Some turkey loads down range today

[turkeyfeathers]

 

Now if I can get a bird or two in front of daughter and I

47 degrees

Cleaned barrel in between each shot.

Fair with XX

Federal Hvywt were pretty good but was hoping for better. She'll run these come game time

Better we wearing a Kevlar helmet

Maybe a little messy carrying bird back down the hill

Cmon youth season. We're hankering to play with some birds. With a week break from school next week we'll be out letting her run some low brass dove loads getting the feel of her gun again.

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Edited April 5, 2017 by turkeyfeathers

[grampy]

I think some turkey's in your area, should be putting their affairs in order! 

[Uncle Nicky]

Looks like your getting better results with the 3.5" shells....

[turkeyfeathers]

Looks like your getting better results with the 3.5" shells....

Shot both my daughters 20 and my 12 So the 3" were her gun and 3.5" were mine.
Interesting the XR's in 2 1/8 ounce at 1050 fps were noticeably tighter than the 2 oz at 1200 fps. Both # 5's


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[Doewhacker]

I plan on doing some shooting this weekend just because, its that time of the year.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Doewhacker

[sodfather]

Wow that X-R is crazy tight I may have to give that a try. 

[The_Real_TCIII]

[landtracdeerhunter]

I found the Federal shells shot about that same way out of a Remington 20 gauge Jellyhead.  I like the weight of a 20 walking a mile and a half in.

[Doewhacker]

47 minutes ago, sodfather said:

Wow that X-R is crazy tight I may have to give that a try. 

You will be impressed, I have patterned both 5's and 6's. 6's offer incredible pattern density.

[Pygmy]

Those Win XRs are crazy tight...I would consider them a disadvantage for Joe Average turkey hunter unless he/she is  shooting at very long range  ...40 yards  PLUS....

Don't bother to try to find any more of the 20 gauge XRs for your daughter..If they pattern as tight in her 20 gauge as they do in your 11-87, they will be a serious handicap for her at average ranges, especially when the adrenaline is flowing..

I would  also try #6 shot in whatever loads you are using #5 shot....The extra pellet count of # 6 shot more than makes up for whatever energy advantage #5 shot might have, and I know from experience that #6 shot will  do the job at any practical ranges. 

In all of my years of turkey hunting, I have never seen any practical advantage of #5 shot over #6 shot, and #6 shot has a higher pellet count..

 

[turkeyfeathers]

20 minutes ago, Pygmy said:

Those Win XRs are crazy tight...I would consider them a disadvantage for Joe Average turkey hunter unless he/she is  shooting at very long range  ...40 yards  PLUS....

Don't bother to try to find any more of the 20 gauge XRs for your daughter..If they pattern as tight in her 20 gauge as they do in your 11-87, they will be a serious handicap for her at average ranges, especially when the adrenaline is flowing..

I would  also try #6 shot in whatever loads you are using #5 shot....The extra pellet count of # 6 shot more than makes up for whatever energy advantage #5 shot might have, and I know from experience that #6 shot will  do the job at any practical ranges. 

In all of my years of turkey hunting, I have never seen any practical advantage of #5 shot over #6 shot, and #6 shot has a higher pellet count..

 

Looked at Cabela's the other day for XR's in #6's to try. That;s what I was ideally looking for.  No gots, only #4's and #5's  so I toyed with the 2 1/8 load of #5's at lesser velocity .

Totally agree on 20 gauge XR's probably too tight and little room for wiggle room with her . Glad I did find The Federal HVYWT's for her.

[Pygmy]

I shot my first spring gobbler with a 20 gauge gun in 1975...1 1/4 Oz of 6's in a 3 inch Remington Express mag out of my Ithaca  SKB double....That was the heaviest 20 gauge load you could buy then and  12 gauge loads outperformed it by quite a margin..

I currently have 3  12 gauge 3" guns that kill turkeys as far away as I desire to shoot at them...However, if I were younger, I would  consider switching  to  a 20 gauge gun, considering the variety of highly efficient 20 gauge guns and loads available now...Those Fed HVYWTS  impress me..

[TACC]

I never thought of using a 20 instead of a 12 for turkey. Very interesting

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[turkeyfeathers]

I never thought of using a 20 instead of a 12 for turkey. Very interesting

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With Federal heavyweight 7's you don't lose anything versus a 12 gauge standard load. You have pattern density being 7's and being hvywt shot have knockdown. Running and gunning I'm sure the lighter 20 is more pleasant to lug around. Betting there's more serious turkey killers over on OG site who use 20. TSS handloads in 9's seem to be very popular over there as well as Fed loads. Can't use 9's here in NYS I tote the 12 as I have a lot of jing invested in it and call and sit , not mobile. But I do get wobbly arms pretty quick shouldering this beast awaiting Mr Tom who's gobbled close and I can't see him yet. The lighter gun would also be advantageous here too.


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[Pygmy]

For many years I was a run and gun ( or rather walk and talk) hunter, and a light , handy gun that would do the job out to 40 yards or so would have been very appealing to me...For years it was common for me to cover 5 or 6 miles on foot in a morning's hunt.

Now I do 90% of my hunting sitting on my fat azz on a stool inside a blind, with a shooting stick to rest my heavy shotgun on...I  need another gun like I need a hole in my head,  so it doesn't make much sense to invest in another turkey shotgun just because it is lighter and handier than the 3  that I  already own.

[LET EM GROW]

Tf, got to love those xr shells. 535 factory turkey setup. 22in barrel. 3.5" #4 @30yrd

Heard the 20ga xr are extremely backed up per demand at the factory.. took off far better than winchester had expected

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[Doewhacker]

Lookie what I found, no dice on the Federals yet. $23.75 for 10 shells. 

[turkeyfeathers]

Lookie what I found, no dice on the Federals yet. $23.75 for 10 shells. 

Sweet Where'd you score those ? Looking forward to pattern pics.


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[Doewhacker]

1 hour ago, turkeyfeathers said:

Sweet Where'd you score those ? Looking forward to pattern pics.


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Local place called Franks Guns, good shop. I called looking for the Federals and he said no but....so I made the drive. I'll be sure to hang a pic or two tomorrow. 

[Doewhacker]

20 yards. 

[Doewhacker]

30 yards. 

[turkeyfeathers]

You didn't waste any time patterning those.  The bottom left target looks the best by far  

What choke you shooting ?

[Doewhacker]

1 hour ago, turkeyfeathers said:

You didn't waste any time patterning those.  The bottom left target looks the best by far  

What choke you shooting ?

Nothing fancy, just a Turkey choke out of a Stoeger Condor. Basically a Mossberg choke. 

I lied, it's a Carlsons choke. 

Edited April 8, 2017 by Doewhacker
Corrected myself

[Doewhacker]

20 was aimed at that good square and 30 was dead center of all of them. I wanted to make sure I got the spread at 30. I'm happy with that pattern, much better than the loads I patterned last year. 

[turkeyfeathers]

12 minutes ago, Doewhacker said:

20 was aimed at that good square and 30 was dead center of all of them. I wanted to make sure I got the spread at 30. I'm happy with that pattern, much better than the loads I patterned last year. 

Looks real good on both 20 and 30.  Looking forward to seeing ole Tom  pic with a headache with one of those