New Turkey Hunting Shotgun Sights

Want to start a rowdy camp conversation? Bring up turkey hunting shotgun sights.

Seriously. We all have our favorites. Simply sighting down the ventilated rib of a shotgun, while lining up the middle and front bead on a gobbler's head and neck, is familiar to many. Add low light to the scenario and you could have issues. Factor in down-range distance and it's double trouble. Still turkeys find their way into the frying pan by way of bead sights every year. And that's part of the debate. In other words, why upgrade if it works?

What you see when you look down the shotgun barrel matters. The sight picture is crucial to success. While many turkey gobblers will indeed be tagged by hunters squaring up bead sights this season, other options exist too if you want to upgrade and improve your killing ability. Quick target acquisition is the aim. Some tweak this traditional setup with fiber-optic sights. Others go further.

I've cherry-picked two turkey hunting shotgun sight options new this season, as well as a recent addition - priced lower to higher:

The new Snap Shot is intended to provide an affordable way to enhance your sighting ability on a bird (MSRP $14.99). As the name implies, this sight claims to easily snap on most shotgun barrels. Available in 12 and 20 gauge options, you'll find it at EZ Access.

Also just introduced, the Weaver Micro Dot Sight claims unlimited eye relief for a variety of uses (MSRP $108.45). Additionally it offers adjustable brightness for a variety of lighting conditions. Check it out at Weaver Optics.

The Trijicon RMR (Ruggedized Miniature Reflex) is another solid option appearing in recent years. The RM05 is a battery-free sight composed of Trijicon fiber optics and tritium. Easy-to-use adjusters for quick windage and elevation adjustments help tune the sighting system (MSRP $567.00). Learn more about the Trijicon RMR Dual Illuminated Sight - 9.0 MOA Amber Dot.

Turkey hunting requires many skills and strategies to close the deal on a bird in range. Shotgun sights help. What's yours?

Steve Hickoff is Realtree's turkey hunting editor and blogger.