maytom

Well stated, that was my going to be my very response as well!!!

The search for the ultimate pattern out of a certain choke and load was my "Holy Grail" for many years. The Rhino choke and Nitro Hevishot loads finally gave mewhat I have been searching for. By all means, if your currently happy with your present choke, load, and gun, I agree, why fix something that isn't broke. But, I wanted the best pattern all the way out to 40-45 yards, but that's just what myself and apparently some others have been striving for all along. Right now, the price of Nitro loads have gone up, so they are now getting quite expensive. I want to try out some of the new Hevi-13,Winchester & Federal heavyweight loadsas soon as my current supply of Nitro shells are all used up. "IF" these new shells pattern as good, I'll switch.

Lead or copper plated lead shot will surley get the job done, never said they woundn't. But,the Hevishot pellets,are a muchdenser, harder hitting pellet, at a smaller size than comparable lead. Harder hitting and better patterns = quicker kills, less chance of wounding, and better performancedown range. These are the reasons that I switched to Hevishot. Proven performance,nomarketing gimmickhere.

Ifly

I've never used them..I figured if my 3-1/2" mags. wasn't enough fire powder with regular lead I needed to hunt something beside turkeys. I personally don't get a thrill at shooting them way off, I like to get them up to 30 to 35yds. If I can't I figure I couldn't call him in and he wins. Several yrs. ago I kinda got tired of the more is better thing and quit hunting with my mags. and went to side lock12ga. muzzle loadershotgun and now am using .62cal. smooth bore(20ga.) flintlock..so I have to get him 30 to 35yds. anyway. I like the feeling of hunting like my ancestors did. However, I'm a firm believer in hunting with what you like....that's what I do.

maytom

Let me clarify myself Ifly.

Like you, I love to try and call them in to the 25-35 yard range on every hunt!! But, we all know, birds hang up sometimes at 35-45 yards for no reason. It's nice knowing that your gun can cleanly take them at that range. The name of the game here folks is taking, killing, or harvesting a nice gobbler.Each one of usowes it to ourselves and the bird to be equiped with the proper gun and ammo while out there hunting. How many people actually never even bother to pattern their guns, and just use what ever choke tube that's in their gun and garb some regular field loads!! Then blame their equipment when they miss or worse, cripple a bird and it gets away. Trust me, there are people out there like that!! I pride myself on getting out of this sport what I put into it. I pass on all jakes, and try to "cleanly kill"a dandy tom each year. This is just a restriction that I placed on myself each spring season. It lengthens my spring season, instead of ending it within the first few days with a jake or two!!

strut

Outside of patterning better than any other shot I have ever used the penetrating ability on the Nitro Hevi-Shot won me over, I think the Turkey deserves the best we can give him in making a quick clean kill and IMO the Hevi-Shot gives that without any question whether you are shooting at 35 yards or 65 yards. I shoot maybe 2 or 3 shells a year, It cost more to shoot my bow than it does the Hevi-Shot.

ranchand99

Ifly

Maytom..I personally think when they hang up there is a reason..and it may be that they hang at 35 to 45yds. because they don't want to take a chance of getting their head blown off if they come any closer..due to all the yrs. getting shot at 30 to 35yds..and the instinctual behavior has been passed on in the genes..if I can't get him on in to 30 to 35yds. he wins. It really hasn't got anything to do with Hevi shot by it's self..it's the whole more powerful shells, bigger mags..etc. concept. I just personally think it takes away from what spring gobbler hunting has been all about over the yrs. not only that..but shooting gobblers at 50 to 80yds..and yes I've heard of people killing that farlike it's nothing to it with the right load, gunwork..etc...it's just bound to make it even harder to get the birds in close. People cringe at the thought of hunting where rifles are legal..there's notto much difference in riflesand the 80yds. lethal range of tungsten and whatever may be the nextmaterialon the market to top it. The gobblers get shot at every time they get within 80yds. of a hunter theywill eventually get to where they'll just make 80yds. the hangup distance or stay up in the tree and make the hens come to them and when on the ground will run from a hen yelp.
However..to each their own..I"m not berating any-body's way of hunting..I justrather hunt with a flintlock and "know" I got to get him 35yds or closer before I will take a shot...and not only that..I like the challenge..Igot tired of stacking the deck so much in my favor to where I felt like all I had to do was get the bird in site and pull the trigger and mysouped up ultra mag with platinum shot would guarantee a dead bird. Ipersonally like knowing I have a lot of things that can go wrong with my flintlock..and that I have to make sure all arelooked after and intop condition..to where if I do get one within range my gun will go off. Personally I really think in the near future a lot of people are going to take the same route I did and go back. It really is a good feeling walkin under the same old hardwoods with the same equipment thatthe old long gun hunters did 300yrs or so ago.If I could come close to making a wing bone sound like a henit would really be nice.