ORIGINAL: Adrian J Hare

This is a good thread and a great presentation of patterns, but I have a slight problem with the range of the larges percentage of shot.

About 95% of all turkey hunters are 40 yard and now more turkey shooters. What I mean is for years and years turkey hunters have learned that 40 yards is the max range to be shooting. Now with these Over ranged hevi shot turkey shells that max range has been drove out to the 45-50 yards, even if we don't like it, they will still shoot at birds that far as soon as they see the rope on the sucker.

To find your proper shooting choke in your gun, my opinion is that you should be testing these chokes and the percentage of pattern at 40 yards and no closer. After you have found a choke and shell combo that is what your after, then its time to move in to a closer range and understand if the pattern is dencer in a certain area up-down-right or left.

The Old (How many in the the turkey head/neck) is Old news and with the new generation of turkey loads out there I believe the average turkey hunter patterning their gun is much as what was explained, but done at 40 yards and find what choke and shell combo will apply the larges percentage of shot in a 10-12 inch circle evenly around the turkeys head and neck. Don't worry about what is in the kill zone so much as what has been applied around and on a constant average of shots.

A tight shooting choke at 30 yards can lose up to 25-30 % of the shot pattern in an extra 10 yard range. The turkey hunter now is taking a larger chance at missing or wounding your target.

I have did all this testing on Camera and have filmed it and am now am in the end of having it come out on DVD, if I don't run out of money before hand [:-] I had no idea what it cost to edit and get a DVD ready for resale. Believe me it costs.