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The Best Sights for Turkey Shotguns: Scopes vs. Red Dots vs. Open Sights vs. Beads

May 08, 2022, 04:27:47 PM

The Best Sights for Turkey Shotguns: Scopes vs. Red Dots vs. Open Sights vs. Beads

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Scopes, red dots, open sights, and beads all have their place in the turkey woods. Alex Robinson

There are plenty of good options for aiming a turkey gun. Here's a look at the pros and cons of the best turkey hunting sights

The post The Best Sights for Turkey Shotguns: Scopes vs. Red Dots vs. Open Sights vs. Beads appeared first on Outdoor Life.

                              

                   

Scopes, red dots, open sights, and beads all have their place in the turkey woods. Alex Robinson

It wasn’t too long ago that a “turkey gun” meant any shotgun you decided to take turkey hunting. But in the modern era of specialized hunting equipment, the best turkey guns sport short barrels, TSS chokes, and optics. But do you really need a red dot sight or scope on your turkey gun? That all depends on the type of hunting you like to do, and the expectations you have for your turkey hunting rig.

If you hunt in the woods and are dedicated to killing gobblers at 30 yards or in, I’d argue the best aiming mechanism you could have on your shotgun is a simple, plain bead. But if you plan on stretching your turkey gun to 40 yards and beyond, adding a red dot sight or scope will make you a more precise shooter. Over the years I’ve killed turkeys through scopes, red dot sights, while looking down irons, and floating beads over a gobbler’s wattles. Here’s an honest look at the pros and cons for each. 

Scopes for Turkey Hunting

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Leupold

     

             

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Pros

• Magnification
• Versatility
• Lighted reticles
• Precise aiming at mid and long ranges
• Many LPVO options
• Quick sight in

Cons

• Adds weight
• Lose field of view with magnification
• Pricey

Throwing a scope on a shotgun for turkey hunting, where shots shouldn’t range much beyond 60 yards, might seem like overkill. But don’t knock it until you try it. There’s a reason that low power variable optics (LPVOs), like the Leupold VX-6HD, have beco*e hyper-popular in the world of AR-style rifles: They allow for fast target acquisition at close range and for precise aiming at longer ranges. These co*pact optics, which start at 1x magnification and then range up to 4x, 6x, 8x and 10x, will also make excellent hunting scopes in the turkey woods.

I recently mounted a Leupold Patrol 6HD 1-6X24 scope on my Remington 870 turkey hunting gun. It was a breeze to sight in and I loved the precise aiming the lighted reticle offered. However, I was initially concerned that the scope would slow me down if I had to make a quick shot at close range. But on the second day of the Indiana turkey season, I was surprised to see a longbeard sneaking my way through heavy brush. He was only about 25 yards away. I threw the gun up as the turkey putted and started ducking for cover. Without an instant of hesitation, I found his red head in the scope and fired. The gobbler was dead where he stood. On 1x power, and with an illuminated reticle, target acquisition is extremely quick with a good LPVO. There is no shifting back and forth to find the proper eye relief or adjusting your head position. On 1x, I found my Leupold Patrol scope had about 5 inches of eye relief, which is more than generous. Simply bring the gun up, look through the scope, and shoot. With a little practice, you’ll do this quickly and with both eyes open.

Even at close ranges, a scope is useful because it forces you to keep your head down on the gun. Turkeys are most-often missed when the shooter brings their head off the gunstock and looks over the barrel—instead of down it—at that giant strutter co*ing in (sadly, I know a little bit about this from personal experience). But to see through your scope, you must get your head down with your cheek welded on the stock, and this is the first step toward a flopping turkey.

But longer shots, from 40 to 60 yards, are where a scope really shines on a turkey gun. Even just cranking the power up to 2x or 3x gives you a much clearer picture of the gobbler’s head and neck. I noticed this immediately while patterning turkey guns at 60 yards; it was much easier to shoot consistently at this range with a scope. Lastly, a high-quality scope will give you a clear and bright sight picture even in low light conditions, this of course makes shooting easier, but also more fun.

A note on shooting turkeys at “long range,”: Each hunter must decide their own maximum effective range. And just because you can kill a longbeard at 60 or 70 yards, doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. A recent field test we did on TSS turkey loads at long range showed that no one should be shooting at turkeys beyond 70 yards. In my opinion, turkey hunting at its finest is a close-range game. With all of that said, there is no doubt that modern turkey hunting rigs and ammo can effectively kill gobblers at 60 yards when in the right hands. And when shooting at that range, a scope will help you be more precise.

Red Dot Sights for Turkey Hunting

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Crimson Trace

     

             

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