Yep, when we get right down to it, once a turkey gets under 35 yards, it becomes more about the shooter than what he's shooting.
By the way, some of my most memorable turkey hunts were while using 16 gauges. I've killed several turkeys with three different 16 gauge shotguns, all of which had 2 3/4" chambers, none of which were manufactured to be a "turkey" gun.
MANY years ago, I decided I wanted to kill a turkey with each of my grandfathers' (on both sides of family) 16 gauge quail guns. That mission was accomplished during the 1st two days of the TN's turkey season that year, and I was done for the season, as the turkey limit was two a year back then. Killed one on opening morning with a 16 ga Stevens side-by-side, got one the next morning with a Browning Sweet 16. By so many of the imposed standards we're "given" today, I shouldn't have had much chance of killing a turkey back then. Yet, every time I got one up close, I'd shoot and carrying him out, never knowing I was supposed to be wearing a face mask, special camo, special choke, and special shells. I just used the same shells I used for rabbits & squirrels, called very little, and sat still until the turkey was up close.
