There are few things I enjoy more than chasing spring longbeards — heck I even enjoy the sound of a first-year Jake voicing his opinion on a spring morning.

The joy of spring turkey hunting encompasses everything I enjoy about hunting, from being stealthy to a vest full of calls, to waiting for that perfect shot, and then, of course, the firearm.

Whether you choose to hunt with archery equipment or smoke poles or shotguns, getting a spring longbeard into a range you feel comfortable is exciting. While I have hunted and killed spring turkey with all of the above over the decades, I still enjoy taking my shotgun for a stroll each spring morning.

Many years ago I felt I needed more of a challenge in spring turkey hunting so I made it my mission to find a front loader, work out the perfect load and fill a tag or two. The reason I need that challenge has left many scratching their heads in disbelief. Some even thought that I fell off the tractor, but let me explain.

Today’s smoke poles are much different than black powder in the past. My version at the time was an inline and shot good patterns at 20 yards. In my mind, it was nothing more than hunting with a bow, distancewise.

I practiced and worked on what I felt was a good load — a mix of Nos. 4s and 5s. Very diligently I shot, almost to the point of overconfidence. Here lies the problem in my messed-up mind. I had figured that a few extra yards wasn’t going to be that big of a deal. So, my 20-yard max quickly became 25, then 30 yards.

For some, this may not have been a problem and over the years I have spoken with many smoke pole gobbler hunters that are very comfortable taking 30-yard shots and killing birds. The one big difference was they have been doing it on their smoke pole for years and I had not.

Well, as the story goes or best I can remember, I worked a mature longbeard into a 30-yard range — or so I believed — on opening morning and I cleanly missed those birds. For those who don’t believe me, I have been told somewhere there is video of that hunt.

After more failed attempts, some my fault, some dealing with wet powder, about midway through the season I realized I need to keep to my original plan and get the gobbler within 20 yards. I finally took a spring gobbler with a smoke pole. In fact, it was the very same gobbler I had on opening day at 30 yards. That was the last time I hunted with said gun.

For years, my go-to spring gobbler gun was a camo Mossberg 835. After going through several different choke styles, I settled on a small choke manufacturer out of Tennessee. My choke at the time, is what considered a .670, extra-full turkey choke. Teamed up with Hevi-Shot Magnum Blend pushing a 2™ payload of No. 5s at just over 1200 fps, this 3¢-shell in my gun choke combination gives me roughly 70% at 40 yards in the kill zone.

Some would say: Why would you want to change what is working so well for you? My answer: I have a couple empty spots in the gun safe. I am looking for another project.

A couple of years ago, I decided I found my next project, a Charles Daily. What I liked first about the CD is the weight and shorter barrel. This gun is almost 2 pounds lighter than the 835. I know giving up weight was important to me and I was going to pay for it, which is why I replaced the factory butt stock pad with a new one which fit me better and helped me handle my turkey loads in a lighter shotgun.

After a few different choke tube designs, I found one that worked well with 3¢-inch loads. This gun was put together by myself and is one that will always have a special place in my cabinet.

After much work and practice I felt comfortable enough to take the CD to Oklahoma last April on my Rio hunt and the first bird I killed was a beautiful Rio.

One of the first things I share with hunters when picking out a turkey gun is that they should know what type of hunting they are going to do. If you do a lot of running and gun style of hunting — which means you’ll be moving around a lot — a light gun will serve you well. If you hunt primarily fields and moving not so much one can get away with a little heavier gun.

There are many important aspects to spring gobbler hunting, but it all for not if you can’t hit your target. I know the limitations on every turkey gun in the safe. While I know their range and how they shoot, I still take them every year sight them. If I want to try something new or am field testing new loads/chokes I will try them with each gun. While I know what shell shoots best in each gun, I am always looking for that perfect turkey load.

I am fortunate enough to hunt alongside many different hunters each spring and the most frustrating thing is when I get a bird into range and my hunter misses the bird. Now, I am not going to tell you that I haven’t missed birds before, heck that is all a part of the sport. Any spring turkey hunter who tells you he has never missed a turkey is either not being truthful or hasn’t hunted a lot. Either way misses are a part of our sport, heck I would prefer to have a guy miss a bird then hit him and not find them.

The majority of gun manufacturers have discovered that turkey hunters will spend the bucks for a specialty gun for their favorite pursuit. In today’s world of specialties and micro management, there are several choices for every style of turkey hunting.

For spring birds I like a shotgun that will shoot an excellent pattern at 25 yards — more than half the load in the kill zone. Some use 4s, 5s or 6s for spring gobblers but I prefer 4s or 5s. Also it’s important to shoot the heaviest load your gun can handle but still produce a good pattern with plenty of knockdown power.

When sighting in a gun it’s important to realize that a head and upper neck shot will put any bird down for the count. It’s imperative to know where your gun patterns are and then shoot there. I generally encourage hunters to aim just below the head on the neck, which will maximize your pattern.

My preference is a shorter barrel. With today’s choke tubes we can get away with 26-inch barrel, something is lightweight and is handle to 3¢ shells, doesn’t have much bite and of course stays within my budget — your welcome.

As I continue with my search for the perfect spring gobbler gun, I will keep you all updated as time goes by. While I feel I have it one — for now — one never knows when one finds a spot in the gun cabinet for a new gobbler shotgun.