Some turkey loads down range today

[sodfather]

I wanted to try those X-R'stoday. The black paper was 3 1/2 5's and white paper 6's in 3". 

Edited April 8, 2017 by sodfather

[sodfather]

Both shots were off, after I adjusted my scope the 5 in 3 1/2 were tighter out of my gun an choke . The 6's seemed all over for me anyhow 

[turkeyfeathers]

26 minutes ago, sodfather said:

Both shots were off, after I adjusted my scope the 5 in 3 1/2 were tighter out of my gun an choke . The 6's seemed all over for me anyhow 

How far were you shooting ?  Nice density in the #5's  

Almost looks like the pattern is blown with the 6's   Odd there's such a difference

[sodfather]

30 yards and that's what I thought about the 6 

[turkeyfeathers]

12 minutes ago, sodfather said:

30 yards and that's what I thought about the 6 

Both 1200 fps ?   I noticed a bit of difference in 5's at 1050 fps (2 1/8 oz)  grouping tighter than 5's at 1200 fps with 2 oz 

[sodfather]

16 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

Both 1200 fps ?   I noticed a bit of difference in 5's at 1050 fps (2 1/8 oz)  grouping tighter than 5's at 1200 fps with 2 oz 

 

[Pygmy]

I can't understand why all of you guys are patterning heavy 12 gauge 3' and 3.5" loads at 30 yards , unless you are doing it to establish or adjust your point of aim for your sighting system...

Most any 2 3/4" 20 gauge gun with  1 oz. or 1 1/8oz loads of #6 shot with a modified or full choke will pattern well enough to kill a gobbler stone dead  every time at 30 yards...

40 yards is a different matter...That's where the rubber meets the road and the range at which big guns  like 12 gauge magnums make the difference....If you have a sure kill pattern at 40 yards, you know damn well that you have a sure kill pattern at 30 yards, as long as you are on target..

30 yard patterns with big guns mean nothing...Good 40 yard patterns with any gun  begins to impress me...

Edited April 8, 2017 by Pygmy

[sodfather]

13 minutes ago, Pygmy said:

I can't understand why all of you guys are patterning heavy 12 gauge 3' and 3.5" loads at 30 yards , unless you are doing it to establish point of aim for your sighting system...

Most any 2 3/4" 20 gauge gun with  1 oz. or 1 1/8oz loads of #6 shot with a modified or full choke will pattern well enough to kill a gobbler stone dead  every time at 30 yards...

40 yards is a different matter...That's where the rubber meets the road and the range at which big guns  like 12 gauge magnums make the difference....If you have a sure kill pattern at 40 yards, you know damn well that you have a sure kill pattern at 30 yards, as long as you are on target..

30 yard patterns with big guns mean nothing...Good 40 yard patterns with any gun  begins to impress me...

I will have to try this at 40. I just was comparing apples to apples they all shot at 30 with good group. So I was curious on how I'd do

[turkeyfeathers]

Here's pics from last year. 40 yards


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[turkeyfeathers]

And 65 yards. Only took 1 shot with 2 and 2 1/8 oz this year at 30 to check gun. Main objective was to sight in daughters.


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[Pygmy]

That's awesome, TF...!

[Pygmy]

Hehehe...More than awesome  !!  My point is, what can you possibly learn by shooting these loads at 30 yards, other than confirming the idea that you better be RIGHT ON at close to medium ranges to avoid a miss..

[Buckmaster7600]

All these patterns are way to tight for me! I would miss em every time! I have missed enough birds with my improved modified and 3" #6's. I couldn't imagine what that pattern TF just showed looks like at 10yds?


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[Pygmy]

4 hours ago, Bill Schmidt said:

Yesterday, I bought Winchester DoubleX turkey loads in 12  ga -3"-#5s 1 7/8oz. Going to do some patterning tomorrow. I have both the Primos choke tube and the comp-n-choke for my 12 gauge pump. Bought a nice little stand that securely holds large turkey targets.

    Going to also shoot some 16 ga shells in 2 3/4" and #4s through my old Sears and Roebuck--J.C. Higgins- bolt-action. I am going to pattern the 16 gauge at no more then 35 yards out.  Could not find any copper-plated 16s anywhere. This shotgun is choked -full though and I am looking forward to see how many pellets I get in the all important mid-neck as that is where I aim.

Good luck, Bill...I have had good luck for many years with Win XX  3" 12 gauge turkey loads in 1 7/8 OZ and also Fed premiums in both 1 7/8 and 2 oz. loads, all copper plated buffered lead shot.

I am not aware of any buffered, plated shot loads available for the 16 gauge...However,  16 gauge high velocity ( 1 1/8 oz) or short magnum ( 1 1/4 oz loads) in  either # 4 or  ( preferably) #6 shot may very well give good killing patterns at 35 yards in a full choke gun..

Good luck and keep us posted on your results.

[stubborn1VT]

I'm curious.  I hear all the time about guys with 12 gauges that will shoot well to 60 yards.  I'm not doubting that.  Can anyone tell me what happens to the effectiveness of turkey shot at those ranges?

I'm not saying you can't kill turkeys at that range, or that guys haven't done it.  I'm just curious about the ballistics of it.  I guess I wouldn't want to be shot with 2 oz of #5s at 60 yards, but they must drop off considerably, no?

[turkeyfeathers]

I'm curious.  I hear all the time about guys with 12 gauges that will shoot well to 60 yards.  I'm not doubting that.  Can anyone tell me what happens to the effectiveness of turkey shot at those ranges?
I'm not saying you can't kill turkeys at that range, or that guys haven't done it.  I'm just curious about the ballistics of it.  I guess I wouldn't want to be shot with 2 oz of #5s at 60 yards, but they must drop off considerably, no?

My personal limit to shoot a bird is 35-40 yards Just because I want to hear him spit , drum and make my ears ring when he gobbles.
That 65 yard pattern, the target was taped to a big sheet of plywood. Board jumped , fell over and had great penetration. Would kill a bird all day long with no golden bb required. Just not what I'm looking for out of a hunt though.


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[stubborn1VT]

That's cool.  I was kinda looking for some maths.  I have had turkey loads fired toward me at 75 yds.  I wasn't all that impressed, in any sense.

[Pygmy]

41 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

I'm curious.  I hear all the time about guys with 12 gauges that will shoot well to 60 yards.  I'm not doubting that.  Can anyone tell me what happens to the effectiveness of turkey shot at those ranges?

I'm not saying you can't kill turkeys at that range, or that guys haven't done it.  I'm just curious about the ballistics of it.  I guess I wouldn't want to be shot with 2 oz of #5s at 60 yards, but they must drop off considerably, no?

The  effectiveness remains as long as as the  pattern remains dense enough to put 6 to 10 shot in the kill zone...Energy numbers for shot pellets at that range are just that ..Numbers...If you can put several  # 4,, 5, or 6 shot in that guy's head and neck at 60 yards you will kill him. Energy figures for  individual projectiles, both bullets and shot pellets are highly overrated.

[stubborn1VT]

I get what you're saying, but with a projectile as small as a #4 I would argue that energy is pretty darned important.  

[Pygmy]

12 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

I get what you're saying, but with a projectile as small as a #4 I would argue that energy is pretty darned important.  

All it needs is enough energy to fracture a turkey's skull or neck vertebrae to get the job done, and I have seen enough turkeys killed at those ranges  to be confident that it has that much energy...Multiple hits  are required to ensure that several pellets strike vital areas...

[stubborn1VT]

That makes sense.  Multiple hits damaging the spinal column certainly gets it done.  Like TF, I don't shoot that far.  I have seen a number of fall turkeys wounded and lost at that range.

[Pygmy]

I have seen turkeys wounded and lost at that range also, but what I am saying is that with sufficient pattern density ,clean kills can be made at relatively long range...

 However, everything has it's price..If you shoot  a gun/choke/load combo that is capable ( as TF's is, from looking at his patterns) of killing turkeys at 50-60 yards, you are going to be handicapped with a much smaller killing pattern at closer ranges...

Why handicap yourself at the ranges where you prefer to shoot birds, just to have the capability to kill birds at ranges much LONGER than you prefer to shoot ?

I like to kill my birds at 25 to 40 yards, so the most efficient load  IMHO, is to have a load that shoots the widest  sure kill pattern at the ranges I am shooting..For me , I want sure kill density out to 45 yards, to give me a little margin of error in case I misjudge the range a little...Those supertight  patterns would be counterproductive for me, especially since I am older and less steady than I used to be...

I also suspect that a lot of younger hunters might be a little less steady than they would like to admit, especially when the ADRENALINE FACTOR takes effect....<<grin>>..

[stubborn1VT]

Yup.  I think like you.  I use an old 870 with a factory X full Remington choke.  I camouflaged it with 3 colors of spray paint and some homemade stencils.  I've shot almost all my birds under 40 yards.  Many way under 40.  The biggest adjustment I made was to stop hunting fields so much.  Much easier to get them close in the woods.  At 30 yards it doesn't much matter what I use for turkey loads.  

[Pygmy]

That's Funny VT.....My adjustment in the last 10 years or so is that now I hunt mostly fields, where for the first 30 years or so I hunted nearly all woods..I shoot my birds now mostly from a popup blind on a field edge using decoys...I still don't shoot over 40 yards, and most of my shots are much closer.....Good hunting this spring, My Friend !

[jperch]

I agree that under 30 yards the most important consideration is simply to know exactly where your pattern hits.  But I actually prefer to shoot my turkeys at extremely close range, 10 to 15 yards if possible.  It's exciting and there won't be any damage to the meat.  Any yes, I have racked up a few misses.  For me getting close shots depends mostly on how and where I set up.  I am an average caller, at best.