non-lead and chokes
 

Here in restriction happy California, we now have to use non-lead shot. Any recomandations on non-lead shot and which chokes I can use in my Mossberg 535ats.

I'd look at Bismuth.

And then follow the chokes used by waterfowl hunters as the Extra Full chokes should not be used.
Could always use steel.

Or Ballistic Products has ITX shot which is similar to Hevi Shot. And BPI does have reloading data for ITX turkey loads if you load your own.

Just a few ideas.

Thanks JW, I'll check to see if I need a special choke for Heavy Shot, or if any standard choke will work.

Lots of folks have gone to Hevi Shot a revolutionary nontoxic tungsten-nickel-iron alloy developed by Dr. Darryl Amick of Albany.

And it does require its' own special choke tube - as an extra full normal turkey choke tube is far to restrictive.

I have not tried Hevi shot but you can find lots of topics here on a search. The main reason I have not as I have no need - AT This Time. I can still use my Winchester Supreme copper plated #4 in the various states I hunt.

JW

I will also give a plug for Bismuth shot. I have been using it since it hit the market in late 80s or early 90s. They went out of business for a while but another company bought the rights to the name and formula and it is now back on the market and Cabelas is handling it among others. You can use any choke you can shoot lead through with it. It flat kills ducks and geese, it will kill turkeys. Link below for Bismuth shot at Cabelas. Not cheap but neither is heavy shot.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/searc...h-All+Products

Thanks for the info guys. I've seen the Bismuth in Cabelas, I'll check it out, that way I can still the chokes that I've already got. I'll try it through a modified.

I shoot both ITX (Roll my own) and Hevi-Shot for years. I shoot Hevi-Shot for waterfowl and turkeys. I shoot Hevi-Shot 6's for ducks and 4's and 2's for geese in a 12 and 20ga. Both are shot with a Briley Ext. Ported Imp. Mod. DEADLY!!!!! It will pattern like a lead Full plus. Ducks and geese just flip. Almost too tight for most to shoot. I have patterned it extensively and really like it for what I do.
I shoot the same choke for turkeys and go to 3"-6's and 3-1/2"-4's for back up. Smashing out to 40+yds.
I have shot ITX for my waterfowl for 2 yrs now in my 20ga O/U with great success!!! I roll my own 2-3/4" with 7/8ths oz of 4's for 1st shot and then a 3" in the other pipe of 2's. First shot is in Mod. tube and the other is Imp. Mod. Both Briley ported. I shot 17 Canada Geese last year in Alberta for 20 shots in a 20ga with ITX!! Closest was 7yds and the longest was just a tad over 50. Witnessed by 2 other guys with me. And the long shot was after a guy missed with 2 loads of Steel 1's and BB's.

I haven't killed a turkey with lead shot in the last 12 years. Been all Hevishot, and that hasn't been because I have to. I can shoot lead here but I made the decision for performance reasons. I always shot hevi #6's until two years ago and I switched to hevi magnum blends, which is blend of 5's, 6's, and 7's. I shoot a hevishot brand turkey choke right now, but have shot a Carlson's choke and an HS undertaker in the past. All have been excellent. Other excellent choke options for hevishot would be Patternmaster, Indian Creek, primos jellyhead. Just look around. A lot of turkey chokes today are approved for use with hevishot, probably more are than ones that are lead only now. Just make sure whatever turkey choke you decide on says you can shoot hevi through it. But I'd definitely give a big plug for Hevishot brand turkey choke with hevishot magnum blend loads. It is the deadliest pattern I've shot. Good luck with whatever you decide. You will definitely gain performance over lead, although the shells are quite expensive.

make sure to check the choke tube mfgr's recommendations. Most X-full or XX-full chokes for lead shot are too tight for non-lead shot to pattern well.

For educational purposes, try hevi-shot through standard chokes; full, mod, and cyl or imp. cyl. The results may surprise you.

Heavy Shot all the way. I use #6 Hevi-13s and they retain energy much better than similar size lead shot. With the right choke, the results are a tighter pattern and increased distance. I misjudged distance once and absolutely dropped a bird like he was a bag of rocks at 50 yards.