Hows this pattern

[wolc123]

I only killed one turkey, a young fall hen, using 3” 12 gauge #5 lead, and an an extra-full choke tube with my Remington 870.  It didn’t seem very “sporting” to me, but the bird was about as good eating as a store-bought butterball (according to my wife and kids), even the drumsticks were tender.

My buddy’s have given me  several spring toms, and the drumsticks were so tough and stringy they were nearly inedible, The breasts was just so so.  
 

Certainly, spring Tom’s ain’t worth killing for the meat, but I could get into it for the “sport”.  That’s why I plan on using my crossbow or my full-choke, Winchester single shot .410, with 2-1/2” #6’s.  May as well give them birds a chance, and up the challenge a little bit.  
 

There are plenty of them around, over at my folks place at least.  I watched a flock of about a dozen over there this evening out in the clover plot.  I plan on setting up my decoy about 20 yards from field edge tree blind, and trying to keep shots at about that range.    I killed three deer out of that tree blind last season, and it would be cool to add a turkey to the tally.  
 

I will set up my pop-up blind in the back of the woods over there, about 300 ft from the nearest mobil-home (there’s a trailer park past that end of the woods).  I saw a big Tom turkey roosted back there while I was deer hunting in December.  That end of the woods is too close to those double-wides to use a gun, but good for a crossbow (250 ft setback required).  

Edited February 21, 2022 by wolc123

[G-Man]

On 2/5/2022 at 5:48 PM, Kmartinson said:

I think they really make a difference.  More shot better pattern. I dont care what other guys do but Im all for best ability to kill. I even considered 10g. in the past but 12g 3.5 is pretty is pretty great!

More bbs in a long shot string  is perfect for turkey. 100s of more bbs to fill in  the holes. But your pattern looks a little right . You should try it at closer range , a good optic on it will really hope zero in you center of pattern .. I've killed bird and porkupine out past 65 yards with mine but at 20  it's basically shooting a 2 in wide slug

[Robby]

I just finished my new turkey gun, a 28ga. with a 48" barrel, no choke, flintlock. Took it out for patterning and I'm pretty happy with what I have at 25 yards.

About 1-1/2 oz's. of #4-#6 shot mixed. The big hole at the top of his head is from a patched round ball I shot just to reassure myself that my sight placement is such that the shot will impact where I aim.

Robby