After last season I decided to put a new Mueller MX-1 red dot scope on my 835. Can someone explain to me the best way to sight a red dot scope in using shotshells? Should I sight in with turkey loads or just plain game loads? Thanks guys.

I sight in with the lightest/cheapest loads I have...A load of shot is a load of shot, and all should print in basically the same place, unlike slugs or rifle bullets...

Sight in from a steady restat close range, so that the pattern is dense enough so you know what direction to move it to center the recticule on the target...

After you are satisfied that you are dead on at 20 yards or so, move out to 40 ( or whatever you consider your maximum range) and pattern a couple turkey loads to be sure it's on..You may have to tweak it a little at longer ranges to get the patterned centered.....

Should Isightinwith my turkey choke (Jellyhead) or modified?

You should usethe chokeyou will be hunting with. Sight in with the cheapstuff then when you think you have it, try the load you will use when hunting.

Definetly use your turkey choke with cheaper shells. Once you get your pattern squared and hitting where you want move back to your max range and use a couple of your turkey shells to make sure your pattern is still hitting at the longer distances.

Yeah at that point you may have to fine tune it. I've had some shells pattern quite a bit differently at 40.

I just bought a new turkey gun and am getting ready to pattern it. I was going to use turkey shot but thanks for the info of using game loads first. Would using #7 1/2's or #8's work until I am ready to fine tune it?

I use the cheapest shells I can find for an initial sight in, and then fine tune it with the actual shell I will be using. Yes, #7.5's, or #8's will be perfectly fine.

Yes the turkey choke is in the gun.
I start from a bench at 10 yards and try to knock out a quarter sized orange dot on a big piece of cardboard using trap loads. I was surprised how much I had to adjust almost 70 clicks or better.

Once I punch out that dot consistently at 10 yards I then shoot at 20 and may make a slight adjustment. At that point I switch to my turkey loadsand then try at 30, 40, and 50.

SwampCollie wrote a very nice article How to Pattern a Turkey Gun.
it is now pinned at the top of this forum or click on this

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2074825


JW

Defintely use your turkey choke for sight in...

In any GIVEN choke tube, any shot charge should pattern basically in the same place, whether a heavy turkey load or a light field load... Do the basic sight in with the cheap/light recoiling game loads and do your fine tuning with whatever turkey load you intend to hunt with..

If you change choke tubes, you change EVERYTHING...One choke tube could possibly throw a pattern a FOOT OR two away from another choke tube at hunting ranges...