New turkey loads

[Buckmaster7600]

Having almost only bow hunted turkeys for the last 7 or 8 years I haven't paid much attention to the new stuff, I tried the long ears XR's when they came out and they shot too tight of a group at 20yds for me. I'm getting a shotgun together for my brother 12ga 870 supermag Carlos choke. I can't believe the pattern at 50yds! I have always had a limit of 20yds and have used 2 3/4 #4's with a full choke for as long as I've hunted turkeys. With this new technology what is your guys max range?

I have been trying to decide if I wanted to post this question because I'm sure I know what it will turn into but my curiosity is killing me?

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[turkeyfeathers]

I got stupid patterns on paper at 60 lasered yards with 3.5" #5 XR's last year. If I remember correctly it was 96 in the 10" circle encompassing the neck and head of a shoot n see. I'll never shoot a bird that far but had to test Winchester's claim. Shooting a rhino .660 tube any load is deadly to 35 which is my personal max for pulling the trigger. Figure if he ain't inside that I didn't completely fool him anyhow.


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[TACC]

I was always under the impression that the mark for patterning your gun was 40 yards

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[ATbuckhunter]

40 yards is my max with hevi shot mag blends

[turkeyfeathers]

I was always under the impression that the mark for patterning your gun was 40 yards

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40 might be a rule of thumb for sighting in turkey guns but if your gun only holds a good pattern to 30 yards than 30 yards is your sight in.
I don't stuff XR's in my gun when daughter and I hunting together. Her 20 doesn't have the reach out like my 12. I don't want to be the one to mess up a possible double if she tips one over and my pattern so tight I miss. Although I'd laugh as would she. Definitely have to aim small , miss small with XR's at very close distances


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[turkeyfeathers]

I was always under the impression that the mark for patterning your gun was 40 yards

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40 might be a rule of thumb for sighting in turkey guns but if your gun only holds a good pattern to 30 yards than 30 yards is your sight in.
I don't stuff XR's in my gun when daughter and I hunting together. Her 20 doesn't have the reach out like my 12. I don't want to be the one to mess up a possible double if she tips one over and my pattern so tight I miss. Although I'd laugh as would she. Definitely have to aim small , miss small with XR's at very close distances


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[Uncle Nicky]

I had my gun worked on, I get a pattern the size of a large steering wheel at 50 yards, shooting Hevi Shot mag blend. I'll take the shot at 50 yards if I'm in the mood that day, I know what the gun is capable of.

[maytom]

All depends on your gun, what shells and choke, Then it all depends what your pattern looks like at the pattern range. Only way to tell for sure what your guns best distance is pattern wise.

[turkeyfeathers]

17 hours ago, turkeyfeathers said:

I got stupid patterns on paper at 60 lasered yards with 3.5" #5 XR's last year. If I remember correctly it was 96 in the 10" circle encompassing the neck and head of a shoot n see. I'll never shoot a bird that far but had to test Winchester's claim. Shooting a rhino .660 tube any load is deadly to 35 which is my personal max for pulling the trigger. Figure if he ain't inside that I didn't completely fool him anyhow.


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Found my post from last year

 

Winchester XR's at 40 yards produced 196 pellets in 10 inch circle

Winchester XR's at 65 yards produced 94 pellets in 10 inch circle

Fusion Blend at 40 yards a measly 64 pellets in 10 inch circle

Even at 65 yards the 4x2' board I had target taped to fell down with quite some whomp to it

[Buckmaster7600]

Found my post from last year
 
Winchester XR's at 40 yards produced 196 pellets in 10 inch circle
Winchester XR's at 65 yards produced 94 pellets in 10 inch circle
Fusion Blend at 40 yards a measly 64 pellets in 10 inch circle
Even at 65 yards the 4x2' board I had target taped to fell down with quite some whomp to it

That's my question tho if you have that pattern at 65yds are people really shooting birds that far? My furthest shot on a turkey was 27yds and that was with a bow. I don't think I have shot one at farther than 20 with a shotgun. I know turkeys aren't hard to kill, I've killed them with game loads in the fall.


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[turkeyfeathers]

I won't shoot that far just out of personal preference. Although gun is completely capable. I just like the up, close and personal part. Hearing them drum, spit and gobble so close I tinkle my pants a bit. I know on Oldgobbler sight if guys rant about long shots the thread or post gets whacked pretty quick. I'm not against these shots knowing your gun and how it shoots. It's just not for me. I'm sure these loads are great for folks who can't judge distance and shoot farther than they think they are too.

[Pygmy]

Those super tight patterns are fine for all of you stone cold killers with icewater in your veins.

I like a little more margin for error, myself.  Factor in the adrenaline rush, sometimes less than ideal shooting positions, etc. it is pretty easy to miss a bird that gets into " closer than comfortable" range with those softball sized patterns.When a gobbler gets closer than 25 yards, I get REAL nervous, despite the fact that that I have killed well over a hundred of them.

With standard 3" turkey loads like Winchester XX or Federal Premium, my turkey guns throw sure kill patterns out to past 40 yards, and that is as far as I want to shoot anyway. It also gives me a bigger, more forgiving pattern at the range where I prefer to kill my birds, which is from 25 to 35 yards...

[Five Seasons]

i treat my bird gun like archery. I self-impose a limit even if my gear is capable of longer. I understand some have issues with that and that's fine, but it's my preference.

for birds it's 40 and under. I shoot hevi-13's 3.5" mag out of a Mossberg 835 with a pure gold choke and the pattern is mighty fine indeed.

[hunter49]

5 hours ago, turkeyfeathers said:

Found my post from last year

 

Winchester XR's at 40 yards produced 196 pellets in 10 inch circle

Winchester XR's at 65 yards produced 94 pellets in 10 inch circle

Fusion Blend at 40 yards a measly 64 pellets in 10 inch circle

Even at 65 yards the 4x2' board I had target taped to fell down with quite some whomp to it

TF,   Are you saying there are at least 196 pellets in the 3.5" , #5 XR shells?  Are they all #5 size or a mix of smaller sized pellets? Or am I not reading this correctly?  I guess my 10 yr. old #5 shells aren't making it anymore!  lol

Edited March 20, 2017 by hunter49

[turkeyfeathers]

21 minutes ago, hunter49 said:

TF,   Are you saying there are at least 196 pellets in the 3.5" , #5 XR shells?  Are they all #5 size or a mix of smaller sized pellets? Or am I not reading this correctly?  I guess my 10 yr. old #5 shells aren't making it anymore!  lol

There's more than 196 pellets in a 3.5 " load of #5's. I had 196 pellet count in a 10" circle around head and neck area of shoot n see turkey target at 40 yards.  Your 10 year old shells will kill birds equally as dead. These just may pattern a little tighter and reach out a little longer is all.

[Pygmy]

4 hours ago, hunter49 said:

TF,   Are you saying there are at least 196 pellets in the 3.5" , #5 XR shells?  Are they all #5 size or a mix of smaller sized pellets? Or am I not reading this correctly?  I guess my 10 yr. old #5 shells aren't making it anymore!  lol

A  3.5 " 12 gauge shell with 2 1/4 oz. of #5 shot contains about 382 pellets...

[hunter49]

18 hours ago, Pygmy said:

A  3.5 " 12 gauge shell with 2 1/4 oz. of #5 shot contains about 382 pellets...

  Holly ch!+  that's a lot of pellets!   Best I could do would be a 12 ga.,  3" mag.