About the Hunt
Our team of four female hunters flew into Arizona, met up with one of the guides, and drove across the Mexican border at Aqua Prieta. After a scenic trip farther south, we ended up at a remote, off-grid ranch where we connected with our host for the week, Ted Jaycox of Tall Tine Outfitters.
The Gould’s wild turkey is one of the rarest and most difficult of its kind to hunt, yet Jaycox’s dedication to scouting this rugged Sonoran terrain means he’s dialed in like no other. Always up for a challenge, Jaycox welcomed our group’s idea to hunt not with 10- or 12-gauge magnums, as so many turkey hunters have done for decades, but instead with the lowly 28 gauge, once thought “too light,” especially for a pursuit of this magnitude.
But as we’d all learn at both the patterning board – and in the rocky canyons – the 28 gauge is badder medicine than most would imagine.
Related: Bagging a Tom – Tips for a Successful Turkey Hunt
The Arsenal
Mossberg’s director of media relations, Linda Powell, led the charge, providing four Mossberg repeaters for the group. Powell is an exceptional hunter in her own right, having bagged big game across the world and more World Slams of Wild Turkey than most any gobbler hunter on record. She knows what it takes to get the job done.
The Mossberg SA-28 Tactical Turkey represents a fresh offering from the brand, this one from the company's “International” lineup. The gas-driven SA-28 Tactical Turkey wears a 22-inch barrel, full-coverage Mossy Oak Greenleaf camouflage, ghost ring fiber-optic sights, and an optics-ready receiver. The gun is not only light and wieldy at 6 pounds and 39 inches in overall length, but well-balanced to boot. The rubberized pistol grip, which surely grants the gun its “tactical” moniker, is handy in the turkey blind as well.
Making the 28 gauge even more deadly means partnering the scattergun with the correct ammunition for the job. While there’s precious little turkey-specific 28-gauge ammo on the market, that’s about to change. Federal Premium provided a trial run of its Custom Shop 28-gauge turkey loads. Packed with TSS –that’s tungsten super shot – let’s just say this load should be here to stay. More on that in a bit.
Though the SA-28 comes standard with some bright and practical fiber-optic ghost ring sights, Powell had most of the guns topped with Leupold’s Delta Point Pro reflex sight. After zeroing these rigs in a dry canyon, all I could wonder is why I hadn’t seriously hunted gobblers with a 28 gauge sooner.
The Patterns
Over the years, I’ve taken the challenge of hunting a turkey with every gauge from .410 on up to 10-gauge, including the 28. But in those early days, there were no gobbler-specific or extra full turkey chokes, nor were there truly appropriate loads. That’s not to say standard loads won’t work, because they have and do. However, we hunters made do by limiting our effective ranges to make clean harvests. Well, the times are changing.
Time spent on the Sonoran patterning board revealed several major changes. First is that quality iron sights or optics are key. We’ve long relied solely on irons, and to that end, the red-green ghost ring combination on the Mossberg couldn’t be much more user-friendly. They circle the turkey’s head and neck easily and acquire quickly with the color contrast. With the addition of the Leupold reflex, though, the rig seemed almost a can’t-miss combination. That red dot is right there when the gun is shouldered and puts the shooter dead on target.
With the correct gun, choke, ammo, and optic, the effective range of the 28-gauge has nearly doubled. We found incredibly impressive patterns out to 40 yards, and while the patterns were still decent at 50 yards, we collectively decided that 40 would be the line in the Mexican sand for ethical, one-shot harvests. After all, we didn’t travel 1,500-plus miles to botch our once-in-a-lifetime Gould’s hunt or trust that pursuit to subpar equipment. In addition to proving its worth on the range, the 28’s soft-shooting nature made patterning a joy instead of a chore.
The Hunt
Creeping out to pop-up blinds with only moonlight, we huntresses – partnered with Jaycox and guide Nick – found early success. Two gals tagged Gould’s on the first morning, both one-shot clean kills at ranges from 15 to 28 yards.
My time behind the trigger revealed much of the same. Jaycox put our little hunting party in position for success as we sneaked into position under cover of darkness where he hoped nearby roosting birds would descend into our decoys. He was correct. In short order, the boss Tom came thundering in to challenge the dekes. But in the end, the 28 gauge was easily crowned the victor.
Since our south-of-the-border adventure, I’ve had the opportunity to hunt with friends using Mossberg’s SA-28 on several eastern turkeys in the Midwest with similarly devastating results. Even the longest shot of 38 yards resulted in the desired bang-flop result.
Talking Turkey & 28
Perhaps the most pleasant thing about hunting with the Mossberg SA-28 – or really any 28 – is the light weight and slim lines of the shotgun. Compared to an average 12-gauge, the difference is startling. Powell, a hardcore gobbler hunter, says of the SA-28 that she has been “really impressed. It’s easy and compact to carry in the field. Less recoil. We’re finding today with the performance of shotshells, it’s not necessary to carry a 12-gauge, and we’re seeing the demand on the market for smaller gauges.”
Now don’t get me wrong, my arsenal of 12-gauge hunting shotguns have long been my go-to for most hunts and will continue to have their place. However, the low recoil and light weight of 28s like this Mossberg are awfully appealing. That’s especially true when partnered with the appropriate ammunition.
You can read more about specialty shots in previous articles, but Federal has led the charge in the TSS market, and its .410 TSS is proof. The baby-bore turkey market has exploded with the .410 shotguns partnered with TSS. Imagine what happens when you take a similarly soft-shooting bore, but one with considerably more case capacity. That’s the 28 gauge.
Asked if the 28-gauge revolution is a flash in the pan or here to stay, Powell was quick to answer.
“It’s definitely here to stay. We’re seeing that trend in gun sales. The .410 has been incredibly hot, but I think the
28 gauge is going to overtake it because people feel they get a better pattern, a little added performance,
but still not trading off much as far as recoil.”
Conclusion
Our Gould’s turkey hunt shines a light on what is becoming a shifting trend in the market. Smaller, softer-shooting rigs partnered with specialty shots are getting the job done cleanly on game. And it’s not just for youth, women, first timers, or hunters who’ve had shoulder surgeries. It’s a solid option for any turkey hunter, period. Don’t believe us yet? Look at the burgeoning 28-gauge “magnum” market that sees both firearm and ammunition manufacturers adding 3-inch 28 gauge to the standard 2.75-inch shells. More hunters are moving to these rigs for closer-range waterfowl like ducks.
Take it from a man who knows firsthand. Jaycox, who hunts Gould’s, ocellated, and several other wild turkeys with dozens of hunters each year, says, “The trend is to go smaller, but better. Lighter weight and the patterns are just as good as the 12 gauge 3-inch magnum without all the recoil. We’re killing birds out to 40 yards with the 28 and other small-bore shotguns.”
Before casting a stone at hunters doing things a bit differently, take a moment to consider the options. At the end of the day, it’s all about the individual hunter being confident in making clean and ethical harvests, no matter if that’s with a magnum or mouse. If we’re willing to travel all the way to Mexico and stake a once-in-a-lifetime Gould’s turkey hunt on a 28-gauge scattergun, shouldn’t you at least give it a fair shake?
