I'm not sure how I got involved with this other then except I was there but the discussion was about hevi shot and as Longbeard looks at it that it don't kill turkeys out at a max range.
What bothers me here is that Longbeard seems to always have these negative thoughts on products that others seem to find ok.
Are they the best shell out there ? Really who knows , a lot of turkey hunters have also fell into a Nitro boat and they believe they are the bast ammo out there. I myself have tested both brands and nver seen much difference inbetween both products.
In the last few years ammo companies have came out with their own high end turkey ammo that all seem to work well and get the job done. Having the proper combo in a gun, choke and shell means a world of difference and to come up with that means to spend some money and test these products to the max and find the best for your turkey weapon.
I do a lot of talking/Typing on this such thing as I do a lot of testing. Building turkeys guns and finding the a combo that will work and work to the best for you and your gun, finding a combo that will perform to the guns max distance to take a gobbler that other wize just may not come any closer.
Why did we need to do all this ? well the sport has got so aggressive with turkey hunters and the Bird its self is smart enough that they have adapted to keep out away from that eithical range 25-30 yards and stay put wanting that hen to come to them. We as hunters have taken our step on creating a gun that will send out that load of turkey shot to the range that these birds have decided to stop and hold out for the hen.
I have became a hevi shot / hevi-13 user and have found combo's in different guns that will reach that unknown range that a lot of turkey hunters will not concider in a eithical shot. Why you must ask ? have I done so ? Over the years of guiding I have seen time and time again where clients have used a 20 gauge and have taken that 35-40 yard shot to only see a gobbler Jump in the air, flip over and fly away without being found. My thoughts or wonders were to try and change this gauge into a TRUE without a thought of worry of a miss out to that 40 yard mark. My expectations have been met with more of a step then most turkey hunters will care to trust. I have turned my 20 gauge into a true 50 yard turkey killing machine and I do not have to worry if I can make that shot at all. How do I know this ?
After putting together the gun I can concistantly shoot a pattern that will effectively drop a gobbler in his tracks. The pattern combo is a Pure gold choke in a .570 using Hevi-13, 3inch, #6, 1 3/8 oz load. Now would this gun combo work for any shell ?
Not likely, as the combo happened to be set for these type of shells. I have tested this choke with a Federal heavy weight turkey loads and have found that the patterns are a little less dence and would only set my mind back to only shooting 35-40 yards with mysetup as it is. Pure Gold has came out with a choke that is specially made for this ammo because of the wad that federal uses and how it is to work coming from a choked turkey gun.
Do any of the turkey ammo out there knock down and flaten a gobbler at 50 yards ? I'm sure the odd bird will always fall flat on the ground with the proper hit but on the most part we can not control how that pattern will make contact, but what we do control is the dencity and energy to effect a gobbler at our max distance that he can not move another foot other then flop and allow us enough time to walk up safely and stand on the head until the bird exspires.
I have never yet had a bird take off after a hit from my 20 gauge (and I talk 20 gauge because thats what I only use in the turkey woods) so in my mind, I have the perfect turkey gun for myself and this was all due to testing combo's until I found what I was after. I spent as much in turkey chokes on this gun as what I spent buying it just to do what I have now done and all I can do is spread my exsperence to other turkey hunters that have to wonder if this all works or not.
Since my findings I have helped a ton of turkey hunters here at home and maybe the odd one in the USA to setup their favorite gun into a turkey nightmare. I have seen the patterns from other guns and have to say that Remingtons, Mossburg's and Benelli's have all open my eyes to what they can acceive with the proper choke and shell combo's....