Help with turkey loads!
 

I am shooting a Charles Daly 3" 12ga with a .665 Jellyhead with Xtended Range 3" #6's. it absolutely destroys turkeys at 30 yards, but at 40-45 the pattern gets pretty sparse. I tried shooting Nitro 4x5x6's today, and wasn't as impressed as I thought I'd be. I had around 30 pellets in the head an neck at 40 yds, I was expecting 50+. Maybe those expectations are too high, but I know guys getting much more than that. Just wondering if I should shoot a bigger shot size in the XR's or maybe a different shell altogether. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Umm...30 pellets in head and neck is good. I read that
It takes 7 pellets in a gobblers head & neck to kill him. After seeing a few beards hit the dirt, I think maybe less will do the job.

One in the CPU will cause a major system-wide crash. Are you trying to vaporize the gobblers head?

Do this. Put a coke can on a stick at 50yds. If your gun, choke, shell
combination will wipe it out, you're good to go. 5-7 pellets in the can should do it. If the can opens up or rips, and you keep testing new loads, you're just giving $$ to ammo companies.

Good luck this spring. May you bust one bigger than your dreams.

30 pellets in the head/neck at 40 yd. is a very good pattern. My standard for a good turkey load is 20. Keep in mind, before the development of "turkey" loads. It was advised that you had to have at least 3 in the head/neck to have a good pattern. You are good to go.

I guess I'm expecting more than I should. I have 100+ pellets in the head and neck at 30 yds. And to go from that to 30 at 10 yds farther just seems like a lot. The 40 is not what really concerns me. It's the fact that it must get way worse at 50. I shot at a bird at 52 last year on the next to last day, and he basically got hit but wasn't phased. But, a week later, I went out of state and shot a 5 bearded bird at 32 and The taxidermist is having to patch feathers around the neck because of how bad I messed him up. I feel like I can kill them at 40, just would like to know I had more knock down power and hopefully a bit tighter at 50, just in case I needed it. Below is a pic of my pattern at 30 yds, and to go from that to 40 is a huge difference.

I know guys shooting over double in the head and neck at 40yds than I am, with a Jelleyhead and Xtended Range #5's. I figured my shot size must be too small for the constriction of my choke and working against me. That's why I was wanting to switch.

Kinda makes me wonder how they killed turkeys in the Depression era with a single shot 12 gauge and using paper shells... :)

Not saying I can't kill turkeys, just want my best chance possible, just as I do with a bow or rifle for deer.

I'd say you're golden with that pattern.

I have to agree with the others that 30 pellets in the head and neck at 40yds is a good pattern. I shoot 3.5" and do not get that many more in the head and neck at 40yds and have killed turkey at 50yds. All it takes is a couple of pellets in the head/neck region to kill a turkey. I heard of guys shooting 65+ yds, not advising that you should be shooting that far, and only hitting them with two or three pellets in the head and killing them.

I don't think it's a terrible pattern, just think going from 120 pellets at 30yds to 30 pellets at 40, seems like a huge drop off. I don't think the #6's have enough weight to kill a bird at 50. I hit one last year at 50 and he ran and flew off. He acted like I busted him and then got away. I wonder if I should switch loads for more knockdown power.