Turkey loads for 12 g 3"mag

[BigDog1955]

First I have a Remington V3 26" barrel 3" Mag. I have then original chokes and have purchased Baily's for game bird hunting, skeet, improved cylinder and light modified. I shot at paper with Winchester 4 shot 11/4oz. 3" mag steel at 35 yards with the Baily Extended Light modified choke and had a great pattern. Then switched to the original full choke and same load and the pattern was a lot tighter. Looks like on paper this would take care of a turkey. What loads and chokes do U folks use on turkey?

 

[Armored farmer]

My hunting guns dont have tubes. I use full choked barrels though.
I have taken many turkeys with 2 3/4" 12ga high brass with 1 1/4oz #4 shot.
35yds is pretty close. I really like to be able to reach 40yds. I think your 3" should get you out to 45yds or more. Patterns of #4 get pretty thin at that distance.
I keep #4, #5, and #6 shot on hand to load with. You should pattern your gun to see which shot size patterns best for you. #6 shot makes a nice even pattern, #4 is thinner pattern but heavy enough to break bones. #5 is a nice compromise.
Let your pattern boards decide which to use.

 

[eastbank]

I like #6,s for patteren densidy, but also like #5,s. as i try to keep my shots at 35 yards or closer(I range tree,s ect to 35 yards) # 6,s at those ranges realy slap a turkey down with the neck-head aiming point from my win 1300 turkey shotgun. I like the Winchester long beard and the federal flite control wad shells.

 

[DeadFlies]

If lead is legal where I’m hunting, I use Winchester Supreme XX Magnum Turkey loads. 3”, 2oz of #4 shot @ 1125 FPS, with a full choke.
Otherwise, it’s Federal Blackcloud 3” #2 if it’s non-tox only. Still experimenting with chokes and F.C. wads, tho.

 

[cdb1]

I use Federal Heavyweight #7 Turkey shells out of a 20 gauge with a SumToy choke tailored for the shell. I’d use the same if I still hunted Turkey with a 12 gauge.

I’ve been hoping for some time that a company would start loading TSS shot. Up until now it’s been strictly an option for reloaders. Federal recently announced they will be loading TSS shot and I plan to try some out.

 

[FL-NC]

I use Remington #4 nitro turkey. xx-full from a Mossberg 930. Its good to 50 yards. I've been hearing great things about the Winchester long beard #5, and I intend to try them on the pattern board and maybe switch next year.

 

[Iroquois]

Another vote for the Federal Heavyweight, only in 12ga 3” #5’s.

 

[22250Rem]

Looked through my stash of turkey loads and had some from several different companies. Then I recalled that they all patterned well and noticed that they were all 3 inch shells with #4 or #5 shot and my Mossberg 500A with an extra-full choke screwed in seems to like them all. I'll use anything that patterns well and as I get older it helps to have a very good sight picture and something like a 2.5x - 20mm Leupold sure helps to get the center of that pattern right where I want it.

 

[BigDog1955]

I found this wow

https://www.fieldandstream.com/ammo-review-tungsten-super-shot#page-3

 

[22250Rem]

Thanks for posting that........ Most of my stash of turkey loads are about 10 years old, ( I stocked up thinking "get it now" or pay more annually in the future). There's been lots of changes over those 10 years and when it comes time for more turkey ammo I'm gonna have to do a lot of research ( AKA pattern testing) because everything I know is about 10 years behind the times. All the newer stuff is very interesting and it appears that I may even wind up with better turkey loads when the current stash runs out.

 

[Bull Nutria]

Beware that many a close turkey less than 20 yds out has been missed or fringed with those XXX extra full turkey chokes!! these tight chokes shoot like a rifle at close range!!

I personally use a Win mod 1300 3" 12 ga pump with the standard factory full choke. I have found that #6 hevi-shot is a very deadly load out to 40 yds.or slightly more.

Bull

 

[22250Rem]

Beware that many a close turkey less than 20 yds out has been missed or fringed with those XXX extra full turkey chokes!! these tight chokes shoot like a rifle at close range!!

......................Excellent point; and something I forgot to mention in post # 8 when I was extolling the virtues of that 2.5x scope. On real close targets with extra full choked guns a low power scope can actually be better than just a bead because it's easier to center your pattern instead of thinking that " I couldn't possibly miss at this short distance ! ".

 

[Captcurt]

If you are restricted to leadfree shot I would buy Heavyshot our some other leadfree load. Steel loses it's punch too quick and turkeys are tough. You need all of the penetration that you can get, especially when you push the range past 30 or 40 yards. Having taken enough birds to fill a pickup bed I can honestly say that the very best load that I have found to date is Winchester Longbeards. I shoot a Winchester 1300 3" 12ga with a 20" smoothbore slug barrel with rifle sights. Tried a half dozen after-market chokes and presently use a .665 White River. #6's pattern the best for me but I prefer #5's. The pattern is almost as good and the 5's give me better penetration on the longer shots. I try to keep them under 45 yards, but sometimes I don't have time to range a bird and it is hard to estimate range in the open. The sights come in handy when you have a bird in close. I once shot at the head of a bird at about 15 feet and took off the front half of the beak. Now I shoot at the middle of the neck.

 

[BigDog1955]

Please tell me what the 665 White River choke is? thanks

 

[cdb1]

Please tell me what the 665 White River choke is? thanks

I’ve never heard of White River but the diameter of the choke is .665” which is common for turkey chokes. .665 is pretty tight since full choke diameter is nominally around .710. In 12 gauge.

 

[Captcurt]

Please tell me what the 665 White River choke is? thanks

10 or 12 years ago I stopped at a friends shop and he recommended this choke. I dug through my chokes and I am wrong. It is a .660 made by Indian Creek. It was supposedly designed for Hevi-shot.

I’ve never heard of White River but the diameter of the choke is .665” which is common for turkey chokes. .665 is pretty tight since full choke diameter is nominally around .710. In 12 gauge.

I was wrong about the brand. It is a .660 Indian Creek. I have chokes that go all the way to .640, but the .665-.685 seem to preform best depending on shot size and brand. It took a lot of testing and bruised shoulders to find the Ultimate combo. I have tested chokes from Indian Creek, Carlson, Hastings, Primos, and H.S. Strut. My Indian Creek and a load of #5 or #6 Longbeards is nasty medicine for Old Tom.

 

[natman]

If lead is legal where I’m hunting, I use Winchester Supreme XX Magnum Turkey loads. 3”, 2oz of #4 shot @ 1125 FPS, with a full choke.

I've had excellent results with this exact same load. 26 shots, 26 dead turkeys. I use a Mossberg 500 with a factory X-full choke.

There was a study done by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation that liked it a lot too:
"...the 3-inch Winchester Double X Magnum Turkey load with 2 ounces of No. 4 lead shot exceeded both pattern density parameters, and it registered the highest pattern percentage (94%) of all lead loads tested at 40 yards!"
https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/hunting-old/turkey_loads.htm

 

[mgmorden]

I typically use 3" 12ga #5 turkey loads. They seem to be a good balance though I wouldn't really feel undergunned with a 2.75" 12ga #5 if my gun didn't shoot 3" (my dad is a damned near legendary turkey hunter around here and for decades solely -used an old 870 Wingmaster with 2.75" shells and a fixed full choke 30" barrel).

 

[BigDog1955]

This is why I asked about the .665 I was confused on the measurements of chokes that was talked about. The chart is for a Rem 12 gage, which is .729 so I guess the .665 is.064 tighter then cylinder.

 

[cdb1]

Yes.

 

[Captcurt]

You really need to shoot different sized shot through different constrictions to find the best combo. Many times you are better off with constriction when using larger shot. My .660 handles 5"s and 6's well and is absolutely awesome with 7 1/2's or 8's, but throws 4's all over the place.. The tightest pattern with number 4's worked best with a . 685 Hastings. It takes a lot ammo, several chokes and some liniment to find the best for your gun. Turkey guns are like women. No two are alike.