Phil from Maine

While I do not have a real so called turkey gun.. I do hunt with a goose gun and that baby has a 3 foot barrel with a full choke. ( not a turkey choke) I know I would certainly be pushing it at 60 yards none the less. A shotgun is a shotgun.. Designed to shoot at close ranges. If you want to shoot long ranges then that is what a rifle is for.

Adrian J Hare

I agree with the thread starter. Because Hevi shot does changed the average gun into a better turkey killing gun as long as you take the time and pattern and understand your limits.

Here is a 60 yard 20 gauge kill on Longbeards greatest place PA game lands ! and i'll do it every time

bghunter777

Great bird and having spent many hours on pa game land most hunters would never feel more accomplished than downing a bird at 60 yards on pa public land.

bghunter777

I think where differing in opinion stems from pellet count. I'm pretty sure in Brads opinion you are not achieving 100 pellets or even 80 in a 10 inch circle at 60 yards. Some would say this is the minimum to ethically shoot a turkey.

I had this same debate as I did not feel you needed 100 pellets to still attempt a shot with reasonable confidence.

I'm not siding one way or the other as 60 yards does sound far with a 20 gauge but I have never seen your particular set up and Im the guy that was being ridiculed for recalling two accounts of witnessing turkeys being taken at long range.

Bible_Man

I'm sure Adrian will show you some of his patterns...he has some phenomenal patterns, regardless of how big the gun is. You'll see when he posts. I've seen them before...I'd feel comfortable using it as a 60 yard gun. I won't use my 20 at 60 yards, but it doesn't pattern nearly as well as his. 60 would be the absolute limit with my 12.

Wait...did I just say that Adrian had just as good a pattern with his 20 as I do with my 12? Well, reckon that's the way it sounds.

Adrian J Hare

BM , thanks for the understanding reply. I'm a lucky person and have the means to do all the testing I want to do. Kind a wish I had the money to keep supporting this test patterning but I believe after what I have done with this gun in the last 2 years for killing birds out a very max range that I have all the confidents in taking shots that most wont. I don't want to promote these distance shots and only want to let some know that it can be done if done properly and that takes more money then most will spend. I own $600.00 dollars in 7 different chokes in a case that all shoot great patterns at the 40-45 and even pushing 50 yards that I don't even use, they plain sit in a choke case all marked.

No I don't use that #7 shot as here where I live #6 is the smallest shot one can use, so I did all my testing with all #6 loads. I'm not wanting to push the argument at all but I also don't like to be made out to be a liar or a wind bag ether. Its knowledge that I have gained by only spending money to get what I was after and I try my very best to forward info that I have learned, but some I guess just will not believe my word.

I have patterns and have tossed out many 40 yard patterns that are the same as I could post.

There are so many people that have turned this patterning testing into a computation between turkey hunters and have went way to far with this #7 and #9 shot that most of us hunters just plain ignore this topic. As being a part of Hevi shot it has gave me a nudge ahead to use up rather expensive shells that most hate to burn up just on targets in the yard or range. I don't ever have a problem with shells and am the one that pushed them in Canada for the turkey hunters.

Just back a couple weeks ago I sat on a setup with another prostaffer and had a gobbler in strut out at 50 yards. The bird was in the plain view strutting to the hen that came in but would not come closer. I asked my partner if he could take the shot and he said that it was pushing it with his gun, to go ahead and take the shot if I could. One Cluck - Head up- 20gauge bang- gobbler drops like a rock. Not one problem at all at 50 yards I will not even think twice. Done it a number of times.

Pattern Dencity is the most important in a good shooting gun....

Topgun 3006

I've been reading and keeping up on these threads regarding long distance shooting and have to say that this BG post is a real low blow to a person who feels like I do that many people are stretching the distance way too far in a sport that is basicly thought of as a close up sort of thing. Isn't fooling a bird and not "potting" him out at these long distances just because you can what turkey hunting is really all about? I also agree that there are not that many guns or people that will shoot a pattern with enough pellets for close to a 100% assurance that the shot will drop the bird cleanly at the distances you guys are talking about. Ones on this thread that have the guns and have patterned them to do it is one thing, but as Brad has stated, for the most part all this is doing is making ones that don't have the proper equipment and time invested to insure a bird is cleanly taken think they can do it. I use a 2 3/4" chambered Model 1200 I bought in college back in 1967 and will not shoot at a bird past 40 yards based on my patterning and the pure fact that if I can't get a bird within that distance I'll let him win the battle that day and go after him again another day.

gun870guy

I pattern my guns with a beer can on a arrow shaft... i dont count pellets for ****, I go for how many holes i put in a 3d target so high off the ground at so many yards... if its outside of the width and length of a beer can.. then its irrelevant...
Hevi shot, 50 yards


I like seeing the pattern in paper... but a beer can works just as well

14 ga

i think most of these post are disgusting, they are making more hunters worse at the sport than they already are, leaving more cripples in the field. you are trying to change the game from a hunting experience to a killing experience and that is not sport, plan and simple. do i believe some of these patterns, sure do, they are not for very many and shouldn't be for anybody. can my .257 shoot an antelope at 700 yds. sure can but only fools try. life will go on if you don't harvest a turkey and in the mean time you could put some effort in on learning the fun of hunting and seeing what a beautiful bird they are up close

cheers

Topgun 3006

+1 14 ga!!!