turkey loads have come along way over the years

[turkeyfeathers]

I'll admit to liking to tinker . Putting expensive TSS loads down range on splatter targets. Nitro company (Not Remington nitros) used to order their 5-6-7- blends designed for my .660 Rhino tube, 3.5 "Longbeard XR's in 2 oz and 2 1/8ounce of 5's. Heavi magblends.  Assorted loads for daughters youth 20.  With chokes designed for the particular loads the results are many fold better  of capabilities of many years ago. Heck, copper was the best you could get years ago. Is my tinkering necessary no but I don't have any other hobbies. ( well, maybe craft beer lol )

Xr's are way too tight for my 12 gauge at anything under 30 yards. Will I ever shoot a bird at 65-70 no but know my guns pattern . I shot a round at 65 yards on splatter target stapled to a sheet of plywood leaning against a blow down fallen tree. That plywood got airborne with a thwack. 92 pellet count in 10" circle around head and neck. At 45 yards the pattern is size of Frisbee. 

Was just tooling around over on OG site. One guy had a pattern and hole at 20 yards the size of a silver dollar.

On this site from 'live from the turkey woods" I saw someone killed a bird at 4 yards, another guy at 7 yards and actually my opening day bird was 7.5 paces.  My bird was periscoping as looking for me hard. I contiplated letting him walk across my feet and get in field farther away. I put my new burris crossfire 3 mid neck and figured clean miss if anything. I squeezed off the load of tss 7's and bang no flop. He had a hole the size of a quarter in his neck.  Wasn't going to post that picture. Head barely attached . Made an absolute mess of my car.  all birds just mentioned could have been killed by throwing a rock . I've never personally had a tom so close. 30yards is sort of my number to shoot.

Will I continue to tinker knowing at 30 yards I can shoot cheap loads sure I will.

[Pygmy]

8 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

I'll admit to liking to tinker . Putting expensive TSS loads down range on splatter targets. Nitro company (Not Remington nitros) used to order their 5-6-7- blends designed for my .660 Rhino tube, 3.5 "Longbeard XR's in 2 oz and 2 1/8ounce of 5's. Heavi magblends.  Assorted loads for daughters youth 20.  With chokes designed for the particular loads the results are many fold better  of capabilities of many years ago. Heck, copper was the best you could get years ago. Is my tinkering necessary no but I don't have any other hobbies. ( well, maybe craft beer lol )

Xr's are way too tight for my 12 gauge at anything under 30 yards. Will I ever shoot a bird at 65-70 no but know my guns pattern . I shot a round at 65 yards on splatter target stapled to a sheet of plywood leaning against a blow down fallen tree. That plywood got airborne with a thwack. 92 pellet count in 10" circle around head and neck. At 45 yards the pattern is size of Frisbee. 

Was just tooling around over on OG site. One guy had a pattern and hole at 20 yards the size of a silver dollar.

On this site from 'live from the turkey woods" I saw someone killed a bird at 4 yards, another guy at 7 yards and actually my opening day bird was 7.5 paces.  My bird was periscoping as looking for me hard. I contiplated letting him walk across my feet and get in field farther away. I put my new burris crossfire 3 mid neck and figured clean miss if anything. I squeezed off the load of tss 7's and bang no flop. He had a hole the size of a quarter in his neck.  Wasn't going to post that picture. Head barely attached . Made an absolute mess of my car.  all birds just mentioned could have been killed by throwing a rock . I've never personally had a tom so close. 30yards is sort of my number to shoot.

Will I continue to tinker knowing at 30 yards I can shoot cheap loads sure I will.

I remember the first time I patterned Win XX  buffered copper plated mags in my 2 34"  12 gauge back around 1976....I was amazed at  the pattern at 40 yards compared to standard non buffered lead loads.....    And technology has advanced a long way since then.....

A couple of years ago I assessed the number of turkey loads I have in my cabinet...There are enough there for me to hunt the rest of my life, plus a few extra to check the zero on my scope...Many of them have been carried in my vest for months and put in and out of the gun so many times that I can no longer read the shot size stampings...However,  the great majority of the turkey loads I have bought over the last 30 years were either Federal or Win XX, buffered, copper loads in either #4 or #6 shot...I know from experience that any of them will throw a sure kill pattern at 45 yards out of the two guns that I  use for turkeys, and that is good enough for me..

 

 

 

[Robhuntandfish]

Thinking I mostly got lucky.  Bought s box of federal mag shok turkey loads 3" #5s.  Patterned them when I got my shotgun new and they worked well. Farthest I have shot a turkey though is 30 yards. But would feel pretty good under 50. 

Those tss loads seem pretty amazing. The turkey I got at 8 yards this year I got a lot of his chest. Think the wad even hit him.  Blew off a ton of feathers and most of the small beard he had.  And he also had shot thru the neck. 

Is there a general turkey load you would recommend to cover most conditions?  I really haven't tinkered with any.  

I know having a new shotgun and turkey choke has sure helped me.  Missed a few with the old shotgun I had. But this one so far has been money. 

[ATbuckhunter]

Shot a bird last year at 50 yards with the mag blend reduced recoil 1.5 oz. I can only imagine what the regular mag blends will do when I switch to them. Not very expereinced as we can see, but my shots have mostly been under 35 yards, with most being around the 15 yard mark (including fall target of opprotunuty kills). Im sure being able to shoot 60 yards is nice, but I don't see me shooting those loads. Im also sure ill kick my self in the ass when a bird hangs up at 60, but ill never have to worry about missing a close shot due to a tight pattern

[Pygmy]

An issue with the new, super tight patterning loads is that if you get a really close shot, or even a 20 or 30 yard shot, you must be dead steady and right on, or you may miss.....

Some of us old farts, who are not quite as steady as we once were ESPECIALLY when high adrenaline levels are involved, can be at a disadvantage with such loads...

I have hunted gobblers for 50 years...I still get REAL nervous, when a bird gets in real close...If a gobbler commits, you should have a shot at 45 yards or less....I'll settle for a load that is still sure kill to 45 yards or so, but due to a bigger pattern, will give me more room for error if the bird gets in close...For me, ideal range on a gobbler is 30-35 yards...Standard loads will riddle the head and neck at that range, but still provide enough pattern spread to allow for a margin of error...

[The_Real_TCIII]

I missed at 15 this year would love to blame the pattern not opening up yet


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[turkeyfeathers]

19 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

I missed at 15 this year would love to blame the pattern not opening up yet


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XR’s? I won’t stuff em for a hunt. Too tight I load the third and final with one just in case.  First 2 are tss

[nyslowhand]

2 hours ago, Pygmy said:

An issue with the new, super tight patterning loads is that if you get a really close shot, or even a 20 or 30 yard shot, you must be dead steady and right on, or you may miss.....

^^^ esp with some of the really tight OEM or screw-in chokes available, the pattern at ~10yrds is pretty small. So is margin of error! Compromises...!?!

[LET EM GROW]

They sure have. Just last night I put together a couple 2oz Tungsten loads, and a couple 1-7/8oz Tungsten loads for the 20gauge. Yes, the 20 gauge! lol. Main reason for this was that they were simple, besides using a new and improved wad.. And im not happy with the loads ive put through my new 870..  My cheap $190 maverick out performs the remington by far! 

I know some people dont like this new Tungsten shot, but IMO, you owe it to the animal, Shoot a bird with Tungsten and youd be lucky to see the bird flap just one wing, or kick a leg.. Rarely any floppage.. You WILL stop that flop! And for the guys who reload rifle and slug ammo, its not different .. your trying to make your gun perform to the best of its ability.. I know these new gimmicks in a lot of old timers eyes, but its fun toting a 4lb small bore gun through the woods, thats as capable or more capable than most 12gauge turkey setups. 

Plus the fact of knowing I made these shells myself, and they get the job done and then some.. There is a reassurance cushion with these... and it feels good!

I shouldnt advertise it, but i know we have all been there, take a shot and not realizing theres a little bit of brush in between you and the bird... Well with Tungsten you know really have to worry. It wont deform, and it literally breaks brush and keeps driving.. Another form of cushion for those tougher shots in brushy areas.... like the arrow that struck a limb you never knew was there.. 

[maytom]

Tried a lot of the newer shells out there, presently sticking with the Winchester Longbeards. For the money, don't think you can get any better.

[turkeyfeathers]

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[turkeyfeathers]

2 oz versus 2 1/8 oz of 5’s


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[Marion]

2 oz versus 2 1/8 oz of 5’s


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Beautifully jellied

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[dbHunterNY]

it's definitely something you need to know. closest turkey i had was at 5 steps, not longer stretched paces. i had the stock flush full choke in but federal 3" heavyweight #5 with the stiff wad that stays with the shot longer. any higher aim and the wad itself would've decapitated the bird. it already started putting before the second bird could clear the cover. afraid i'd miss i put the bead right at the base of his neck. it never flopped around or even twitched. i didn't find a single BB in his beast meat either.  i haven't patterned the indian creek choke i've got for that Benelli yet but the Pure Gold one i have now does well enough it's just to tinker.  i think more than anything now companies come out with something new to peak curiosity for sales more than a need to improve performance.