Turkey Gun pics

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Driftless hunter
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Re: Turkey Gun pics

Post by Driftless hunter »

janesy wrote:
Fri Apr 09, 2021 7:17 pm
Just got the beast back from TacOrd. They gave it almost the full treatment, I did not go for loading port machining.

It started out at Christmas as a stock Versamax Tactical, first step was to strip all the tact stuff off lol. 3.5" chamber 22" barrel. I also totally lucked out and found a 26" barrel and it was done match in case I chase ducks one day.

Image
Looks like a really nice turkey set up. If I am shooting 3.5" turkey loads, I prefer a good gas action shotguns over an inertia driven one.

What type of choke & turkey load combination are you planning to use?
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janesy
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Re: Turkey Gun pics

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Boo wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 9:11 am
Nice Chris! Of all the firearms I own, I like shotguns the most! As much as I've been tempted, I've only ever sent one shotgun out to a gunsmith for improvements but nothing like you've done! One question for you. Why the Versamax over something like a Benelli or Beretta?
Two reason, one was the size and availability. I wanted something with a short barrel, and a lot of the "B" guns in small tactical form are inertia operated, like the M2. the 1301 was cool, and I wanted gas, but didn't want to deal with the unload button. I know there are other options out there. The M4 is just too much $$ to lay out and then customize(TacOrd had an M4 they did up to John Wick spec's and a Remington R12 in the shop) :eusa-drool: . The Vmax is proven reliable, and TacOrd specialized in them, so that's a plus.

Secondly, I'm a dealer for Gravel Agency, so I can get Remington parts and components directly. Or at least I could... The shelves are bare now
Last edited by janesy on Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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janesy
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Re: Turkey Gun pics

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Driftless hunter wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 4:44 pm
janesy wrote:
Fri Apr 09, 2021 7:17 pm
Just got the beast back from TacOrd. They gave it almost the full treatment, I did not go for loading port machining.

It started out at Christmas as a stock Versamax Tactical, first step was to strip all the tact stuff off lol. 3.5" chamber 22" barrel. I also totally lucked out and found a 26" barrel and it was done match in case I chase ducks one day.

Image
Looks like a really nice turkey set up. If I am shooting 3.5" turkey loads, I prefer a good gas action shotguns over an inertia driven one.

What type of choke & turkey load combination are you planning to use?
I won't shoot candle sticks. I have never been able to get a good pattern out of them. 3" is fine.

I only have a patternmaster choke in probore. But I have a bunch of LongBeard XR's and some heavy-13 to try.

But most likely it will be XR's in #6. Seem to work in everything. Altho I always prefer 5's, but the pattern doesn't lie
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Re: Turkey Gun pics

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[/quote]

I won't shoot candle sticks. I have never been able to get a good pattern out of them. 3" is fine.
I only have a patternmaster choke in probore. But I have a bunch of LongBeard XR's and some heavy-13 to try.
But most likely it will be XR's in #6. Seem to work in everything. Altho I always prefer 5's, but the pattern doesn't lie

[/quote]

Winchester XR's seem to have a loyal following. I owned (gun raffle won one of them) 3.5" pump guns at one time, & I found 3" turkey loads patterned better for me, too! I sold my two 12 gauge 3.5" pump guns & put the funds towards a slightly used Browning Gold 10 several years ago.

I use my Browning Gold 10 with a 26" barrel & an Indian Creek Black Diamond Strike choke as my primary turkey gun. I use Winchester Double X #5 as my backup rounds. Sadly, 10 gauge Winchester Long Beards don't exist. Hevi-13 #5 are my primary turkey loads. I am not a fan of the Magnum Blend, but the #5 rounds are great (only shot size they offer in 10 gauge).

A very good friend of mine has been using a Browning Gold 10 much longer than me. He bought his Gold 10 for goose hunting, but it has become his primary turkey gun, too. He has the older (steel receiver) style with a 30" barrel. With an Indian Creek choke on the end, it's not a compact gun. His wife shot a Tom @ 73 yards with it last spring, & dropped it dead with Hevi-13 #5. He also has a really nice Browning Gold 12 turkey edition with a 24" barrel & Leupold scope. After watching his 10 gauge do a number on turkeys over the years, his 12 gauge set up has become his backup gun.

Given the quality of today's turkey rounds, a 10 gauge is probably not necessary. My friend & I bought our Browning Gold 10 shotguns used. The Gold 10 is a bit heavy to lug around, but it's relatively pleasant to shoot. I still have my trusty 12 gauge Remington 870 Express as my backup gun (or when I want something more portable & light). It has a 21" barrel with an Indian Creek on the end. I have the adjustable TruGlo sights on both guns.

Your Versamax is a very nice set up! It will look nice leaning against a tree with Tom on the ground in front of it this spring. :)

Weather-wise & vegetation-wise, it seems like 3rd season in Wisconsin already. Yet 1st season is still a bit off (April 21st). Ugh!!! It's been hard to wait! They need to move the 6 individual turkey seasons back up a week or two. Dragging the 6th season into Memorial weekend was a poor reason to push them all back. I swear those who decide these matter don't really hunt!
Last edited by Driftless hunter on Sat Apr 10, 2021 10:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Driftless hunter
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Re: Turkey Gun pics

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Good luck to those turkey hunting already! I'm a bit jealous!
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janesy
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Re: Turkey Gun pics

Post by janesy »

Driftless hunter wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 10:26 pm

Winchester XR's seem to have a loyal following. I owned (gun raffle won one of them) 3.5" pump guns at one time, & I found 3" turkey loads patterned better for me, too! I sold my two 12 gauge 3.5" pump guns & put the funds towards a slightly used Browning Gold 10 several years ago.

I use my Browning Gold 10 with a 26" barrel & an Indian Creek Black Diamond Strike choke as my primary turkey gun. I use Winchester Double X #5 as my backup rounds. Sadly, 10 gauge Winchester Long Beards don't exist. Hevi-13 #5 are my primary turkey loads. I am not a fan of the Magnum Blend, but the #5 rounds are great (only shot size they offer in 10 gauge).
I forgot I picked up a bunch of Magnum Blends from a guy in the fall for $10 a box. So I've got those too.

I shot Double-X #5 3" for years until XR's came out. They are more consistent and do extend the range a bit. Which is really a non issue for me, the longest shot I've ever made was 31Y.

They did make me realize something last year or so. In the last 5 years I have missed birds at embarassingly close ranges. I one basically looking in the barrel, and I straight up missed. Turns out with the long beard, and my Rem-Choke Ventilator, I was getting golfball sized loads out to say 20Y. Then all shot inside 10" at 30 or 40.
So when it connected it hamburgers their head, but if the shot was off even a few inches it was a hit but I was often standing on their head. I had just made the assumption it was better at 30 it'll be fine up close too. My mistake. Altho I did not ever lose a bird or anything like that. It was just very black and white

Switched to patternmaster and the pattern was a little bigger, and very even out to 40. So I got one for the Versamax too. But I have yet to pattern it. I want the heavy stuff to really work. But I'm fully expecting the XR to just do its thing.

Hope to pattern next weekend. Rain all week here season opens APR 25 where I live, and 26th where I have a couple farms to hunt
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Re: Turkey Gun pics

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janesy wrote:
Sun Apr 11, 2021 7:06 am
Driftless hunter wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 10:26 pm

Winchester XR's seem to have a loyal following. I owned (gun raffle won one of them) 3.5" pump guns at one time, & I found 3" turkey loads patterned better for me, too! I sold my two 12 gauge 3.5" pump guns & put the funds towards a slightly used Browning Gold 10 several years ago.

I use my Browning Gold 10 with a 26" barrel & an Indian Creek Black Diamond Strike choke as my primary turkey gun. I use Winchester Double X #5 as my backup rounds. Sadly, 10 gauge Winchester Long Beards don't exist. Hevi-13 #5 are my primary turkey loads. I am not a fan of the Magnum Blend, but the #5 rounds are great (only shot size they offer in 10 gauge).
I forgot I picked up a bunch of Magnum Blends from a guy in the fall for $10 a box. So I've got those too.

I shot Double-X #5 3" for years until XR's came out. They are more consistent and do extend the range a bit. Which is really a non issue for me, the longest shot I've ever made was 31Y.
My favorite 12 gauge load is no longer made. Prior to the Longbeards appearing on the scene, Winchester made an Elite Extended Range load that wasn't just copper plated lead. It was like shooting a Hevi-13 load on steroids. They were $47/box of 10, & that was quite some time ago. Winchester decided to discontinue those loads, and the cheaper Longbeard loads with copper plated lead replaced them.

I have one round of these Winchester Elite Extended Range loads in #5 left. I killed two nice Toms with those loads in 2019 & numerous other ones before that. Last year, I just stuck with my 10 gauge all year.

Hevi-shot is making a Hevi-18 load this year, but not for a 10 gauge. I have a pretty good supply of 10 gauge Hevi-13 5-shot for now. When I run low on those, I may have to go the TSS route. 10 gauge Hevi-13 is becoming hard to find. Than again everything is a bit hard to find this year. Thankfully, Nitro Company, Pendleton, & Apex are all making 10 gauge turkey loads. I'm saving up my pennies, because TSS loads aren't cheap.
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Species8472
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Re: Turkey Gun pics

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Nice looking gun Janesy.

I am sorta diametrically opposite but appreciate them all. I use a Beretta 20 gauge O/U, 28 inch barrels, Factory full on top and modified on bottom.

Does the job:

Image

Image
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janesy
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Re: Turkey Gun pics

Post by janesy »

Species8472 wrote:
Fri Apr 16, 2021 4:16 pm
Nice looking gun Janesy.

I am sorta diametrically opposite but appreciate them all. I use a Beretta 20 gauge O/U, 28 inch barrels, Factory full on top and modified on bottom.

Does the job:

Image

Image
Very cool Species! It doesn't matter to me what shotgun a fella uses, shotgun turkey hunting is just so much fun!
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Re: Turkey Gun pics

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Species8472 wrote:
Fri Apr 16, 2021 4:16 pm
Nice looking gun Janesy.

I am sorta diametrically opposite but appreciate them all. I use a Beretta 20 gauge O/U, 28 inch barrels, Factory full on top and modified on bottom.

Does the job:

Image

Congrats on the nice Tom! I've always thought a nice O/U shotgun with two different chokes (close or distance shots) would be a great set up for turkeys (as long as the POI is the same for both barrels). The improvement in turkey loads has made all gauges of shotguns into real turkey slayers these days. It's amazing how new TSS loads have made .410 shotguns become popular turkey guns. If I owned an O/U shotgun, I wouldn't hesitate to use for turkeys, too! Can't argue with your success!
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janesy
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Re: Turkey Gun pics

Post by janesy »

Pattern master devoured XR #6's 3" at 30 yards. This was the first shot. Slight adjustment and it's ready to go.

xr 5's were acceptable. The magnum blend was a very wide pattern a full foot to the right.

The Versamax really does have soft recoil. I'm very impressed.

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Re: Turkey Gun pics

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Great pattern
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janesy
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Re: Turkey Gun pics

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mr meat wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 7:12 pm
Great pattern
Got every vertebrae LOL I think that will work.
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