Best turkey hunting shotguns: seven guns I’d actually carry this spring

Opening morning last April, sitting against a white oak off a logging road outside a buddy’s place near Coshocton County, Ohio, I watched a longbeard hang up at forty-three yards for eleven straight minutes. Eleven minutes of him drumming and strutting just outside what I trusted my pattern to do. I didnt shoot. He wandered off with two hens and I sat there second-guessing every choke and load choice I’d made that winter. That’s the thing about turkey guns — the gun matters less than the ammo and the choke, but the wrong gun makes the whole rig miserable to carry for six hours in the dark.

I’ve spent the better part of twenty seasons chasing birds from the Ohio hill country to the sand pine flats of the Florida panhandle, and I’ve cycled through more turkey-specific shotguns than I’d like to admit to my wife. Here’s where I’ve landed for 2025, and yeah, your mileage may vary depending on your build, your budget, and whether you’re a run-and-gun hunter or a sit-tight-and-call guy.

TL;DR: the best turkey hunting shotguns right now #

If you want the one gun I’d tell a buddy to just go buy, it’s the Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey — best overall. If money’s tight, the Mossberg 500 Turkey pump is the budget pick that still gets it done. If you’ve got the cash and want the gun that’ll outlive you, the Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 in a turkey configuration is the premium option. There are five more below worth a look depending on how you hunt.

Best overall: Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey #

This is the gun I’ve had in the truck for two seasons running now, and I’ve put more shells through it at the range than I care to log. The 940 Pro Turkey runs a gas system Mossberg actually designed to cycle everything from light target loads to the heaviest TSS turkey rounds without a hiccup, which matters more than most manufacturers let on — I’ve had semi-autos choke on cheap promo ammo and leave me standing there fumbling a tail-feathers shot.

It comes drilled and tapped for an optic, which is basically mandatory now if you’re shooting the tighter turkey chokes and TSS at 40-plus yards. The Holosun-ready cut saved me buying an adapter plate, unlike some guns on this list.

• Pros: reliable cycling across load types, optic-ready, fiber-optic sights if you skip the red dot, comfortable weight at around 7 pounds.
• Cons: the safety is a little stiffer than I’d like out of the box, and the Mossberg brand still carries an unfair “budget” stigma with some hunters that isn’t really deserved anymore.

Best budget pick: Mossberg 500 Turkey #

I learned that one the hard way with a semi-auto that jammed on my second shot at a double-bearded bird near Zanesville — sometimes a pump just doesn’t let you down. The 500 Turkey is basically the same reliable action that’s been in deer camps and duck blinds for decades, dressed up with a Mossy Oak pattern and a 24-inch barrel with extra-full turkey choke threading.

You’re looking at something in the $450-500 range depending on where you shop, and for that money there isn’t a more proven pump gun in America. It wont win any beauty contests sitting next to a Benelli, but it will absolutely put a bird down at forty yards if your pattern work is right.

• Pros: dirt-cheap reliability, easy to clean in the field, huge aftermarket choke and stock support.
• Cons: pump-action means a second shot takes real practice to stay quiet and on target, and the factory stock length runs long for smaller-framed hunters.

Best premium pick: Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 #

If you’re the type who buys once and cries once, the SBE3 in a turkey configuration is definately worth the money, even if I wince a little every time I hand over a card for one. The Inertia Driven system is soft-shooting for a 12-gauge running heavy TSS loads, and Benelli’s Comfortech stock actually does cut felt recoil noticeably compared to a standard synthetic stock.

I’ve got a friend down in Alabama who’s run one for six seasons on turkey and never had a single malfunction, which for a gun that gets dragged through wet leaves and mud more than it probably should, says something.

• Pros: exceptionally soft recoil for the gauge, rock-solid reliability, holds value well on the used market.
• Cons: you’re paying north of $1,900 for the privilege, and honestly some of that premium is brand name rather than performance over the 940 Pro.

Best for run-and-gun hunters: Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus #

Public land turkey hunting in places like the Wayne National Forest means covering ground, and the A400 Xtreme Plus is light enough that I dont mind carrying it three miles before first light. Beretta’s Kick-Off recoil system built into the stock genuinely helps on a long sit where you’re shooting heavier TSS loads and want to still be able to hold binoculars steady afterward.

It cycles clean, it’s weather-sealed better than most semi-autos I’ve handled, and the balance point sits right for quick mounts when a bird comes in silent behind you, which happens more than turkey hunters like to admit.

• Pros: light carry weight, excellent recoil management, weatherproof coating holds up in wet conditions.
• Cons: pricier than the Mossberg options, and the trigger guard is a little tight if you’re wearing heavy gloves in cold April mornings.

Best for smaller-framed or younger hunters: Mossberg 500 Bantam Turkey #

I put my daughter on one of these when she started hunting at thirteen, and it made the difference between her actually enjoying the sport and fighting a gun that didnt fit. The shortened stock and reduced length of pull bring the gun down to a size that a smaller-framed adult or a teenager can actually mount and shoot comfortably without flinching.

Its the same reliable 500 action underneath, just scaled right, which matters more than people think when you’re trying to build a new hunter’s confidence instead of just handing them whatever’s in the closet.

• Pros: proper fit for smaller shooters, same proven action as the full-size 500, affordable.
• Cons: limited camo pattern options compared to the standard-size 500, and you’ll outgrow it if you’re buying for a growing kid.

Best 20-gauge option: Weatherby Element Turkey #

TSS loads changed the whole turkey gauge conversation. A 20-gauge pushing tungsten super shot patterns nearly as dense as a 12-gauge did with lead a decade ago, and the Weatherby Element brings that capability in a lighter, softer-recoiling package that I’ve genuinely come to prefer on longer sits. I wrote up the Element in more detail in my full review if you want the deeper dive on the gas system and build quality.

Recoil is noticeably lighter than any 12-gauge on this list, which matters after four hours of sitting still against a tree trunk with your shoulder already sore from opening morning.

• Pros: light recoil, dense TSS patterns at range, comfortable all-day carry weight.
• Cons: ammo cost for TSS in 20-gauge runs higher than 12-gauge equivalents, and choke selection is more limited than the bigger bore.

Best value semi-auto: Savage Renegauge Turkey #

Savage isn’t the first name most turkey hunters think of, but the Renegauge has earned a spot in my rotation the last two seasons. The dual regulating inline valve gas system cycles reliably across a wide range of loads, and the price point sits comfortably below the Benelli and Beretta options while delivering similar reliability in my experience.

I’ll admit I was skeptical the first time a guy at my local range near Zanesville handed me his to try. I came away impressed enough to put one on my own short list.

• Pros: competitive price against premium semi-autos, reliable across load types, comfortable stock geometry.
• Cons: aftermarket support and choke selection lag behind the bigger legacy brands, and resale value is unproven since it’s a newer platform.

Choosing between gauges, chokes, and optics #

Here’s my mildly unpopular take: most turkey hunters spend way too much time agonizing over which shotgun to buy and not nearly enough time patterning their actual choke-and-load combo at the range. I’ve seen guys drop $2,000 on a premium semi-auto and then shoot factory promo turkey loads through a stock choke and wonder why their pattern opens up past thirty yards. The gun is maybe 20 percent of the equation. The choke, the load, and the range work you put in before season matters a lot more.

That said, a red-dot-ready receiver has genuinely changed how I hunt. Being able to hold a small dot on a bird’s head at forty-plus yards instead of squinting down a bead sight has tightened up my effective range noticeably, and I dont think I’d go back to a bead-only gun for turkey now. If you’re new to shotguns generally and still building out your kit, our first-time buyer’s checklist covers the basics worth knowing before you walk into a shop.

Ammo, chokes, and the stuff that actually kills birds #

TSS loads from the likes of Apex or Federal’s Heavyweight line have genuinely reshaped what’s possible at range, letting hunters ethically take birds past forty yards that would’ve been a stretch with lead a decade back. The National Wild Turkey Federation and most state wildlife agencies still recommend patterning your specific gun-choke-load combination before season, and I cant stress that enough after watching too many guys sight in with one brand of shells and then hunt with whatever was on sale.

If turkey calling is part of what’s holding you back more than the gun itself, our piece on turkey calling for beginners covers what actually works once a bird’s in range and you need him to commit those last fifteen yards. And if you’re hunting public land across state lines this spring, it’s worth checking how firearm transport laws vary by state before you load the truck.

For the regulatory side of things, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service maintains general migratory and game bird guidance at fws.gov, and NSSF’s hunting resources at nssf.org are worth a look if you want the industry-side data on turkey ammunition trends.

What I’d actually grab this spring #

If you asked me straight up what’s going in my truck this April, it’s still the 940 Pro Turkey with a Holosun mounted and a case of TSS I patterned back in February. But I’ll be honest, the Weatherby Element is creeping up on that spot every season I carry it on a longer sit. Guns are personal that way. Go handle a few at a local shop before you buy, check the length of pull against your own arm, and dont let a glossy camo pattern talk you into a gun that doesn’t fit.

— Bud Sorensen, Shotguns & Waterfowl Editor