I’ve been fortunate enough to have taken turkeys in several states and Mexico all with a 12 gauge. However, packing and shooting a 12 gauge is beginning to wear on me as my shoulder has begun showing signs of Brachial Plexitis. With this in mind, the new advances in ammo mainly the Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) carrying a sub gauge is making more and more sense to me.
The sub gauges are lighter, kick less and with the TSS delivering nearly the same payload and energy of the bigger heavier 12 gauge, I can see the appeal.
One of the brightest performers and most affordable shotguns I have tested recently was Mossberg’s SA-20 International Turkey.
Lightweight, Big Power
The SA-20 International Turkey weighs a scant 6.6 lbs. but don’t let its flyweight fool you. It hits well above its weight class. The SA-20 handled every shell I could throw at it from a light 7/8 oz trap load to a 1 ¼ oz turkey load and an array of several boxes of anything I could get my hands on was shot through it while testing. According to Mossberg, the gas system of the SA-20 vents gases which provides a soft shooting shotgun for the shooter and reduces stress on the interior parts of the shotgun to prevent it from beating itself up.
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The 22” barrel points well and the overall length helps navigate through thick woods and brush. The barrel is equipped with a peep sight mounted on the barrel on the rear and a matching fiber optic front sight. For those who have never used a peep sight, this aids tremendously when taking aim on a wary longbeard. It also helps to keep your cheek on the stock instead of raising your head at the moment of truth when pulling the trigger. Although I have taken many turkeys, I have missed a bird or two by lifting my head off the stock. The barrel is equipped with a Mobile choke system. For those who prefer an optic on their turkey gun, the SA-20 Turkey is drilled and tapped and comes with a Picatinny mount.
Nuts & Bolts
The synthetic stock and forearm of the SA-20 Turkey is petite in my hands and though I prefer a fuller grip on a heavier recoiling firearm, on a 20 gauge where there is no need to battle and try to manhandle heavy recoil, the SA-20 felt good in my hands. The stock length is 14 inches with a ventilated recoil pad.
The SA-20 also features sling swivel studs that screw into the stock instead of being molded into the stock. I have seen too many of these molded sling swivels break at the most inopportune time. The front swivel stud is located on the forearm instead of the magazine cap where most semi-auto shotguns are attached. At first, I thought this was a blunder but after I carried it in the woods a bit, I discovered the barrel rides lower when being carried by the sling and does not get caught in the brush in tight quarters.
The SA- 20 has a magazine capacity of five, 2 ¾” shells or four, 3” shells. The trigger breaks at 5.9 lbs. with some perceived creep. Overall length is 43 inches with the extended extra full choke. The SA-20 Turkey patterned three inches high with the factory mounted peep sight and is nearly perfect for all shooting. I’m sure it wouldn’t take much to find a load that patterns well through the extra full turkey choke tube with all the TSS ammo available for the 20 gauge.
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We tested out the SA-20 Turkey shotgun out for a rabbit hunt. My son carried it and was not burdened by the weight. The 14” length of pull was a tad long for my wife, so we switched guns to a shotgun with a shorter stock. The SA-20 could easily pull double duty as a small game shotgun bouncing bunnies or shooting a mess of squirrels and being the primary turkey gun for a weekend of spring or fall turkey hunting.
Turkey Gun Testing
Now back to the testing. We tested the SA-20 against shotguns costing two to three times more and the SA-20 performed as well as the others even with the peep sights and the Xtra full choke tube.
The Mossy Oak Greenleaf is perfect for the turkey woods to keep glare down. The trigger control unit is made of polymer which I am not a huge fan, but I do like the rear mounted crossbolt safety which I can manipulate with the pad of my trigger finger.
Overall, I really liked the shotgun, its simple, well-built and affordable.
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If you are looking for a one gun, does it all shotgun you will be hard pressed to find a shotgun that outperforms the SA-20 International Turkey and at a price you can still afford to pick up a couple boxes of shells.
Mossberg SA-20 International Turkey Specifications
- Gauge: 20
- Barrel: 22 inches
- OA Length: 43.00 inches (with extended choke tube)
- Weight: 6.6 (empty)
- Stock: Synthetic
- Sights: Peep Fiber Optic
- Action: Semi-Auto Gas operated
- Finish: Mossy Oak Greenleaf
- Capacity: 5 ( 2 ¾”) 4 {3 “)
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