getting ready for turkey season

It’s fact and opinion. I load heavier shot loads offset with less velocity because I know this approach gives me denser, more consistent patterns. Another hand loader can prove I’m wrong, but I won’t believe him. However, I won’t be rude about it just because the other fella doesn’t know as much as me.
As with most information you pick what sounds reasonable, and safe, and work out what fits you and your gun.

Jeff62 said:

It’s fact and opinion. I load heavier shot loads offset with less velocity because I know this approach gives me denser, more consistent patterns. Another hand loader can prove I’m wrong, but I won’t believe him. However, I won’t be rude about it just because the other fella doesn’t know as much as me.
As with most information you pick what sounds reasonable, and safe, and work out what fits you and your gun.

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Very well stated.

Jeff62 said:

but I won’t believe him. However, I won’t be rude about it just because the other fella doesn’t know as much as me.

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No arguments here. Nice square loads pattern best for me.

I like heavy payloads and willing to give up some velocity to get it. I am shooting 2.25oz of #5 at 1150 fps. I have killed turkey out to 55 yards with that load.

if you have a place to do it, pattern your load. I found out that an 870 full choke tube patterned a factory turkey load very poorly.

I'm definitely in the minority. On my land, shots are short, birds are a little dumb but getting smarter as they have not been hunted in forty years. We started a few years ago.
I find that with my 870 and extended turkey tube (don't remember the brand but it is .660, I get great patterns at 40 yards with 1 1/4 ounce of some old "magnum" grade 7 1/2 out of the Remington 29924 wad, IIRC. For my Mellott barrelled muzzle loader, I use a square load of 1 3/8 oz of copper plated #4 and the Skychief wad process.

I just bought a bunch of different factory ammo. I didn’t buy a choke tube and just used my Carlson modified.

A Winchester 3” load patterned acceptable at 40 yds. I call it good for a 20 gauge. I know this is the handloading forum but near as I can tell, the exact same principles apply. You just make your own.

Armored farmer said:

No arguments here. Nice square loads pattern best for me.

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Agreed. I also prefer a 16 ga. with No.6 shot for it's square load and good pattern. I used an older Ithaca 37 but stopped hunting turkey when the yay-hoos started to outnumber the hunters on opening day. That was around 1996 or so up this way in the Big Bend.

Every load pattern will be unique to your shotgun. Your pattern is what kills birds. Yes, they have to carry enough momentum to kill. But velocity means nothing if you’re not hitting the bird. Pattern your gun. Find the load/choke combo that gives you the pattern you want, and keep it.

I like #4@ for bone breaking ability, I like #6 for pattern density.
I compromise with #5 shot.
I ha:e loaded a duplex load of #4&#6. It just didn't seem proper.

If you're loading your own, take a look at the high density tungsten shot. If you don't have minimum shot size law, you can load #9 18g/cc in a relatively light load and get speed + pattern density with lethal energy out farther than you think you can shoot a turkey. It's not cheap, but it is another approach.

twistytorn said:

If you're loading your own, take a look at the high density tungsten shot. If you don't have minimum shot size law, you can load #9 18g/cc in a relatively light load and get speed + pattern density with lethal energy out farther than you think you can shoot a turkey. It's not cheap, but it is another approach.

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Tungsten is incredible. And expensive. But if you think about what you spend on a gun, camo, calls, decoys, license, fuel, etc., If one round costs you $5 but increases your MEF range by 30 yards, and holds a good pattern, $5 is a bargain.

BigBore44 said:

Tungsten is incredible. And expensive. But if you think about what you spend on a gun, camo, calls, decoys, license, fuel, etc., If one round costs you $5 but increases your MEF range by 30 yards, and holds a good pattern, $5 is a bargain.

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I don’t hunt turkey anymore - except in the frozen section the day after Thanksgiving (89 cents a pound for whole) but when I did copper plated pellets was the new whiz bang guaranteed turkey getter-doner. How does Tungsten compare to copper plated lead?

I load 12 and 20ga, but buy my Turkey shells. I started turkey hunting in the early 70's and have played with shells and chokes until I am semi-satisfied. I shoot a .675 White River Choke in an old Winchester 1300 with a 20" smoothbore slug barrel with sights. I need the sights because Winchester Long Beards shoot so tight that it is easy to miss a bird inside 20 yards. I shot one 3 years ago at 15 feet and shot the beak off of another a couple of years before that.

If you dug deep enough in my closet you would find at least a half dozen turkey chokes, 4 or 5 different loads and shot sizes, 5 or 6 slates, 5 box calls, 2 push buttons and a vest. The diaphragms are in the fridge.

There are various recipes giving 12g/cc, 15g/cc and 18g/cc, but tungsten is much harder than lead, so you need to make sure that the shot is contained in the wad or you'll scratch your barrel. That hardness means that the pellets retain their shape, so fliers are reduced. The extra density means greater retained energy, so you can drop at least a couple of shot sizes and get increased pellet count in the load.

Federal makes some 15g/cc and I think 18g/cc loads commercially now, so it's not a strictly a handloader thing anymore, but they're proud of them.
https://www.federalpremium.com/shotshell/premium-turkey/heavyweight-tss/11-PTSSX193F+9.html

It works.