Best Turkey Shotguns: Gold Medal Gobbler Guns

Taking on ol’ Tom? Here are the top turkey shotguns to stop him dead trot.

A turkey gun doesn’t have to kick like a mule or cost more than your first truck. It just needs to throw a tight shot pattern at a head the size of a plum at a range that matches your calling skills. It’s a simple idea, but it can be hard in practice. And it gets downright intimidating when you walk into a gun shop and stare at a wall of camo stocks, choke tubes and price tags. That’s where this guide comes in.

If you hunt long enough, you’ll see everything from grandpa’s beat-up pump to shiny space-age semis drop gobblers clean. The trick is knowing what matters beyond the sales pitches and marketing fluff. We’ll cover the basics, then get straight to the guns we consider worth hauling into the turkey woods this spring.

What to Look For in a Turkey Shotgun

Your turkey gun should be boring in the best way. It needs to cycle every time, point naturally and hold a pattern that makes you confident when you manage to call a gobbler into range. Reliability matters more than fancy features. A jam at daybreak is far more disappointing than getting locked out of the truck in a rainstorm. And that’s saying something.

Barrel length makes a real difference. Shorter is better in most turkey hunting situations. Extra inches may help in a duck blind when you’re swinging on birds, but they turn into trouble in tight timber or inside a pop-up. A 21- to 24-inch barrel tends to be the Goldilocks range. Shots on longbeards are rarely picture perfect. You end up twisted around a tree or leaning at an angle your back will complain about later. A short barrel lets you get on target fast when a bird comes in from a direction that leaves you twisted up like a pretzel.  

Weight becomes a real factor if you run and gun. A lighter gun carries well but will jump a bit under heavier payloads.  

Sights matter more than most hunters care to admit. A simple fiber optic works fine. A red dot helps when you’re twisted like a pretzel against a tree. Both beat trying to line up the traditional shiny shotgun bead in low light.

Gauges That Make Sense

Twelve gauge is the standard because it gives you the widest choice of loads. It hits hard and patterns well with most turkey chokes. The recoil can be a shoulder puncher when running hotter loads, but I’ve rarely cared when I’m pulling the trigger on a bird. It’s mostly a problem when you’re shooting paper.

Twenty gauge has become a favorite for a reason. Modern loads give it reach that would have shocked your granddad. It’s lighter, easier on the shoulder and deadly when paired with the right choke.

Once considered a youth gun, the little .410 is no toy. Tungsten Super Shot (TSS)—which is a dense tungsten alloy shot—turned it into a legitimate turkey killer. It still takes discipline. You need tight shot patterns (which refers to how tightly the pellets group) and honest shot distances. It still shines for kids, but it’s also nice for anyone wanting a light, compact setup and a challenge.  

Chokes That Work

Turkey chokes are designed to squeeze every bit of density out of your pattern. Extra full and turkey-specific models are a good starting point. Tighter isn’t always better. Some guns throw their best patterns with a more open choke. The only way to know is to shoot paper.

Pattern your gun at forty yards, then try thirty and twenty. The goal is a dense swarm of pellets in the head and neck, not a pattern so tight you can miss by an inch. A good choke builds confidence. A bad one makes you chase problems that come down to simple pattern testing.

Turkey Loads

Lead loads still work and always will. They’re affordable and deadly inside traditional ranges. TSS is a different animal. Made from tungsten alloy, TSS is 56 percent denser than lead, which makes it slower to shed velocity, so it can travel farther, hit harder, and penetrate deeper. It also holds a tight pattern at surprising distances. The price stings, so pattern with a few shells and save the rest for hunts.

Common sizes run from number 4 to number 6 if you’re slinging lead. You can go smaller with TSS loads (think number 7 or number 9).  Let your pattern decide. Every gun has a favorite load. You’ll find yours once you see holes in the paper.

Best Turkey Shotguns

• Editor’s Choice: Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey
• Best Budget Turkey Shotgun: Mossberg 500 Turkey
• Best .410 Turkey Shotgun: TriStar Viper G2 .410 Turkey
• Best Adjustable Turkey Shotgun: Savage Renegauge Turkey Obsession
• Best High‑End Turkey Shotgun: Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 Turkey Performance Shop

Best Turkey Shotguns Spec Comparison

Editor’s Choice: Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey

940 Pro Turkey Specs
Gauge: 12-gauge
Action: Gas-operated semi-auto
Barrel Length: 18.5 inches and 24 inches
Finish: Mossy Oak Greenleaf
Choke: X Factor XX-Full Turkey Tube
Length: 39.24 inches and 44.7 inches
LOP: 13 – 14.25 inches
Sights: Front fiber optic, optic-ready
Weight: 7.5 pounds
MSRP: $1,260

The 940 Pro Turkey checks every box without asking for a second mortgage. It runs clean, cycles anything, and points fast. The controls are glove-friendly. The stock fits a wide range of shooters. The gas system keeps recoil under control, which helps when you’re shooting heavy TSS loads from a twisted position against a tree. It patterns well with common chokes and doesn’t throw a tantrum with different loads. If someone asked for one turkey gun to hunt any terrain, this is the one I’d hand them. It also plays nicely with optics, so if you want to run a red dot, this one makes it easy. If you want one gun that covers just about every turkey scenario and won’t leave you second-guessing, the 940 Pro is the one I reach for first.

940 Pro Turkey Deals

Sportsman’s Warehouse	$1,030
Scheels	$1,000

Best Budget: Mossberg 500 Turkey

500 Turkey Specs
Gauge: 20-gauge
Action: Pump
Barrel Length: 22 inches
Finish: Mossy Oak Greenleaf
Choke: X Factor Ported Tube
Length: 41.25 inches
LOP: 13.87 inches
Sights: Front fiber optic, optic-ready
Weight: 6.75 pounds
MSRP: $697

If you’re talking turkey guns and skip the iconic Mossberg 500, you’re doing it wrong. This pump has been running since 1961 and has sent more birds to the freezer than most of us can count. It’s simple, tough, and never complains, basically everything you want in a turkey gun.

Mossberg even made a turkey version that comes ready for the woods. The 20-gauge is optics-ready, decked out in Mossy Oak Greenleaf, with a fiber-optic front sight and an X-Factor ported choke tube. It points naturally and patterns tight, so you can focus on the bird instead of fussing with the gun.

There’s also the 500 Super Bantam Turkey. They sell it as a youth gun, but don’t let that fool you. If you’re on the smaller side or just like a shorter length of pull, this little gun handles like a dream. Full disclosure: I’m well past youth size, and I used one last spring to tag out in North Carolina. Light, easy to twist around, and accurate, it’s great for getting on gobblers that come at you from weird angles.

500 Turkey Deals

Palmetto State Armory	$560
Scheels	$630

Best .410: TriStar Viper G2 .410 Turkey

Viper G2 .410 Turkey Specs
Gauge: .410 bore
Action: Gas-operated semi-auto
Barrel Length: 24 inches
Finish: Camo
Choke: 4 Beretta-style Choke Tubes (IC, M, F, Ext. Turkey Choke)
Length: 44.5 inches
LOP: 14.25 inches
Sights: Front fiber optic, optic ready
Weight: 6 pounds
MSRP: $949

Don’t laugh at the little .410. The TriStar Viper G2 proves that size doesn’t matter when you’re running modern TSS in a solid setup. This semi-auto is light, easy to carry, handles well in the turkey woods, and comes at a price point that won’t make your bank account cry.

It points naturally, and the fiber-optic front sight lines up easily in low light. The Viper comes with a full complement of turkey chokes and an E-Z Load cut-off, which is perfect if you want to unload fast or switch shells without fumbling.

Inside honest range, this little gun hits harder than it looks. I’ve watched hunters take longbeards at distances that used to make people scoff at a .410. It also has pussycat-level recoil, even when running TSS, making it a forgiving rig for young or new shooters. It’s lightweight, maneuverable, and deadly in the right hands; the Viper G2 is proof that you don’t need a heavy 12-gauge to tag out a gobbler.

Viper G2 .410 Turkey

Midway USA	$762
Sportsman’s Warehouse	$630

Best Adjustable: Savage Renegauge Turkey Obsession

Renegauge Turkey Obsession Specs
Gauge: 12 gauge
Action: Gas-operated semi-auto
Barrel Length: 24 inches
Finish: Mossy Oak Obsession
Choke: Extended Turkey, Full, Improved Cylinder, Modified
Length: 45.5 inches
LOP: 14.25-15.07 inches
Sights: Front fiber optic
Weight: 7.8 pounds
MSRP: $1,409

The Renegauge is the kind of gun you can feed anything from hot 3-inch magnum loads to soft, low-recoil shells, and it won’t skip a beat. It’s built for just about any shooter. Everything is adjustable — length of pull, comb height, drop at heel — so you can get a fit that feels like it was made for you.

The Turkey Obsession model wraps all that in Mossy Oak Obsession camo, adds fiber-optic sights, a full set of choke tubes, and oversized controls that are perfect with gloves on. This is a hefty one, tipping the scales at nearly 8 pounds. But it’s soft on the shoulder and sits well inside a ground blind.

It also earns major bonus points for its cool name. “Renegauge” feels like a gun that deserves its own theme music.

Renegauge Turkey Obsession

Palmetto State Armory	$1,016
Sportsman’s Warehouse	$1,230

Best High‑End: Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 Turkey Performance Shop

Super Black Eagle 3 Specs
Gauge: 12 gauge
Action: Inertia-driven semi-auto
Barrel Length: 24 inches
Finish: Mossy Oak Bottomland
Choke: Custom XFT
Length: 45.75 inches
LOP: 14.375 inches
Sights: Burris FastFire red-dot with a fiber-optic bead front sight
Weight: 6.8 pounds
MSRP: $3,399

If you aren’t worried about sticker shock and want a turkey gun that feels like driving a sports car, the SBE 3 Turkey Performance Shop is hard to beat. It comes from Benelli’s own shop with turkey‑specific tweaks that really shine in the field.

This thing runs on Benelli’s patented Inertia‑Driven system, which means it stays clean, predictable, and free of gas‑system fouling. The stock is in classic Mossy Oak Bottomland camo with a SteadyGrip pistol configuration that’s easy to hold onto, even when you have to stay locked in during awkward tree-hugging shots. It’s light enough to carry without flinching but solid enough to handle heavy 3 ½-inch magnums.

The beauty of this turkey gun is in the details, including a ported, low‑glare barrel with a fiber‑optic bead, oversized bolt handle and release (so you can work it with gloves on), and a Burris FastFire red-dot sight already mounted. Each gun gets pattern‑tested at the factory with Federal Premium loads, and you get a printed impact chart for 10, 20, and 30-inch circles. That kind of pattern data is gold when you’re dialing in turkey loads preseason.

If you’ve got the budget and want a serious, no‑compromise turkey gun you can trust when a gobbler struts into your pot call at first light, this SBE 3 is about as perfect as they come.

Super Black Eagle 3

Sportsman’s Warehouse

$3,000

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