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28 members (woodduck, russellb, James, BAR1225, Jweeks, janiemae, CouchNapper, Chad Burnette, Mulcher, desertdog, mcninja, Ron A., MIB, dave260rem!, NoHuntin, ImThere, RareBreed, sanderson, Oscarflytyer, cmontgomery, robinhedd, Longtine, odocoileus, 5 invisible),
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Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 11,919
Booner
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Booner
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 11,919 |
I hope all of you are doing well! Been a while since I posted.
I'm still hunting with my 18.5" barreled, dipped 870 20 gauge, along with my 21" chopped barrel Savage 301T .410 as my main two turkey guns. With that said, I have always wanted to add a semi 20 (or even 28) but didn't want to go through the hassle of customizing the way I wanted it. My main consideration with turkey guns is short barrel length. Is there anyone out there these days making a turnkey, ready to rock and roll, plain stock (I don't like pistol grips) semi auto in 20 or 28 that is lightweight, has a say 22" or shorter barrel, tapped for chokes, and is already camo or camo/cerakote? Been years since I have shopped turkey guns now and curious what might be out there.
"The only reason I shoot a 3.5" shell for turkeys is because they don't make a 4" one." - t123winters
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 728 Likes: 9
4 point
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4 point
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 728 Likes: 9 |
I have the little youth 870 18.5” 20 gauge, but bought a Franchi Affinty 3 compact years ago based on input here. It never was quite right for me so last fall I bought a Benelli SBE 3 with factory bottomland stock and patriot brown metal. I have to tell you, I fell in love. Barrel is 24” but from what I can tell, it weighs about the same as my 870. Only box of yours it doesn’t check is the barrel length. I haven’t been in a situation yet where it has hurt me. I’ve probably jinxed myself now, but that’s my opinion. To me, 26”-28” is too long but 22-24” is a pretty sweet spot.
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,108 Likes: 15
10 point
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10 point
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,108 Likes: 15 |
Mossberg SA-20 or 28 and Stoeger 3020 and Weatherby Element comes with all that and can be had with 22” barrels. Everything else that I’m aware of is 24” and up.
Last edited by CD; 07/20/26 07:20 PM.
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 27,502 Likes: 28
Talking Turkey
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Talking Turkey
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 27,502 Likes: 28 |
What about an ATI o/u? Mine is 21” barrels. Didn’t come dipped, but I put my own camo on it. I was in Marks Outdoors last year and they had one on 20 and one in 410, both in Bottomland and 21”. I know you said a semi but I think giving you more than 2 chances would be illegal, you’re already rough enough on em. lol.
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 12,134 Likes: 41
Booner
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Booner
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 12,134 Likes: 41 |
A SBE3 hits the marks besides barrel length
You could find a M2 compact that would also fit.
The SA mossberg or weatherby element turkey also are fine guns that would be a great option
Well, the way I see it is there's just too many assholes
On a good day there's a bunch of assholes in here.
On a bad day there's too many assholes in here.
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,764 Likes: 36
14 point
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14 point
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,764 Likes: 36 |
Never shot the mossberg but I’ve held a few and I may end up with one someday if I ever get into turkey hunting
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Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 6,174 Likes: 27
12 point
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12 point
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 6,174 Likes: 27 |
I bought a Mossberg SA 20 season last year. Wwounded the turkey on the first hunt with it due to pulling the shot as the trigger was a hard pull. I noticed that I pulled off onto two shot sighting it in as well. After that, Hunt, I went and got me a trigger spring and installed it. Significantly reduced the trigger pool and proceeded to kill a couple of birds in a row after. It is a great Gun after the modification.
Last edited by Gobble4me757; 07/21/26 09:03 AM.
2017 Team Aldeer Turkey Contest Champion
2018 Team Aldeer Turkey Contest Champion
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,138 Likes: 5
12 point
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12 point
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,138 Likes: 5 |
I have owned the Weatherby turkey element and checks all the boxes besides weight. I sold mine last year. It's heavier than the Franchi Affinity Compact Youth and the SBE 3 I currently own. As far as I know the Weatherby turkey element is no longer in production.
Now for the two guns I currently own, a Franchi Affinity compact youth and a new SBE 3. My preference is the Franchi Affinity Compact. The downside to this gun is it only comes in black and it's not drilled/tapped for an optic. The upsides are light weight, compact depending on amount butt pad shims installed and it's a shooter. The SBE 3 even though it's a compact it is longer than my Franchi Affinity compact. I am also having a jamming issue with this gun and that has me pretty ticked off. If my gun smith or Benelli cannot resolve the jamming issue I will buy another Franchi Affinity.
You can look into the Retay line of turkey guns. They make a few that meet your requirements. I do think they are a bit on the heavier side though.
Last edited by Squeaky; 07/22/26 07:44 AM.
"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life.
Comes to us at midnight very clean.
It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.
It hopes we've learned something from yesterday."
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,076 Likes: 19
12 point
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12 point
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,076 Likes: 19 |
IMHO, the 20 ga older model Remington 11-87 compact is the finest semi auto turkey gun ever made. Swap the trigger with a Timney and add a FF3 or Venom. Hard to find tho. Not sure its my favorite right now, probably number 2 in the line up. I really like a CZ 28 ga Bobwhite SxS.
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Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 6,174 Likes: 27
12 point
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12 point
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 6,174 Likes: 27 |
Retay I thought was garbage but a buddy likes his. I love my little Weatherby element. My franchi is great except benelli clicks have cost me a couple birds due to it. I really like the sa20 but it weighs a hair more than the Franchi
2017 Team Aldeer Turkey Contest Champion
2018 Team Aldeer Turkey Contest Champion
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,138 Likes: 5
12 point
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12 point
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,138 Likes: 5 |
Retay I thought was garbage but a buddy likes his. I love my little Weatherby element. My franchi is great except benelli clicks have cost me a couple birds due to it. I really like the sa20 but it weighs a hair more than the Franchi I'm having my gun smith install the Wolff BENELLI SUPER 90 Extra Power RECOIL SPRING in both my Franchi and SBE3. I have a good friend that installed the spring in his Franchi and he said it helped with the the benelli click.
"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life.
Comes to us at midnight very clean.
It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.
It hopes we've learned something from yesterday."
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Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 6,174 Likes: 27
12 point
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12 point
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 6,174 Likes: 27 |
Retay I thought was garbage but a buddy likes his. I love my little Weatherby element. My franchi is great except benelli clicks have cost me a couple birds due to it. I really like the sa20 but it weighs a hair more than the Franchi I'm having my gun smith install the Wolff BENELLI SUPER 90 Extra Power RECOIL SPRING in both my Franchi and SBE3. I have a good friend that installed the spring in his Franchi and he said it helped with the the benelli click. I have seen that. I have done the trigger springs but not the recoil springs. Saw on a forum a while back about that and it fixing the click. My clicks have happened when I am moving on a bird and the bolt catches on something in the move etc
2017 Team Aldeer Turkey Contest Champion
2018 Team Aldeer Turkey Contest Champion
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 10,279 Likes: 10
Booner
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Booner
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 10,279 Likes: 10 |
Mike, I have the Wolff springs in my m2. First discovered them with my m1 12 ga not cycling dove loads
If you want to always win, never play anyone better than you!
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 768
4 point
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4 point
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 768 |
I won a give away at NWTF banquet a few years back that was a gun I never would have considered, but its a nice gun. Its a Hatsan Escort, made in Turkey. A 20 gauge,has a 24" threaded bbl, I think it came with 5 choke tubes. Nice camo job. Good little gun.
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 535 Likes: 5
4 point
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4 point
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 535 Likes: 5 |
I bought dad the mossberg the SA 20 last year when they were on sale, and it’s a fine gun. Idk if it’s the shorter barrel or what, but I like the feel of it better than my Franchi.
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,198 Likes: 4
10 point
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10 point
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,198 Likes: 4 |
Mark's had a Weatherby Element 20ga Bottomlands with the short barrel when I was in there last Wednesday. Great looking little gun.
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 954 Likes: 3
6 point
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6 point
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 954 Likes: 3 |
Winchester is making an SX4 20ga and they should start shipping the 24" Green Leaf around Feb
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 6,198 Likes: 2
(Can't Keep It Up...)
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(Can't Keep It Up...)
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 6,198 Likes: 2 |
Retay I thought was garbage but a buddy likes his. I love my little Weatherby element. My franchi is great except benelli clicks have cost me a couple birds due to it. I really like the sa20 but it weighs a hair more than the Franchi I'm having my gun smith install the Wolff BENELLI SUPER 90 Extra Power RECOIL SPRING in both my Franchi and SBE3. I have a good friend that installed the spring in his Franchi and he said it helped with the the benelli click. I have seen that. I have done the trigger springs but not the recoil springs. Saw on a forum a while back about that and it fixing the click. My clicks have happened when I am moving on a bird and the bolt catches on something in the move etc I'm selling my Franchi because of this. Haven't carried it in 3 years. My Retay and Stevens .410 have been flawless.
"In Alabama, we prefer to kill small bucks on big properties"-Turkey247
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,138 Likes: 5
12 point
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12 point
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,138 Likes: 5 |
Retay I thought was garbage but a buddy likes his. I love my little Weatherby element. My franchi is great except benelli clicks have cost me a couple birds due to it. I really like the sa20 but it weighs a hair more than the Franchi I'm having my gun smith install the Wolff BENELLI SUPER 90 Extra Power RECOIL SPRING in both my Franchi and SBE3. I have a good friend that installed the spring in his Franchi and he said it helped with the the benelli click. I have seen that. I have done the trigger springs but not the recoil springs. Saw on a forum a while back about that and it fixing the click. My clicks have happened when I am moving on a bird and the bolt catches on something in the move etc I'm selling my Franchi because of this. Haven't carried it in 3 years. My Retay and Stevens .410 have been flawless. Is it a youth compact? If so, shoot me a pm what you'd take for it.
"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life.
Comes to us at midnight very clean.
It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.
It hopes we've learned something from yesterday."
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,611 Likes: 3
10 point
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10 point
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,611 Likes: 3 |
I’d definitely check out the Mossberg SA-20 and SA-28, I have both, they are great little compact guns for the money 💰 ‼️
"Guess I just got too much Mathews in me!"
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