and non-native plants in the fall, and very few hunters can recognize all of them. Pay particular attention to stands of barnyard grass, ragweed, Johnson grass, lespedeza, poke weed (identifiable by its purple berries and stems), sedges, and wild peas. All these plants are very attractive to the birds—and largely ignored by other hunters. —B.F., M.P.

Water and Grit Are Key Factors to Dove Hunting

Water is critical for dove digestion, and the birds will not nest or roost far from a suitable water source. In dove terms, a “suitable” source of water is one that has little vegetation around the shore to obstruct the birds. It’s not uncommon to see doves watering multiple times a day, especially during periods of warm, dry weather. Doves tend to seek out water more often during the morning and evening hours, so hunting near an open water source late in the day is oftentimes a great way to shoot a limit. Ponds and rivers will attract doves if their banks aren’t too steep and there’s little vegetation, but seeps in pastures, small creeks, and even puddles are all favorite watering points for birds. Set up well away from the water’s edge and use natural terrain to conceal your location. Oftentimes doves access water from the same direction when they come for a drink, and once you identify the flight pattern you can set up accordingly.

Mourning doves have crops, which are essentially enlarged muscular pouches that extend from the bird’s esophagus. Crops store food while the birds are feeding (one reported dove crop held over 17,200 bluegrass seeds) and, in the case of doves and pigeons, create “crop milk” which is a rich source of nutrients for nestlings. To help digest the seeds in their crop, doves swallow small stones known as grit. Grit is often collected along the sides of gravel roads, so these areas attract birds and can offer a hot shoot. Just make sure if you set up in a fencerow near the road that it is legal to do so. Some states allow you to hunt the ditch on either side of the road, others strictly forbid it. —B.F.

2. How to Plant Your Own Dove Field

Sunflower and wheat are the two most common fields I see hunters shooting doves over, but you can also plant sorghum, millet, milo for dove hunting success. But for now, let’s focus on sunflowers and wheat.

The good news is that you don’t have to plant a very large field for good hunting. A quarter acre or less is often enough to draw doves.

The bad news is that planting can be tricky in the spring. This varies every spring due to weather (rain, snow, and cold), but if you’re planting a sunflower field ideally you don’t want to get sunflower seeds in the ground any later than the second week of May. Sunflowers have about a 100-day gestation period, so to get a good, full-grown head on the flowers (which means more seeds for the doves to feast on), you need to get them in by then. I try and plant in April (I live in Illinois), if possible, but in the Midwest you can get a freeze or even snow that time of year, so it’s important to keep an eye on the forecast. Folks in southern states can typically plant earlier without worrying about frost.

My recommendation is that when you have the chance to plant, do it. Don’t wait for a dry weekend. Take a day off work and get after it because the weather is volatile in spring. Our last few springs here have been especially wet, and I’ve learned the hard way you must plant at Mother Nature’s convenience or there won’t be a healthy crop come August.

Planting a wheat a field is much easier than sunflowers, because you can plant as soon as the ground is workable. Wheat seed is more like grass seed—it’s hardy and will grow whenever there is precipitation followed by a warmup and it won’t die off even if it gets buried under a foot of spring snow. If you want to spend less money (and time), broadcasting red spring wheat seed is the way to go.

Sunflowers take more time and money. To plant sunflowers, you will need to apply a chemical burn down on the field before the seeds germinate. This helps keep the field clear of weeds, which will stunt the growth of your sunflowers or choke them out altogether. Doves also like feeding in a clean field, not a weed patch, so you must use a burn down to have good hunts in September. You also might have to kill off your sunflowers in August to dry them out so the seeds will drop from the heads. That’s another added expense.

With spring wheat, all you need to do is get the field worked, spread the seed and some fertilizer, and cover it with dirt sometime in March or April. Then in August, you burn the field so all the seeds drop to the ground—doves love it. —J.G.

3. How to Setup for a Dove Hunt

Find the Right Hide

Doves have incredibly good eyesight so they can find tiny seeds while flying at speeds up to 55 miles per hour. Doves are good at spotting movement and avoiding predation, but research has also shown that doves may be able to see color, and the birds may avoid any hues that look out-of-place in their environment. This means that hunters need to take extra steps to conceal their location and most importantly, remain still.

Using natural vegetation is the best way to conceal yourself, so tucking in behind a screen of ragweed or goldenrod will make for a more successful hunt (provided you aren’t allergic to either plant species). You can also find a shady spot along a treeline with the sun at your back or use camo netting affixed to stakes and place it in front of your shooting position. Doves aren’t as wary as a late-season mallard, but they will avoid your field if you don’t conceal yourself. —B.F.

4. Dove Hunting Decoys

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SEE IT

Dove decoys will help distract the birds. Stationary decoys and spinning-wing dove decoys will put the doves at ease and bring them in close for a shot. Clipping stationary decoys to standing sunflowers, fence wires, and tree branches will help make your setup look more realistic. I’ve hunted many fields that had 15- to 20-foot wooden posts dug in the ground and a wire attached to either end to offer doves a comfortable landing spot before they feed. If you have a private dove field, I suggest taking the time to erect a wire in the middle of your field. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. Any kind of long wooden or metal posts with sturdy enough wire or rope will suffice.

Motion decoys work well the first few shoots of the season but eventually, doves will become wise to them. As the season rolls along, watch how doves react to the spinners. I always start off the hunt by using a spinner or two, but if doves shy away from them, I either turn them off or pull the decoys completely. —J.G.

5. Tips for Shooting Doves

Mourning doves are among the fastest and most acrobatic birds we hunt. They are agile enough to make even the most seasoned wingshooter curse their way through opening day. These birds dive, twist, change speed, change direction, and rise and drop so quickly and effortlessly that it sometimes seems impossible to intercept passing targets with any regularity. However, if you learn and practice the fundamentals of wingshooting, you’ll shoot more doves with fewer shells.

Keep your muzzle moving. The muzzle of your shotgun must be in motion before, during, and after the shot. One shotgun instructor that I trained with described it as stroking a paintbrush across the target rather than shooting the bird. This is the most fundamental principle for killing more doves, because if you stop the gun, you’ll shoot behind the bird every time.

Establish a solid cheek weld. Do this by bringing the gun to your shoulder and cheek as opposed to lowering your head to the gun. Practice mounting and swinging your (unloaded) gun prior to the season opener.

Your upper body and gun should remain fixed. Lateral muzzle movement is accomplished by rotating your hips left or right, and muzzle elevation should be controlled by flexing or extension of the back. When standing, keep your weight noticeably forward but not so much that lateral movement is impeded. If you typically shoot while seated, then take the time to practice standing up from a seated position and moving the gun. The neighbors may wonder what you’re up to, but you won’t get skunked on opening day.

Don’t worry about the bead on your shotgun. Your eyes need to be fixed on your target, and your gun should be moving with your body as you track the bird (this is why proper posture is so important). When you aren’t actively on target, practice “soft eyes” by relaxing your focus to scan a wide portion of open sky. You’ll pick up birds more quickly and will have more time to get on target as they approach.

Perfect your trigger pull. A bad trigger pull is often the result of choking the trigger with your shooting finger, flinching, or pulling the trigger at an angle—can move the muzzle enough to cause a miss. To remedy this, place a snap cap (they cost about $20 and quickly pay off) in the chamber of your gun and trace along the top seam of a wall, pulling the trigger as you do so. Pay close attention to the degree the bead deviates from the seam when you pull the trigger; ideally, the muzzle will keep moving on the exact same line as the trigger breaks.

Practice! You’ve heard it before, but here’s how to make your shotgun practice dove-hunt-­specific: For the price of a few trips to a high-end sporting clays range, you can purchase an electronic target thrower and position it on your range or property so that all the targets are angled shots or crossers, the primary presentation for most shots on doves. Having an electronic target thrower will help you keep up with practice year-round—and they’re also a lot of fun. —B.F.

6. Dove Hunting Shotguns, Chokes, and Loads

Shotgun Gauges for Dove Hunting

The gauge of shotgun you pick for dove hunting isn’t as important as making sure you shoot the gun you are most comfortable and accurate with. Opening day of dove season is no time to try out a new smoothbore you haven’t shot a single round of skeet with. Doves are some of the toughest birds to hit, so you want to use a shotgun you are confident with.

Doves are difficult bulls to hit, but not tough birds to drop. In fact, some hunters will say a 12-gauge is too much gun for doves, but a 2¾-inch 1- or 1 1/8-ounce load of lead No. 7s, 8s, or 9s is fine. Sub-gauge guns like 20-gauges and 28-gauges are also great choices for doves. But whichever gauge you choose, be sure to pair it with the proper payload and shot size. —Joe Genzel

Best Load for Dove Hunting

A 2¾-inch lead shotshell with shot sizes from No. 7s to 9s will get the job done on doves, regardless of gauge (a .410 shell is going to be 2 1/2 or 3 inches). For steel loads, you can move up to a No. 6 shot size if you want (a few manufacturers make 2¾- and 3-inch loads in this variant for teal season). Personally, I wouldn’t spend the extra cash on a bismuth load for doves. Same goes for tungsten. TSS is overkill on a dove. Where non-toxic shot is required No. 6 steel will do just fine. —Joe Genzel

Best Choke for Dove Hunting

I typically shoot an auto-loader with a skeet, improved cylinder, or improved modified choke depending on where I am hunting. If you shoot a double-barrel shotgun, that will give you the option of using two choke constrictions, which will allow you to pair your choke to the shot presentation. Small fields lend to offer closer shots; big fields, longer ones, so take that into consideration before the hunt and swap chokes accordingly.

However, every shotgun patterns differently, and no two shooters swing a shotgun the same. You must decide what works best for your style of shooting. The only way to do that is by patterning your gun on paper and shooting clay targets. Shooting skeet and five-stand are the best ways to replicate the shots you will take on doves. It’s worth spending time at the range with the gun, load, and choke you intend to hunt with. —J.G.

7. Manage Dove Hunting Pressure

Doves are not particularly sensitive to hunting pressure, but you can ruin a hunting area by taking limits from it day after day. By the end of the first week of dove season, most popular public fields will be shot-out and the remaining doves in the area will have decided to look for food elsewhere. But, don’t quit on public fields later in the season because most hunters will have moved on, and the birds might return. Or fresh doves may migrate in and utilize the fields.

 If you only have one field to hunt, then do so sparingly—allow a full day of rest before hunting again for optimal success (two or three days is even better). If you have multiple fields to hunt, then rotate between them so you don’t burn your best one. Sure, you might have bagged a limit on successive days in your honey hole, but it’s better to let the area settle before another shoot. Don’t exclusively hunt feeding areas either. Divide your time between feeding locations, grit sites, and water sources.

You can also extend dove season by limiting the amount of time you hunt. If you shoot 10 birds in an hour, get out of the field, and let the dove’s feed. That way they feel more comfortable and are apt to return. It’s the same philosophy some duck hunters use for late-season mallard hunts by shooting birds that are coming in to roost early—from 1 to 3 p.m.—and then pulling stakes to let the bulk of the birds return without hearing a gun shot. —B.F., J.G.

8. Dove Hunting the Late Season

At some point during the season, a cold front will come through and most dove hunters will move on to other game birds.

But don’t overlook dove hunting the late season. Somewhere to the north of you, hundreds of hunters are probably experiencing the same thing. That means the birds they’ve lost are likely headed your way.

Finding yourself in the middle of a good dove migration can mean seeing hundreds, if not thousands, of birds. I’ve had hunts with morning limits pretty much filled before the first rays of sunlight covered the cornfield we were hunting.

One mid-September afternoon, four of us surrounded a small water hole on the Kansas prairie and watched as a massive cold front with heavy rain came in from the northwest. For two hours there was never a time when there weren’t southbound doves in sight. Limits of 15 came so fast. The last five minutes of legal shooting light, guns already cased, I counted more than 100 doves that passed within shotgun range.

But migrating doves aren’t prone to hanging around long, so don’t waste time. If your mid- or late-season scouting turns up a flock covering a field of freshly cut corn on Sunday night, you’d better call in sick on Monday morning. —M.P.

Dove Hunting Q&A: Your Dove Questions, Answered

Why is dove hunting so good in Argentina?

Doves thrive in Argentina because the country is full of perfect habitat for them. The brush country of Argentina provides ideal nesting cover. The expansive grain fields provide plenty of feed. The mild winters make it easy for doves to survive.

How many doves are there in the U.S.?

There were approximately 194 million doves in the U.S. as of 1 September 2020, according to the USFWS.

What is the best food plot for dove?

Sunflowers and wheat are the two most common fields that dove hunters plant, but you can also plant sorghum, millet, and milo for dove hunting success. A lot of hunters favor sunflower plots because they are easy to grow.

The post Dove Hunting Ultimate Guide: Tips and Tactics for Bagging More Birds appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Many of the best duck hunters I know cut their teeth on public land, particularly walk-ins. These are some of the toughest places to kill waterfowl consistently because access is easy if you’re willing to to put in the effort. But it can be downright exhausting. It’s typically a long walk down a muddy levee, and if it’s cold enough, and the water is frozen, there’s more hard work in front of you. But that’s what makes this kind of hunting so rewarding—you have to sweat for ducks, and when you get’em there’s no better feeling.

At almost 40 years old, I still love walk-in hunting. I don’t do as many death marches anymore, but it’s fun to get out there on days when I know my brother and I have a shot at killing a few birds. That’s the key to enjoying walk-in hunting: Don’t go unless you think it will be good. It will burn you out quick, logging all those miles with too much gear in-tow, and returning with empty game straps.

This is the stuff I have accumulated over years of chasing ducks—mostly shovelers and ringnecks—in some of the most mediocre duck habitat around. But bottom line is that it works…and I wouldn’t walk-in hunt without it.

Upgrade Your Truck Tires

You might be wondering why in the hell you need a good set of truck tires for walk-in hunting. Fair question. Well, in my experience, walk-ins are the most neglected of public habitats by state agencies. You typically have to drive through some pretty sloppy/sketchy terrain to get to the parking lot, which is often a mud pit. Many times I have arrived on cold mornings when the ground is frozen and returned to a sloppy mess in the afternoon once the sun comes out. Stock tires will not get you unstuck. This year, I’ve been running Toyo’s Open Country A/T III tires. They’ve gotten me out of plenty of hairy situations when I might have otherwise needed a tow. If you drop the tire pressure down to around 20 to 25 pounds, I’m convinced they could get your truck out of quicksand. Dropping tire pressure is key if you’re stuck, and it can easily be done. Just don’t go so low that your tires are flat. And don’t feel like you have to buy Toyo. They have been great for me, but Tire Rack has plenty of options to select from, and the prices honestly aren’t that much higher than the on-road tire that came with your truck. So spend a few extra dollars and save yourself the aggravation. There’s nothing worse than getting skunked and then stuck in the marsh with no cell service.

Another Set of Wheels

No legit walk-in hunter carries all the gear in on his back. You need a cart. It will make your walks in and out infinitely easier. A few years ago, I bought a Rogers Toughman Decoy Dolly (it’s rated for 600 pounds, so my brother can haul me and the decoys out), and it’s definitely the reason I’m still a walk-in hunter. There are a variety of carts on the market, and you can also build one, but with the time and money you have to invest in the construction of one, you’re better off buying in my opinion. If you’re deadest on engineering your own, here is a deer cart build that will work. I typically hunt with one other person—or solo—and can put all our gear on the cart, no problem. The one thing you have to be leery of is mud. Carts don’t like it. The mud will get caught up in the wheels so badly that they won’t be able to turn and then you are stuck hauling all your stuff back to the truck in multiple trips.

Float a Jet Sled

I couple the cart with a Jet Sled, which holds all my gear and fits perfectly into the Toughman. Beavertail and Momarsh also make good sleds, and Cabela’s still sells ice fishing sleds, but they aren’t as durable. I put the Jet Sled in the bed of my truck, load it up, and then once I’m ready to unload it, I get the cart down first, open it up and prop it up against the tailgate of my truck so I can slide the sled in myself without physically picking it up. The versatility of the sled is what you really need it for. Remember I talked about it being too muddy for the cart? Well, if you drill two holes in the front of the sled (don’t drill into the bottom or you will spring a leak) and run a rope through the holes, you now have a handle, and can pretty easily drag the sled through the mud. Another bonus is once you hit the water, just jettison the sled from the cart and take it with you. It makes throwing decoys easier, and if the water levels are high it’s a good place to keep any extra gear, like jackets and blind bags, from getting wet.

Bring the Snow Shovel

Some of the best mornings come after the temperature dips below 32 degrees the night before. I always love to hunt a cold snap, because it moves ducks. The issue on public land is there’s no way to keep water open, so you’re likely going to be dealing with some skim ice. Ducks don’t like that, so I bring my dad’s old carpenter’s hammer and a snow shovel with a 2-foot wide scoop on it. If the ice has gotten thick enough that it needs to be broken up, I go to work with the hammer and make a hole. Then, I’ll come in with the snow shovel and push all the ice out. I get a lot of odd looks from other hunters, and hear guys say “why the hell does that guy have a snow shovel?” But the same hunters have come and found me to ask if they can use it once we are in the marsh. I always oblige. Sure, I would probably kill more ducks having the only open hole, but it’s bad duck juju to ruin someone else’s hunt because they came unprepared. Plus, I run into the same groups of hunters a lot, and you never know when you’re going to need their help.

Go Light on Decoys

I like to have the option to run as many decoys as I can (up to five dozen), and the key to success on public land is showing ducks a spread they haven’t seen before. About half my spread is butt-up feeders. They are light, take up less space than full-bodies, and mimic ducks feeding, which is more natural than a blob of head-up decoys, which is what most of your competition is going to be running. For full-body floaters, I go with the Avian-X Topflight series, because they are fully flocked and have a mix of head-up and low-head feeders. I use mallards, pintails, green-wing teal, wigeon, and black ducks, depending on the time of year. Variety is a key ingredient to killing pressured public waterfowl, and you should always have a few black ducks in your spread on sunny days. They stand out so much more than any other decoy with their dark bodies.

If I have a really long walk in, but need a large decoy footprint, I go with inflatable decoys from Lucky Duck and Dakota Decoy. Or, Lifetime has the FlexFloat mallards that are hollow in the middle, so they cut down on weight. I rig all my decoys with 3- or 4-ounce weights so they are lighter. If you hunt shallow rivers, that might be a poor choice depending on the strength of the current. You’re better off with a heavier mushroom decoy weight that buries itself into the river bottom. Mallard silhouettes are awesome if you are hunting ankle-deep water, or want to add more decoys in the shallows or on river sandbars. You can easily pack in 50 silhouettes and create a much more realistic rig than your neighbors.

Every decoy spread needs motion, and I typically run two spinning-wing decoys. I don’t use mallards because they are bigger and more cumbersome. Go with teal, wood ducks or gadwall. They are just as effective and take up less space. On-water motion is also key to a good spread. My best results have been with Wonderduck. The quality is unmatched. Many of the on-water decoys are junk. They fill up with water or don’t float. I’ve never had that issue with Wonderduck. Plus, they are built like tanks. Mojo’s Flock a Flickers are good too. They are a cheap way for creating motion and they don’t take up much room. Jerk rigs are one of the best ways to create decoy motion on windless days, and they will never run out of batteries or malfunction, like electronic decoys sometimes do. Ducks also get conditioned to avoid spinners as the season goes along, but they will never grow wary of the jerk rig.

RELATED: 5 Keys to Killing Reverse Migration Mallards and Geese

Dress in Layers

I still see a lot of hunters wearing blue jeans and squeezing into Neoprene waders. God bless them, but most don’t last too long on the cold days. No matter the temperature, if you wear Neoprene waders you’re going to sweat on the walk in. You will be warm for a while, but then that sweat becomes the enemy as the morning drags on, and chills you to the bone. I wear a pair of breathable Orvis front-zip waders with a rubber-soled wading boot, and depending on the weather will wear one to three pairs of longjohns. Or I put on a Merino baselayer and wear an old (warm) pair of sweatpants. But before I walk out, I shove the sweatpants in a blind bag. I might be a little cold on the way in, but that beats having to leave early because I sweated my ass off on the walk in and the wind is crystalizing that perspiration to my skin. The wader/boot combo is a bit pricey, but I’ve had them for five years now without a leak, and the grip I get with the boots is far superior than the sole of any wader boot I have come across.

I don’t put a jacket on when walking into the marsh either. And typically I don’t even wear a parka unless it gets real cold. Most public water is going to be frozen up solid anyways if it gets to the point where I need a winter coat. I like to wear two or three baselayers (one of which will be Merino), and add a vest to keep my core warm. Sometimes I’ll just go with a Merino layer, Carhartt hooded sweatshirt and the vest (but always bring a jacket along in case it turns cold, or you fall in and need a dry/warm outer layer). The key is you want to be able to shed layers during those walks in and out without having to carry around a bunch of bulky clothes.

Take a Pump Shotgun

My favorite gun is an old semiauto Beretta, but I typically don’t take it with me to the walk-in. It’s reliable, but autoloaders have more moving parts than a pump-action, so there is a higher likelihood they will fail. And I don’t need a breakdown after walking in over a mile. A Remington 870 20-gauge is my ideal walk-in gun because it’s lighter than a 12-gauge and will function flawlessly. You can likely find a used one for less than $300 at a local gun shop. Pump guns are also damn durable, and public land is often harder on guns than private duck clubs. So you want something that can take a dip in the marsh and still run properly. You might not get that from an autoloader. There is no worse feeling than getting up at 3 a.m., doing all the work it takes to set up, and having your shotgun malfunction when the first flock comes in.

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Most duck hunters head to the patterning board after buying a new shotgun to see how their gun shoots and identify where the shotshell pellets are striking paper. You might think the results are indicative of where that payload will hit greenheads and honkers come fall. But pattering your autoloader at the range is only the beginning. It tells you what a gun will do if you point it at a target and pull the trigger, sure. But that’s not how we shoot waterfowl. Unless turkey season is around the corner, I don’t actually pattern my guns on paper targets anymore. I head to the skeet range with an assortment of choke tubes and duck loads. Then I start shooting, and I don’t stop until I find the best combination of choke and ammo for that gun. That gives me a better sense of how the gun is going to perform on birds.

Since you might not have the money (or time) to get your hands on several choke tubes and types of ammo, I talked to some of the most hardcore waterfowlers I know—none of whom have sponsor or brand affiliations—to find out their go-to gun, choke, and load combo. You might be surprised to learn that those high-end bismuth and tungsten shotshells didn’t make everyone’s list. In my experience, you don’t need a custom shotshell if your gun is properly choked for the ammo you’re shooting. But as legendary king eider guide Russ Owen always says, what works for me may not work for you.

So here are some different options to consider before your next waterfowl hunt.

1. Shelby Kirby

Destin, Florida

In the summer, Kirby and her husband Chris run a fishing charter, but once fall hits they are off to Canada (when there’s no pandemic, that is.) From there, they make their way south, following the migration through the Dakotas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. They’ll chase snow geese, too, once the conservation order hits in February.

Four years ago, Kirby switched to a Franchi Affinity Compact and hasn’t looked back. She screws in a Carlson’s Cremator full choke, and shoots the trusted blue box, better known as Federal Speed Shok, which you can often buy for less than $15 a box. Speed Shok, along with Kent’s Faststeel (both all steel loads that have been upgraded in the last few years) are some of the most widely trusted among hardcore duck hunters. I shoot both often and always see empty hulls from each brand in every duck blind I hunt.

Kirby shoots 3-inch BBs for honkers and sandhill cranes. Snows, specklebellies, and ducks all get a dose of 3-inch 2s. She has tried pricier loads, but hasn’t seen any marked difference in performance.

“To be honest I can’t understand the hype in buying bismuth or tungsten shells,” Kirby says. “If the birds are where they’re supposed to be when you call the shot, Federal does just fine.”

2. Joe Weimer

Salisbury, Missouri

If there’s one guy I know who gets the most out of cheap hunting gear, it’s Joe Weimer. Weimer is so frugal that he carries his Winchester SX3 and SX4 in an old hard case one of his buddies was about to throw out. He hunts most every day of duck, goose, and snow goose season, typically until he shoots a limit or the sun sets.

For ducks and honkers, Weimer shoots his old SX3, which looks like it spends the offseason at the bottom of a lake. It still functions flawlessly, not counting one day in Saskatchewan when he forgot to screw the fore-end cap on tight. The gun’s guts spilled out onto the Canadian prairie when the first flock hit the decoys. He pairs it with Winchester Xpert 3-inch 3s for ducks and Browning’s BXD 3-inch 2s for honkers. The SX4 feeds a touch better than the SX3, so he shoots that on spring snows when the extended magazines come out and the gun is forced to cycle more than three shells in one volley. He uses Winchester Xpert Snow Goose shells for white geese—they are incredibly economical (and effective). A Rob Roberts T3 choke is always affixed to the end of both guns.

“I’ve never thought, Man I’d have killed my birds if I had some more effective shells. These just didn’t do the trick on that decoying mallard at 21 yards,” Weimer says. “I’m not saying other shotshell brands don’t work. But I’m at a threshold where I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything, so I’m not going to spend more. I hunt every day and I need something that works but that is economical. I’m not a guide or market hunter so numbers aren’t what matter to me. I try to shoot everything in the decoys, and these loads do the trick.”

3. Jeremy Thornton

Bartonville, Illinois

Most fall mornings I curse Jeremy Thornton for steering me through the gauntlet that is Illinois public-land walk-in duck hunting. It’s some of the toughest waterfowling you can do: lots of long walks for few birds. Plus, the shots you have to make on ducks are often downright difficult. Birds here get pressured badly, and like many states in the Mississippi Flyway, Illinois is seeing fewer migration days, which means more educated ducks and geese.

Read Next: 5 Tips for Shooting a Shotgun Better and Faster

Thornton learned long ago that you need to be able to shoot birds at distance here, and found that a factory modified choke in his Benelli Super Black Eagle 2 or M2 20 gauge works best. He shoots Hevi-Steel 3-inch 2s for ducks, and BBs for the big, greasy, local honkers. During snow goose season, Thornton just finds the cheapest 12-gauge steel load he can, because snows are notorious wimps who almost faint at the mere sight of a shotshell.

“I used to shoot Hevi-Metal [which is about $10 more a box], but Hevi-Steel performs just about the same…maybe we get a few more cripples,” Thornton says. “I never really got into the aftermarket chokes. I have a few Hevi-Shot chokes, but I like the pattern I get from the factory model. It covers up my bad swings.”

4. Drew Palmer

Arkansas City, Kansas

Palmer guides with some absolute killers in the Flint Hills of Kansas. They specialize in putting huge bunches of lesser Canada geese in your lap. The birds get so close that he sometimes pulls out an old Beretta with a mounted red-dot to snipe banded geese, hybrids, and Quill Lakes honkers (geese with white patches on their bodies) in tight. Most hardcore goose hunters will shoot a 12-gauge, but lessers are a smaller bird and a 20 is plenty for killing them inside the decoy spread.

His favorite setup at the moment is a Beretta A400 20 gauge, Apex Ammunition Steel/TSS blended 3-inch 4s, and an improved-modified Carlson’s choke. That rig will kill greenheads just the same, some of which are about the size of a lesser (and probably more hardy) in the late season.

“I swear by that load,” Palmer says. “It will kill anything I point my gun at. I shoot some other shells too, but Apex is hands down the best.”

5. Russ Owen

Denmark, South Carolina

For a long time Russ Owen guided for king eiders on the Bering Sea. It’s the toughest place on earth to kill a duck, and if your gun is going to fail ,it will most certainly happen here. For years, Owen relied on a Beretta Xtrema 2 and paired it with the first choke tube Patternmaster came to market. That tube, which only leaves the muzzle of his gun to be cleaned, debuted in 1993 and was revolutionary. It shortened shot strings to 2 to 3 feet so more payload connected at impact. He’s shot a variety of shells through the gun, including Speed Shok, Faststeel, and the little-known Wolf brand.

But now he predominantly is shooting the copper-plated bismuth 3-inch 5s from Boss. Shooting hardy kings at distance on the open sea takes serious knockdown power, and he needs a shell that can perform when there are so many different variables at play.

“Getting to the point where you are reliant on one gun, shell, and choke is really more about how well you know your gun,” Owen said. “I have an intimate knowledge of how my gun performs out to 60 yards, much in the way a bow or rifle hunter knows their weapon.”

6. Joe Genzel

Peoria, Illinois

As an outdoor writer, I’ve had the opportunity to shoot a wide variety of shotgun, choke, and shotshell combinations. But like many hunters, I’m a pretty average shot with flashes of good shooting sprinkled in there. I have the advantage of handling lots of shotguns, which gives me the unique opportunity to discover the best fit for me. And while I’ve shot different guns from time to time, I always go back to what I consider the best 3-inch autoloader ever built: Beretta’s A390 Silver Mallard. They stopped producing these guns in the late 1990s, which is unfortunate, because they’re truly workhorse autoloaders. If one breaks down, it’s only after tens of thousands of rounds have been put through it.

I shot a lefty Benelli Super Black Eagle 2 (I’m a natural righty but left-eye dominant) for a while because I was sick of reaching across the trigger guard to click off the safety on the A390. But once I had the Beretta converted to a left-hand safety, I shot it better on ducks than any other gun I’ve shouldered. Coupled with a Rob Roberts T2 (the gun doesn’t like the T1 or T3 for some reason), I’ve made some damn fine shots on ducks (and missed plenty, too). Hevi-Metal patterns best out of it. Any time I’ve made a long distance shot on a greenhead, it’s been with 3-inch 2s, 3s, or 4s. I know for a fact that choke, load, and gun combination makes me a much better shot that I really am, because all my best shooting days in the marsh unfolded with that setup in my hands.

The post The Favorite Shotgun, Choke, and Ammo Combinations of 5 Diehard Duck Hunters (and One Outdoor Writer) appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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More and more slug-gun states in the Midwest and East have legalized the use of straight-wall rifles during deer season in recent years. Straight-wall cartridges, like the .350 Legend and .45/70, give whitetail hunters superior accuracy at shorter ranges, making them safer to shoot than necked cartridges in densely populated areas. But rifled and sabot (pronounced “say-bo”) slugs are far from outdated. Countless hunters in the middle of this country take smoothbore and rifled-barrel shotguns afield each fall, hoping to punch a tag with these short-range projectiles.

Both rifled slugs and sabots are ideal for the distances hunters aim to kill whitetails—typically inside 150 yards—in shotgun-only states. Their lethality has been well documented after decades of successful use in the deer woods. But there remains a long-standing argument among slug-gun hunters: Which projectile is best suited for killing whitetails? Over the years, the editors of Outdoor Life have shot a variety of rifled slugs and sabots from the bench and in the field and know well the capabilities of each load. If you’re trying to decide which round is ideal for your hunting style, here are the realities of shooting rifled versus sabot slugs.

The Difference Between Rifled Slugs and Sabots

Hunters using shotguns for deer—either by preference or mandate—can select between a smoothbore that uses rifled (also known as Foster-style) slugs or a rifled bore for sabot loads. A rifled slug has small helical grooves cut into the base of the projectile, but the slug does not have a specified twist rate like a centerfire round does.

There is some conjecture as to whether the vanes in a rifled slug cause the projectile to spin at all. So, I talked to long-time gun writer Dave Henderson, who has decades of slug shooting experience and a wealth of knowledge after a 55-year career of interviewing some of the foremost ballisticians in the country. He also authored a book, Shotgunning for Deer: Guns, Loads, and Techniques for the Modern Hunter, which details the innovations in slug technology.

“Rifled slugs have no twist rate,” Henderson says. “The slugs transit the barrel static and exit that way. There are photos from a manufacturer in my book that clearly show the rifling on the slug is worn smooth in the barrel and the slug never rotates. The slug’s accuracy comes from the extreme nose-heavy design, giving it the ‘rock-in-a-sock’ or [badminton] shuttlecock flight characteristic.” 

The cuts are also there to allow the slug to pass through a choke tube safely. If the grooves were not in place, there would be more friction between the barrel and load, which would cause a considerable drop in performance or possibly result in a failure. The advantage with rifled slugs, of course, is that you don’t have to buy a special rifled barrel. You can use one shotgun to hunt deer, birds, and other small game.

“Rifled slugs may be fired in smoothbores or rifled barrels, with no advantage in either,” Henderson says. “The rifled slug sort of skids across the rifling in the barrel and exits the way it would a smoothbore.”

Sabot-style rifled barrels typically have twist rates that can fall between 1:18 to 1:36. For instance, the popular Ithaca Deer Slayer III and Savage 220 have a barrel twist of 1:24 (that’s one full rotation of the slug every 24 inches). But the Savage 212 has a 1:35 twist. Interestingly, former OL shooting editor Jim Carmichael found no statistical difference in accuracy between using a 1:28 and 1:32 rifled barrel in a 2008 slug gun test (more on this later).

“It’s the sabot slug that benefits from—in fact virtually requires —a rifled bore,” Henderson says. “The rifling grips the polymer sleeve(s) on the slug, imparting a stabilizing spin on the projectile while still in the barrel. In most cases the sleeve is discarded after exiting the bore.” —J.G.

Rifled Choke Tubes

Sabots can also be shot through a smoothbore with a rifled choke. Buying a rifled choke tube is a cost-effective way to use sabots in a smoothbore without incurring the expense of a completely new barrel. Sabots are streamlined bullets encased in plastic much like bird shot is loaded into a wad. When the round is fired, the slug remains in the plastic casing and spins down the barrel until the projectile leaves the muzzle. At that point, the sleeve and slug separate, and the projectile continues to spin as it travels downrange. Sabots are often polymer-tipped and sub-caliber, which translates to .50 in 12-gauge guns. By comparison, standard smoothbore slugs are between .72- and .75-caliber. —P.M.

Sabot vs. Slug Trajectory

Most 12-gauge rifled slugs weigh either 1 or 1⅛ ounces. Sabots weigh under an ounce, or 437.5 grains, and can range from 250 to 376 grains. Both hit hard enough to anchor any whitetail at a reasonable distance. But you will see more sustained velocity from sabot slugs. Sabots continue to travel at higher speeds for longer due to the aerodynamics of the projectile.

To confirm this, all you need to do is look at the trajectory of two 3-inch loads—Federal TruBall rifled slug and Federal Trophy Copper sabot—with a zero of 100 yards. The physical makeup of the projectiles is quite different, which drastically affects their performance downrange. TruBall has a weight of 438 grains and a muzzle velocity of 1,700 fps. Trophy Copper is lighter (300 grains) and leaves the muzzle 300 fps faster, at 2,000 fps. In the table below, you will see that TruBall’s trajectory dissipates more rapidly than Trophy Copper when both loads are shot out to 200 yards under the same conditions. —J.G.

Rifled Slug vs. Sabot: Which Load Offers Better Accuracy?

A few years ago, during a lengthy range session, I shot 2¾-inch 1-ounce Federal TruBall rifled slugs from an open sight Benelli M2 and Winchester 2¾-inch 375-grain Dual Bond sabot slugs from a scoped Browning A-Bolt. At shorter ranges (out to 75 yards), there wasn’t much of a noticeable difference between rifled and sabot slug accuracy. But when I started shooting out to 100 yards and beyond, the sabot excelled.

During my day on the range, I was not shooting rifled slugs through a scoped smoothbore, which could have contributed to the inaccuracies. But I have done so many other times and found that the rifled slug simply won’t perform at distance like a sabot can. For instance, that 12-gauge 1-ounce Federal TruBall slug weighed 437.5 grains, compared to the 375-grain Winchester Dual Bond sabot. The TruBall slug also had a muzzle velocity of 1,300 fps compared to the Winchester’s 1,800 fps. Slower, heavier projectiles are going to drop faster and have a less effective range than a slightly lighter, but much faster one. —P.M.

Jim Carmichael’s Slug Gun Test

Miller’s findings were confirmed by the ballistic data I gleaned from Carmichael’s test published in the October 2008 issue of OL. With the help of Randy Fritz, who builds the incredibly accurate Tar-Hunt slug guns, Carmichael tested 27 rifled and sabot slugs, shooting over 1,000 rounds from a 50-pound, remote-operated slug gun engineered by Fritz. Carmichael’s testing protocol called for five three-shot groups of each load out to 100 yards, though he did fire a few five-shot groups to confirm load consistency and the accuracy of the equipment.

The table below details the best 20- and 12-gauge groups from the four manufacturers—Federal, Remington, Winchester, and Lightfield— included in the test. Most of the loads Carmichael shot were sabots, but he did shoot two Winchester rifled slugs as well. You can see from the data that the sabot groups were much tighter than their rifled counterparts. —J.G.

Should You Use a 2¾-Inch or a 3-Inch Slug?

Most of my experience with slugs—rifled and sabot—has been with 2¾- and 3-inch 12-gauge offerings. It’s my contention that a 2¾-inch is adequate for killing deer, and that a 3-inch load simply generates more recoil with a slight amount of increased velocity. I chronographed Winchester’s Elite 3-inch Dual Bond sabot and found the muzzle velocity increase in a Browning A-Bolt to be only 50 fps faster than the 2¾-inch offering of the same weight. Granted, velocities can fluctuate for a variety of reasons, including the physical makeup of the bullet, elevation, and weather conditions, but I’ve never found that extra quarter-inch to make a marked difference.  —P.M.

 The 20-Gauge Sabot Slug  

When I worked in Illinois, a shotgun-only deer state, I noticed many whitetail hunters selected 20-gauge sabot slug guns. So, I was curious about 20-gauge range capabilities and asked Hornady’s Seth Swerczek about it.

“I think 20-gauge sabot loads are popular because of their reduced recoil,” Swerczek says. “Both of our 12- and 20-gauge sabot slug loads offer honest 200-yard performance, so you’re really not giving up any effective range by opting for the 20-gauge.”

A 200-yard shot with Hornady’s 2¾-inch 20-gauge SST sabot might be pushing the boundaries of that load’s effectiveness, especially if the shot placement isn’t precise. But the 250-grain slug can kill a deer at 150 yards. According to Hornady’s ballistics chart, the SST has a velocity of 1,331 fps and 983 ft/lb. of energy at that distance. Dial your shot back to 100 yards and the same load produces 1,200 ft/lb. of energy.

What helped sell me on the 20, aside from reduced felt recoil, was an opportunity to hunt hogs with a scoped, rifled-barrel Winchester M1300 pump several years ago. The longest shot I made was close to 100 yards, and the longest shot I saw anybody else connect on—with the same setup—was just over 120 yards. At 100 yards, those 20-gauge sabot slugs seemingly hit with the force of a .250-grain .45/70 (it’s actually about a 250 ft/lb. difference in favor of the Hornady MonoFlex over an SST slug in a side-by-side comparison). Regardless, the terminal results on 200-pound hogs, considerably tougher to bring down than a whitetail, were spectacular. —P.M.

Read next: The 15 Best Shotguns for Deer Hunting

Pick a Slug or Sabot Based on How You Hunt

Which option you choose—rifled or sabot slug—will be subjective based on your hunting needs. From 75 yards and in (with the occasional poke out to 100 yards) a rifled slug holds its own compared to a sabot. But if you have any chance of a 100-yard-plus shot, a sabot is clearly a better choice in terms of accuracy and trajectory.

I did ask Swerczek which sells better, Hornady’s SST sabot loads or the company’s traditional American Whitetail rifled slugs. He confirmed sabots are much more popular. That’s not surprising since most hunters are interested in getting the maximum distance they can from their firearm. But also, a sabot capable of shooting 50 to 75 yards farther can be the difference between killing your target buck and helplessly watching as it walks out of sight on the last day of gun season. —J.G. and P.M.

The post Rifled vs. Sabot Slugs: Are You Shooting the Right Whitetail Load this Deer Season? appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Duck hunting is an expensive pursuit. Just finding a place to hunt can be costly if you don’t have access to good hunting on public land. You also need all kinds of gear—a truck, boat, trailer, decoys, etc.—to effectively hunt waterfowl. It’s a big investment. And the last place you want to skimp on is your shotgun. Because without a reliable firearm, there’s not much sense in heading to the blind. That’s why the Winchester SX4 is such a great choice. It’s an ultra-reliable, gas-driven semi-auto for less than $900.

There are better duck guns than the SX4, but in terms of value, Winchester’s auto-loader is unmatched. It’s a 3½-inch shotgun with one of the best operating systems (Active Valve) you will find, and hundreds of dollars cheaper than a Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus, Benelli Super Black Eagle 3, or Browning Maxus II. And you get the same reliability from the SX4 that you would from those three guns. That’s why the Super X4 won the great buy award in our recent review on the best duck hunting shotguns.

So, if you’re interested in a durable duck gun that won’t drain your bank account, but will function when you need it to, here’s is a more in-depth look at waterfowl’s best value in an auto-loader: the Winchester Super X4.

Winchester Super X4 Specifications and Features

These are the standard options included in the Winchester Super X4:

• Gauge: 12 (tested), 20
• Action: Semi-auto
• Capacity: 4+1
• Chamber: 3½-inch (tested), 3-inch
• Barrel type: Chrome-plated
• Barrel Length: 24-, 26-, 28-inch (tested)
• Choke: Invector Plus (F, M, IC)
• Front sight: Red fiber-optic
• Finish: Black synthetic, Woodland, TrueTimber Prairie, Mossy Oak Shadow Grass Habitat, Bottomland, Realtree Timber, Max-5, Wicked Wing (Cerakote barrel/receiver with camo stock/fore-end)
• Length: 49½ inches
• LOP: 14¼ inches
• Trigger pull: 5.9 pounds
• Overall weight: 7.1 pounds
• MSRP: $899

The Super X Series Has Always Had a Reliable Gas System

Stephen Maturen

SEE IT

Winchester is on its fourth generation of the original Super X, which was introduced in the 1970s. The SX1 was chambered for 2¾-inch shotshells, like many of the auto-loaders and double guns of that era. It was also a tank (8½ pounds) due to its all-steel construction. That made it durable, but expensive to produce. Winchester stopped making it in 1981 because the SX1 struggled to compete with Remington’s 1100, which had a lower price tag.

Today’s SX4 looks much different than the SX1. It’s almost 1½ pounds lighter than the SX1 and sleeker than its predecessor. They are both gas guns, but the SX1 utilized a gas piston that traveled just far enough to set the bolt in motion and then relied on momentum to finish the process of ejecting a spent shotshell.

The SX2 more closely resembles the SX4. You could buy a 3½-inch version of that gun and it was available in a synthetic model, just like the SX4. The SX2 operated slightly different though. It used a gas tippet system borrowed from the Browning Gold.

In 2006, Winchester debuted the SX3 with the Active Valve gas system. It performed so well they kept it in the SX4. The one difference you will find in the Winchester Super X4 is a brass ring at the base of the piston, not a black rubber O-ring.

Active Valve runs as clean as any gas operating system there is. I’ve used an SX4 for my main duck gun the last two seasons and shot it on spring snow geese with a seven-round magazine extension affixed. The gun has never failed to cycle. It has slowed down when dirty, which lets me know it’s time for a cleaning.

You also won’t have any issues shooting different size loads through the SX4. A group of Outdoor Life and Field & Stream editors (myself included) tested this gun in Sept. 2021, at Pintail Hunting Club in Texas. We shot light 1-ounce target loads and heavy 1 1/8-ounce duck ammo on bluewing teal with the SX4. It cycled them all without issue. I also shot several turkey loads through my personal SX4 to break it in after purchase. It had no problem gobbling them up.

Winchester Built a Soft-Shooting Shotgun

Beretta’s A400 shotguns are well known for their recoil mitigation system, called Kick-Off. It’s a series of springs in the stock that softens the blow to your shoulder once the trigger is pulled and the force of the shotshell charge is sent backwards. The SX4 only relies on Active Valve and an Inflex recoil pad (a piece of rubber that is 2 inches thick). But the recoil you experience with the Winchester is only slightly heavier than the Beretta, which is to say it’s incredibly manageable.

None of our testers in Texas could tell much of a difference between the A400 Xtreme Plus and the SX4 when it came to recoil. The Inflex pad was built to direct recoil away from the shooter’s face. But it also cushions the “sting” your shoulder feels when shooting magnum 3- or 3½-inch duck loads by spreading the force over a larger area. The SX3 did not do that as well, because its Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad was not as advanced. It’s impressive when you consider the SX4 is a full pound lighter than the A400. Generally, the lighter the gun, the worse the recoil. But that’s not the case with the Winchester.

A Look Inside the Winchester Super X4’s Chamber

One of the concerns I had about the SX4 before buying it was the quality of the bolt. Gas guns typically cost more to manufacture than their inertia-driven counterparts because there are more moving parts to them. I was skeptical Winchester could pull off a gun that cycled shotshells reliably at such a low price point. I’ve shot the SX3 plenty and was impressed with its functionality, but Winchester lowered the price on the SX4 by $200, and my thought was: “that cost cutting had to come from somewhere.” (Just a side note: I was impressed the SX4 cycled as well as the SX3, and it has better ergonomics and overall fit and feel).

The SX4 bolt has the same simple two-piece design as the SX3. It has functioned flawlessly in all the SX4s I have shot. You pull it back to open the bolt and press the bolt-release button to shut it. There is no button under the carrier to press before manually opening the bolt, like you would with a Beretta or Benelli. There’s also no rotating bolt head, which ensures better lockup when the shotshell is pushed into battery.

The firing pin has been reliable as well. Sometimes pins on cheaper guns will wear out fast, and won’t strike the shotshell primer deep enough to set off the charge. I’ve never had that issue with any SX4 (some of those have been the guns of friends who hunt 100 days a year and put thousands of rounds through their SX4s).

Winchester Improved the Feel of the SX4

You already know the SX3 and SX4 are similar guns. Both have the Active Valve gas system and the same stock design, which comes with two ¼-inch spacers to adjust length of pull. But the SX4 has an upgraded trigger guard that is larger than the older version, so you can shoot it more easily with gloves on. The safety is also larger and square instead of a circle. It’s much easier to find when ducks are in the decoys. If you’re a left-handed shooter, it’s simple to switch the safety to the other side.

There’s also an oversized bolt handle on the Winchester Super X4 so you can load and unload it with cold fingers or gloved hands. The bolt-release button is larger on the SX4 as well. Both are protected by a nickel-Teflon coating (as is the carrier) to inhibit corrosion, which saltwater and brackish water duck hunters will appreciate.

The fore-end of the SX4 was redesigned so that shooters have a better grip on the gun in the unpleasant weather. There is a cut out on each side of the fore-end your thumb and fingers will naturally find. There’s also a checkered texture so you have something to hold onto. The SX3 did not offer that on its waterfowl models. It was a smooth, blocky fore-end that became slick in the rain or snow. A few buddies that owned them put shooting tape on the fore-end to ensure the gun would not slip from their hands.

Winchester Super X4 Versatility

The SX4 is light (7.1 pounds), making it a fine choice for walk-in duck hunters. The 20-gauge version of the gun is only 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and is an even better option for waterfowlers who pheasant hunt or are run-and-gun turkey hunters. Winchester makes the SX4 in a compact model with a 13-inch length of pull as well. And there are turkey- and deer-specific models too.

Winchester, and sister company Browning, have cornered the market on shotgun trims. The SX4 is offered in 20 different synthetic, camouflage, and a combination of camouflage and Cerakote finishes called Wicked Wing. Browning supplies many of the same options in its A5 and Maxus II.

Where the SX4 Came Up Short

You have to be nit-picky to find something wrong with the SX4. The exterior is not on par with more expensive auto-loaders, but again, you’re not paying as high a price for this gun.

The bolt reliably cycles, but it does take some force to pull back. It sticks a little when closed—especially in the cold—and requires some muscle to open. The loading port also gets lethargic. There’s never a feeding issue when you are shooting, but when loading and unloading the gun, it can take a few extra seconds to place the shotshell in the magazine or remove it.

How Does the Winchester Super X4 Shoot?

Since we tested so many guns (17) in Texas, we picked one distance (35 yards) to pattern each gun from. The industry standard is 40 yards, but we wanted to showcase the patterns at a more realistic yardage for duck hunters. Plus, your average hunter should keep shooting distances inside 35 yards. Once you get out to 40 it takes more skill, and the likelihood of crippling birds goes up.

We patterned each gun with Federal Speed Shok 3-inch, No. 2s with a muzzle velocity of 1,550 fps and a charge weight of 1 1/8 ounces.

The Winchester Super X4 was one of the best patterning shotguns in our test—not surprising since it uses the proven Invector Plus choke system, which many Browning guns have utilized for decades. Its best pattern totaled 124 of 140 pellets (89 percent) inside the 30-inch circle, which was only matched by the Franchi Affinity 3.

As you can probably tell by the custom Cerakote finish on this test gun (which is my personal SX4) there have been some aftermarket modifications made that you won’t find on a factory SX4. I did have the forcing cones lengthened inside the .742-inch bore to increase pattern density. But I’ve also patterned and shot a handful of other SX4s on ducks, snow geese, and clay birds. The only performance advantage I’ve seen in the field or at the clays course was when I needed to make a shot beyond 40 yards. My custom gun paired with a Rob Roberts T3 choke does shoot better at distance. Inside 40, which is where we should all be shooting ducks and geese, I’ve never noticed any difference.

The SX4 shot 60 percent above and 40 percent below point-of-aim, an ideal gun for duck hunters who cover up the bird and fire. The pellets did shade slightly to the left side of the target, but there were no holes in the patternboard large enough for a duck to fly through.

Final Thoughts on the Winchester Super X4

During our Texas shotgun test it was clear from the first morning’s hunt that the SX4 was a favorite to win best buy. No other mid-level shotgun challenged it for long. Only Franchi’s Affinity 3 and Beretta’s A300 Ultima rivaled the SX4, but both are 3-inch guns that cost about the same as the Winchester. There were better shotguns in our test, but you will pay a premium for them. If you want a price point gun that doesn’t cut any corners, it’s tough to pass on the SX4.

The post Shotgun Review: Winchester’s Super X4 Is the Best Affordable Semi-Auto appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Best Overall		Beretta DT11 Black	SEE IT
Best Sporting Clays		Beretta 694 Sporting	SEE IT
Best Upland		Browning Citori Hunter Grade I	SEE IT

The over/under shotgun is iconic in upland bird hunting fields across America. If you close your eyes and imagine yourself following a well-trained bird dog through an autumn field, there’s a good chance the shotgun you’re carrying in this daydream is a fine-looking over/under. But you’ll also find O/Us on clays ranges everywhere from the local club to the Olympics. It’s a proven platform that’s used to produce high-end competition guns and gorgeous field guns alike. 

But you’re going to have to pay for that combination of beauty and performance. Even though a majority of modern O/Us are made by CNC machines, they are often more expensive than pumps or auto-loaders. The good news is there are a wide variety of O/Us at multiple price points. The best over/under shotguns are costly, but there are also inexpensive options that will get the job done all the same, just with a bit less style.

• Best Overall: Beretta DT11 Black
• Best Trap: Krieghoff K-80 Pro Sporter
• Best Skeet: Perazzi High Tech Skeet
• Best Sporting Clays: Beretta 694 Sporting
• Best Upland: Browning Citori Hunter Grade I
• Best Sub-gauge: Fausti Caledon
• Best Value: Tristar Trinity

How I Picked the Best Over/Under Shotguns

I’ve shot all but one (Beretta’s DT11) of the guns in this list through my career as a hunter and a gun writer. I’ve also had the opportunity to interview some of America’s best shooters—namely Vincent Hancock, Kim Rhode, Zach Kienbaum, and Desi Edmonds—and I applied much of their expertise when picking the high-dollar clay sports shotguns. On the hunting side, I’ve spent a significant amount of time shooting less expensive O/Us. I have found that once the price of a break-action shotgun falls below $3,000 the pool of firearms deepens but there are only a few worth buying. Go below $1,000 and the number of quality guns shrinks even more, though Turkish gunmakers are doing well to close that gap. 

In short, I have shot a lot of attainable O/Us, and found Browning and Fausti make the best. TriStar O/Us are a great value and one of the better introductory options on the market. All of the over/under shotguns on this list are still in production. There are a ton of excellent classic O/Us that are no longer being made, but that’s another list for another time. 

Best Over/Under Shotguns: Reviews and Recommendations 

Best Overall: Beretta DT11 Black

Beretta

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Key Features

• Gauge: 12
• Action: Cross-bolt break-action
• Capacity: Two
• Chamber: 3-inch
• Barrel Type: Steelium Pro
• Barrel Length: 30 or 32 inches
• Chokes: Five Optima chokes (C, SK, IC, IM, M)
• Sights: Single white bead
• LOP: 14.37 inches
• Weight: 8.1 pounds
• Cost: $11,000

Pros

• Beretta’s Steelium Pro barrels and Optima choke system deliver superior patterns

Cons

• Depending on your preference, the carbon-fiber rib may make the barrels too light, so you will have to make rib weight adjustments

American skeet shooter Vincent Hancock has won a record three gold medals with Beretta shotguns, the last of which came while shooting the DT11 Black. And since it’s the shotgun of choice for the best skeet shooter of all time; it gets the nod as the best over/under shotgun. A carbon-fiber rib allows shooters to add length to the barrels without adding weight. Hancock used to shoot 28-inch barrels, but bumped up to 30s in the DT11. A longer barrel set can help keep your swing on track, and if you like more weight in the front of your over/under then you can use the included rib weights to find the proper balance. Beretta’s Steelium Pro barrels, used in the Italian gunmakers’ high-end double guns, come standard as do five Optima chokes.

DT stands for “detachable trigger.” You can drop the trigger out by opening the action, aligning the lever with the safety, pushing the safety forward to expose a black dot, and moving the lever to the right. Detachable triggers have crisper trigger pulls—the DT11 breaks at 3½ pounds—and it’s easier to clean and adjust trigger weight. The cross-bolt action of the DT11 is 3 mm wider than its predecessor, the DT10, giving it a stronger lock up so it can hold up even after tens of thousands of shotshell ignitions. Beretta offers a variety of different stocks for the DT11 so that shooters can experience a more custom fit.

Best for Trap: Krieghoff K-80 Pro Sporter

Krieghoff

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Key Features

• Gauge: 12
• Action: Boxlock
• Capcity: Two
• Chamber: 3-inch
• Barrel Type: Chrome-lined steel; adjustable floating rib
• Barrel Length: 30 or 32 inches
• Chokes: Five extended titanium (SK, IC, LM, M, IM)
• Sights: White pearl front bead
• LOP: Custom
• Weight: 8¾ pounds
• Cost: $13,000

Pros

• Assortment of custom fits and finishes (stocks, triggers, etc.)

Cons

• Shooters who rely on speed to break targets will not find the K-80 as responsive as the Italian-made shotguns

Krieghoff shotguns are built in Germany, but are modeled after an American over/under, Remington’s Model 32 (the split barrels with no side rib are a dead giveaway). The first Krieghoff was the K-32, which was replaced by the K-80, a heavier gun with more weight in the barrels. Trap shooters can change their point of impact with the K-80 Pro Sporter by adjusting a wheel located on the rib (12-8mm taper) of the shotgun. The stock also has a heightened cheek piece so shooters can keep their heads elevated, giving them an improved field of view to see the target longer. Because it’s meant to be shot in all clay-target disciplines, the Pro Sporter is more versatile than a traditional trap gun, which is why I prefer it, especially on doubles. This gun moves to targets more naturally for me. Old-school trap shooters may opt for the K-80 Tap because it has more adjustability in the rib and comes out of the box shooting a 70/30 pattern, but I like the responsiveness of the Pro Sporter. 

The mechanical trigger does not require recoil to operate, so if your hand-loaded shotshell is a dud, the hammer will strike the second primer, giving you the opportunity to break the target. Krieghoff triggers are adjustable for finger length and ship with a trigger weight of 3¾ pounds. Additional K-80 options include titanium chokes, barrel sets in 20-gauge, 28-gauge, and .410-bore, barrel weights for balance adjustments, barrel porting, and hand-crafted stock customization for an improved fit. 

Best for Skeet: Perazzi High Tech Skeet

Perazzi

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Key Features

• Gauge: 12
• Action: Boxlock
• Capcity: Two
• Chamber: 3-inch
• Barrel Type: Rough bored steel
• Barrel Length: 26¾, 27 9/16, 28⅜, or 29½ 
• Chokes: Fixed Cylinder or interchangeable 
• Sights: Red fiber-optic bar
• LOP: 15 inches (custom)
• Weight: 8 pounds, 11 ounces
• Cost: $11,500

Pros

• Built similarly to fine English double guns, but cost tens of thousands of dollars less

Cons

• Because Perazzis shotguns are started on a CNC machine and finished by hand, there can be some variability in the fit, feel, and functionality

Perazzi is only a 50-year-old company, young by Italian shotgun standards (Beretta is in its fifth century of operation), and draws its gun design from the London shooting houses of Boss and Woodward. The MX2000 and MX8 are Perazzi’s most famous competition guns, having won more than 30 Olympic medals. The High Tech Skeet is modeled after the MX8, the main differences being that the action of the High Tech is 3 mm wider and it weighs just over an ounce more. Even though it’s a heavy gun, Perazzi keeps a majority of the weight between your hands to make the shotgun balanced. 

Shooters can opt for a fixed or detachable trigger (3½-pound pull weight) with the High Tech, which also offers the choice of fixed cylinder chokes or screw-in chokes. There are four different barrel lengths to choose from, plus Perazzi will customize the stock to fit your body and shooting style. The shotgun’s rib can be flat, tapered, or reverse tapered, and the side ribs can be ventilated or left out completely. 

Best for Sporting Clays: Beretta 694 Sporting

Beretta

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Key Features

• Gauge: 12
• Action: Boxlock
• Capcity: Two
• Chamber: 3-inch
• Barrel Type: Steelium Plus
• Barrel Length: 30 or 32 inches
• Chokes: Five Optima HP Chokes (CYL, SK, IC, M, IM)
• Sights: White front bead
• LOP: 14¾ inches
• Weight: 7 pounds, 13 ounces
• Cost: $5,299

Pros

• You’re essentially getting a premium-grade Beretta competition gun, just without some of the bells and whistles

Cons

• There is nothing ornate about the exterior of this shotgun, so if you’re partial to scroll work, this gun only includes minor laser engravings

This is Beretta’s “mid-level” sporting clays shotgun—the DT11, DT10, and SO5 are the premium models—but for the average shooter the difference between the 694 and those guns won’t be noticeable with the exception of some exterior finishes. Beretta’s team of pro shooters had a lot of input on the design of this shotgun, working to make an over/under that has the capability and functionality of a more expensive gun, but without the extra cost. The stock is similar to the DT11’s. It’s beefy, especially at the pistol grip, so you can get a firm hold on the shotgun and mount it with precision and speed. Channel cuts in the stock improve your field of view, so you can find the clay target earlier and get on it faster. A fellow gun writer estimated the 694’s target area to be 10 to 12 clays wider than the average shotgun. 

The front of the 694’s fore-end is aluminum to take weight out of the gun. And a steel dowel pin was inserted across the fore-end to increase durability. Weights can be clamped to the barrel or inserted under the fore-end for proper balance. Automatic ejectors were also redesigned to ensure spent hulls eject from the gun. The previous iteration of this over/under, the 692, had some minor problems with this, which were fixed in the 694. 

Read Next: Best Chokes for Sporting Clays

Best for Upland: Browning Citori Hunter Grade I

Browning

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Key Features

• Gauge: 12, 20, 28, .410
• Action: Boxlock
• Capcity: Two
• Chamber: 2¾ – or 3-inch
• Barrel Type: Chrome-lined steel
• Barrel Length: 26- or 28-inch
• Chokes: IC, M, F
• Sights: Silver bead
• LOP: 14¼ inches
• Weight: 6.9 pounds
• Cost: $2,180

Pros

• Affordable compared to the clay-target guns on this list
• Well-made over/under you can pass down to your kids

Cons

• Only comes with three chokes, which means you have to buy aftermarket tubes to take full advantage of its pattern capability

Introduced in 1973 as a less expensive replacement to the Belgian-made Superposed, the Citori—made at the Miroku plant in Japan—was not immediately appreciated. It was, after all, supplanting a truly iconic shotgun. But more than a million of the guns have been built over the last half-century, cementing the Citori’s place in shotgun history. It has enjoyed a more than 50-year run because Browning was able to combine quality with affordability. There are few over/unders that cost under $2,500 with the kind of clean fit and finish the Citori exhibits. You can buy over/unders for less, but I doubt they’ll last as long. 

Browning’s Citori Hunter Grade I is built on a boxlock action, and it’s one of the more basic models in a lineup of countless variants. There are no fancy side plate designs or scroll work included, but it does have all that you want to hunt pheasants and other upland birds. The Hunter weighs 6 to 8 pounds depending on the gauge, has a vent rib barrel, checkered fore-end, and pistol-grip stock. An inertia trigger requires that the first shotshell fire before the second load can be fired. My only wish is that Browning would offer a five choke set so that we don’t have to search for aftermarket options. Adding a stock cylinder and light modified choke tube would be ideal.

Read Next: Best Upland Hunting Boots

Best Sub-gauge: Fausti Caledon

Fausti

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Key Features

• Gauge: 12, 20, 28, .410
• Action: Four Locks
• Capcity: Two
• Chamber: 2¾- and 3-inch
• Barrel Type: Chrome-lined steel
• Barrel Length: 26-, 28-, or 30-inch
• Chokes: C, IC, M, IM, F
• Sights: Metallic front bead
• LOP: 14½ inches
• Weight: 5.8 to 6.2 pounds
• Cost: $2,200

Pros

• Superior action strength
• Fausti makes some of the best shotgun barrels in the world

Cons

• Fausti shotguns can be hard to find in the U.S., but distribution is improving

Fausti has two shotgun categories—Core and Boutique. The Caledon falls into the Core category, which means it’s more basic and meant as an introductory option. You don’t get fancy side plates or engravings, but I’ve handled many other break-action shotguns in this price range and none come close to the Caledon in terms of quality. The 28-gauge version is my personal favorite. Transitions from the steel receiver to the barrels and walnut stock and fore-end are flawless. The action opens smoothly the first time—not often the case for most over/unders at this price. The four-lock system adds strength to the action so the gun won’t break down over a lifetime of shooting. It’s a low-profile shotgun with a vent rib that is hardly noticeable when you bring the shotgun to your shoulder. The pistol grip stock fits nicely in the hand, and the balance of the Caledon is without equal in this price range.

Best Value: Tristar Trinity

Tristar

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Key Features

• Action: Boxlock
• Capcity: 2
• Chamber: 2¾- or 3-inch
• Barrel type: Chrome-lined steel
• Barrel length: 26- or 28-inch
• Chokes: SK, IC, M, IM, F
• Sights: Red fiber-optic
• LOP: 14½ inches
• Weight: 6.3 to 6.9 pounds
• Cost: $719

Pros

• There aren’t many over/under options at this price point that shoot and function as well as the Trinity

Cons

• I have seen some inconsistencies with the point of impact of payloads during pattern work

Tristar’s Trinity is available in 12-, 16-, and 20-gauge (plus an LT model with an aluminum receiver to make the gun lighter). It retails for under $750, making it one of the best over/under shotguns for the money. I have patterned the gun, shot rounds of skeet with it, and carried it for pheasants, chukar, and other small game. I’ve found it to be quite accurate. The rounded silver receiver includes acid-etched floral engravings on three sides with a 24-carat gold inlay and an enamel finish.  The single trigger is mechanical, so it doesn’t need recoil to reset itself if your first shotshell does not fire. The bottom barrel averaged a 6.8-pound (three-shots) trigger pull, while the top barrel trigger was significantly lighter at 4.1 pounds in my testing. A tang-mounted safety allows the shooter to select from either barrel.

My 20-gauge had 26-inch chrome-lined barrels but the Trinity is also available with 28-inch tubes. The 12-gauge variant has the same offerings, but the 16 can only be had in 26-inch barrels. There is a vented top rib that measures 7mm, as well as a mid-vent rib. Chambered for 3-inch shotshells, the gun comes with a set of five flush-fitting chokes—SK, IC, M, IM, and F. Each choke can be identified by the number of etchings cut into on the top of the tube. The chokes are stored inside a plastic case. A key wrench is included for installation. The stock (14.5-inch LOP) is machine-checked around the pistol grip and on either side of a Schnabel fore-end. A rubber recoil pad (.62 inches in thickness) screws into the Turkish walnut stock. It did an adequate job of mitigating recoil.

History of the Over/Under Shotgun

Compared to side-by-sides and pump-actions, the over/under is still a young shotgun platform. There were some London shooting houses that built expensive custom over/unders in the early 20th century and German gunmaker Merkel produced spendy O/Us during that time period as well. But the platform did not become a success until John M. Browning’s Superposed debuted in 1931. The gun really didn’t gain popularity until after WWII when the German occupation of Belgium (and the FN factory where the Superposed was made) ended.

But the O/U quickly replaced the side-by-side, which had long been the gun of choice for sportsmen all over the world. It also took over the competitive clay shooting sports. Given a choice, today’s best shooters—from sporting clays world champions to Olympic skeet gold medalists—will pick an O/U shotgun over any other platform. The reason for that is shootability. The best over/under shotguns are balanced and well-designed—manufacturing an O/U takes incredible precision because there are so many machined parts that must fit together. Their stacked barrels ensure the shooter sees more of the target and less of the gun, which is not the case with a flat-ribbed side-by-side. 

Things to Consider When Buying an Over/Under Shotgun

If you are going to throw down for one of the higher priced shotguns on this list, then you should expect some amount of personal attention. These aren’t custom shotguns, but they’re not cheap either, so you shouldn’t be treated like you’re buying a used 870 off the rack. Make sure that the salesperson or your gun dealer is competent. Most of the high-dollar O/Us must be ordered from a private vendor (you can’t buy a new Krieghoff at Bass Pro), so that shouldn’t be an issue. Ask to be fit for the shotgun if possible. That way the gun can be adjusted to your body, which will help with accuracy. If a dealer won’t do that for you, or won’t recommend a gunsmith, consider going elsewhere.

If you’re buying on the lower end of the scale, inspect the fit and finish of the shotgun. The receiver should transition into the fore-end and stock seamlessly. Assemble the gun to make sure the barrels sit properly on the hinge pin and lockup when the action is closed. Bring the unloaded gun to your shoulder, close your eyes, and then open them to see if your eye aligns with the rib. If it doesn’t, you either need a stock adjustment or a different gun.

FAQs

Final Thoughts on the Best Over/Under Shotguns

What’s great about today’s best over/under shotguns is that you can spend $25,000 or $700 and still go home with a functional firearm (though it may not be quite as beautiful if you opt for the cheaper gun). That wasn’t always the case decades ago when U.S. gun manufacturers began buying Turkish doubles and having them shipped to America. There are still some lemons coming out of Istanbul (and other locales), but the over/under market is so saturated nowadays that it has forced foreign gun makers to build more reliable shotguns. If they don’t, shooters have a bevy of options at their disposal, making it easier to move on to the next over/under import.

The post The Best Over/Under Shotguns of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Best Pump		CZ-USA 612 Field	SEE IT
Best Semi-Auto		Beretta A400 Xcel Sporting	SEE IT
Best Over/Under		Zoli Z-Sport	SEE IT

Sporting clays is the most challenging of the shotgun sports. It’s also become one of the most popular because, well, it’s fun. Also, every sporting clays course is unique, unlike American skeet and trap, which is the same at any range. Sporting clays gives you the opportunity to attempt a variety of difficult shots that require good form and shooting instincts as opposed to the muscle memory you need to excel at skeet or trap.

Although you will see many professionals shoot high-priced over/unders on sporting clays, the casual shooter doesn’t need to spend tens of thousands of dollars to find their own best shotgun for sporting clays. For instance, if you are a wingshooter, your duck or pheasant gun (properly choked) is likely ideal for sporting clays.

If you are thinking about getting into sporting clays, a hunter who wants to sharpen your shooting skills, or an advanced target shooter looking to upgrade, here are three shotguns designed specifically for sporting clays for beginners, intermediate, and experienced shooters.

Best Pump Shotguns for Sporting Clays Beginners

• CZ-USA 612 Field
• Remington FieldMaster
• Browning BPS Field

Best Semi-Auto Shotguns for Sporting Clays 

• Franchi Affinity 3 Sporting
• Beretta A400 Xcel Sporting

Best Over/Under Shotguns for Sporting Clays 

• Weatherby Orion
• Browning Citori CXS
• Zoli Z-Sport

How We Picked the Best Shotguns for Sporting Clays

If price were no option, the very best shotguns for sporting clays cost north of $10,000. But if you’re a beginner to intermediate shooter who’s looking to up your game, all of the guns on this list present a good value. Prices range from less than $400 to $7,500. Many of the guns on the list make for excellent crossover guns that will work well for sporting clays and hunting. All combined, the authors of this story have decades of shooting and hunting experience and we’ve shot all of the guns included here. 

Shotgun Platforms for Sporting Clays

Since you will need a gun that holds at least two shells to shoot sporting clays, single-shot guns are out. That leaves over/unders, side-by-sides, pumps, and auto-loaders as suitable sporting clays firearms.

Over/Unders for Sporting Clays

Over/unders are the most popular style of sporting clays shotgun among those who want to purchase a shotgun specifically dedicated to this pursuit. Over/unders come in a wide range of price points. A serviceable double starts around $1,000 and the high-end break-actions will cost north of $30,000.

Over/unders generally break clays better if you buy one that has been built for clay shooting. This is because over/under stocks are more likely to be cast dependent on what hand you shoot with. Right-handers will have more cast on the right side of the stock, and vice-versa for lefties. Most over/unders have longer barrels—from 28 inches up to 34 inches—which makes for a smoother, balanced swing on clays. Some doubles will also have ported barrels to tame recoil and make it easier to get on the second clay bird.

Semi-Auto Shotguns for Sporting Clays

Auto-loaders remain a sporting clays favorite. Even some professionals shoot them as opposed to the more popular over/unders. Beretta’s gas-operated models are shooter favorites because they fit a variety of different body types and pattern evenly. Many women and youth shooters enjoy shooting the early 300 series Berettas, which is proof they have a remarkable fit as they were not designed for women or teenagers, but both generally shoot them well.

Gas-operated semi-autos have the added benefit of dampening recoil, making them extremely comfortable to shoot. They are not overly expensive, and if well maintained, will provide reliable service. The downside of gas-operated autoloaders is that they get dirty, particularly with cheap ammo. This means a regimented gun cleaning is necessary to avoid a shell hanging up in the action when you’re trying to break the second clay.

Pump Shotguns for Sporting Clays

Pumps are reliable, but you also must work the action manually to load a second shell and then get the gun on a speeding clay. But in this shooting discipline, you often have the time to pump the gun and crush the second target. There will be some stations that are more demanding and require a quick second shot, but if you can break doubles on skeet with a pump gun, you can do the same on sporting clays.

Best Pump Shotguns for Sporting Clays Beginners

CZ-USA 612 Field

CZ-USA

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Key Features

• Gauge: 12
• Action: Pump
• Capacity: 4+1 
• Chamber: 3-inch 
• Barrel Length: 28-inch 
• Chokes: C, M, F
• Front Sight: White bead
• LOP: 14.5 inches
• Overall Weight: 6.2 pounds
• MSRP: $399

Pros

• Reliable and inexpensive

Cons

• Turkish-made shotgun

I’m a serious clays shooter, but if I were just starting out and wanted a mechanically reliable, yet relatively inexpensive shotgun, I would select a CZ-USA 612 Field. The 612 runs superbly on the sporting clays field. I’ve shot one, and it’s a fine-pointing clays gun. I wouldn’t hesitate to carry it while tromping through pheasant fields or sitting in a duck boat blind. These guns look nice, shoot well, and are mechanically bulletproof. The simplicity of a pump-action gun means there’s very little that can go wrong. It can get dirty and wet and still operate to its potential.

The 612 Field features a 28-inch barrel with ventilated rib, which along with the added action length of the pump gun receiver, brings the overall length to 49 inches, which is about as short of a sporting clays gun as you want to use if you’re an adult male shooter. Available in 12-gauge, it features three removable choke tubes and a 3-inch chamber. This is a no-frills gun that should last several generations if properly cared for. It’s a versatile gun as well. You can shoot clays and hunt any bird species with it. And it costs under $400. —Dana Farrell

Remington FieldMaster

Remington

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Key Features

• Gauge: 20, 12
• Action: Pump
• Capacity: 4+1 
• Chamber: 3½-inch, 3-inch 
• Barrel Length: 28-, 26-inch 
• Chokes: IC, M, F
• LOP: 14 inches
• Overall Weight: 7.4 pounds
• MSRP: $600

Pros

• Very durable and an upgrade from the Express.

Cons

• RemArms is still a new company, so it’s too early to say what the future holds for their firearms.

RemArms, the company that now owns Remington shotguns, rifles, and handguns, discontinued the 870 Express last year in favor of the 870 Fieldmaster. The Fieldmaster is an upgrade over the Express and has proved to be an incredibly reliable firearm too. I torture tested the Fieldmaster in 2022, and the only way I was able to get the 3-inch gun to fail was by caking the inside of the action with a dirt clod and then completely submerging the gun in my family’s fishing pond. But with a quick field strip and wipe down, I was back to shooting.

The Fieldmaster comes with three chokes (IC, M, and F), so you have more options when shooting clays—the Express only came with a modified choke. Since the torture test, I have shot the Fieldmaster on skeet with no choke with fantastic results. Most shotgun manufacturers will warn against shooting chokeless, because it could damage the threads but I have never had an issue doing this with any of my shotguns. The action bars have a smooth metal finish to make pumping the 870 plenty slick, critical when you are shooting doubles. There is also a soft recoil pad affixed to the buttstock to dampen recoil. The stock and fore-end are American walnut and the steel receiver and barrel (26- or 28-inch options) are finished with a rust-resistant coating. —Joe Genzel

Browning BPS Field

Browning

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Key Features

• Gauge: 12, 20, 28, .410
• Action: Pump
• Capacity: 4+1
• Chamber: 3-inch 
• Barrel Length: 28-, 26-inch 
• Chokes: IC, M, F
• LOP: 14¼ inches
• Overall Weight: 7.10 pounds
• MSRP: $800

Pros

• Hefty overall weight makes the BPS easier to swing through the target
• Good option for lefties

Cons

• On the more expensive side for a pump shotgun.

In the last decade many gun manufacturers have been making clays guns lighter, specifically auto-loaders. The Browning BPS Field, however, weighs nearly 8 pounds. Though this may sound counterintuitive, heavier, well-balanced guns are easier to keep swinging through the target than light ones. It’s harder to stop a gun that weighs 8 pounds versus one that weighs less than 7. The BPS Field is available in every gauge but 10 and 16 (there is a 10-gauge Field Composite variant) with blued 26- or 28-inch barrels. It has a tang-mounted safety, which is more convenient and accessible for lefties than a trigger group-mounted safety.

Reloaders (and your trap shooting partners) will love the bottom-eject feature of the BPS. Instead of sending a spent hull off the course, it falls at your feet. You don’t have to go around searching for hulls to reload. Browning paired the Invector-Plus choke system (IC, M, and F) with the BPS. That reliable set of tubes that has been a mainstay of the Citiori. There is a thick recoil pad at the end of the buttstock, and the fore-end has grooves on either side of it to place your hand to make pumping the shotgun smooth. —J.G.

Best Semi-Auto Shotguns for Sporting Clays 

Franchi Affinity 3 Sporting

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Key Features

• Gauge: 12, 20
• Action: Semi-auto, inertia
• Capacity: 4+1
• Chamber: 3-inch 
• Barrel Length: 28-, 30-inches
• Chokes: IC, M, F
• LOP: 14.5 inches
• Overall Weight: 7.1 pounds (12 gauge)
• MSRP: $1,129

Pros

• Reliable semi-auto at a fair price

Cons

• Does not include as many features as top-end guns

The Franchi Affinity 3 Sporting is probably the best shotgun for sporting clays you’ll find at this price point. The Affinity 3 series is well-regarded as reliable, affordable, and sweet shooting, and their sporting version is no exception. The gun operates on an inertia driven action that’s similar to those found in Benelli shotguns—Franchi’s sister company. The minimum recommended load for the 12 gauge version of this gun is 3 dram, 1 ⅛ ounce loads, so you’ll have to keep an eye on that when selecting target ammo. Otherwise, this gun has some nice adjustability options with shims for cast and drop so you can get the gun hitting where you want it. It also comes with a cushy TSA recoil pad. —Alex Robinson

Beretta A400 Xcel Sporting

Beretta

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Key Features

• Gauge: 12, 20
• Action: Semi-auto, gas
• Capacity: 2+1
• Chamber: 3-inch 
• Barrel Length: 28-, 30-inches, 32-inches
• Chokes: C, M, F
• LOP: 14.25 inches
• Overall Weight: 7 pounds, 7 ounces
• MSRP: $2,219

Pros

• Feature packed
• Light recoil

Cons

• Gas guns tend to get dirty faster

I’m a long-time Beretta loyalist. Their shotguns are reliable, and most shooters shoot them well. Some of the best sporting clays shooters in the world rely on them, like Scott Robertson or Joseph Fanizzi.

Beretta has a long lineage of auto-loaders, the most recent of which is the A400. The A400 replaced the ever-popular 391 platform, which in turn replaced the 390.

Ask any reputable sporting clays instructor and he or she will tell you an auto is a good way to go when starting to get serious about the clays game. They’re not too expensive, and customized parts are readily available, allowing you to balance and adjust the gun to your liking and shooting style.

The Beretta A400 comes in close to 20 model variations, but for the sake of this article we’ll stick with the A400 Xcel Sporting. This latest model replaces the “Xcel” which you’ll still see on many clays courses. You can’t miss it with its blue receiver.

The gas-operated A400 is available with either a 28-, 30-, or 32-inch barrel. The MSRP is $2,219 and the gun comes with all sorts of cool features like enlarged controls, Blink gas operating system, and Beretta’s Kick-Off recoil reduction system. Altogether, these features make for a soft-shooting, fast-cycling semi-auto. If you’re a hunter, the A400 Xtreme Plus is the best option for you. That gun won our review of the best duck hunting shotguns, and it’s plenty capable on a clays course. —D.F.

Best Over/Under Shotguns for Sporting Clays 

Weatherby Orion

Weatherby

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Key Features

• Gauge: 12, 20
• Action: Boxlock over/under
• Capacity: 2
• Chamber: 3-inch 
• Barrel Length: 28-, 26-inch 
• Chokes: IC, M, F
• LOP: 14 inches
• Overall Weight: 7 pounds
• MSRP: $1,049

Pros

• Should be able to find at least $100 less than MSRP

Cons

• Should purchase aftermarket chokes

Weatherby’s shotguns are often an afterthought because the company is most well-known for making bolt-action rifles. But the Orion has been a mainstay in the Wyoming gunmaker’s lineup since the early 1980s. The Orion was first built to Weatherby’s specifications by SKB in Japan, then Fausti, and now ATA, a Turkish manufacturer. It’s not an ornate over/under—the metal finishes are blued and there is no scroll work on the receiver—but the wood-to-steel transitions are seamless. A boxlock break-action, the Orion has automatic ejectors and a selectable safety. The checkered Prince of Wales stock is more rounded than a pistol grip or straight English-style stock. A stepped rib 26- or 28-inch barrel leads to a single brass bead at the muzzle. The sidewalls of the barrel are vented to take weight out of the gun (the 12-gauge is 7 pounds and the 20 weighs 6.2 pounds).

You get three chokes (IC, M, and F) with the Orion, though it would be nice to have a cylinder and light modified choke included. Because they have two barrels, over/unders present the unique opportunity to shoot two different patterns from the same gun without the annoyance of removing and inserting different chokes. This is useful on a sporting clays range because you’ll be dealing with different target presentations at a variety of ranges. However, you can’t take full advantage of the Orion’s patterning capabilities without a full range of choke tubes. But still, this is a gorgeous over/under for less than $1,000 and there are plenty of aftermarket chokes at your disposal. —J.G.

Browning Citori CXS

Browning

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Key Features

• Gauge: 12, 20
• Action: over/under
• Capacity: 2
• Chamber: 3-inch 
• Barrel Length: 28-, 30-, 32-inch
• Chokes: F, M, IC
• LOP: 14.75 inches
• Overall Weight: 7 pounds, 10 ounces (28-inch barrel)
• MSRP: $2,530

Pros

• Capable on the clays course and in the field

Cons

• Not a true competition gun

The Browning Citori line celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023 to the delight of gold trigger fans everywhere. There are a ton of different Citori models, and the CXS version is what Browning describes as a crossover clays-hunting gun (hence the “X” in the name). Here’s the bad news first: The CXS is a little heavy for a dedicated upland bird hunting gun and it doesn’t have all the features of a true competition gun. But as with any crossover, you have to give up a little specialization in order to gain versatility.

A few years ago, I wanted a gun that I could practice with seriously on the sporting clays course and then hunt with in the fall. For this purpose, the CXS is perfect. Sometimes I don’t mind carrying a heavier shotgun when pheasant hunting, but I do mind missing roosters. The weight and balance of the CXS is perfect for my tastes; it’s balanced right in the middle and weighs under eight pounds (I’d stick with the 28-inch barrels if you intend to hunt with yours). The fact that I shoot it on clays during the summer helps me avoid making an awkward mount and bad shot on that first rooster of opening day.

The gun has some nice features, including: Invector-Plus Midas grade extended choke tubes, triple trigger system (which allows you to adjust length of pull by sliding the trigger forward or back), a mid bead, moderate palm swell, hammer ejectors, and Inflex recoil pad. The stock is a handsome Grade II American walnut (so not too fancy that you feel bad about abusing it in the field). 

There’s not much in terms of adjustability, but the gun fit me well out of the box and comes to my shoulder quickly. That’s helped me kill plenty of roosters, and crush clay targets, too. —A.R.

Zoli Z-Sport

Zoli

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Key Features

• Gauge: 12, 20, 28
• Action: over/under
• Capacity: 2
• Chamber: 3-inch 
• Barrel Length: 28-, 30-, 32-, 34-inch 
• Chokes: IM, LM, Mod, IC, C/SK, Skeet 2
• LOP: 14.5 inches
• Overall Weight: 8 pounds, 7 ounces (32-inch barrel)
• MSRP: $7,500

Pros

• Incorporates many features of a top-end clays gun at a lower price point

Cons

• None

You can spend what it costs to buy a new car on a pricey over/under shotgun. But for most of us, there’s honestly no reason to throw down more than $10,000 even if you are a dedicated shooter. That’s why I love the Zoli Z-Sport, which starts at $7,500. Available in 12-gauge with barrel lengths of 28, 30, 32, and 34 inches, this Italian-made shotgun is an ideal choice for shooters looking for an affordable high-end sporting clays shotgun.

The Z-Sport is available in a flat, mid-height and adjustable height rib models. All Zoli over/unders feature actions, trigger plates, and monoblocs built on forged steel, plus removable trigger groups. An optional BHB system allows you to fine tune the balance of the gun using incremental weights placed under the fore-end and in the grip. This is a gun that truly stands with the best of the best in terms of mechanical integrity and aesthetic appeal. —D.F.

How to Choose the Best Shotguns for Sporting Clays

Gun fit is the most critical component of picking the right sporting clays shotgun. You’re shooting at small targets that are typically moving faster than live birds during a hunt, so there’s less margin for error. That said, it’s difficult to be sure a gun off the rack properly fits. You should start by going to a trusted gun dealer with a knowledgeable shooter behind the counter. Also, many shooting ranges will have days set aside for manufacturers to allow any shooter to test their guns on skeet, trap, or sporting clays. Call your local range and find out if there are any such events scheduled and if the shotgun maker is sending someone to represent their company. That person should be able to fit their firearm to you and give you an idea of the ideal length of pull, cast, and drop for your shooting style and body type.

If you’re buying a shotgun off the rack, one trick I use is to mount the unloaded gun—pointed in a safe direction—with my eyes closed. Once I am comfortable with the position of the gun, I open my eyes. If my dominant eye is looking straight down the rib, that’s a good sign. You can also mount the gun and look into a mirror to see where your eye is aligned. If it’s not straight down the rib, then there is likely an issue with the cast of the stock. It’s also a good idea to bring along a gun that you shoot well and one that you don’t. This will help a competent sales person or gunsmith understand what gun fits you best.

Why Trust Outdoor Life?

Since 1898, OL has been a leading authority in testing and reviewing hunting gear, fishing tackle, guns and shooting equipment, and much more. We have more than a century-long history of evaluating products, and we’re now bringing that expertise to online reviews. Our editors are experienced outdoorsmen and women, and most importantly, we’re trained journalists. We prioritize field testing and objective data when reviewing products. We conduct interviews with gear manufacturers and engineers as well as outdoor experts so that our readers have an understanding of how and why a product works—or doesn’t.

Advertising does not influence our gear reviews and it never will. While we always focus our coverage on standout products—because we want our readers to be aware of the latest and greatest gear—we also cover the flaws and quirks of any given product.

Final Thoughts on the Best Shotguns for Sporting Clays

The best sporting clays gun for you is the one that fits you and your budget well. You don’t need to spend a fortune in order to shoot high scores. You just need practice. Most of the sporting clays shooters I know shoot in order to sharpen their skills for hunting season (and because it’s fun). So, it makes sense that most field guns will perform just fine on the clays course. However, if you are pursuing sporting clays as your primary passion, it’s wise to go with a high-end gun that can be easily adjusted to fit you precisely. 

Best Pump Shotguns for Sporting Clays Beginners

• CZ-USA 612 Field
• Remington FieldMaster
• Browning BPS Field

Best Semi-Auto Shotguns for Sporting Clays 

• Franchi Affinity 3 Sporting
• Beretta A400 Xcel Sporting

Best Over/Under Shotguns for Sporting Clays 

• Weatherby Orion
• Browning Citori CXS
• Zoli Z-Sport

The post The Best Shotguns for Sporting Clays of 2023, Tested and Reviewed appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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After testing over a dozen waders in flooded timber, backcountry streams, and large rivers we picked the six best waders for hunting and fishing. If you’re interested in reading more options, we have buying guides on the best duck hunting waders, best fly fishing waders, and best waders for women.

• Best for Fly Fishing: Simms G3 Guide Waders
• Best Budget Fishing Wader: Frogg Toggs Canyon II
• Best Duck Hunting Waders Overall: Sitka Delta Zip Wader
• Best Priced Duck Hunting Waders: Frogg Toggs Grand Refuge 3.0
• Best Women’s Wader for Cold Weather: Patagonia Women’s Swiftcurrent Waders
• Most Rugged Women’s Wader: Orvis Pro Wader

How We Chose the Best Waders

The below waders were tested by Outdoor Life staff and writers while hunting and fishing. Durability, fit, and comfort were the key attributes tested.

Best Waders Reviews and Recommendations

Best for Fly Fishing: Simms G3 Guide Waders

Simms

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Key Features

• 3- and 4-layer Gore-Tex fabric
• Exterior fly patch
• Air mesh suspenders
• Large array of sizes

Pros

• Breathable
• No lace hooks
• Durable

Cons

• More expensive than some competitors

Simms is the unquestioned leader in the industry when it comes to waders. Some notable updates to these G3 waders include the addition of air mesh suspenders, which are significantly more comfortable than the solid fabric suspenders of the older models. Simms also managed to make the waders more supple and comfortable using a 3-layer Gore-Tex fabric upper section and improved the durability of the lower section using 4-layer Gore-Tex material. This results in a more comfortable, breathable wader that’s noticeably more tear and puncture resistant. 

Simms always focuses on building waders and products that solve problems or otherwise improve the angling experience. While it’s one of the smallest updates, nowhere is this mindset more noticeable on the G3 than with the removal of the pesky lace hooks on the built-in gravel guards. These hooks come standard on nearly all waders, and for the life of me I can’t figure out why. They rarely accomplish their limited task, and when they inevitably come unhooked, they create a seemingly magnetic attraction to fly line and cause constant foul-ups. 

There are a number of other quality additions, from zippered and fleece lined side pouches to the exterior fly patch, and all of them create an excellent wader with all the features a hardcore angler needs for a successful day on the water. The Simms G3 aren’t the top-of-the-line wader on the market, nor are they the cheapest. However, they do provide the absolute best all-around option for a dedicated recreational angler looking for high-end quality without dropping high-end money. – Kevin Hughes

Best Budget Fishing Waders: Frogg Toggs Canyon II

Frogg Toggs

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Key Features

• Sizes: S-2XL
• Gravel guards
• 4mm neoprene booties
• 4-ply nylon upper
• Stocking foot
• Includes a wading belt

Pros 

• Breathable
• Lightweight

Cons

• No waterproof pocket

I rarely need chest waders, so it doesn’t make sense for me to drop $600 on them. But, I also want waders that will perform the few times of year I do throw them on. At around $130, my Frogg Toggs Canyon II waders fit those requirements perfectly. I bought them ahead of a Salmon River trip and lived in them for three days as I stalked salmon in the riffles. I’ve since used them for my winter trout fishing with no leaks or issues. I like the comfortable shoulder straps, and the breathability is nice to prevent sweating while hiking into un-pressured waters. The Canyon II has two small pockets—one internal and one external. I typically use the internal pocket for important items like my license and keys. I use the water resistant external pocket to keep my phone at easy reach for photos. The Canyon II lacks the pockets, reinforced knees, and refined fit of premium waders, and you’ll also need to layer underneath them when fishing in cold water. But if your type of fishing doesn’t demand those added features or you’re just getting started, these waders will fit the bill nicely. —Scott Einsmann

Best Duck Hunting Waders Overall: Sitka Delta Zip Wader

Sitka

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Why it Made the Cut

Delta are the best duck hunting waders overall because it’s an incredibly comfortable and durable wader that will keep your feet and body warm as long as you layer appropriately.

Key Features

• Lacrosse insulated boots
• GORE-TEX
• Waterproof YKK AQUASEAL® zipper
• Reinforced knee and shin pads
• Adjustable no-buckle suspension
• Water-resistant zippered storage pockets
• Handwarmer pocket
• Boot sizes: 9 to 13
• Sizes: Small to XXL and tall sizes 

Pros

• Extremely comfortable and lightweight
• Boot fit and warmth is unmatched
• Zip front is convenient

Cons

• They’re expensive
• The service program can be slow at times
• D-Ring placement not ideal

The sticker shock on the Delta is unlike almost any other piece of duck hunting gear in waterfowl. It’s tough to get past $1,000 for waders, but it is the most comfortable hunting wader I’ve worn. It’s uninsulated, which is a negative for some, but if you want to be able to move more freely, a breathable wader is the way to go. You must layer up to stay warm when it’s cold. The zip-front also makes putting on and taking off the Deltas easy. And when nature calls, it’s nice not to have to worry about your waders falling in the water. The knee and shin guards are ideal when you must break ice, or if you fall and must take a knee, it saves your joints. The Lacrosse boot is incredibly warm. While wearing these waders, I’ve never had cold feet, and the tread offered exceptional grip.

The wader straps are a hassle at first. It’s not a buckle system. A piece of steel slips into the pockets located on the straps, which gives you more adjustability, but the straps tend to fall out every time you take the waders off. There is a small hook at the top of the steel that holds the straps in place, but the strap can come loose. That is until you get them good and muddy, and they stiffen up or dry mud sticks them to the steel insert. Also, the zipper can get stiff. There is zipper lubricant Sitka makes and sends with the waders that will help. I have sprayed it down with WD-40 or gun oil, and it slicks up. The D-ring on the elastic belt isn’t ideal. If you hook too many decoys it stretches away from the wader. Having the D-ring integrated into a steel insert on the upper or fabric of the wader would give it more strength.

There are three different color options for the Delta—Optifade Marsh and Timber or the new Earth solid. It also is available in boot sizes from 9 to 13, and comes in 11 different body sizes from small to XXL. MSRP: $999 -Joe Genzel

Best Priced Duck Hunting Waders: Frogg Toggs Grand Refuge 3.0

Frogg Toggs

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Key Features 

• Adjustable suspenders with low-profile buckles and D-rings
• Internal zippered flip-out, see-through pocket
• 4-ply polyester upper
• Zippered front storage pocket with quick-access, 10-count shell holder
• Internal fleece-lined hand warmer pocket
• Adjustable wading belt with locking buckle
• 120-gram quilted insulated liner
• Patented zip-in, zip-out removable insulated liner
• Heavy-duty, abrasion-resistant nylon in the shin, knee, and seat areas
• 5mm, 1,200-gram Thinsulate Ridgebuster boot

Pros

• Zip-out liner
• Affordability
• One-year warranty

Cons

• Boot seal is unprotected
• Boot slightly heavy
• Small chest pocket

I have several frugal friends that wear these affordable, durable waders. None of those buddies reported a failure in the first season of hunting in them. The boots are excellent considering this is a $300 wader, though they are slightly heavy if you must walk into the blind. But I would put the tread and warmth of the boot up against any in this review except for Sitka, Lacrosse, and Chêne. The internal fleece-lined handwarmer keeps your hands much warmer than the pass-through types on the outside of waders. Since the warmer is on the inside of the wader you have the added warmth your own body heat provides.

A zip-out liner allows you to add insulation late-season or remove it during hot September teal hunts. The shoulder straps provide plenty of adjustment. I’m 6’4” and had plenty of stretch left in the straps. Frogg Toggs’ buckle system is a raised piece of plastic that fits into a hole on another piece of plastic affixed to the wader. You simply slide the strap up to secure it in place and it sits flat against your chest. A 10-shell holder on the chest of the wader keeps ammo at the ready, and there is also a small, zippered pocket above that for small items. There is a one-year factory warranty on the waders, which is remarkable for a $300 wader. Available in boot sizes 7 to 14 in slim, regular, or husky, and Mossy Oak, Realtree, and Natural Gear camo options. MSRP: $300 – Joe Genzel

Best Women’s Wader for Cold Weather: Patagonia Women’s Swiftcurrent Waders

Patagonia

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Key Features

• Recycled polyester microfiber shell 
• Single seam construction for durability
• Rear-buckle drop seat
• Velcro reach-through pocket

Pros

• Easy access for nature’s calls
• Comfortable
• Lightweight

Cons

• Baggy, especially in the chest portion

Choosing a stocking-foot wader for cold weather may feel like a fool’s errand. They’re all thin, and they all need to be big enough to fit over plenty of layers. But there’s a reason this pair made the list as the best wader for cold weather: the drop seat. 

Patagonia has figured out an imperfect solution to bathroom needs on the river. The drop seat likely isn’t as convenient as a front zipper in men’s waders, but it’s leagues better than the alternative. Too many winter days in below zero temperatures have I had to take off my raincoat and whatever else didn’t fit inside my waders to strip down to heed nature’s call. It’s never ideal and always very, very cold. Enter EZ-Lock suspenders and rear-buckle drop-seat. 

The EZ-Lock suspenders mean instead of clipping your suspenders on and off as you do with most waders, you slip them over your shoulder, pull up the front of the waders, and clip the lock closed. When you need to tuck behind a bush, you just undo the locks, reach around back, unclip the suspenders, then pull your waders down—no need to take off or even unzip your wading jacket. Just pull everything up when you’re done, reach behind and clip it back together. The suspenders are designed to stay put around your neck, and they do. 

The Swiftcurrent waders are plenty big in the top and legs, giving sufficient room for those critical cold-water-day layers, but they’re also light enough to navigate along slippery riverbanks and rocky bottoms. 

They have a minimalist design on the front with Velcro closing the hand warmer pocket and a zippered pocket for tippet, flies, and other gear. As one extra perk, the interior pocket is waterproof, which means you have a safe place to store your phone or other valuables. -Christine Peterson

Most Rugged Women’s Wader: Orvis Pro Wader

Orvis

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Key Features

• Removable knee pads
• Durable, 4-layer upper shell and 5-layer bottom
• Massive interior mesh stretch pocket
• Reach-through pocket with water-resistant zippers

Pros

• Durable
• Athletic, thoughtful design
• Knee pads 

Cons

• Can feel stiff

If you fish a lot, this is your wader. It’s called the PRO for a reason, and it’s because this is one of the best waders for women who spend their lives on the water. From top to bottom, from the sturdy buckles to the anatomically-correct neoprene booties, the wader has been carefully designed. 

It feels stiff at first, but it’s also the most durable wader I’ve ever worn. Bushwhacking through miles of thorny greasewood didn’t phase them, and neither did kneeling on sharp rocks and gravel. They’re also great for climbing in and out of boats and kneeling on docks. 

While the major reason for purchase should be their toughness, a close second is all the thoughtful add-ons throughout. 

The fleece-lined kangaroo pocket in the front is closed by water-resistant zippers, keeping it dry and warm unless needed. A large interior pocket fits so snug to the waders that it’s almost imperceptible, but if you need to start dumping fly boxes inside, it stretches to fit your needs. A removable interior pocket has space for spools of tippet and other accessories. There’s also a strip of Velcro on the inside to affix a waterproof pocket (sold separately). 

The travel guards have mesh backs, keeping water flowing in and out instead of trapping it inside, and neoprene booties are thinner than some other brands, meaning they’re less bulky and better fitting inside boots. 

If you need it all, these are your waders. -Christine Peterson

How to Choose Waders

First and foremost, consider how many days you’ll realistically use your waders and how much stress you plan to put on them. If you plan to spend as much time as possible in them, then you should probably invest in a high-end pair of waders that will handle the wear-n-tear. If you only plan to fish a couple of times throughout the year or a few quick trips, buy a pair of waders that’ll keep you dry and your wallet green. 

When it comes to dialing in the specific size and fit you’ll need, there are five key measurements to consider: chest, waist, hips, inseam, and foot size. Most wader companies provide a sizing chart that incorporates all of these and allows you to select the perfect wader size for you. For an additional fee, Simms takes this a step further by offering customized wader options to better accommodate anglers of all shapes and sizes. – Kevin Hughes

FAQs

Why Trust Outdoor Life?

Since 1898, OL has been a leading authority in testing and reviewing hunting gear, fishing tackle, guns and shooting equipment, and much more. We have more than a century-long history of evaluating products, and we’re now bringing that expertise to online reviews. Our editors are experienced outdoorsmen and women, and most importantly, we’re trained journalists. We prioritize field testing and objective data when reviewing products. We conduct interviews with gear manufacturers and engineers as well as outdoor experts so that our readers have an understanding of how and why a product works—or doesn’t.

Advertising does not influence our gear reviews and it never will. While we always focus our coverage on standout products—because we want our readers to be aware of the latest and greatest gear—we also cover the flaws and quirks of any given product.

Final Thoughts on the Best Waders

Waders need to be durable enough to last several seasons and comfortable enough to live in all day. Our best waders picks fit that criteria, and you’ll just have to choose the waders that are best for you.

• Best for Fly Fishing: Simms G3 Guide Waders
• Best Budget Fishing Wader: Frogg Toggs Canyon II
• Best Duck Hunting Waders Overall: Sitka Delta Zip Wader
• Best Priced Duck Hunting Waders: Frogg Toggs Grand Refuge 3.0
• Best Women’s Wader for Cold Weather: Patagonia Women’s Swiftcurrent Waders
• Most Rugged Women’s Wader: Orvis Pro Wader

The post The Best Waders of 2023, Tested and Reviewed appeared first on Outdoor Life.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best Patterning Pump		Remington 870 Turkey Camo	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary A proven reliable gun with an ambidextrous safety.
Best Classic Semi-Auto		Remington 1100 Turkey	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary This shotgun set the benchmark for the quality of gas-operated autos.
Most Underrated		TriStar Viper G2 Turkey	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary Reliable, moderately priced, and gas driven.

One of the hottest trends in the shotgun market is the “turkey gun.” Today, the best turkey shotguns are typically variants of a shotgun that was designed for waterfowl or small game hunters with stocks and barrels that are shortened to make the guns easier to carry and more maneuverable in tight cover. Gun makers added pistol grips for a more rifle-like shooting experience and many turkey guns have receivers that are drilled and tapped for optics. They all come with chokes designed specifically for printing tight, gobbler-killing patterns. 

There are as many variations of a turkey hunting gun as there are versions of turkey hunting styles. There are hefty, long range guns for hunters who want to sit in a blind and kill turkeys beyond 50 yards. There are compact, maneuverable guns for private-land hunters who want to crawl their way through the season, reaping turkeys at close range. And there are classic pump shotguns for traditionalists who believe the only way to kill a turkey is in the woods with your back resting against a tree. So our team of editors put together a list of the best turkey shotguns for all the different styles of turkey hunting and types of turkey hunters.  

• Best Custom Shotgun: Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 Turkey Performance Shop
• Best Gas Semi-Auto Shotgun: Beretta A350 Xtrema Turkey
• Best Bottom-Eject Shotgun: Browning BPS NWTF Turkey
• Best 10-Gauge Shotgun: Browning Gold Light
• Best Youth Shotgun: CVA Scout Compact
• Best Classic Gun: Ithaca Model 37 Turkey Slayer
• Best Budget Pump: Mossberg 500 Turkey
• Best 3.5-Inch Pump: Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag Turkey
• Best Patterning Pump: Remington 870 Turkey Camo
• Best .410 Turkey Gun: Mossberg 500 Turkey .410, Optics Ready
• Best Single-Shot .410: Stevens 301 Turkey Obsession .410
• Best 28-Gauge Turkey Gun: Mossberg SA-28 Tactical Turkey
• Best Classic Semi-Auto: Remington 1100 Turkey
• Most Underrated: TriStar Viper G2 Turkey
• Best Affordable Semi-Auto: Winchester SX4 NWTF Cantilever Turkey
• Best Bolt-Action: Savage 212 Turkey

History of the Turkey Gun

Turkey-specific shotguns haven’t been around all that long when you consider hunters have been taking break-actions and repeaters into the woods to chase wild game for hundreds of years.
During the Depression, the turkey population dipped to 30,000 birds, so there wasn’t a need to build a platform that catered specifically to turkey hunters. For much of the 20^th century, your turkey gun was whatever shotgun you owned. That’s not the case anymore. With the restoration of turkey populations across the U.S. and Canada (there were almost 7 million birds between both countries by the early 2000s), the dedicated turkey gun became popular.

Read Next: Best Camo for Turkey Hunting

Best Turkey Shotguns: Reviews & Recommendations

Best Custom Turkey Hunting Gun: Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 Turkey Performance Shop

Benelli

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Key Features

• 24-inch barrel
• Burris FastFire II red-dot
• Mossy Oak camouflage finish
• 3½-inch chamber

Pros

• Pistol grip adds steadiness
• Burris optic delivers better accuracy
• Enlarged bolt handle and “slammer button” bolt release make the gun easier to operate

Cons

• It’s light for a turkey gun, which means more recoil
• Expensive

Rob Roberts is a master at getting the most out of shotgun pattern performance. The Arkansas gunsmith, known for his aftermarket choke tubes, teamed up with Benelli on the SBE3 Turkey Performance Shop. Roberts lengthens the forcing cones inside the 24-inch barrel and adds a custom .655 choke to deliver superior pattern density. The 12-gauge also comes with a Burris FastFire II red-dot so hunters can be more accurate with shot placement. A 3½-inch gun that only weighs 6.8 pounds, the SBE3 is inertia-driven, so 2-ounce turkey loads will sting your shoulder a bit more than if you were shooting a gas gun. An extended pistol grip allows you to better stabilize the gun, which is important in turkey hunting because you’ll be aiming the gun like it’s a rifle. —Joe Genzel

Best Gas Semi-Auto Turkey Gun: Beretta A350 Xtrema Turkey

Beretta

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Key Features

• 24-inch barrel
• Aluminum Picatinny rail
• Micro recoil pad
• 3½-inch chamber

Pros

• Gas-operated for softer recoil
• Drilled and tapped for an optic

Cons

• Expensive for a dedicated turkey gun
• At that price point, it should come with an optic

Released in 2017, the A350 was Beretta’s first dedicated 3½-inch auto-loader for turkey hunters. The A350 debuted as a waterfowl shotgun, bridging the gap in price between the A300 Outlander and A400 Xtreme. Beretta shortened the barrel to 24 inches on the turkey model and added an aluminum rail on the top of the action—which leads into a stepped, ventilated rib—for mounting an optic. It’s a gas gun, so hunters will feel less recoil than with an inertia-driven gun. Beretta also equipped the shotgun with its Blink system, which cycles shotshells fast, though it’s not a necessity on a turkey gun unless you miss and need a quick follow up shot. There is a Micro Core recoil pad screwed into the buttstock to help absorb the recoil of heavy turkey loads. An extended extra-full turkey choke comes standard. It’s an Optima-Choke system, which is used by many of Beretta’s high-end guns, like the DT11 and DT10. The camouflage finish of the A350 is in Mossy Oak Obsession. —J.G.

Best Bottom-Eject Turkey Gun: Browning BPS NWTF Turkey

Browning

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Key Features

• 24-inch barrel
• Pump action
• Bottom eject
• 3½-inch chamber
• HiViz front sight

Pros

• Pump-action reliability
• Bottom eject keeps action clean
• Optics ready

Cons

• It’s heavy (almost 8 pounds)
• Pricey: BPS shotguns are almost $1,000

The BPS was made for turkey hunters. Since the load gate and ejection port are one in the same, there’s less of a chance for mud and grime to find their way into the chamber and gunk up your gun. That’s important for turkey hunters, who are mostly sitting on the forest floor. You can buy the BPS in a 3½-inch chamber, but I like the 3-inch model for turkey hunting. First, the travel on the fore-end when you need to eject a spent shotshell and load a new one is shorter, and the gun itself is two inches shorter than the 3½-inch 12-gauge. The receiver is drilled and tapped for an optic, plus there is a 4-in-1 Hi-Viz fiber-optic sight system, which includes a rear and front sight for better accuracy. The downside to a BPS is its weight. They are nearly 8-pound guns even in the composite model (wood and steel BPS’ are heavier). But the weight tames much of the felt recoil, and there are sling swivels, so you can haul the gun over the shoulder if you buy a strap. —J.G.

Best 10-Gauge Turkey Hunting Gun: Browning Gold Light

Browning

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Key Features

• Gas operated
• Low recoil
• 3½-inch chamber
• Inflex recoil pad

Pros

• Manageable recoil
• Superior shotshell payloads
• Well balanced

Cons

• It’s a heavy 10-pound gun
• Length (the Gold Light is 4-feet long)

The almost-10-pound 10-gauge Gold Light is anything but light. That said, if you’re not a run-and-gun turkey hunter, a 10 loaded with a 3½-inch lead or tungsten shotshell that has a shot charge of 2 ounces or more is an absolute hammer on gobblers. The knock on 10 gauges is that they shoot bigger shells so they must produce more recoil, but that’s not the case. Since the Gold Light is a heavy gas-driven gun, the recoil is comparable to a 12-gauge auto. Turkey hunters should opt for the shorter 26-inch barrel, but this is a long shogun (48 inches with a 26-inch barrel and 50 inches with a 28-inch barrel), so it’s not ideal for river-bottom thickets or heavily forested ridgelines. It can be hard to find turkey ammo for 10s because there are only two in production (the BPS is the other), but it’s an ideal gauge for tough old toms because of the increased payload capability of its shotshells. The Gold Light is a well-balanced gun, and though it is nearly 10 pounds, that weight is evenly distributed, which makes it easier to carry. —J.G.

Best Youth Turkey Hunting Shotgun: CVA Scout Compact

CVA

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Key Features

• Scope rail
• Jebs X-Full Turkey choke
• 22-inches long total

Pros

• Lightweight
• Virtually no recoil
• Aftermarket choke comes standard
• Price
• Lifetime warranty

Cons

• Hammer gun, so you must cock it
• Not legal in every state

Single-shots are making a comeback in the turkey woods and .410s (where legal) have carved out a niche among turkey hunters willing to pay the price for TSS shotshells. If you desire both those elements in a shotgun, the Scout is an ideal platform. The scope rail allows you to mount almost any optic to it (you’ll need one shooting a .410). Plus, the comb of the stock is raised like you would find on a rifle to make it easier to see through a mounted scope or red dot. It’s only a 6-pound gun, and just 22 inches long without the included Jebs X-Full choke. Length of pull can be adjusted from 13 to 14 inches, so even though the Scout is “compact” it’s still a comfortable gun to shoot regardless of your size. There is a thick recoil pad affixed to the buttstock, but with the dainty charge weights of .410 ammo, recoil is a non-issue. It is a hammer gun, so you will have to cock it before shooting, which does take extra time you may not have if a longbeard gives you a tight shot window. —J.G.

Best Classic Turkey Hunting Gun: Ithaca Model 37 Turkey Slayer

Ithaca Gun Company

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Key Features

• Bottom eject
• 24-inch barrel
• Rifle sights

Pros

• Reliability of a pump shotgun
• Better accuracy with rifle sights
• Manageable weight for a pump

Cons

• Pricey for a pump
• No wood and steel option
• Cross-bolt safety on a bottom eject

The 37 has enjoyed one of the longest runs in pump shotgun history. Based on a John Browning design, the Ithaca Model 37 was originally set to debut in 1933 after the Browning patents expired. But it was discovered that gunmaker John Pederson also held some of the design patents, and so Ithaca had to wait four more years for those to expire. The 37 Turkey Slayer is still being made and available in a 12- and 20-gauge model with a 24-inch barrel. There are raised rifle sights just forward of the receiver and at the muzzle for better accuracy, and the Turkey Slayer comes in a black synthetic finish for added durability. It’s not an overly heavy turkey gun in 20-gauge at 7.2 pounds but the 12 is over 8 pounds. A bottom-eject pump, the Turkey Slayer will keep the elements away from your shotshell, which is critical if you’re sitting through a spring rain or freak snow shower. It’s not unheard of for moisture to make its way into the action of side eject shotguns and contaminate a shell’s gunpowder, rendering it useless. Or the water can work its way into the firing pin, causing a light strike of the shotshell’s primer. —J.G.

Best Budget Pump: Mossberg 500 Turkey

Mossberg

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Key Features

• 20-inch barrel
• Tang-mounted safety
• X-Factor choke
• 3-inch chamber

Pros

• Long history of reliability
• Ambidextrous safety
• Short barrel

Cons

• Heavy recoil
• Has a plastic exterior feel

There’s probably no other shotgun manufacturer more dedicated to turkey hunting than Mossberg. Just about every time Mossberg comes out with a new shotgun, it eventually is made available in a turkey platform. Its most iconic pump is the 500, and the turkey model is an ideal gobbler gun. Just 40 inches long—the barrel is 20 inches—the 500 is great for hunting tight cover. The X-Factor choke comes standard, and a tang-mounted safety is perfect if you need to kill a longbeard with your off-hand. The length of pull is only 13.875 inches, and the travel of the fore-end is short in case you need to get a second shot off quickly. There is a front fiber-optic sight for quicker target acquisition, and the 7-pound 12-gauge (get ready for some serious recoil) is finished in Mossy Oak Obsession. The 500 is also available in a .410-bore and 20-gauge. —J.G.

Best 3.5-Inch Pump: Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag Turkey

Mossberg

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Key Features

• 3.5-inch chamber
• 24-inch barrel
• Tang-mounted safety

Pros

• 3.5-inch capable
• Super durable

Cons

• Heavier than the 500
• More expensive than the 500
• Cheap, flimsy sights

If you like the Mossberg 500 features but you’re a maniac and want to shoot 3.5-inch turkey loads, then the Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag Turkey is the shotgun for you. It has a longer 24-inch barrel and weighs a half pound more than the 500, which is welcome weight to help soak up all that recoil. 

I’ve hunted across the country with my 835 over the last seven turkey seasons and what I love most about it is that it’s a beater shotgun. It always cycles and always goes bang when I squeeze the trigger. It gets splashed with snow, rain, mud, and turkey blood every season and just keeps running (now that I think about it, I’m not sure that I’ve actually ever cleaned the gun). 

It came with a full (.695) choke that I’ve never seen a need to swap out, which is good because it’s probably rusted in there by now. With top-end TSS loads it shoots killer patterns at 60 yards—and probably farther but I’ve never tried it. The only real downside of the 835 Turkey is that my version came with cheap, flimsy sights. My rear sight fell off at some point during its first season. I solved this by adding a Leupold Freedom red-dot optic. To get the proper comb height in order to see through my new sight, I stole a trick from Dave Petzal and taped a few strips of foam to the stock using green duct tape. It works wonderfully, and really adds to the aesthetic of my beater gun. But wait, you might say. Do you really need 3.5-inch TSS loads to kill a turkey? To that I’d respond, need has nothing to do with it. —Alex Robinson 

Best Patterning Pump: Remington 870 Turkey Camo

Remington Arms

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Key Features

• 21-inch barrel
• X-Full Rem turkey choke
• HiViz front sight
• 3-inch chamber
• 7.25 pounds

Pros

• Steel receiver
• Recoil better than most
• Durable finish

Cons

• Doesn’t shoot 3½-inch

Turkey hunters will appreciate the 21-inch barrel of the 870 Turkey, which makes it easy to reposition for a better shot if a gobbler comes in from an unexpected direction. The shorter barrel cuts some of the weight from traditional 26- and 28-inch barrels, and it balances nicely for those times when you need to make an off-hand or awkward shot. 

Like most turkey guns, this one has everything you need to start turkey hunting without buying additional accessories. The extra full choke patterns well depending on the ammo you use, and hunters who want to dial in their patterns can find an assortment of aftermarket chokes for the 870. Similarly, the HiViz single bead lines up great but doesn’t feel as sturdy as the rest of the gun, but you can easily replace them for cheap. The gun has a matte finish on the steel receiver and barrel, plus Mossy Oak Break-Up on the stock and fore-end. 

If you’re also looking for a budget gun that can take a licking and keep on ticking, look no further. By the end of every turkey season, I’m always amazed at how much dirt and debris I clean off this gun, and I’ve never had a misfire or cycling issue. It’s crawled through mud, cut hay fields with standing water, and even bounced on concrete a time or two.

Unlike other turkey guns (I won’t mention), the 870 doesn’t punish you when you shoot it. The weight absorbs most of the recoil, and it’s never given me a shiner even if I had my cheek to close to the stock.   

I’ve used 870s almost exclusively since I started turkey hunting, and my first one came from my grandfather who found it on a used gun rack. The worn finish around the receiver is from where me and the previous owner(s) gripped and toted it through the woods, and they also swapped the camo stock and forend for glossy Wingmaster furniture. But I never bothered to change it because there’s nothing wrong with having a classy turkey killer. It may not be a true Wingmaster, but this gun’s no pretender when it comes to dropping toms. Besides, it’s a wingmaster in its own right. For years, especially in college, I ran it with a Primos Tight Wad choke and whatever turkey ammo I could find. Sure, I could probably shoot tighter patterns with TSS loads or blends, but this budget gun loves budget ammo. And there hasn’t been a gobbler strut within 40 yards of this gun to change that yet.—Adam Moore

Best .410 Turkey Gun: Mossberg 500 Turkey .410, Optics Ready

Mossberg

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Key Features

• Action: Pump
• Average Pattern: 127.5 (@40 yds inside a 10-inch circle)
• Best Pattern: 156 (Apex)
• Chamber Length: 3 inches
• Barrel Length: 24 inches
• Weight: 6.25 pounds (measured)
• Trigger: 3 pounds, 6 ounces (measured)
• Length of Pull: 13.9 inches
• Choke: X-Full extended
• Sights: Fiber optic, optics ready with Shield RMSc pattern
• Price: $650 (with Holosun Optic)

Pros

• Shot the best patterns of the .410 
• Optics ready
• Affordable

Cons

• Creepy trigger
• Description

The .410 Mossberg 500 Turkey produced the best patterns in our test of .410 turkey guns, putting an incredible 156 Apex No. 9 pellets on target from 40 yards. For reference, that’s a denser pattern than 12 gauge shotguns produced with some loads during our evaluation of the best turkey loads. With its extended extra-full choke, the Mossberg also shot Boss loads nicely as well as a bunch of the other best .410 turkey loads. It liked everything I fed it. 

The coolest feature on the new version of this shotgun is a small cutout in the receiver that allows you to mount a red dot sight with a Shield RMSc footprint directly to the gun (no rail needed). This allows you to keep the sight low on the gun, which promotes a solid cheek weld and creates a sleek profile for the rig. It’s a simple, ingenious design. At the time of publication Cabela’s is offering this gun plus a Holosun red dot sight for $650; that’s a screaming deal. 

The only thing I would ding this gun for is its creepy trigger. Even in the world of turkey guns, where precision is more of a luxury than a requirement, there’s a noticeable amount of slop in this trigger. Despite the trigger, this is hands down the best performing .410 turkey gun I’ve shot. —Alex Robinson

Best Single-Shot .410: Stevens 301 Turkey Obsession .410

Savage Arms

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Key Features

• 26-inch barrel
• 5.07 pounds
• 3-inch chamber
• Removable one-piece rail
• Extra-full choke tube

Pros

• Lightweight
• Easily fitted with optics
• Matte finish

Cons

• Single shot
• Less room for error with a .410
• .410s aren’t legal to turkey hunt with in all states

Advanced turkey loads and chokes have turned the .410 from a small game gun to a deadly accurate turkey slayer. The Stevens 310 Turkey Obsession makes a great, lightweight option—even with its 26-inch barrel—if you tend to put dozens of miles under your boots every turkey season. And your arms shouldn’t shake after holding your gun at the ready for several minutes when you’re waiting for a shot opportunity.

The Stevens 310 comes with a rail that you can easily remove with two screws or equip with an optic. I shot a Truglo red-dot on this gun and it produced deadly patterns at 30 yards with the stock choke. But when I switched to a Carlson’s TSS choke and Apex Ninja 3-inch loads, I was able to get plenty of pellets on paper at 40 yards. Even though it’s a single shot if you have a shell holder on the stock you can quickly reload thanks to the fast ejector that doesn’t stick like the old Stevens model. —A.M.

Best 28-Gauge Turkey Gun: Mossberg SA-28 Tactical Turkey

Mossberg

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Key Features

• Gauge: 28
• Chamber: 2 ¾ inches
• Capacity: 4+1
• Action: Semi-auto, gas
• Weight: 5 pounds 11.8 ounces (measured with no base)
• Length: 41 7/8 inches
• Barrel: 22 inches
• Choke: Extended Turkey
• Trigger: 5 pounds, 9 ounces (measured)
• Sights: Fiber optic front and ghost-ring rear
• Stock: Synthetic pistol grip
• Finish: Mossy Oak Greenleaf
• Price: $902

Pros

• Light Recoiling
• Handy

Cons

• Chambered in 2 ¾ inches

The Tactical Turkey comes with a camo stock—done in the stylishly retro Mossy Oak Greenleaf—with a pistol grip. The pistol grip is made of rubber with finger grooves that gives a very secure grip. Because the shotgun is so light—with the Picatinny rail attached and the reflex sight mounted it weighed 5 pounds 15 ounces—it is easy to control and support the gun for long periods of time. The shotgun is also easy to wield one-handed in case you need your lead hand to run a call or otherwise mess with your gear. I hunted with one in Florida for Osceolas and it performed nicely. (Read my full review of the Mossberg SA-28 Tactical Turkey here).

The gas system is soft shooting and requires little in the way of special maintenance other than occasional cleaning. Officially, Mossberg labels the SA-28 Tactical Turkey as a “Mossberg International” gun. Shotguns in that line are produced in Turkey, while the others Mossbergs made in the U.S. But still, my sample is well made, which is encouraging regarding Mossberg’s arrangement with their Turkish partner.

One important thing to consider if you opt for a 28-gauge turkey gun is that 28-gauge TSS ammo isn’t overflowing on the shelves of your local big box Mart. You’ll need to turn to specialty outfits like the Federal Custom Shop, Apex, Boss and Rogue to find these shells. —John B. Snow

Best Classic Semi-Auto: Remington 1100 Turkey

Remington Arms

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Key Features

• Gas driven
• Thumbhole stock
• 12-gauge

Pros

• Thumbhole stock offers better accuracy
• Rubber grip inlays
• Rem turkey choke

Cons

• No longer in production
• Notoriously loud with heavy recoil

Introduced in the 1960s, the first 12-gauge 1100s could only shoot 2¾-inch shotshells, but there were soon 3-inch magnum variants, and eventually the gas guns were built for turkey hunters. The 1100 turkey gun is actually an 11-87. The platform was updated in 1987 to include a pressure compensation valve that allowed the shotgun to shoot light target loads on up to heavy 2-ounce turkey shells. It has a thumbhole stock, which is used by rifle shooters for better accuracy. The comb of the stock is also slightly raised, making it easier to get a better cheek weld as you look down the sight plane of the barrel. Rubber inlays on the pistol grip and fore-end will give you a better grip on the 11-87 in inclement weather, or when it gets hot and your palms get sweaty. There is also an adjustable rear sight, and a raised front fiber-optic to make precision shots on hung up toms. This shotgun is no longer in production, but can still be found on the used market. —J.G.

Most Underrated Turkey Gun: TriStar Viper G2 Turkey

TriStar

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Key Features

• 3-inch chamber
• Pistol grip
• Picatinny rail
• Gas operated

Pros

• Price
• Gas driven
• Molded pistol grip

Cons

• TriStar shotguns can be hard to find locally 

TriStar doesn’t get enough credit for the functionality and reliability of its gas-operated shotguns. They are modeled after Berettas, and I would argue you get more for less money in the G2 Turkey than you would in the A350. The G2 comes with a molded pistol grip, which helps keep the gun steady but also assists in mitigating recoil because all that force caused from the heavy shot charge is not going solely into your shoulder. A 3-inch gun, the G2 includes a removable Picatinny rail, so you can use an optic, and a fiber-optic sight is mounted at the muzzle. A Beretta-style extended turkey choke comes standard, and there is also a thick recoil pad affixed to the buttstock to help tame recoil. A five-year warranty is included. —J.G.

Best Affordable Semi-Auto Turkey Gun: Winchester SX4 NWTF Cantilever Turkey

Winchester

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Key Features

• Available in 12- (3½-inch) or 20-gauge (3-inch)
• 24-inch barrel
• Invector-Plus extended choke system, includes extra full turkey
• Adjustable rear sight
• Weaver-style cantilever rail design for attaching an optic
• $1,150 MSRP

Pros

• 24-inch barrel is convenient for running and gunning and tight hides
• Semi-auto action runs without a hitch
• A portion of sales goes to NWTF to support wild turkey conservation

Cons

• The fit and finish falls short of what you would expect for the price—ran out of adjustment on the rear sight, which could’ve been solved by mounting an optic

If you want a dedicated turkey gun built around a reliable autoloader, you have to consider the SX4 NWTF Cantilever Turkey. Winchester updated the SX3’s ergonomics by including a rounder pistol grip and a textured grip, which makes this shotgun easy to handle even if you’re sweating or sitting in the rain. The chrome-plated chamber and bore keep the action running smoothly, and when the sun does start shining, the flat-finish camo doesn’t glare at all. Without the plug (you must have one in to legally turkey hunt), the magazine can hold four 2 3/4-inch shells, and the 12-gauge will accommodate up to a 3½-inch load. You can mount a traditional scope or a red-dot on the rail, or simply use the open fiber-optic sights. —Natalie Krebs

Best Bolt-Action Turkey Gun: Savage 212 Turkey

Savage Arms

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Key Features

• Bolt-action built off the 110
• 3-inch chamber
• User-adjustable AccuTrigger
• 22-inch barrel

Pros

• 110 platform is iconic
• Adjustable trigger
• Optics ready

Cons

• Hefty (8.25 pounds without optic)
• Doesn’t run as smoothly as a rifle

This shotgun brings rifle marksmanship to the turkey woods. It’s built off Savage’s iconic 110 rifle platform, includes the excellent AccuTrigger (Savage’s adjustable, two-stage trigger), and features the modular AccuFit stock so you can adjust length-of-pull and comb height, which is especially useful when adding an optic. Speaking of optics, you will have to buy one for this rig as it comes with no sights. The shotgun does include a two-round box magazine. 

I hunted with the 212 Turkey a few years ago for Gould’s turkeys in Mexico, and found that it handled just like a magnum-caliber rifle would. If you intend to mount a scope on this gun, like one of the trendy new LPVOs, mount it as far forward as the eye relief will allow. You don’t want the scope crashing into your eyebrow with 12-gauge, turkey load force. Or just cut down on the recoil altogether and go with the 20-gauge version. The only downside of Savage’s turkey gun is that it did not run as smoothly as I’d hoped. It takes a good amount of force to rack the bolt back and run a shell from the magazine into the chamber. It’s not the smooth, fast experience of running the bolt on a 110 rifle. And this really is the only reminder that this shotgun is, afterall, a shotgun. —A.R.    

How to Choose a Turkey Shotgun

With the right choke and load combination, any turkey gun on this list will shoot excellent patterns at realistic hunting ranges. So if your primary interest is to buy a turkey shotgun for reliability, you can’t beat a pump-action. But that platform is also likely to produce the most recoil (along with break-action options) unless the gun has more weight to it. Gas-driven autoloaders are soft shooters, but are also typically the most expensive. Inertia shotguns are light —and less expensive than gas guns—but they don’t handle recoil as well. And if the gun has a rotating bolt head, it may not send the shotshell into battery if you ease the action forward like so many turkey hunters do to load their shotguns (it keeps noise at a minimum). If you’re buying a dedicated turkey gun for the first time, it’s smart to start with an affordable model, and work your way up. 

Read Next: The Best Turkey Loads

FAQs

Why Trust Outdoor Life?

Since 1898, OL has been a leading authority in testing and reviewing hunting gear, fishing tackle, guns and shooting equipment, and much more. We have more than a century-long history of evaluating products, and we’re now bringing that expertise to online reviews. Our editors are experienced outdoorsmen and women, and most importantly, we’re trained journalists. We prioritize field testing and objective data when reviewing products. We conduct interviews with gear manufacturers and engineers as well as outdoor experts so that our readers have an understanding of how and why a product works—or doesn’t.

Advertising does not influence our gear reviews and it never will. While we always focus our coverage on standout products—because we want our readers to be aware of the latest and greatest gear—we also cover the flaws and quirks of any given product.

Final Thoughts

Many hunters will put a turkey choke on a shotgun they already own and take it turkey hunting. That certainly works, but dedicated turkey shotguns come in all shapes and sizes with a wide variety of features. When you’re shooting a shotgun like a rifle from the ground amongst the trees, it’s better to have a raised comb and shorter barrel. You don’t need a turkey gun to kill a longbeard, but modern turkey-specific shotguns have earned such popularity because they’re more effective.

• Best Custom Shotgun: Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 Turkey Performance Shop
• Best Gas Semi-Auto Shotgun: Beretta A350 Xtrema Turkey
• Best Bottom-Eject Shotgun: Browning BPS NWTF Turkey
• Best 10-Gauge Shotgun: Browning Gold Light
• Best Youth Shotgun: CVA Scout Compact
• Best Classic Gun: Ithaca Model 37 Turkey Slayer
• Best Budget Pump: Mossberg 500 Turkey
• Best 3.5-Inch Pump: Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag Turkey
• Best Patterning Pump: Remington 870 Turkey Camo
• Best .410 Turkey Gun: Mossberg 500 Turkey .410, Optics Ready
• Best Single-Shot .410: Stevens 301 Turkey Obsession .410
• Best 28-Gauge Turkey Gun: Mossberg SA-28 Tactical Turkey
• Best Classic Semi-Auto: Remington 1100 Turkey
• Most Underrated: TriStar Viper G2 Turkey
• Best Affordable Semi-Auto: Winchester SX4 NWTF Cantilever Turkey
• Best Bolt-Action: Savage 212 Turkey

Read Next: Best Turkey Vests

The post The Best Turkey Hunting Shotguns of 2023, Tested and Reviewed appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Best Overall Pattern		Apex GT-3 TSS 3-inch, 2¼-ounce, No. 9	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary Apex produced the best pattern of the test, with over a 2-ounce payload.
Best Long-Range Pattern		Federal Heavyweight TSS 3-inch, 2-ounce No. 7/9	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary Consistent head and neck pellet strikes from all three guns, delivering dense patters from a distance.
Best Lead Load		Winchester Longbeard XR 3-inch, 1¾-ounce, No. 5	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary A great value with the best pattern percentage of any shell in the test.

If it weren’t for the lead shot ban in 1991, the evolution of shotgun shells would have likely stagnated. When ammo makers moved to steel so duck hunters could continue legally killing puddlers and divers and geese each fall, turkey hunters benefited … eventually. Steel is hard but not dense, and slowly, shotshell manufacturers began to turn to bismuth and tungsten as non-toxic alternatives to steel waterfowl shot. Both metals are denser, thus more effective at killing. As a side effect, TSS (tungsten super shot) became widely popular for turkey loads, because it hits harder, and patterns better than any other birdshot in production. But, having a hull full of TSS doesn’t mean a turkey load is going to be great. So to separate the good from the great, associate gear editor Adam Moore and I spent a few days shooting every turkey load we could get our hands on to see how they patterned, penetrated, and to check their speed. After some intensive testing, here’s our list of the best turkey loads out there.

• Best Overall Pattern: Apex GT-3 TSS 3-inch, 2¼-ounce, No. 9
• Most Consistent Pattern: Hevi-18 TSS 3-inch, 2-ounce, No. 9
• Tightest Pattern at 40 Yards: Boss 3-inch, 2-ounce, No. 9
• Best TSS Pattern Percentage: Fiocchi Golden Turkey TSS 3-inch, 1 5/8-ounce, No.9
• Best Long-Range Pattern: Federal Heavyweight TSS 3-inch, 2-ounce No. 7/9
• Best TSS Penetration: Browning TSS 3-inch, 1¾-ounce, No. 7
• Best Lead Load: Winchester Longbeard XR 3-inch, 1¾-ounce, No. 5
• Best Lead Shot Penetration: Remington Magnum Turkey 3.5-inch, 2-ounce, No. 5
• Best Shotshell for Beginners: Kent Ultimate Turkey 3-inch, 1¾-ounce, No. 5
• Best .410 Overall: Apex Ninja
• Best .410 Availability: Federal Heavyweight

TSS vs. Lead Turkey Loads

Hevi-Shot was one of the first ammo makers to employ tungsten in its turkey loads (handloaders used it for some time before mass shotshell production began). They used a combination of tungsten and iron to create a pellet with a density of 12 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cc), which is slightly higher than the 11 g/cc density of lead. Since then, more large ammo manufacturers have produced TSS loads, which are not pure tungsten, but rather a mix of 95 percent tungsten and 5 percent nickel and iron powder. TSS has a density of 18 g/cc, which is more than twice the density of steel. Because TSS is so dense, you can load smaller and therefore more pellets of it in a hull. For instance, No. 9 TSS has about the same mass as a lead No. 5 pellet. But there are around 360 pellets per ounce in a load of No. 9 TSS compared to 175 for a lead 5. So, you can see why TSS packs a more potent punch.

TSS is also expensive. A box of five 2-ounce turkey loads can run upwards of $60, which is why plenty of turkey hunters still stick with lead. And that’s just fine. Because many lead loads can kill turkeys out to 40 yards if choked and patterned properly. They also cost one-third the price of TSS. If you shoot most of your turkeys inside 40 yards, there might never be a reason to buy TSS. Field & Stream shotgun editor Phil Bourjaily tested TSS against lead loads in 2021, if you want to see how potent lead is at shorter yardages.

To find out which of today’s turkey loads most effectively kill gobblers, associate editor Adam Moore and I recently tested nine popular lead and TSS shotshells. Here are the results.

How We Tested the Best Turkey Loads

Pattern

To start, we patterned nine different 12-gauge shotshells at 40 yards on a 10-inch Birchwood-Casey Reactive Turkey Target through three different shotguns: a Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 Performance Shop (.655 Rob Roberts Final Strut choke), Remington 870 (Primos Tight Wad choke), and Browning BPS (standard Invector Plus full choke). 

Before tabulating pellet strikes, we first found the hold point on the target for best pattern results. For instance, the SBE3 has a Burris FastFire II red-dot, so we put that dot right on the turkey’s head at 40 and pulled the trigger to deliver an optimal pattern. The 870 had a mid-neck hold point, and the BPS patterned best when I held it at the base of the turkey’s neck and slightly to the right.

Penetration

Then we moved on to the penetration portion of our best turkey loads test, shooting each load from 40 yards into a penetration box modeled after one former Field & Stream shooting editor Bob Brister designed decades ago. The wooden box, built by my stepdad and his brother, is roughly four feet long with an 18- by 18-inch opening. There are 27 slots spaced 1½ inches apart inside the box, each of which holds a 1/8-inch-thick piece of cardboard.

I also placed a ½-inch piece of drywall just behind the first piece of cardboard before each shot. This helped slow the pellets. Each load would have simply blown through all 27 cardboard slats without it. If the load penetrated the drywall at 40 yards, that also was a good sign it could kill a turkey. After the drywall and cardboard were in place, I shot into the opening of the box using the 870 (of the three guns, it patterned best) to see how many pieces of cardboard each load could penetrate.

Read Next: Best Turkey Shotguns of 2023

Velocity

Finally, we tested each shotshell for muzzle velocity by shooting through a chronograph. In my experience, shotshells don’t replicate the velocity stamped on the ammo box. So, I shot each shell up to five times and recorded the best result. I did this because 1) I was relying on a machine (chronograph) to supply accurate data in pretty brutal conditions (it was 20°F with a 25 mph north wind), and 2) not every shotshell always gets the same amount of gunpowder or burns at the same rate, no matter how conscientious ammo makers are about loading shells. There’s always going to be some slight variance.

Best Turkey Loads: Reviews & Recommendations

Best Overall Pattern: Apex GT-3 TSS 3-inch, 2¼-ounce, No. 9

Joe Genzel

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Key Features

• Best Pattern (10-inch circle, 40 yards): 270 pellets
• Best Head/Neck Strikes: 25 pellets
• Brister Box: One pellet through 26 pieces of cardboard
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,488 fps
• Buffered shot

Pros

• Over a 2-ounce payload
• Dense pattern

Cons

• Heavy recoil
• Loud
• Pricey

Apex produced the best pattern of the test, placing 270 No. 9s inside a 10-inch target at 40 yards through the Remington 870. Benelli’s SBE3 put 156 pellets on target and the BPS placed 67 in the circle. One pellet penetrated 26 of 27 cardboard slats in the Brister box, which was the second worst of all the TSS loads (other than Boss, the rest made it through all 27 panels). But that’s still enough energy to kill a longbeard. 

The 2¼-ounce payload was the heaviest of the test, and you can feel every bit of it when you pull the trigger. But you also get 814 pellets downrange, which gives you a better chance of getting a pellet in a turkey’s head than any of the other turkey loads tested. Apex lists the muzzle velocity at 1,190 fps, but the chronograph didn’t read lower than 1,300 fps on three different shots, the best being a spicy 1,488 fps, which is comparable to a waterfowl load.

Apex does not crimp its shotshells. Instead, the company places a sealed paper cap at the end, which makes it less likely to hang up in the action as it ejects because there’s no flaring. GT-3 is offered in 10-, 12-, 16-, 20-, and 28-gauge, as well as .410-bore in shot sizes 7.5, 8, 9, and 9.5.

Most Consistent Pattern: Hevi-18 TSS 3-inch, 2-ounce, No. 9

Joe Genzel

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Key Features

• Best Pattern (10-inch circle, 40 yards): 253 pellets
• Best Head/Neck Strikes: 46 pellets
• Brister Box: 22 pellets through 27 pieces of cardboard
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,080 fps
• Buffered shot

Pros

• Second-best TSS pattern percentage: 253 of 714 (35 percent)
• Patterned the most consistent out of all three guns

Cons

• Velocity is lower than advertised

Hevi-18 had the most consistent patterns of the test out of all three turkey shotguns. It placed 253 pellets (46 of which struck the head and neck) inside the 10-inch circle from the 870, followed by 156 (46 head and neck) out of the BPS, and 147 (34 head and neck) from the SBE3. The contents inside the Hevi-18 four-petal wad look much different than any of the other shells. Hevi-18 uses flaxseed at the end of the payload to fill any empty space left in the shell, a common trait in every Hevi-Shot product I’ve ever used. 

But the buffering—small polymer balls that look like salt and hinder pellet deformation—is heavy. It was so thick that it covered up most of the pellets once I dumped them into a plastic bag. The 2-ounce payload penetrated 27 pieces of cardboard in the Brister box, which it hit with such authority that the box actually jumped up from the sawhorses it was placed on. The load also put 27 pellets inside the 10-inch circle at 70 yards and penetrated ½-inch drywall, proving it could kill a turkey at that distance. Hevi-18 is offered in 12- and 20- gauge, plus .410-bore in shot sizes 7 and 9.

Tightest Pattern at 40 Yards: Boss 3-inch, 2-ounce, No. 9

Joe Genzel

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Key Features

• Best Pattern (10-inch circle, 40 yards): 250 pellets
• Best Head/Neck Strikes: 60 pellets
• Brister Box: 1 pellet through 21 pieces of cardboard
• Muzzle Velocity: 954 fps
• Copper-plated shot

Pros

• Placed the most pellets in the head and neck of any test load
• Direct to consumer equals lower price

Cons

• Last in penetration among TSS loads

Boss was the only TSS shotshell in our test that did not use a polymer buffer to help with shot fractures. But they do use a rather sizable piece of fiber at the wad’s base to act as a cushion. The recipe clearly works because Boss put the most pellets on the head and neck of our turkey targets, placing 60 No. 9s in the kill zone through the 870. 

It also tallied 51 head and neck hits with the SBE3 (also better than any other shell), and the BPS registered 26 hits. There was a falloff in overall pattern performance from the Remington to the SBE3 inside the 10-inch circle—from 250 to 140 pellets—at 40 yards, but that was the case with just about every test shell outside of Hevi-18 (and 140 pellets still results in a dead turkey). 

Boss did struggle in penetration compared to the other TSS turkey loads. Only one pellet made it through 21 pieces of cardboard, but again, that’s still a dead bird. The loads are copper-plated, which protects them from being compromised by moisture, and are available in 12-, 20-, and 28-gauge, plus .410. Boss is also slightly less expensive (even with shipping costs depending on where you live) than most TSS loads.

Best TSS Pattern Percentage: Fiocchi Golden Turkey TSS 3-inch, 1 5/8-ounce, No. 9

Joe Genzel

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Key Features

• Best Pattern (10-inch circle, 40 yards): 214 pellets
• Best Head/Neck Strikes: 50 pellets
• Brister Box: 10 pellets through 27 pieces of cardboard
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,054 fps
• Buffered shot

Pros

• Second best for head/neck shots
• Best TSS pattern percentage: 214 of 590 (36 percent)

Cons

• Patterned low out of all three guns

Fiocchi is known for target loads, not turkey hammers, but that might change after hunters see our test results. The 3-inch, 1 5/8-ounce loads, had the best overall pattern percentage of any TSS shotshell (36 percent), placing a total of 214 pellets inside the 10-inch circle through the 870. The SBE3 put 118 pellets (25 in the head and neck) on target and the BPS had 57 No. 9s in the circle (18 head and neck shots). 

Golden Turkey performed well on the Brister box, sending 10 pellets through all 27 pieces of cardboard. Fiocchi heavily buffers its shot. When I poured the contents into a clear plastic bag, I could barely see the pellets—it was like they were buried in white sand. The seal at the end of the shell is tight to ensure moisture does not get inside of the shell. Fiocchi also uses a plastic cap, not a crimp, to secure the shot and buffer. Golden Turkey is available in 12- and 20-gauge, plus .410 in Nos. 7 and 9 shot.

Best Long-Range Pattern: Federal Heavyweight TSS 3-inch, 2-ounce No. 7/9

Joe Genzel

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Key Features

• Best Pattern (10-inch circle, 40 yards): 109 pellets
• Best Head/Neck Strikes: 25 pellets
• Brister Box: 21 pellets through 27 pieces of cardboard
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,491 fps
• Buffered shot

Pros

• Consistent head and neck pellet strikes from all three guns
• Blended shot
• High muzzle velocity

Cons

• Overall pattern density

I expected better overall patterns from a box of $75 Federal TSS, but the 109 (25 head/neck) it produced from the Remington 870, 95 (24 head/neck) from the SBE3, and 44 (16 head/neck) by the BPS were all still deadly. Federal shined on the penetration box, delivering 21 pellets through 27 pieces of cardboard, making it one of the hardest-hitting loads in the test. That’s likely due to the Flitecontrol Flex wad design that has been proven to deliver dense patterns at distance. 

In fact, we shot the Federal load (and a few others) out to 70 yards and it scored the highest, placing 49 pellets inside the 10-inch circle and penetrating the ½-inch thick drywall board, which showed it had enough energy to kill a gobbler at that range. It ran out the muzzle at 1,491 fps, which is extremely hot for a turkey load. Federal also buffers its shot. The polymer balls are not as fine as some of the other buffers in the test, which might be another reason it shoots so well at long range. Federal offers the shotshell for 12- and 20-gauge in 7 or 9 shot, a blend of 7/9 shot, and a blend of 8/10 shot (20-gauge). It’s also available in .410 No. 9s.

Best TSS Penetration: Browning TSS 3-inch, 1¾-ounce, No. 7

Joe Genzel

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Key Features

• Best Pattern (10-inch circle, 40 yards): 88 pellets
• Best Head/Neck Strikes: 28 pellets
• Brister Box: 95 pellets through 27 pieces of cardboard
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,013 fps
• Buffered shot

Pros

• Deep penetration

Cons

• Poor overall patterns

Browning TSS was the only load that put more pellets (95) through the Brister box than it did the 10-inch paper target (88, BPS). The penetration box opening (18 inches) is almost double the size of the 10-inch target, so it is possible for more pellets to travel through the box than pierce paper. The 3-inch, 1 ¾-ounce load didn’t perform as well as Federal Heavyweight out to 70 yards, putting 16 pellets in the circle, seven of which were head and spine shots. It did penetrate the ½-inch drywall. 

Remington’s 870 put 73 pellets in the circle with 25 head and neck shots, and the SBE3 totaled 48 strikes with seven head and neck shots. Browning lists the muzzle velocity at 1,200 fps, but its best shot on the chronograph was 1,013. The shot is lightly buffered and includes a few pieces of flax at the end of the shell, which is crimped. The TSS load is available in 12- and 20-gauge, plus .410 in shot sizes 7, 9, and 7/9 blend.

Best Lead Load: Winchester Longbeard XR 3-inch, 1¾-ounce, No. 5

Joe Genzel

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Key Features

• Best Pattern (10-inch circle, 40 yards): 125 pellets
• Best Head/Neck Strikes: 40
• Brister Box: 4 pellets through 14 pieces of cardboard
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,273 fps
• Shot-Lok technology

Pros

• Best pattern percentage of any shell
• Top number of hits inside 10-inch target for lead
• Value

Cons

• Doesn’t pattern well out of all guns
• Limited effective range

Longbeard XR uses a liquid resin that dries hard around the lead pellets inside the hull to create a buffer and thus less fracturing of pellets once you pull the trigger. Called Shot-Lok, the technology helps increase pattern density. I shot this load on paper quite a bit before our test and had never been overly impressed with it. But when I patterned it out of the 870, it scored the highest pattern percentage of the test: 125 of 297 pellets (42 percent) inside a 10-inch circle at 40 yards with 40 head and neck strikes.

There was a massive drop off shooting XR out of the SBE3, scoring just 51 pellets (15 head and neck strikes), and the BPS tallied just 26 pellets on target (11 head and neck strikes). It penetrated 14 cardboard slats shooting the Brister box, and proved that it was a 40-yard load if you’re shooting the right gun and choke combination. 

Winchester touts this as a 60-yard load that performs with some tungsten capability, but I didn’t see those results in our testing. I shot XR out to 70 yards and only a few pellets lodged in the ½-inch drywall. Most hit the drywall and fell into the box. XR only put 10 pellets inside the 10-inch circle from 70, and just one of them was a head and neck strike. But, when you’re paying $20 for a box of 10 turkey loads, 40-yard killing power is damn exceptional. The load is offered in 12- and 20-gauge in Nos. 4, 5, 6 shot.

Best Lead Shot Penetration: Remington Magnum Turkey 3.5-inch, 2-ounce, No. 5

Joe Genzel

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Key Features

• Best Pattern (10-inch circle, 40 yards): 42 pellets
• Best Head/Neck Strikes: 9
• Brister Box: 1 pellet through 19 pieces of cardboard
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,264
• Buffered shot

Pros

• Best lead shell penetration

Cons

• Heavy recoil
• Overall pattern at 40 yards is weak

Remington’s new TSS loads were not available at the time of the test, so I shot the 3.5-inch Magnums through the SBE3 (42 pellets in the 10-inch circle and eight head and neck strikes) and BPS (35 pellets in the 10-inch circle and nine head and neck strikes). I couldn’t test the loads through the 870, however, because it’s a 3-inch gun. Forty yards is on the far edge of this round’s capability, though it did have solid penetration, making it through 19 cardboard slats in the Brister box. 

A box of Magnums retails at $10 for five shells, and you get what you pay for when you buy these Roman candles. A $2 turkey shell is good for killing gobblers that come in close, but you shouldn’t expect to kill one with it at long range—no matter how souped-up your gun is with this ammo. The SBE3 costs $3,330, and it could only put 42 of 300 pellets (14 percent) on target. There were also two different kinds of flax and a polymer buffer inside the shotshell, taking up space that more shot should have occupied. An average load of 2-ounce No. 5s has 340 pellets. This load was 40 short. Remington Magnum offers this turkey load in 12- and 20-gauge in Nos. 4 and 5 shot.

Best Shotshell for Beginners: Kent Ultimate Turkey 3-inch, 1¾-ounce, No. 5

Joe Genzel

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Key Features

• Best Pattern (10-inch circle, 40 yards): 37 pellets
• Best Head/Neck Strikes: 10
• Brister Box: 1 pellet through 14 pieces of cardboard
• Muzzle Velocity: 748 fps

Pros

• Affordable

Cons

• Doesn’t pattern well at 40 yards 
• Muzzle velocity is not as advertised

Not every turkey shotshell is meant to kill a gobbler at longer distances. As with the Remington load, Kent’s Ultimate Turkey leaves much to be desired once you stretch it to 40 yards, but that’s not such a bad thing. If you’re just getting started in turkey hunting, or simply want to shoot a longbeard inside 30 yards, this load will do fine. 

The Kent Ultimate Turkey penetrated 14 cardboard slats at 40 yards, so it can kill a bird at that distance. But, there isn’t much margin for error when only 10 of your 37 pellets inside the 10-inch circle will strike a tom’s head and neck. In this load, Kent did not buffer the Diamond (lead) shot. Ultimate Turkey is offered in 12- and 20-gauge in No. 4 and 5 shot.

Best Turkey Loads for .410 Bore

Earlier this year, editor-in-chief Alex Robinson tested the five best .410 turkey loads through three different shotguns (Mossberg 500 Turkey, Stevens 301 Turkey, and Tristar Viper G2). Here are the highlights:

Best Overall: Apex Ninja

Apex

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Key Features

• Best Pattern: 156 (Mossberg 500)
• Average Pattern: 130
• Cartridge Length: 3 inches
• Payload: ⅞ ounces
• Shot Size: 9.5
• Velocity: 1060
• Price: $63 (per box of 10)

Pros

• Excellent patterns from all three guns

Cons

• Availability is currently scarce

Apex is largely responsible for the popularity of TSS in turkey hunting which has also bolstered the popularity of turkey hunting with .410 shotguns. So it’s fitting that Apex’s Ninja would win our Editor’s Choice pick. The load produced denser patterns than others in this test. With our Mossberg 500 .410 test gun, the load patterned phenomenally, averaging 154 hits inside a 10-inch circle. That’s better pattern density than a couple TSS loads and lead loads featured above. 

The .410 Ninja loads did have an advantage over other .410 turkey loads in this patterning test because they have a slightly heavier payload (⅞ ounces) than the other loads in this test (13/16 ounces). Also, since Apex loaded its shell with No. 9.5s it has more pellets within its payload. Apex says that 403 pellets are packed into this load. The only downside with .410 Ninja is that availability tends to be scarce.

Best Availability: Federal Heavyweight

Federal

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Key Features

• Best Pattern: 113 (Mossberg)
• Average Pattern: 82
• Cartridge Length: 3 inches
• Payload: 13/16 ounces
• Shot Size: 9
• Velocity: 1100
• Price: $49 (for box of 5)

Pros

• Consistent patterns with Mossberg 500 
• Widely available

Cons

• Inconsistent patterns with other guns

One of the most important features of a .410 turkey load is availability. Since there are relatively few ammo makers producing these loads, they can be hard to find, especially by mid-season. Happily, you will be able to find the Federal loads if you need them now (they are currently available on the Federal website and several other online retailers with prices lower than the MSRP).

Federal Heavyweight and the Mossberg 500 made a great match in pattern testing. The load averaged 109 hits through the good old M500. But it was less compatible with the Stevens and Tristar shotguns. With these guns, the average dropped to 71.5 and 66.5 respectively. 

FAQs

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Final Thoughts on the Best Turkey Loads

The biggest lesson I learned from this test for the best turkey loads (other than there are few guns better than the 870 to kill turkeys with) is that you must pattern your shotgun extensively, and at different distances, with the load you intend to hunt with if you want to kill a bird at or past 40 yards. That’s the only way to know where your hold point is when a gobbler struts into view. Even with a red dot, you can’t always assume putting that ball of fire on a turkey’s head will result in a dead bird. The farther out you shoot, the more the wind and your ability to hold steady become factors. And there’s no substitute for a gun that patterns well out of the box. You can have all the specialized amenities that come with turkey-specific shotguns (optics, choke, etc.), but those all pale in comparison to a shotgun that simply shoots straight.

• Best Overall Pattern: Apex GT-3 TSS 3-inch, 2¼-ounce, No. 9
• Most Consistent Pattern: Hevi-18 TSS 3-inch, 2-ounce, No. 9
• Tightest Pattern at 40 Yards: Boss 3-inch, 2-ounce, No. 9
• Best TSS Pattern Percentage: Fiocchi Golden Turkey TSS 3-inch, 1 5/8-ounce, No.9
• Best Long-Range Pattern: Federal Heavyweight TSS 3-inch, 2-ounce No. 7/9
• Best TSS Penetration: Browning TSS 3-inch, 1¾-ounce, No. 7
• Best Lead Load: Winchester Longbeard XR 3-inch, 1¾-ounce, No. 5
• Best Lead Shot Penetration: Remington Magnum Turkey 3.5-inch, 2-ounce, No. 5
• Best Shotshell for Beginners: Kent Ultimate Turkey 3-inch, 1¾-ounce, No. 5
• Best .410 Overall: Apex Ninja
• Best .410 Availability: Federal Heavyweight

The post The Best Turkey Loads of 2023, Tested and Reviewed appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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