Best Turkey Choke for Mossberg 835

A choke is a cylinder-shaped device that controls the pattern of shot spread and influences its range and effectiveness. Choke is mostly used for hunting birds – it makes fired birds fall faster and in specific locations. It also affects the accuracy of shotgun’s shooting, depending on what choke you use. Shotguns do not shoot equally far and equally accurately with all kinds of chokes. Here are some important factors to look for when buying a choke for Mossberg 835 and how it affects turkey hunting.

Effectiveness

When you use a full choke, the shot is distributed only in a very narrow area. It ensures a high concentration of shots in one place and almost guarantees that some pellets will hit the turkey. The pellet distribution becomes wider and more evenly with improved cylinder and skeet chokes, covering a greater area. Turkey choke is an improved cylinder one – it has the average distribution of pellets, ranging from 30 to 35 yards.

Shot Speed

All chokes have their pressure limitations. A tighter choke will reduce shot speed, meaning pellet energy drop at a longer range will be easily noticeable and ultimately affect the shotgun’s effectiveness. For example, a full choke can produce a muzzle velocity of up to 1250 feet per second (fps), while a turkey choke can reach a maximum of 1130 fps. You should consider this if you want your pellets to retain some power until they reach the turkey’s body. Also, don’t forget that as you move further away from the target, more time for gravity influence on pellet trajectory is available.

Shot Spread

It is the main factor to consider while choosing choke for hunting turkey. While full and extra full chokes produce a very dense shot pattern, the turkey choke has almost double width (120 inches). It means that if you use this kind of choke, your pellets will cover a greater area around the target, and there will be fewer chances of missing or hitting the background instead of the turkey’s body. Full choke provides pellet distribution in 60 inches diameter, improved cylinder one – up to 70-72 inches width, skeet – 96 inches widespread, whereas Turkey Choke has 120 inches diameter. You should also remember that tighter chokes have longer range capabilities than more open ones. It is important to choke with the right combination between maximum shot speed, shot coverage, and range.

Durability

Choke used for turkey hunting should be well-built to withstand heavy recoiling shots of 12 gauge shotguns. Chokes are made of high resistance stainless steel or nickel-plated brass, which guarantees long-lasting durability in both dry and wet conditions. The best chokes are made by famous American companies like Beretta (Optima), Browning (Briley), or Winchester (Winchoke). They guarantee the highest quality products with reputable customer service behind them. Well-known brands also guarantee longer warranty periods, so if something goes wrong during the choke’s usage period, you can always get it fixed at no extra cost than just shipping your choke to an authorized service center.

Price

Turkey choke is usually not the cheapest option to go for, but you can save some money if you buy it online (e.g., at Amazon). The price range varies greatly depending on your choke’s brand and features, so be sure to have a good look at what’s available on the market before making up your mind. You might also consider buying used or older products with low usage time, as it will probably cost even less than new but well-maintained choke would. It all depends on your budget and how much you are willing to pay for the necessary quality of the shot spread pattern that this choke provides.