Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey Review: The Best 20 Gauge Turkey Gun

This spring I had the opportunity to test and hunt with a Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey, customized by Rob Roberts Gun Works. Aside from the lengthened forcing cone, you’ll find everything else internally is the same as a base model A300 Ultima Turkey. After patterning, carrying, and bagging a longbeard with the A300, I might have a new favorite turkey gun. Here’s a breakdown of this sub-$1000 auto-loader.

Specs

Gauge: 12 or 20

Chamber: 3 in.

Action: Semi-automatic

Barrel Length: 24 in.

Overall Length: 43.9 in.

Weight: 7.2 lbs

Length of Pull: 14.24 in.

Adjustable Stock Drop

Includes Pic Rail

Made in USA

Price: Some start at $999

Patterning

During my review of the best turkey hunting shotguns, the A300 produced the best pattern of all the 20 gauges and ultimately produced the highest score of the test. It placed 363 pellets within a 10-inch circle at 40 yards with a Rob Roberts Raptor choke and Apex GT-20 no. 9 combo with an average pellet count of 359. Those would be stellar numbers from a 12 gauge but even more so from a 20.

Even with Federal Heavyweight TSS, the A300 averaged 233 pellet strikes inside a 10-inch circle at 40 yards. Again, fantastic numbers and more than double what you need to kill a turkey at 40 yards.

When it came to lead shot, the A300 Ultima Turkey averaged 104 pellets in a 10-inch circle at 40 yards with Winchester Long Beard XR (3-inch no. 5) and a Carlson’s choke tailored for that ammo. Plenty of pellets to kill a turkey at that distance, but, understandably, not as impressive as the TSS loads.

You might not get those same numbers with just any turkey choke, and the Raptor will run you $130. You might get similar pellet counts from an Indian Creek Black Diamond Strike or JEBS Head Hunter, but the Raptor will probably give you optimal results. Either way, if you opt for one of the best turkey chokes, you should expect great patterns from this gun.

The A300's Best Pattern with 363 Pellet Strikes at 40 Yards.

Out of the Box

The A300 Ultima includes oversized controls, like the bolt release and handle. This makes reloading quick if something goes awry in the field. Though, I never had an issue with the A300 cycling. This isn’t as big of an issue with turkey hunting, since you’re shooting heavier payloads and (hopefully) no more than once at a time.

The Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey comes optic ready.

It also comes with a Picatinny rail for mounting a red dot or other optic. However, I went with a Meadow Creek vent rib mount and topped it with a Sig Sauer Romeo-X Compact. The vent rib mount allows you to form a better cheek weld since it’s slightly lower than most Picatinny rails, like the one Beretta includes. Plus, you can carry it by the receiver if you prefer not to run a shotgun sling.

The medium-sized palm swell should fit most hands, and I appreciate that it’s not overly rounded. This makes it comfortable and easy to grip when you’re waiting for a shot with your head down on the gun. The checkering on the grip also helps with this.

The textured checkering provides a good grip.

Beretta’s Kick-Off recoil reduction system helps mitigate a lot of the felt recoil, especially in the 20 gauge I tested. Two shock absorbers near the butt plate and a third in the tie rod work throughout the shot process to reduce the perceived recoil. You still feel a lot of that recoil when you’re shooting a 1⅝ oz. payload in (Apex) TSS, but it’s nothing like a 12 gauge.

In the Field

You get a good idea of how a shotgun carries when you tote it for a dozen or so miles in the spring, which is what I did. The receiver width makes it feasible to carry one-handed, while the barrel (24 in.), overall length (43.9 in.), and weight (7.2 lbs) strike an ideal size for the turkey woods.

This gun is easy to balance on your knee or maneuver around brush. I had to make a few key adjustments for the last turkey I killed this spring. The overall size of the A300 made it easy to duck and move the barrel into a good shooting position while I waited for that gobbler to walk through an opening.

The author took this turkey with the Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey.

Last Shot

For just under $1000, the Beretta A300 Ultima Turkey 20 gauge represents a heck of a value when you consider the patterns it produces compared to other guns (even 12 gauges) in and above this price range. Consider swapping the included rail for a vent rib mount (like I did) to get a better cheekweld for your red dot. This will give you a more natural shooting position and allow you to keep your head down on the stock for around $40.

TSS is insanely expensive right now. I get it. But if you’re going through the cash and effort to buy a dedicated turkey gun, go ahead and upgrade to a custom choke and run TSS. No, you don’t need to shoot TSS to kill a turkey, but there’s no doubt it’ll give you the most optimal patterns.