Still a 35 yard Turkey Gun

I have done alot of patterning with my 3" 870 and tried some new chokes and put some fancy trivis sights one. Tried 3 different loads today. Still at 40 yards only hitting ~7 pellets in the kill zone of a turkey. I was hoping to make this a 50 yard gun. But for margin, I think 35 yards is the limit.

Tried my 3.5" gold and it did much better with undertaker choke. I was hitting ~15 shot in the neck and head at 40 yards. But its a 28" barrel and heavier.

Well try my luck next week. I like at least 15 pellets consistently in the head and spine area off a rest.

Who here has a 50-55yard turkey gun? How in the world did you get to pattern out there? Havnt' tried heavyshot. Maybe I should. I would hate to buy more high dollar chokes.

[Hunter06FlKy]

i most definately wouldn't say that my turkey gun is a 50 yarder but i found out it will kill turkeys at that far. i severly misjudged the distance and ended up killing one at that range. if i had known it was that far i wouldn't have shot but my gun pulled through for me.

btw here what i was shooting
rem 870 express turkey camo(21in barrel)
rem extra full choke
federal mag shok 3in mag #6's with flight controled wads.

personally i think the flight controled wads made the most difference. have you tried them???

No, all ammo was remington. But thanks, I will look into it.

[Todd1700]

By all means try different brands of shells. There can be a huge difference in how well a particular shotgun patterns different brands. Remington turkey loads have always printed the worst patterns in my 390 Beretta while Winchester Supreme 3 inch number 5's have always patterned the best out of it. And believe me the difference between those two loads in my gun isn't minor butlike night and day. Here is how the Winchesters pattern for me.

First 30 yards.



Then 50 yards.

[bsteve]

I shoot an 870 with a Kick's Gobblin Thunder .665 choke. The shells I got the best results withwere Fed. 3" 2 oz. 5's. I haven't tried the new controled flight, just the 2 oz. Premium.

Nice patterns. Much better than mine.

[Paul L Mohr]

From what I have seen to reach that 50 yard or beyond mark you really need a dedicated turkey gun. My buddy has a remington special purpose with a super full choke in the 3 1/2 inch. His is good out to around 60 yards if you hold over a bit. The down side is if you shoot at anything under 30 yards it shoots like a slug gun! I have another buddy that has a mossberg with the back bored barrel and it works pretty well too.

I had a mossberg 500 bantam with the 12 ga ported barrel. It was good to around 40 yards with an extra full extended turkey choke. I think it was a hastings, not sure though. I had fiber optic adjustable sights on mine as well.

What I learned is you HAVE to try different types of loads, just like a rifle. Try a few different brands and different types of shot sizes. #6's were not worth a darn in mine, very inconsistant pattern. I finnally ended up using winchester 3 inch mag 2 oz turkey loads with #4 shot. I always seem to have good luck with winchester ammunition.

I also found out it shot awsome with 7 1/2 field loads, too bad they are not legal for turkeys and probably don't have enough power kill one beyond 20 yards. Did a number on pesky black birds though.

Too bad I traded my mossberg in on my slug gun. Now I just got a new NEF pump gun and need to start all over again.

Paul

[Ridge Runner]

I have one big, killed a gobbler in the fall once at 73 long paces with a load of 6's. put 16 6's in the head and neck and more in the upper breast,
I'll tell ya like this, if remington ammo was all I had I wouldn't even go, try some fed 3", 2 oz. 6's, they are all I shoot, I do shoot 3.5" 2.25 oz 4's or 6's , fed of course, in my 835, I can't get nothin to shoot rem shells.
My reccomendations on a choke is a true-glo, they are built by mark bansner, he pioneered the shotgun choke industry back in the early 80's. He put the choke in my valmet and he guarranteed 90% or better patterns at 40 yds, with fed prem 2 oz loads, it'll shoot consistant 93-95%.
RR

[KBacon]

What choke are you using? That will make a whole lot of difference. Also what yardage do you kill most of your turkeys? If you see most at 20-30 yds... then stick w/ what you have.. but if you see most at longer ranges.. then by all means tighten it up. But realize that a tight pattern at 50yds.. also means almost no pattern at 20-30yds.

Out of my Browning BPS w/ a Browning/Briley .695 choke I keep over 20 pellets in the head/neck at 40yds. That was using the 3" Federal Flight Control #5shells. I almost as good of a pattern w/ the 3"Remington 4x6 shells. My setup shot slightly tighter patterns than my fathers 870 w/ a Jellyhead choke and the same shells.

I haven't tried the heavy shot yet.. but this weekend I plan on picking up a box of the 3" Federal Flight Controls in #5s to try.

Good Luck w/ your setup.

[Adirondack Hunter]

thats all i got out of my 870. I think all these guys are full of BS that are sayin that they can get more than 20 at 40yds. i got 8 in the brain and spine at 35yds and maybe a total of 20 in the actual picture, i dont see how it is possible to get much more than that unless you shoot it more than once.