I’ve done my share of turkey hunting in the woods and used many shotguns. I’ve toted pumps, single shots, and a plethora of semi-autos. From 12 to 20 gauge and even .410 bore, I’ve sprayed plenty of pellets in the turkey woods. I don’t write this to brag. Instead, those reading this need to know I’m an experienced turkey hunter and have used many shotguns afield.

Most shotguns do their job. They all serve a purpose, and with some general maintenance and practice, most will jelly the head of a tom. However, not every shotgun checks all the boxes. Some are stiff to pump; others jam if not cleaned after every field foray. Then there are those with heavy triggers, awkward ergonomics, or poor fit and feel. Also, because I lean on 12-gauge models the most, some transfer every bit of recoil straight to the shoulder. I hate that!

However, a few years ago, I shouldered a semi-automatic that checked all my boxes, and I haven’t put it down since.

The Browning Maxus 2 All-Purpose Hunter features everything I want in a shotgun. From the easy-to-swing, extremely balanced 26-inch barrel to the adjustable composite stock, the Maxus 2 has much going for it.

Engineered to dominate every field and flyway on earth, the shotgun doubles as an ultra-effective turkey gun. Many shotguns are designed just for turkeys, and that’s fine. But I’m not a “turkey gun” guy. I want a shotgun that will fold a mallard, swing through a hard-flushing rooster, and smash the head of a fired-up longbeard. I prefer to get ultra-proficient with a shotgun and use that same gun for all my bird-hunting pursuits.

The Maxus 2 stock ensures an excellent cheek weld and is shim adjustable for cast, drop, and length of pull. I love the SoftFlex cheekpiece and appreciate that Browning added rubber overmolding on the stock and forearm. The rubber gripping surfaces ensure excellent feel, whether it’s pouring rain, or your hands are drenched in sweat. You’ll also love the easy-to-use controls on this shotgun. Hunting is exciting, and the oversized bolt handle and bolt release boost functionality.

The finish is classic — Mossy Oak’s legendary Bottomland is again having its day in the sun. This 7-pound, 1-ounce shotgun is cloaked in it, making it disappear in almost every environment wild turkeys roam. The vintage look fills me with nostalgia each time I tote it afield. The only black areas on the shotgun are the rubber over-molds, Picatinny rail (more to come), trigger guard, and Inflex II Recoil Pad.

I like that Browning doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel each year. Why would they? Their proven Power Drive Gas System is a remarkable, reliable, coveted feature many shotgunners crave. With the Power Drive Gas System, felt recoil is drastically reduced, with the enlarged exhaust ports of the piston dumping gases faster on heavy loads. I’m a big guy, but I don’t like recoil, and I don’t know of a shotgunner that does. I especially hate a turkey gun with too much barrel jump. Barrel jump makes it challenging to reacquire your target and make an accurate follow-up shot if necessary. The Power Drive piston also has a longer stroke that aids in reliability over a wide range of loads from 2-3/4 field to heavy 3-1/2 inch turkey ammunition. The speed of the action comes naturally, and you’ll appreciate this fast operation when sending a 3- or 3-1/2-inch turkey load.  

Gas-gun options are historically messy and can be a bit laborious to clean. For this reason, I stayed away from gas shotguns for a while. However, Browning’s enclosed seal design minimizes powder residue, allowing more cycles between cleanings. This shotgun is a workhorse.

I’m the guy who loves to see what a product has to offer right out of the box. If it doesn’t meet my standards, it won’t meet the standards of others, making the product obsolete. I also don’t want to purchase multiple aftermarket additions to make a shotgun become something it isn’t. I don’t want to have to drop more money on an aftermarket choke, optic mounting rail, better recoil pad, etc. If a gun is engineered to be a turkey killer, it should kill right out of the box.

Finding the right choke for the right gun for the right application can be a rabbit hole and wild goose chase if you let it. There’s nothing wrong with a custom choke; you will find some excellent makes if you research and test. However, the Maxus 2 All-Purpose Hunter comes with an extended X-Full Turkey choke and three extended (F, M, IC) Invector-Plus chokes. You see, Browning thought of everything; this really is an “all-purpose” shotgun.

The Invector-Plus chokes that come with the Maxus II are out of this world, especially the Full Strut Turkey choke. I’ve successfully harvested birds with this choke, and it is as efficient and deadly as any aftermarket choke, you’ll find, if not better. This 4-inch stainless-steel tube with Black Oxide and a camo ring will pattern more pellets with more uniformity tightly, resulting in more neck and head hits.

I lean on Browning's 3-inch TSS Tungsten Turkey ammo, which features a blend of #7 and #9 shot. The 1-3/4-ounce payload is impressive, and I will continue to use this load for the foreseeable future.

Circling back to my comment about chasing nostalgia in my life, I love shooting this gun without optics mounted on it. There is something extremely classic about looking down the barrel with a bead and a strutter on the end of it that fires me up. It’s challenging yet fulfilling when you’re about to drop a longbeard in its tracks with nothing but a fiber-optic sight. It’s pure poetry in motion for me.

However, if you want to mount a scope or a red dot on this gun, the Maxus 2 is drilled and tapped for the included, removable Picatinny-style scope base.

In conclusion, I’ve never been more impressed with a turkey-hunting shotgun than the Browning Maxus 2 All-Purpose Hunter. There’s nothing I don’t like about this gun, and I’m extremely confident every time I step into the woods, knowing that I’ve got the perfect setup to get the job done. Now, if I only get those pesky gobblers to play ball.