EDITOR’S NOTE: Spring turkey hunting is over in most states for the year. However, 42 states have fall turkey seasons that give hunters another opportunity to bag a turkey. This Browning shotgun might be just what you need to make it happen.
Hunting buddy Nathan Robinson inched forward on toes and elbows, traversing a radically steep Idaho canyonside in a hard-core stalk on three unresponsive tom turkeys. Chin to the ground, he slid his shotgun – one of Browning’s new over/under Cynergy’s – ahead of him along the rocky slope. As I inched along behind him I saw him stiffen, and then turn the twin barrels of his shotgun to point up the canyon wall. Glancing up, I spotted the three toms working across the slope about 25 yards above our position.
We’d been working these three particular turkeys for over an hour now, and while they would occasionally gobble in response to guide Marc Warnke’s seductive purrs and yelps, they refused to give up their position on the steep canyon wall. So we did what any serious turkey hunter would do; we put the belly-crawl on them. Lot’s of sharp rocks and sore elbows and ribs later, the three Jakes bobbed their heads above the rocky terrain. Nathan’s shot sent two of them cartwheeling toward the canyon bottom, the Browning TSS load killing both of them very dead with one shot. I moved three fast steps forward, saw the third turkey’s head bob through an opening, and assisted him in a backflip maneuver with my own 12-gauge load of tungsten 7s and 9s.
While I’m not a big shotgun guy, I do appreciate the feel of a good scattergun. The first time I hefted Browning’s new Cynergy, it left me feeling pleasantly surprised and excited to take it afield in pursuit of Idaho gobblers. The shotgun is lightweight, well balanced, carries pleasantly, and comes to the shoulder nicely.
CONSTRUCTION
The Cynergy model I used was the “Wicked Wing Mossy Oak Bottom Lands”. It features a composite stock with textured gripping surfaces and a high-performance Inflex recoil pad. The stock also sports an adjustable cheek piece, and a ¼-inch shim so you can customize the length of pull. If you prefer cast-off in your shotgun stock, that’s available too. Metalwork is finished a Burnt Bronze Cerakote that collaborates nicely with the camo stock. The bores are fully chromed, and a nice ivory bead front sight tops the barrels. Three interchangeable choke tubes round out the package, (full, modified, improved cylinder). The safety sits comfortably atop the shotgun’s tang, and acts as the barrel selector switch, enabling the shooter to set up one barrel for close work and the other for distance. A single gold-plated trigger mans both barrels.
The action was pleasantly tight and empty hulls ejected with gusto. The shotgun swung and pointed naturally, in fact, so naturally that I have almost no recollection of pointing or aiming at my turkey – just that spectacular attempt at a backflip that he made at the shot.
The Cynergy is available in 12-guage, and in 26, 28, and 30-inch barrel lengths, and weighs 7lbs 6 oz. to 7lbs 10 oz., depending on barrel length.
SPECIFICATIONS
Over all length: 43-inches.
Length of pull: 14 ¼ inches.
Drop at comb: 1 5/8 inches.
Drop at heel: 2 ½ inches.
Chamber length: 3 ½ inches.
Rib width: 5/16 inch.
Choke system: Banded Invector-Plus Extended.
Receiver material: steel.
MSRP $2,340.
Upon reading about the Browning Cynergy Turkey gun, I couldn’t wait to buy one – finally found one in early April at a sport shop in New Hampshire – now I couldn’t wait to get it to the range to test it with the new Federal TSS 3 1/2 inch loads.
I prepared some chicken wire targets so I could use full size turkey targets at 50 yards – it’s pretty much inane to set it up at less than 50 for with the TSS loads in 20 guage I’m good at 50 as well and the TSS 410 ones out to 40.
The loads were being shot from a bench and a tripod for absolute accuracy. All was set and I couldn’t wait to see the result. May I first say that I own and have worked up loads for my 375 and 470 Nitro double rifles as well as a 416 Rigby and 375 H&H bolt guns so recoil sensitive I ain’t. I lined up the excellent sights on the Cynergy and squeezed the trigger while concentrating on the head and neck area of the turkey target at 50yds. I almost lost the gun which flipped up and to the right even though I was holding it tightly to my shoulder with both hands – of course it hit the target and would have killed the turkey – all I had to do was survive it.
I figured it couldn’t have been that bad so I set up again – same load same range, same results. The gun stock on recoil hit my jaw and pounded my shoulder and I was holding it tightly to it to try to avoid the same results which occurred on the 1st shot. Good thing I wasn’t shooting this from the prone position for it would have likely shattered my collar bone.
I know, I know, right about now you’re thinking “What a wuss!!” I know I would be if I was reading what I wrote, but I didn’t mention that I have a Mossberg 835 3 1/2″ mag pump and it treats me much more kindly than the Browning. I have to believe that there’s something in the stock configuration that is off. I own other Brownwing O/U’s and they are fine – this one isn’t!! Oh yes I stand 5’9 and weight 195 so I’m no lightweight. Too bad I didn’t take a picture of what my shoulder looked like the next day – the black and blue was about 8 inches by 5 inches and lasted a week.
My email is shown above so if anyone wishes to buy this twice shot gun from me for $1,500 ($500 less than I paid for it) please contact me.
The Cynergy may be a nice turkey gun but the plastic stocked 32 inch barreled version is the worst balanced wing shooting gun that I’ve ever shot. The weight is so far forward it’s like mounting and swinging a fence post!
Bob,
It has to be the fit of the gun… I am an “A” Class Sporting Clays shooter who shoots 300-500 rounds a day at some tournaments and I shoot a 30″ Cynergy Sporting and it’s the best balanced shotgun I’ve owned (and I’ve owned some $5,000+ German ones). On the other hand, I had a Browning 725 Sporting I couldn’t hit the broad side of the barn with….
Overall I love the Cynergy…. so much so, that I’m going to buy a new one as a “spare”.