327MudTruck

I just picked up a Hatfield 12 Gauge Pump for $160, it's a 28in Wood version. I seen the price and had to to pick it up for that, figured itd be a good all purpose gun. I bought a Cheap Tight Wad choke for it and a $6 box of Nitro Turkey in 3in 5 shot to see what it would do. Not a bad pattern considering the price point but think it's got a better pattern in it. I'll upload a few pics of 20, 30 and 45 yard shots with the Nitro Turkeys. Really believe with the .655 choke it would love #6s. You guys think the pattern at 45 is good enough for turkey? And what is some ammo in #6 you guys have had good luck with.

11x8 sheet of paper
20 yards 250+ shots(hard to count them all)
30 yards 184 shots
45 yards 103 shots

nchawkeye

That's plenty good for turkeys, I prefer to not shoot until they are at 35-40 yards anyway...I've been using the same shells for the past few years now and they do just fine...

327MudTruck

I thought it was good enough for Turkeys, haven't Turkey hunted in 3 years just now getting back into it. Gonna try some 3in #6's in it also. I believe it'll really like those with the tight wad choke.

Wingbone

Definitely a turkey killing pattern, even at 45 yds. Looks like a promising combination. I'd be happy with it.

kellyguinn

Go pick up a box of Winchester longbeards in #5 and see what ya think. I was amazed at the difference it made in my gun. Even misjudged distance on a bird out in a 640 acre open mud field lol. I was putting a stalk on him behind the tail fan of one I killed the day before. Knocked him down at what I though was around 40 yrds ended up being 63.

Or if ya really want "wow" factor look at those TSS loads lol. 10 bucks a round but folks are putting 300+ in a 10" circle at 40 yrds

327MudTruck

I've heard good things about the longbeards, gonna pick a box up in the next day or two. Hoping to find some #6's but will get the #5's if they don't have them. The gun should like the #6's with the tighter choke. The season opens up this weekend so gotta get ready just gotta let the Crappie fishing rest to get after them lol.

Strut&Rut

To be honest - to me, it appears you're shooting low with some noticeable gaps in the pattern at 30+ yards. Do you have any optics or even adjustable iron sights (like Tru-glo, etc.)? Those would also be relatively cheap and could help with targets past 30 yards. You can kill a turkey at 30+ yards - but the way your pattern opens up at 45, I'd be hesitant to go much past 40 (and hope it's a field shot).

Many guys shoot the Tightwad chokes with good success - the key will be fighting the right ammo. I like to use a bunch of different target loads from the manufacturers - in my experience, once I find the brand that my shotguns shoot the best then I try a turkey load from that manufacturer - and it's usually a keeper. The Longbeards are one of the best shells out there for the money, but you still need to experiment with size and choke.

I recently switched from #6 to #5 Longbeards in my turkey gun because I found I get a better pattern with increased penetration with #5 at all distances, with drastic improvements at 40+ yards. My 13yo son and wife also use my gun, so I like the added comfort of knowing if they misjudge distance the combination will still drop a big tom (my wife toppled a 3yr old last year at 51 steps in the woods).

Strut&Rut

Also - the Longbeard XR choke (manufactured by Carlson) designed specifically for the Longbeard XR shot has a constriction of .660 or .665 for most guns.

In my experiences the denser-than-lead shot typically pattern a bit better from a more open choke. You may find the best patterns from a cheaper lead or copper-plated lead shot through that .655 constriction - I would recommend you also look at the Winchester XX or the Federal Grand Slam.

327MudTruck

The gun has a fiber optic bead, dont plan on buying any other sights or optics for the gun. I feel comfortable with a 40 yard shot on one. But I'll look at those XX's and Grand Slam loads. I believe it's got a better pattern in it just gotta play around with different loads.

WVDanimal

Very similar story to my old Winchester Ranger that I bought used for $135 nearly 32 years ago. It's really long and heavy but I was the proudest 13 year old in the turkey woods when I got it. Took many many birds with it as a stock gun but began to upgrade as I got more obsessed with turks. Long story short, my original patterns back in the day looked much like those you posted. My patterns today from the exact same gun would leave you shaking your head in disbelief! I'm a proud fan of the redneck rattle can camo that I did on it. Put and Indian Creek choke, fiber optic sights, chopped the stock off a couple inches and added a recoil pad on it. By far the biggest improvement was switching from lead to Hevi-shot. Combined with a quality choke, there is just no comparison to lead. I just recently experimented with the TSS as well and while they do pattern extremely well, not a significant improvement over my hevi shot other than the obvious density when looking at #9 shot. You can wrap up a lot of time and money in chokes and rounds finding what works best for you but that's half the fun to me. I have a couple turkey hunting addicts here at work who I was able to switch off and compare rounds and chokes with, which helps with experimenting. I've taken my entire slam with that old gun and hopefully many more to come. I was in S. Dakota a few years back when a friend snarled and laughed at the old girl while he toted his latest/greatest Remington turkey slayer that he had about a grand in....... until we compared my pattern performance to his lol!! Good luck with your gun.