Let me clarify:
1) I've never shot at deer with shot. I'm not against it, I've just never hunted anywhere where it was legal.
2) I have a Mossberg 500 that I use as a dedicated turkey gun, and also a backup gun for coyote hunting. We hunt a 2-man setup. One covers the front door, facing the decoy and uses a scoped .223 REM or 25/06. The other uses the Mossy with a Carlson's Dead Coyote choke and #2 shot for the close-in shots coming through the back door.
3) I use #4 lead birdshot on the Turkeys through the same rig. That load has also taken several coyotes that come into our calls.
