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HuntStand’s Turkey Hunting Gear Guide [2020]


The best new ammo. Next-gen turkey guns. Awesome accessories. It's time to update your turkey kit.

by Mark Melotik

HuntStand Pro Contributor MORE FROM Mark

The best new ammo. Next-gen turkey guns. Awesome accessories. It’s time to update your turkey kit.

 

huntstand-pro-900

HuntStand Pro. Turkey season is already in full swing for many of you, and we’d like to see you fill your tags. The award-winning HuntStand app has a full suite of features to take your hunt to the next level. From turkey-specific map markers and scouting tools to advanced weather and nationwide property info, HuntStand has all the tools you need to scout, plan, and hunt more effectively.

With our new offline mapping, you can take HuntStand with you even if your quest for a big tom takes you far off grid. Click here for more info now!ALPSGrandSlam 900

Alps OutdoorZ Grand Slam Turkey Vest. Here’s a true mack-daddy vest: a mobile turkey hunting work station for those who like to be prepared for any situation. The Grand Slam ($179.99) has plenty of pockets for all types of calls as you might expect, but also some nice touches that include a sit-anywhere removable kickstand frame with adjustable, fast-locking legs and swivel feet to prevent sinking. You’ll also find a smartphone sleeve that allows you to use your phone while in the pocket, as well as a removable memory foam foldaway seat, detachable shoulder straps and much, much more.

ALPSImpactVestSmall 900
ALPS OutdoorZ Impact Turkey Vest (Small). When you build a winner, get it into as many hands as possible. The ALPS Impact Vest has become a popular go-to vest for run-and-gun turkey hunters due to its light weight, high feature content, and quick-deployable integrated seat. Now the Impact is also available in a new reduced size ($79.99) to accommodate smaller-frame hunters, such as youth and women. The Impact offers everything needed for the high-mobility turkey hunter while providing a comfortable sit for those inevitable long call-ins. A removable padded seat and seat back are integrated into the fully adjustable harness, allowing the hunter to sit on any terrain. Quick-adjust straps provide the ideal seatback angle to reduce back tension and eliminate fatigue while calling or when supporting a shotgun and waiting for the shot. Available in Mossy Oak Obsession or Bottomland camo.

RazorMax 900
Outdoor Edge RazorMax. Turkeys. Big Game. Whatever you’re processing or field-dressing, this replaceable-blade knife innovator has done it again with the RazorMax ($79.95) the company’s first fixed-blade knife to also feature the replaceable-blade system, dubbed the RazorSafe System. The RazorMax is the first model to accept both standard replacement blades as well as a new 5-inch boning/fillet blade, making it the complete solution for preparing all types of small and big game, from start to finish. The RazorMax allows you to field dress, skin, debone and process game into perfect cuts ready for cooking—all with a single tool. The included 3.5- and 5-inch blades are Japanese 420J2 stainless steel; The 3.5-inch general-purpose drop-point blade is a true workhorse/field-dressing blade.

WorkSharpBenchstone 900
Work Sharp Benchtop Bench Stone. Turkey hunters everywhere need to keep their blades razor sharp, and this angle-guided, three-sided abrasive sharpening system ($39.99) is nicely affordable and compact, and makes a great addition to your turkey camp or home workshop. Medium and Fine Grit Diamond Plates quickly restore a sharp edge, while the Fine Grit Ceramic Stone creates an incredibly keen edge on any knife. The innovative Pivot Response System allows the abrasive to follow the curve of the blade—making manual sharpening faster, easier and more precise than ever. Sharpening Guides are interchangeable from 20 degrees or 25 degrees, and optional to use. Pivot Response feature can be locked out to provide a rigid sharpening surface for a wide range of knife and tool sharpening applications.

PhotoformJake 900
Primos Photoform Jake & Hen Decoys. Can you make ultra-realistic decoys lighter and more-collapsible? Primos has done it for 2020 with its new Photoform Jake ($94.99, shown above) and Photoform Hen ($83.99) decoys. Utilizing a proprietary process, Primos was able to take actual imagery of a jake and hen turkey, and print them on 3D molded lightweight foam. Not only are these decoys light enough to carry around all day, they also allow you to collapse them down to fit easily in your vest. The Jake Decoy mimics a young jake looking to stake his claim, with realistic head coloration and content/submissive body to drive gobblers insane. The Hen can be posed in multiple positions; contented, feeding and breeding.

AvianXHDRhen 900
Avian-X HDR Hen. Mention Avian-X and hunters know immediately you’re talking ultra-realistic premium decoys; for 2020 the company has expanded its Heavy-Duty Realism decoy line with the new HDR Hen ($149.99) that offers interchangeable heads for two completely different looks. In seconds, hunters can transform the HDR Hen from an assertive stance (shown above) to a submissive one. Use the outstretched head for more-aggressive setups, or the resting head to signal a receptive hen. Built off a master carving with impeccable feather detail and lifelike features, the blow-molded rubber construction offers hunters an ultra-realistic decoy that shrugs off abuse. Includes two removable heads, integrated stake, and decoy bag.

JakeFan 900
Killer Gear JakeFan. Get ready for some serious excitement. Use the JakeFan ($139.99) as a traditional stationary decoy or a run-and-gun fanning decoy all in one, to trigger the territorial response of a dominant tom. The super-realistic built-in manual function effectively mimics an adolescent bird going in and out of strut. A built-in ground stake recesses into the handle when not in use; it deploys for use as a traditional decoy, and allows you to be hands-free when fanning, at the moment of truth.

FlextoneOlFaithfulBox 900

Flextone Ol’ Faithful Box Call. Want to get a gobbler’s attention right now? This is the call; the Ol’ Faithful ($34.99) is handcrafted from exotic eucalyptus in a two-sided design to produce an extremely high front end, with exceptional backside rasp and superior volume. It’s the ideal call for sharp, loud cutting sounds to fire up gobblers–especially over long distances.

FlextoneShowStopperSlate2 900

Flextone Show Stopper Slate Call. When you need a gobbler to inch a few yards closer, this call will make it happen. The soft slate surface and glass soundboard on the Show Stopper Slate ($20.99) are at their best when hitting quiet finishing sounds. But this pot easily covers a full range of ultra-realistic turkey tones; it’s got plenty of volume for loud cuts and yelps to reach distant gobblers, too.

FlextoneSplitHen 900

Flextone Split Hen Mouth Call. This split, double-reed design is incredibly easy to use. This reed and cut configuration is a tried-and-true favorite, producing realistic hen turkey sounds with minimal effort. The Split Hen ($7.99) achieves great-sounding clucks, cuts and purrs and a well-defined, raspy two-note yelp.

Meateater3rdDegreeTSS 900
Federal MeatEater 3RD Degree. What a deadly concept. Rather than simply pattern tightly like conventional turkey loads, 3rd Degree ($24.99) uses a three-stage payload consisting of No. 5 copper-plated lead, No. 6 FliteStopper lead and No. 7 Heavyweight TSS (Tungsten Super Shot) to deliver larger, more-forgiving patterns at close range, while still providing deadly penetration at long distance. Combined with the FliteControl Flex wad, 3rd Degree offers performance that has made it the official turkey load of MeatEater. A portion of the proceeds are donated to the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Hevi18Turkey 900
Hevi-Shot Hevi-18 TSS Turkey. High pellet counts. Long-range lethality. Turkey hunters everywhere can expect best-in-class performance with new Hevi-18 TSS, offering 18 g/cc density pellets (vs. 11 g/cc for lead) and incredibly tight patterns thanks to this shotshell’s unique, friction-free, sealed-in-the-shell spherical buffer. If you haven’t shot a turkey with ultra-high-density Hevi-18 tungsten shot, you should try it just for the experience, which you have to see to believe. Another bonus? The thicker base-wad, hotter primer, and clean-burning propellants ensure all-weather reliability in semi-automatic shotguns. It’s available in shot sizes #7 and #9, and gauges 12, 20, and .410.

KentTK7 900
Kent TK7 Penetrator. Turkeys better duck and cover. By introducing these new ultra-high-performance tungsten turkey loads Kent has joined the high-performance turkey shotshell market in a big way. The loads feature No. 7 tungsten pellets with a density of 15 G/CC, 38-percent greater than lead, to deliver superior retained energy and knockdown power. In addition, the No. 7 pellets provide 60-percent more pellets than No. 6 pellets of equal payload. This high pellet count allows for lighter payloads with outstanding performance while providing managed recoil. The new loads are available in both 12- and 20-gauge 3-inch loads. The 12-gauge load has 1 5/8 oz. and the 20-gauge load has 1 3/8 oz. of No. 7 tungsten shot. Both have muzzle velocities of 1100 fps; shells are packaged 5 per box.

BrowningTSS 900

Browning TSS Tungsten Turkey. Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) gives turkey hunters a new edge in the field, loaded with the densest shot available and offered in duplex payloads. The high density of TSS shot puts more pellets and more energy on target for optimum pattern performance. TSS is nearly 60-percent denser than lead for more energy and a heavy impact (TSS = 18 g/cc vs. Lead = 11.2 g/cc). A Browning TSS Tungsten Turkey #9 pellet is similar in weight and energy to a #5 lead pellet; that allows for twice the number of pellets while maintaining the energy and lethality of each of those pellets. Available are a Blended 50:50 mix of #7 & #9 TSS in 12 ga. & 20 ga.; also available are Non-blended 100-percent #7 TSS in 12 ga. & 20 ga., and 100-percent #9 TSS in .410 bore.

WinLongbeardXR 900

Winchester Long Beard XR. This proven load remains among the industry leaders in lead turkey loads, with the versatility of 17 different offerings across 12 ga. (3.5-, 3-, and 2.75-inch) and 3-inch 20 ga. The key feature behind Long Beard XR’s long-range capability is the shell’s Shot-Lok Technology. Instead of traditional buffering materials, Shot-Lok is injected as a liquid resin into the hull among the lead shot during assembly. That resin then hardens to keep pellets in place until the round is fired. Upon firing, Shot-Lok immediately fractures into a micro-buffer that protects the shot from deformation due to set-back forces. This ensures that the shot exits the muzzle nearly perfectly round, which provides tighter and more uniform patterns at extended ranges. 

AmeristepProThermal 900
Ameristep Pro Series Thermal Blind. Here’s a serious step up in hunting blind innovation that will help you hunt longer and harder when the weather turns nasty. How? The new insulated, heavy-duty quilted fabric on the roof, walls, and windows of the Pro Series Thermal Blind ($349.99) offers ultimate

See More On The New Pro Series Thermal Blind Here

warmth; you’ll also appreciate the Black ShadowGuard coating that eliminates shadows and silhouettes. The unique, five-hub, pentagon design with 12 large windows (8 triangular, 4 vertical) creates an asymmetrical shape that helps break up the blind outline, and offers plenty of room for bulky clothing, gear, and more, while the Mossy Oak Elements Terra camo easily blends into any setting. The blind has a huge 59x59x30-inch footprint, 84-inch shooting width, and height of 70 inches; it comes complete with carry bag, ground stakes, and tie-down cords.

DB Double Wide 900
Primos Double Bull SurroundView Double Wide. When it comes to ground blinds, bigger is almost always better—especially when the goal is concealing two or more. The new Double Wide ($499.99) boasts a roomy 60×60-inch floor space and 70-inch height, and brings two of the best features to hit the ground blind market into one product; a 300-degree viewing capability utilizing the unique and proven SurroundView material, and a Double Wide door for quiet and easy entry and exit. The built-in sun visor is ideal for early morning and late evening hunts; the limited lifetime warranty protects your investment.

LeupoldBX-2Alpine900
Leupold BX-2 Alpine Binoculars. Turkeys on the roost at dusk. A beard-dragger sneaking through the brush at 100 yards. Whatever and wherever you hunt, your glass needs to give you a bright image, feel comfortable in your hands, and be able to take a beating. The BX-2 Alpine binoculars check all these boxes and more. With Leupold’s Twilight Max Light Management System, this set of binoculars is designed to out-perform everything in its class when it comes to seeing more in less light; testing has shown they can add up to 20 extra minutes of shooting light. Even better? They’re waterproof/fogproof and backed by a Full Lifetime Guarantee. Steady your view for hours-long glassing sessions with included, easy-mounting 1/4-20 threaded tripod adapter. Available in 8×42 ($299.99), 10×42 ($324.99), 10×52 ($354.99), and 12×52 ($379.99).

LeupoldRX-950 900
Leupold RX-950 Laser Rangefinder. Knowing the precise range to a hung-up tom, and to important landmarks near your setup, can mean all the difference during your next spring gobbler adventure. The new RX-950 with its 6x magnification is designed to provide incredibly fast ranging speeds and makes ranging out to 950 yards easier than ever, while providing angle-compensated distances—at a price point to match most any budget. The RX-950 features a rubber armor for a positive grip in all weather conditions. Lightweight, compact and 100-percent waterproof, the RX-950 includes a battery, lens cloth and Cordura case.

CZReaperMagnum 900
CZ Reaper Magnum. This classy over-and-under 12-gauge with its dual-choke capability was built to chase turkeys. Outfit one barrel with a tight choke, the other with a more open variation, and you can take big toms at nearly any distance, by merely flipping the selector switch. The 3.5-inch chambers of the Reaper Magnum ($993) allow you to use nearly any 12-gauge turkey shells, while the 26-inch barrels make this O/U nicely maneuverable, whether hunting from a blind or sitting with your back against a tree trunk. For those who prefer an optic, a Picatinny rail is included; you’ll also find a sturdy polymer stock and Realtree Xtra Green camo finish. Included are QD swivels front and back, and six extended, interchangeable choke tubes, including an extra-full version.

RenegaugeOB 900RenegaugeBottom 900

Savage Renegauge. What a great-looking new semi-auto. Best known for its rifles, Savage has introduced the Renegauge that’s available in Turkey, Field, and Waterfowl models (shown above in Mossy Oak Obsession and Bottomland camo). The gun’s self-regulating, dual-valve gas system cycles the lightest to

See More On The New Savage Renegauge Here

heaviest loads without missing a beat. With an upgrade to the company’s AccuFit stock system, the Renegauge’s LOP and comb height can be tailored with the included inserts. MSRP on the American-made Renegauge runs from $1,449-$1,549 for the separate Field, Waterfowl, and Turkey models with a variety of finishes, including multiple Mossy Oak camo patterns and Melonite-coated, fluted barrels.

MossbergNew 900

Mossberg SA 410. While last year saw the launch of gobbler-specific 500 pump models, for 2020 Mossberg has introduced a pair of SA 410 semi-autos. Both the SA410 Turkey and Field shotguns sport 26-inch vent rib barrels, three-inch chambers, and hold 4+1 rounds of hunting ammo. The Turkey model ($735,

See More On The New Mossberg SA 410 Here

shown above) is dressed for the job in Mossy Oak Bottomland camouflage, with a picatinny rail, fiber optic ghost ring iron sights, and an extended XX-Full choke.

RetayGordion 900
Retay-USA Gordion Turkey XT. This fine new semi-auto 12-gauge ($925) and its fast-handling 24-inch barrel shoots 2 ¾- and 3-inch loads and features the company’s dependable and proven Inertia Plus Bolt System, as well as a single piece receiver and single pin trigger group. Nice touches include oversized SP Controls, a Quick Unload System, as well as a TruGlo front sight, drilled and tapped receiver and Picatinny rail to mount your favorite red-dot sight. Includes hard case and five chokes; it’s available in Mossy Oak Bottomland (shown) and Realtree Timber camo.

Rem870410realtreetimbr 900

Remington 870 410 Turkey TSS. Just in time for turkey season comes this exciting new iteration of the legendary 870 pump shotgun. As its name might suggest, the 870 410 Turkey TSS ($699) has been optimized for use with high-density TSS (Tungsten Super Shot) turkey shotshells, and comes complete with an extended turkey super full choke. If you haven’t already heard these amazing new loads have made the .410 shotgun an efficient, reliable turkey gun out to 40 yards. You’ll also find a new TruGlo rail system; the integrated rail/sight system features a high-visibility sight and Picatinny optic rail.

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