ORIGINAL: superstrutter
ORIGINAL: Dr Andy
ORIGINAL: SwampCollie
I've got a couple different patterns with my load/choke. Lowest number is 180, highest is 223. Pretty consistant all things considered.
In a 10" circle? at 40yds? I didn't even think there werer that many pellets in a shell!
I can assure you, there's not many more than that in a shell. I've got to admit, 223 seems awfully high. According to him, his lowest count is higher than my highest. I got 123 in a 10 inch circle and that is plenty enough to kill a turkey. I'm not saying he is exaggerating, but I believe a few posters on this forum do a little. As long as I keep getting over 100 hits in a 10 inch circle at 40 yards, there will be no problem in busting that longbeard at 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 yards. If he is getting 223 hits at 40, he had better be right on at 15. With that tight a pattern he has very little margin of error at really close distances. A real tight pattern that far out, 40 yds., is not always a good thing. If he likes it that tight, more power to him.
SS, you are definately right about being right on at that close of a range... and do I like a pattern that tight?.... well I used to. Every turkey I have ever missed in my life (three total, two with this set up) has been inside 15 yards. I cannot count pellets at 15 yards, and barely at 20 yards, but at 15 there are a couple of flyers outside the 10"
circle, but I'd venture a good 90% of the pattern I could cover with my hand spread open. At 20 yards, its still almost completely inside a 10" circle.
I'm in the midst of writing an article on turkey guns and patterning right now for a regional magazine and a field journal. Heading to the range again on Wednesday with camera in hand. I'll be more than happy to PM you when my field journal article is done, and you may personally review the results for yourself.
I used to be obsessed with having a super tight shooter, but I've always been more of a proponent of letting a bird get close. Those two things don't work well together. I shot a bird in Texas at a range of 56 yards, verified by range finder. It was my first Rio, and I was fairly young and impatient. While my gun is good and all, I think I got a little lucky. I'm looking at a pattern right now I shot last spring out of my gun at 50 yards that has 129 pellets in a 10" circle, which was a very good pattern indeed. Its impressive. I'm going to try a few more choke and load combonations to make my gun more effective at close ranges (or should I say make it easier for me to be effective at closer ranges). But I'll be happy to post up everything when I'm done with it.
What makes a good turkey gun is largely defined by the hunting techniques and personal preferences of the hunter using it. Right now, me and mine don't really jive.