Turkey Load Patterning Help

[statjunk]

Hello All,

I would like some advice from an experienced shotgun shooter that understand the relationship between the choke and the load as well as understands the acceptable pattern for turkey.

I currently have a Stoeger 2000 with the Extended Full Turkey choke. I am patterning the gun at 25 yards with #4 and #6 Winchester 2 oz shot using 3". I am getting about 10-15 shots in the head and neck area of the bird. A friend of mine explained to me that his gun gets between 25 and 30 pellets in the head at that distance.

Last weekend I took my first turkey at about 15 to 20 yards and the Turkey floped around a lot. My friend, who was there says that at distance the bird should have been floored.

So how can I tighten up my shot. Should I get a new choke? Should I try heavy shot? I called Stoeger and they told me that the Extended Turkey Choke as a diameter of .673. My friend has a choke on his gun that is ported and has a diameter of .670 and uses heavy shot #4 he also has a 3.5" gun.

Should I try a choke with a smaller diameter? If so how much smaller? Should the choke be ported?

Knowledgable information would be appreciated.

Thanks
Tom

[killmeatm]

I shoot a rem 87o 3'' using a rhino choke(.660) with win high vel. # 6's. I have an avg. of 27 pellets in the vital area of an hs strut turkey target at 40 yards. I use to use the same choke with nitro's 4x5x7 heavy shot wich put an avg. of 34 pellets in the vitals at 40 yards, in my opinoin this is an excellent pattern with both shells. I have shot turkeys at 20 yards that there head looked like it had been ran through a meat grinder and they still flopped around. When you shoot one in the head they are going to flop or at least the ones I've shot have. If you are getting 10-15 pellets in the brain and neck bone that is more than enough to kill a turkey. Try patterning your gun out to 40 yards, this is about as far as you need to shoot a turkey with #6's, I have killed them as far as 52 yards with #6's but it just doesn't have the enrgy that it does under 40 yards. As long as you have 6 to 8 pellets in the brain or neck bone at 40 yards your gun is shooting fine, or you can do like I did and spend hundreds of dollars and try numerous chokes and shell combinations until you get it like you want it, just remember that the tighter your pattern the easier it is to miss them at very close range and believe me it can be done. If you want your gun to have an awsome pattern it is worth the money to buy a rhino choke and shoot Nitro Company 4x5x7 heavy shot, they are the best but they are expensive(choke $90.00, ammunition $5.00 a shell). I quite using the nitro shells because 15 pellets will kill one just as dead as 40 pellets and factory ammo is not near as expensive.

[Mr. Longbeard]

Your buddy is right about your gun. A decent pattern would be about 30 or more hits in the vitals at 25 -30 yards. when I say vitals I mean Brain and Neck vertabre. I don't count any hits in the fleshy part of the neck. Primos makes a really good turkey pattern. It's a actual X-ray of a turkeys head and neck

Before you buy another choke I would try some Winchester extended Range loads. I like #5's. If that doesen't work then maybe try another choke. I'm not to familiar with the gun you have so I really cant recomend a certain brand of choke.. I use a undertaker by HS Strutt. It has a .675 constriction. Works great with win Ext Range loads...

Good luck on your quest it might get a little expensive

[statjunk]

How sensitive is the shot pattern to the choke. For example is there a measurable amount of change in the pattern of the shot by moving in increment of .002 versus .006.

Another way to ask this is, if I were to purchase another choke what number might I look for? What is the minimum number that I could or would theoretically go to.

Thanks
Tom

[Mikey S.]

You might want to try giving Kick's Industries or Comp-n-Choke a call and talk to someone there. They deal with this stuff on a daily basis all year round and were very helpful to me last year. It's often easier (and cheaper in the long run) to talk to a pro instead of dumping a pile of money into chokes and loads and just guessing on the combo.
Mikey

[Borch]

The stoeger has a smaller bore than most guns(same as benelli and berreta. I've had excellent results with a com n choke xxxfull( .655). My stoeger 2000 with this choke shoots fed fc hv #5 best with and average of 17 lethal hits and 158 hits in a 10" circle at 40 yards. The ext. xfull that came with my gun didn't do as well. It might be a good hevishott choke though.

Borch

[statjunk]

I could use a vote.

Should I spend $20 to try a box of heavy shot (which I am opposed to because I just think it is insane for shotgun loads)

or

should I invest $50 in a new choke and keep shooting Winchester Supreme at $8 per box.

Thanks
Tom

[DaveH]

One of my turkey hunting buddies has a Stoeger. Last year on our annual turkey trip, he searched high and low for a extra full turkey choke and was able to find a used one. We patterned that gun and at 45 yards, he was getting 40-50 pellets in the head/neck target!. It was one of the most awesome patterns I've ever seen. He was shooting Winchester, 3", #6 turkey loads. I think I'd try that first. Hevi-shot is expensive, but will probably pattern better.

[statjunk]

So what diameter choke should I be looking for? I am going to contact on of the choke places suggested above but I would like to get some of yalls input.

Thanks
Tom

[Strut&Rut]

Have you shot the gun at 10 yards to determine the center of your pattern? If not, you may be patterning a fringe of your center density, ie. the majority of your shot is centered off target.

I'm confused about your hesitation on getting hevishot though. It costs $2/shell. At $7/box, a normal turkey round costs you $0.70. Instead of comparing it by the box, compare it by the shell. For roughly $1 more per shell, you can double your average payload. If you only shoot 3 or 4 shells per year, that's $8. Most people spend that each week on coffee.

Not lecturing or pushing your opinion, but personally if I were you I would 1) re-pattern your gun at a closer range to determine center of shot, and 2) try the hevishot. One box of shells is much cheaper than a choke, and you will need to pattern multiple brands from the new choke to boot.

Also, out of curiousity, did you ask a gunsmith/tech at Stoeger which ammunition they find patterns the best? Remember, those guys work/shoot those guns on a daily basis, and know which loads pattern best...