Remington 1 ounce game loads for turkey?
 

So I bought a box of Remington game loads 12 gauge #6 shot 1 ounce. I bought them for porcupines and raccoons, but Today I was patterning my BPS so I figured I would try them.They by far patterned the best. Should I use them for turkeys or use the next best patterning shell?

These are the shells
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/593...shot-box-of-25

Should I use them?
would they do the same as marketed turkey loads?

I would not use a low base shell like that because it has a lot less shot in it and it just doesn't pack the punch that it takes to properly kill a longbeard. Find a good high base turkey load designed for the job at hand that patterns well in your gun.

Uh yea I'm sure it would but it's not the ethical thing to do...

Were are the real turkey hunters at these days?

It would be like going deer hunting with a .22. It could work, but the chances of failure are high and wounding birds even higher. There's a reason hunters use turkey loads. Invest in some.

I have some real turkey loads, but the game loads patterned way better. Everyone says use the load that patterns best in your gun, and that's the game loads. But I'll use the nitro turkeys that I planned on using anyways.

I was going to have my 10 year old nephew use these loads, because there's almost no recoil. I'll just give him the 20 gauge.

Thanks for all the help anyways.

not that bad an idea - IF!!!!
 

You would be shooting 6's at about the same velocity as any turkey load. If you keep the range short to where you have a dense pattern in the head area, you are better off than 3 1/2'' 6's at a longer range because at long range you would loose energy. Again, at short range, you will have a dense pattern, the necessary velocity and energy to kill a turkey. Did I mention short range?
As far as the 20g goes, fine, but remember an ounce of 6's @ 1260 fps is the same if it is shot from a 20g or a 12g.

Yup. The reason is they want to be able to kill a bird at long range. Your comparison is the old apples and oranges thing.

***That's absolute hogwash! We don't want to kill a bird at long range. We want to use the proper equipment to kill the bird humanely at a range most consider proper and that is out to about 40 yards or a little better. A low base shell might do the job at 20 yards, but the problem is that many people would then stretch that yardage out if the bird hangs up and then you have the perfect scenario of a wounded and lost bird. Please listen to people that have been at this turkey killing thing longer than some members here are old! A low base shell designed for squirrels and rabbits IS NOT a turkey load!!!

Welllll wait a minute now... While these are "low brass" loads they are by no means "weak or slow"! They are advertised at 1290fps, that's faster than most 3" & 3.5" HEAVY turkey loads! Look also at pellet count, in an ounce of #6s there are typically around 225 pellets (+/- 10). Power & penetration aside, to get that many pellets in a #5 load you'd have to move up to nearly 1.38oz. In #4 loads you'd have to go all the way up to 1.75oz. NOBODY would say those 2 loads aren't enough pellets (& mojo) to knock a tom off his rocker!

If a turkey is hit in the head & neck with more than half a dozen #6s it's LIGHTS OUT for him & it doesn't matter if those 6 pellets started out with 1oz of his buddies or 2+oz, DEAD IS DEAD! ;) Now sure, adding more pellets "should make" for surer hits at further distances but if the OP realizes he AINT toting a 50+yd load & keeps his shots inside a safe range (as determined by his patterning results) then there is no reason to think a Tom is going to laugh & run away after getting a snoot full of 6s inside of 40yds regardless of whether they were from a 2.5oz 10ga or a .5oz .410!

This argument is kin to saying a 150grn bullet from a 300mag is fine but 150grn bullets from a 30/30 AINT! It's all about perspective & knowing ones limitations... As the man said, "A mans GOT to know his limitations!" :biggrin:

I would check your game laws to make sure if it is legal or not.. Here you can not use anything other than turkey loads. Lead shot would be illegal if you are caught hunting for turkeys with it.. Personally there is no way I would be using low brass shells on turkey anyways..

You don't realize you are agreeing with me when you say it will work at 20 yards. Read carefully I wrote - "If you keep the range short to where you have a dense pattern in the head area". You're living in a dream world if you think shooters of 3 1/2" 2 oz loads don't stretch the range to 60 or 70 yards and sometimes cripple a bird.
And I don't care if you have 2000+ posts and I only a few. I shot my first pheasants @ 10 years old over 50 years ago. I have shot enough game with rifle and shotgun, big game and small from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and read enough and studied enough to know what a gun can do. Go back to school, boy!

First, I'll say I'm a big advocate of using appropriate
Turkey loads that pattern well from the particular
shotgun you are using. Somewhere there is a
Turkey load that will pattern well in that shotgun.

However, I do have to say that Phil needs to go
back to the Maine law book, while lead shot is
prohibited for hunting migratory waterfowl
there is nothing preventing someone from using
lead shot in Maine while hunting Turkeys. The
only restriction is on shot size 4's to 6's or
4's to 7's with a mixed load.

***Whoa there big fella! Did I post your name up slamming you in anything I said or say anything about my number of posts compared to yours? Nope, sure didn't! The OP asked if those loads would do the same as a turkey load in case you didn't read the last couple lines of his post. The simple and correct answer the majority of us are giving him is NO! The OP is also talking about letting a 10 year old kid use them that obviously has not been in the field much, if at all. If the loads were designed for turkey hunting they wouldn't be a low base shell showing the picture of a rabbit on the box. In case you haven't noticed over the last 20-30 years, the majority of shotgun shell boxes either have a picture on the box like that so it's easy to tell what the manufacturer recommends them for or have a written description on a side panel informing the consumer what they are made for. Yes, I posted that we agree that at 20 yards those low brass would more than likely be lights out it they had a pattern about the size of a soccer ball. I also stated that it would wound at longer distances and you then mentioned 60-70 yards. True turkey loads are designed to do what he is asking at more than twice the yardage those low base shells are good for and many have possibly twice the shot count for a better effective pattern. I also agree there are slob hunters who shoot game at distances they shouldn't be attempting whether it's with a shotgun or a rifle, but hopefully they are at a minimum. Just watch who you're calling boy since I've also been at this game for over 60 years and have taken way more than my share of small and various big game across the country. :wave:

Any time you start a post like that, you will ruffle my feathers. I never care what the majority says, because often the majority is wrong. Look who they elected President - twice!? Go to the beginning. Will 12 gauge 6's (with a bunny on the box :) ) kill a turkey? My reply - yes at short range. Not the best choice for a turkey load by any means, but it will kill. I think at 40 yards the energy 6 shot has is questionable, so anything beyond that is looking for a cripple. I'll stick to my answer. A turkey shot at 20 yards will not care if there isn't a picture of a turkey on the box. There ya go old timer.
Hey, if you're ever in NE Iowa, look me up. I'll buy you a beer for old times sake. Or do you prefer a glass of warm milk?

Still friends? :happy0001:

I did go back and checked it out and it does not say that you can not use lead shot.. I would not advise it but that is up to you to try it..

Phil,

When I first started Turkey hunting I shot several
with lead shot that died very nicely. However, I
have evolved into only using the more advanced
and I agree better "turkey loads" with heavier than
lead shot. My thinking is that whatever it takes
to improve the odds that when I pull the trigger the
Turkey is going to drop dead is what I'm going to do.
The bottom line is being sensible about the distance
you can effectively shoot with your set up which
includes gun, choke, ammo, With my current
set up I know that if a Turkey is within 45 yards
and I pull the trigger ---if he isn't in a heap on the
ground I've done something wrong. Happy Hunting
this spring downeast-hope that snow goes away
soon.

What were turkeys killed with before anyone ever made a specific turkey load? Food for thought. Then again ive also heard that you cant kill a turkey with a single shot 2 3/4" choked barrel gun :D

Hey thelukai1100 I sent you a PM and by the way nice signature. It seems appropriate to this thread.