Shot Size 4, 5, or 6?

[Northport buckslayr]

I am sure this has probably been covered before but I am thinking of going to #5 for more knock down at longer ranges. What does everyone else use and why?

[tschaef]

I have always used #4 for the down range energy. I figure if its close I have plenty of pattern, if its further out there a good pattern won't help much if the lighter load has lost all its juice on the trip.
I took my last bird with a low-brass crappy duck load cause thats all the store in town had, but I was aware and knew that I wouldn't take any long shots.
Now I'm carrying a hybrid 4/6 load but I haven't had a chance to pattern them yet, but its gotta be better than what I was using.

[Frank in the Laurels]

I've always used #5's..seems like a good compromise between the two... never had any complaints from the skulls of turkey..they usually drop in their tracks.. still use the old blue and gold Federal 3in 2 ounce loads.. brought about 20-10 packs real cheap and guess I'll continue to use them until my stash is out..nice shell !!

[LKing]

3", 2oz Hevi 13's in #6. Have shot all sizes and brands and that's what has patterned the best. Right around the 200 mark at 40 yards in a 10" circle. Been hearing a lot of good things about the Nitro straight 7's and will pattern those soon as well as the 4x5x7's.

[Todd1700]

With lead, shot size choiceis sort of a catch 22 deal. You want it to have enough energy to kill as far as it will hold a dense enough pattern. But there comes the dilemma. Lead 6's of a particular brand will almostalways hold a better patten farther out than5's or 4's of the same brandin a given gun. (There are rare exceptions but this is generally true.) Problem is that lead 6's start seriously running out of steam at 35 to 40 yards. Lead pellets in 4 or 5 size will maintain lethal energy a bit farther than that but generally the patterns with 4's or 5's start to seriously fall apart at 40 yards thus negating their better energy level. After all, if you can't be sure of landing a pellet in a lethal spot then it doesn't matter how much downrange energy it is still carrying.

This however is the beauty of denser than lead shot. I use Winchester supreme elite 6's. The denser than lead pellets just by their nature almost always out pattern lead shot in a given size and gun. Butbest of all, because of how much betterthis stuffpenetrates,it allows you to use the smaller shot like 6's which holds a lethal pattern farther than 4's or 5's of any type without fear of losing a bird. In fact with denser than lead number 6 shot started at a velocity of about 1200 fps or more you can shoot and kill turkeys as far as your particular set up will keep 100 pellets evenly dispursed in a 10 inch circle. That's right, I promise you the DTL 6's will killfarther thanyour gun can hold a tight enough killing pattern.

That said, I do not like the Heavy 13 factory loads because they have a muzzle velocity of only 1050 fps. The Win Elite extended range shellshave a muzzle velocity of 1250 and will bring the pain farther than anyone needs to be shooting at a turkey.

[LKing]

Todd, not to haggle but the Hevi loads I'm shooting are metered at 1090 fps. Thus my interest in the Nitro co. right now, as Hevi is just plain SLOWWWW. Hard to beat the pattern though. I've fired the supremes, but not the Elite XR, I'd like to see how they pattern out of the old 1300. How do these shells compare, pattern wise, with Hevi 13 out of your gun???

Excellents points made in your post!

[Todd1700]

How do these shells compare, pattern wise, with Hevi 13 out of your gun???

The heavy 13's pattern a little better in my gun than the Win Elites and will probably do so in your gun as well. I think this is due in part to their slower speed. It is easier to get aparticular loadto pattern better at a lower velocity. That said, I am still getting 160 pellets evenly dispersed in a 10 inch circle at 40 yards with the win elites and 104 pellets in a 10 inch circle at 50 yards.

My 2 cents are this: wanna win a local still target shoot? Buy some heavy 13's. Wanna kill a turkey at any range your gun will hold a decent pattern? Buy some winchester elites.

Thus my interest in the Nitro co. right now,

They are awesome shells but pricey as I'm sure you have noticed. A lot of people buy the 4x5x7 duplex loads in the Nitros but I'd just get the Nitros in straight 7's ifI was gonna go that route. They are the work horse of those Nitro shells and remain lethal from those shells farther than you are likely to luck up and score a hit with one of the much fewer 4's or 5's.

[Western MA Hunter]

I have had luck w/ both 4s and 5s.. 4s seem to hit a bit harder...

I have had great luck w/ Remington Magnum 3.5" # 5sin the past. Switched to the Winchester Supreme for 2 birds this year #4s and crushed them both...both pretty far shots too.

either will do.

[Champlain Islander]

I too have killed many birds with #4 and #5 shot. I find in my SBE that #5 winchester supreme 3 1/2" patterns well and has lots of down range energy to put them down every time out to about 45-50yds.

[Bernie P.]

I've tried #6 and #4 shot both-1 5/8oz loads.Maybe it's just my gun but the #4 shot worked better for me.