Pattern your Turkey Gun use this
 

The link below is the target I use each year to check my gun and determine the effective maximum range!

My rule of thumb - I only count the pellet holes in the spinal cord, eye and skull/brain area only. I want at least 8 to 12 pellets in the above areas. Anything less and I move closer and try again. That wayI know I have a clean good killing shot. And that way I know the effective range of my gun.

I also place this target at the height a real turkeys head is - and I shoot from a STD sitting position.

Though the target gives you the ideal center I pattern my guns and adjust my sights so the very bottom center edge of my pattern hits the place where the skin starts and the feathers stop on the neck. That way as I am looking down the barrel sighting in on my quarry I am seeing the whole head at all times. Then I know with that neck outstrecthed my shot pattern covers the whole head.

www.mdc.mo.gov/nathis/birds/turkey/target.htm


JW

RE: Pattern your Turkey Gun use this
 

Yep, I agree 100%. I use a very similiar target. After I tried a few differnt loads with a few different chokes, it isn't uncommon to put 80-90 pellets in the 'kill zone' at 25 yards. By doing this I have easily taken birds at 50+ yards shooting 3" shells with confidence.

RE: Pattern your Turkey Gun use this
 

That's a great link. Last year I patterned with a standard rifle target from 30 and 40 yards. What I thought was "good enough" wasn't nearly enough. I was lucky enough to kill a bird, but he didn't go down with the first shot. Lesson learned...

RE: Pattern your Turkey Gun use this
 

patterning your shotgun is a must i agree. but why would you pattern it every year? if you change choke/gun/or ammo i could understand but if you go out with exact same combo, is there a need to pattern again?

im seriously asking this and not doggin you in anyway, because i thought id get away without patterning this year since i did last year. do i need to again anyway?

RE: Pattern your Turkey Gun use this
 

Tembry15, I simply pattern my gun every year because I have a turkey scope on my shotgun. So I shoot mine before each season to make sure the scope is still on. It has been every year, but I will keep doing it because it is the worst feeling when you aren't 100% sure you scope is on.

RE: Pattern your Turkey Gun use this
 

JW, Thanks for the link!!!

RE: Pattern your Turkey Gun use this
 

I use those too. Other targets I've downloaded can be gotten from:

http://www.mytargets.com/
http://www.targetz.com/
http://www.gunnersden.com/index.htm.free-turkey-target.html(the turkey target I use the most - same as others, just easier on the eyes)

If you do a google search, you'll find tons of free targets out there for download.

RE: Pattern your Turkey Gun use this
 

My printer shrinks the target to fit on the paper, how do I get it to print full size?

RE: Pattern your Turkey Gun use this
 

Never mind I asked my teenage son to do it for me!

RE: Pattern your Turkey Gun use this
 

Gotta love the kids!