How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

What is the rule of thumb (if any) on how many pellets should be in the head/neck area when you are patterning your shotgun? When I patterned my 12 ga last week I was getting 50+ at 30 yards and 30+ at 40 yards with #4s,#5s, and #6s. Not to say that I'm going to change chokes or loads but is this a good count?

RE: How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

I'm not a gun person
I bow hunt,
But 50+ seems like a heck of alot,
is there anything left?
i was guessing +20 or so,

RE: How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

Grizz, 2% of that will kill a turkey,just use good ammo to do
the job. Head/Neck shots!

RE: How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

I had a 8 1/2 X 11 Turkey Head target on 2X4. I would pound it into the ground right in front of a barb wire fence. Every time I shot with the Winchesters, it would flip the 2X4. By contrast, I shot some older Remington #4 magnums (2 3/4) at 30 yards and the 2X4 barely moved and there were only about 6 holes in the head/neck area.

RE: How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

20 should do the job if you get a good shot

RE: How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

I'm happy with 6-10 in the kill zone at 40 yards... I have 3 turkey guns and I've tryed all kinds of choke shell combo's and the best I've gotton was out of my 870 with a Ventilator choke. I was averaging around 15-18 hits in the brain and neck verteba at 40 yards. You guys that get 20 plus hits from factory guns must really be lucky;)

RE: How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

I got bored a feww weeks ago and decided to pattern my 870 3" gun. I've been using a Super Full Turkey choke with Win Supreme 6's for years without failure.

On this testing day I bought a box of the Fed Flightwads in 6's. I used the Win Supreme 6's as well. I also tried a regular full choke.

The best I got was 16 pellets in the head and vertabrate. I didn't count ones that didn't hit these areas. The winning combo was the Flight wad with the regular full choke. I tested everything at 35 yards. The second best was with what I've been using for years. Super Full choke with the Win Supreme 6's. It scored 12 pellets. The longest bird I've ever attempted was 47 paces. It tumbled over and flopped dead pretty quickly. Had I known it was that far I would have probably waited him in closer.

To get 20+ seems like the next level to me. I would try to get that if my system ever failed me.

RE: How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

A target I used a while back, (one that showed the spinal column and brain outlined), had printed in the lower conrner, "6 or more pellets in the vital area for a clean harvest".

Obviously one pellet in the brain is all you need, but having at least 6 in the spine / brain outline should mean that your pattern is concentrated enough at that particular distance to be ethical.

RE: How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

Please don't mistake "pellets in the head and neck" for "pellets in the kill zone." It's the ones in the actual brain and spine that count. If you can consistently get from 5-10 in the brain and spine you are doing great.

RE: How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

That is extremely good.
Chuck

RE: How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

My dad killed a nice bird last week there was only 3 pellets that hit him only 1 was in the the birds kill zone. He shoots 2 3/4 win. #4 1 1/2 oz the bird was 25 yards.

I shot one in the head with hevi shot 3in #4 1 1/2 oz and my bird flew 30 yards you never know I guess. He was 20yards

RE: How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

I have a Mossberg 12 gauge pump 835 24 inch barrel accu choke turkey gun and i had up a head and neck turkey target and useing Federal FliteControl Wad 3 1/2 inch shot #4 I hit 11 bb's in the vital areas.

It hit the turkeys brain & vertebrae area and just 3 or 4 will do the trick..

I also tried the same brand ammo but #6 and it did not do as good as the number #4's for me anyways, Keep in mind not all shotguns patterns are the same..

-=CK=-

RE: How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

Moose75 sounds like you guys have a little more work to do on your turkey guns:eek:

RE: How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

i'm going to site mine in next week cuz here in ny turkey season dont open till may

RE: How many pellets in the head/neck area
 

i put the ttru glo sight on mine you have to line the one in the middle of 2 .0. like that and im geting good patterns but there a little low
do i move the back sight forward towards the choke or back towards the trigger/saftey