salukipv1

I haven't patterned my turkey gun since I bought it, well I'm finally out of ammo, or close to it! So now what?

When I originally sighted it in it preferred 12ga 3" #5's winchesters

Should I just stick with the same? or should I try some hevi shot or something? I always thought 30yds was kinda the max range, but are new loads pushing those limits?

I really don't want to try multiple loads again to find a new load.

Either keep the same? or try some hevi #5's?

Suggestions?

Just found this online...about max ranges, etc...

35 yards -- No. 6 lead shot;
45 yards -- No. 6 tungsten-composite shot (min. 12 g/cc), No. 5 lead shot or No. 4 steel shot;
55 yards -- No. 5 tungsten-composite shot (min. 12 g/cc), No. 4 lead shot or No. 3 steel shot.


Thanks.

turkey harvester

If your gun patterns well with #5's then I would stick with them. With the different chokes and ammo available 30 yards is nothing. Guns today pattern well out to 50+ yards with the right set-up. Winchester #5's is what I shoot out of my Mossberg 835 and it is wicked out to 50 yards easy. Hope this helps.

salukipv1

I had a bird that tormented me last spring, held up at probably 80yds,

Wingbone

With good lead turkey loads, I always used 40 yd. as a maximum range. With a good choke, I think the new tungsten-based loads are definately effective to 50 yd.

Mojotex

I'd say stick with what has worked, but do not close the door to trying other loads. I switched a few years back to a shot shell that grouped better in mine. I had used the same stuff for probably 20 years or so. I only tried 3 different loads (Federal, Winchester, Remington) , so the "test" cost was not all that bad.

Some of the e can get really costly ... like my buddy's 12 ga, Nitro 3 1/2" stuff. He brought in a target yesterday that was amazing. At a measured 40 yards, using a Benelli Nova and a .660 choke, he had 128 pellets inside a 10" circle in an almost perfect circular pattern. I wonder what it'd look like at 15! Like a rifle shot ..... 3" across !?! Not bad at all at 40 yards, wow ! But this shell costs about $7/round so it had better be darn good stuff!

JoeA

Right off, I recommend going "hevi" if you can. I do know that stuff is expensive, but why skimp on the thing that does the business?

If it comes down to a new set of camo or a box of hevi stuff, well turkeys don't care how old your camo is.

Just make sure your choke tube can handle the heavier-than-lead loads.

Hurricanespg

If you would like to there are definite gun/ammo/choke combinations that will get you a good ways past 30 yards.

What gun are you shooting? I am sure I could recommend a choke/load combo.

Hurricanespg

What 3.5" Nitro shell was he shooting? I am not trying to pick, but if he was shooting anything other than Hevi #4's I would be very upset with a pattern like that. I am not sure that I have seen any guns shoot a Nitro Hevi #7 load with less than 200 in a 10" circle at 40 yards.

salukipv1

Rem.1187 3" camo 26" barrel, I think the choke is just a rem super full.

bought it years ago, I think some chokes are much tighter nowadays, but I know it's a super full, but don't have any specific numbers on how tight of a super full it is.

winchester #5's patterned the best when I first bought the gun and checked #4s 5s and 6s

I'm pretty sure in IL you can't use #7, only 4-6 but I may be wrong.

Hurricanespg

salukipv1; According to your regs.......

"No. 4 shot is the largest and No. 7 1/2 is the

smallest size shot that may be used."

I was pretty sure that I had used #7's when I was there last.

Anyways, with an 1187 I have had good patterns with an Indian Creek, Pure Gold, and a Star Dot choke shooting Nitro #7's, Hevi-13 3" 2oz #7's, Hevi-13 3" 2oz #6's, and Winchester Xtended Range 1.75oz #6's.

Your Remington Super Full choke should be .665, the standard constriction of the Indian Creek is the same, the Pure Gold and the Star dot were .670