# turkey shell help



## bmxfire37 (Apr 26, 2007)

is a 12 gauge 3 inch 7 1/2 heavy a good turkey load? if not what is a good one? last time i went hunting i used a 20 gauge 5 shot but never got a shot off, ive nevert patterend my gun, im going to saturday i wanna atleast know the area of shot to start with. i should mention to future ppl i have an HR 088, i hear its eqivilent to a full choked shotgun


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## IOWAFOWLER (Nov 30, 2006)

I typically shot 3" number 4's out of my Nova for Turkeys. However that si what works best in my gun.


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

7 1/2's are fine if you DO NOT SHOOT MORE THAN YARDS. If you are going to have farther shots, you need to have at LEAST #6's. I rolled one this morning at 50+ yards with 3.5 inch #6's... but I have patterned my gun a LOT at that distance and was very confident on the POI at that range and the pattern.


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## mallard_molester (Oct 10, 2006)

i shoot wingmaster HD 4's. ive shot birds from 5-60 yards with it, patternmaster for me


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## bmxfire37 (Apr 26, 2007)

bmxfire37 said:


> is a 12 gauge 3 inch 7 1/2 heavy a good turkey load? if not what is a good one? last time i went hunting i used a 20 gauge 5 shot but never got a shot off, ive nevert patterend my gun, im going to saturday i wanna atleast know the area of shot to start with.


i think i should add in i have a single barel HR 88 12 gauge, it has no choke, but i hear its equivilent to a full choke... can anyone verify that? do u think without a choke i could still reachj up to 60 yards? or is it more just a try it out and see?


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

PLEASE do not shoot at a bird before you pattern your gun at different ranges. YOU WILL wound a bird and it WILL run off and die unless you KNOW where your pattern is at different yardages.


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## bmxfire37 (Apr 26, 2007)

dont worry like i said, im goign to pattern it first! but i dident say that in the main topic... i said it in the one i posted,


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## DVXDUDE (Apr 3, 2007)

i shoot 3" #5 2 ounce shot. I have a modifyed choke in my rem 870. At 25 yards when i shoot at a piece of 8.5 X11 sheet of paper, the entire page is covered with BBs and about 5-10 are off the page.

going to get a full or turkey choke for next year though

i'd like a little tighter pattern for them 30-50 yard shots


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## iwantabuggy (Feb 15, 2005)

DVXDUDE said:


> i shoot 3" #5 2 ounce shot. I have a modifyed choke in my rem 870. At 25 yards when i shoot at a piece of 8.5 X11 sheet of paper, the entire page is covered with BBs and about 5-10 are off the page.
> 
> going to get a full or turkey choke for next year though
> 
> i'd like a little tighter pattern for them 30-50 yard shots


IMO patterning a gun at 25 yards only tells you it is good to 25 yards. I'd recommend trying that same load at 45 or 50 yards before you go hunting with it. I would bet it will be marginal at best for those ranges. I shoot 3" #6 through a XXFull choke and it pattern good to 45 yards, meaning that when I use a turkey target with brain and spine on it, I get 4 or more pellets in the spine or brain area with every shot. I rolled my third bird over 45 yards the other day. It was 48 yards and was leaving or I would have let him come closer. That is a very long shot and should only be taken after confidence has been developed in a weapon/load combination.

As for 7 1/2 shot, I would recommend less than 35 yards. I believe penetration would be the key factor rather than pattern density. #6's are good to 50 yards, but beyond that I think I'd hold off. If it patterns GREAT, you may squeeze 55 yards out of #4, but that seems questionable to me.

The main point is, you don't know you have a 45 yard gun unless you have patterned it at 45 yds, 50 yds, etc.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

Are you asking about heavy shot? If so it is a lethal load but range will depend upon your choke and gun. HS tends to pattern better out of a more open choke and full from my experience tends to throw some poor patterns.

Otherwise in lead copper plated 6's tend to be as small as I would use and then only at ranges that I have patterned the gun at. Good patterns at 25 yards show you only that the pattern is good at 25 yards.

A long time turkey hunter in WI I know hunts with an O/U and has it set up for close in or long range. I have known him 12 years and during that time has taken turkeys in 4 different states and has not had a single wounding. The reason is ranging his shooting area and patterning his shotgun at different ranges.


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