Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting 12 Guage turkey load

I have shot just about everything out there (not saying I am an expert or nothing like that) but for my money if I were starting all over again,Winchester longbeard hands down. It is great stuff with the best patterns I have seen out of a lead shell. The patterns will equal or better any I have seen.
Hevi comes in a close second but at about double the price.
I could not find a shell/choke combo that my gun liked with Fed. HW, and while Nitro shells patterned good, the price and super long wait (and not knowing if you were going to get the shells or not) made them more of a hassle than they were worth, did I mention the price!

People will tell you that you need #4 or #5 or even #6 shot but I have shot them all and it is about a combination of choke/shell/and shot size that will give you a good pattern. I have found (for myself and my guns/chokes) that #6 works well for me. I have tried #5 and #4 in the same shells/chokes/guns and did not like what I saw.
Just about any shotgun and shell will kill a turkey if it is in range but if you are looking for a dense pattern and clean kills, you have to play with all three (shells/chokes/guns).
It is a whole lot like hand loads for a rifle, what works in one will not shoot worth a crap in others.

This is my $.02 worth and your mileage may vary....

I agree.
borden811, pullit, and Rug3 are saying similar things. Might we say that a pattern is developing here?

We might also give a few hints on what has worked for us patterning our guns.

Here is what has worked for this old man:
After years of banging at various commercially printed turkey head targetsI bought a roll of construction paper at Lowes 3'wide and cut off 3'squares that I staple to a square frame made from some discarded lumber. I found that opening up a cardboard box and stapling it to the frame for a backer is really helpful. Black 3/4" electrical tape is my favorite target. For the first shot I put a small piece of it at the center of the 3" square and set it up at about 25yds. (30 steps, paced off, exact measurements are unnecessary here).

Shoot one round at the center of the target and then read I will find a section of the pattern that tends to be more dense then the rest. Draw a circle around this area. I carry an old black crayon in my pocket for this. Should be about 8" in diameter. Sight my gun to the center of that circle.

I then make my "turkey target" which consists a new sheet of the construction paper, a vertical 5" strip of that tape to represent the turkey neck, a piece about 1 1/2" at a 45 degree angle on the top representing the head. Move my target out to 30 yards and shoot one.

Read the target.
1. Where's the density of the pattern? Circle it. About a 10" circle. Don"t re-sight the gun yet.
2. How many pellets poked through that tape? That's my "kill pattern." Dozen or more? If so I move out 10 yards and shoot again at new target.

I want 8-10 in the kill pattern but will settle on 6 if they are there on all subsequent confirming shots. The farther out I go the less dense the kill pattern. I no longer pattern beyond 40yds. It's counterproductive for me. If I can't call him inside 40 then he wins, I grin and work on calling, sitting still, and camo skills.

When I find the maximum distance the shotgun patterns well I re-sight the gun if needed and always shoot at least 3 confirming shots at new individual "turkey targets and circle them." It's habit now to circle all "kill patterns." Read the targets again.

My turkey shooting, real or target, is from a sitting position off shooting sticks. The sticks help me stay still when that Tom takes his time doing all his tricks showing off on his way into the 40yd shooting zone. The sticks also help me hold the gun up for that length of time. These 76yr old arthritic shoulders and arms are just not as strong as steady as they once were. Besides the sticks work well as a walking stick. (cane)

Get box Winchesters
Roll construction paper
Make 3"square frame
Shoot

Jim

Hevishot mag blends. Black diamond or jelly head choke should work well.

A pattern that gives 100+ appropriate size/density pellets in 10" @ 40 yards is a reliable killer.

I shoot Winchester 3" copper plated lead shot in #5's. I have patterned lots of different lead loads and the Winchester #5's works best in my gun out to 40 yds. I will probably try the Longbeards sometime, but I really see no reason to switch from what I currently shoot. Call them in to 40 yds or less and the copper plated lead works well.

I'm gonna buy some of the LB shells and try in my M1. I have a .655 terror I would like to test. I would like to try the heavier than lead #7s at some point.

If I never buy another turkey shell, I have enough at the house from trying different loads to last the rest of my turkey hunting career.

The best patterning loads I've tried have been Winchester Supreme High Velocity #5's in both 3 and 3 1/2 inch versions out of a 26 inch barreled Win Super X2 using a xxfull comp-n-choke. Great even killing patterns out to 40 yards.

Haven't tried the longbeards yet but will this year.

Out of an 870 28 inch barrel and Primos Jellyhead choke the 3 inch #6 hevishot loads did very well out to 40 yards.

Bob.

the mag blend shell in 3.5 is not what the company enviornmetal makes it out to be

was dissappinted in its pellet count
210-220,s

tore one down weighed it out
got rather pizzed off

1st 1/4-3/8ths inch of it is flax seeds as some sort of cushion or space compensator

separated the shot into approximate 5 6 7 sizes (hevishot varies in size
digital scale weighed it
total shot payload was just barely 2oz in weight(when advertised as 2 1/4oz and 40-45% of it was#5 35-40% was #6 and the rest #7
I think they got the ratios bassakwards if you ask me
and they really are a 3 and 1/8th inch shell with barely a 2 oz load

then if you call them up you get a grocery store in bum fugg
Oregon of all things that never answers
one box purchase for me when they 1st came out and was touted as the greatest thing since individually wrapped cheese
just saying

Better leave those Longbeards alone, they will make everything else in your treasure trove obsolete....!

I never, ever, thought about using anything larger than a #5 shot, back when I used Winchester Supremes, had my best year ever with those killing 9 longbeards in 3 different states. 3 each in each Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.

A buddy who used to hunt with Nitro Ray is always testing and got me doing this each year with testing new loads, told me about the Longbeards. I now am hunting with #4 shot, they are that damn good.

firstcoueswas80--

Congrats on drawing a tag, thats a big deal in AZ!!

Here in KY we get to hunt em all spring and in the fall and I've shot em with 12 and 20ga and normally kill 3 a year or so.

In your case, with a tag you've waited to draw for so long... spend the money on the high quality stuff. You want pattern density and energy. I would recommend 3.5" shells if your 870 will take em.

#1 Choice- Federal Heavyweight #6s in 3 or 3.5"
#2 Choice- Hevi-13 #6s in 3 or 3.5"

Make sure you got 2 oz of shot and that your pattern is tight at 40 and 50yds.

3 1/2 Longbeard 2oz 6s were giving me 200+ in a 9 inch circle around my POA last week. And the pattern wasn't even centered

I used to do better with some of Nitro Ray's shells but the cost, lack of availability, poor service and recoil got tiresome

SBE2 with Rhino .660. 26" I believe

3.5 Longbeards 2oz number 5s shoot great.

Personally, I never found the loads made specifically for turkey to be all that much better than standard pheasant loads, unless you're wanting to get every bit of range possible out of your gun. If drawing a tag is that rare in your state than the cost and time spent patterning those loads may be worth it to you however.

I've killed probably 20 toms with a shotgun (which isn't a whole lot by some standards) and easily as many hens with 20, 16, 12 and 10 gauges. I tried several heavy duty turkey loads and while they work great, they didn't work any better than normal #6, #5 or #4 pheasant loads all with a regular full choke. I've even killed a few with the modified choke. No issues, to 50 or so yards.

I prefer a rifle overall though, but somehow doubt you can do that with your tag if you're asking this question.

Good luck with whatever you choose, but don't stress about it. It's really about like choosing which bullet to shoot deer with. Pretty much everything works, unless you're testing the extremes of ranges or equipment.

Fifty yards with a #4 pheasant load through a modified choke?

That range may be a bit of an exaggeration, but not much. I'd have to think about it.

I killed several fall turkeys in northern Idaho while ruffed grouse hunting. I KNOW I've killed toms at 50 yards with my 10 gauge and normal chokes and run of the mill steel goose loads.

I used to get in the 320-330 count in 10" @40yds with the 501l econ hevi shot load 4c 5c 7h with a rhino.680 in a 835

then nitro ray lateness

bait and switch

and changing components

stirred me away from his antics


I get a 257 5 shot avg in 10"@40yds with the lb 3.5 2oz#6 and rhino.670 in a 835

10 shells
way below half the price of rip off ray
always can be found
and a great killing pattern
whacked 2 with em last yr 1st time using em

didn't ready every post here so my bad if this has been covered. after you settle on the choke and shell selection and pattern it out at 40 yrds, do yourself a favor and shoot it a couple times at 10 or 15 yrds. if that 40 yrd pattern is pretty tight like we all want it, the 15 yrd patter is going to be soft ball size and be like shooting a rifle. would hate for you to miss a big old tom up close and personal.

Beads and super tight patterns are a way to an upsetting hunt, I went with drill and tap and optics. Variable power and 1 1/2 on hunts, 4 1/2 when patterning. You can see the end of my 24" barrel on 1 1/2 power.

Whatever load you choose(i load my own 1 5/8oz of #5 hard lead shot) might be a good idea to get the chamber/lead reamed.

I did this to my 870/modified shotgun and hitting out to 60-70 yards on chickens out here are very doable.

It will be worth the cost.

I've done it with an old full choke Ithaca 12. Seen my dad do it numerous times with an old double 16 with really tight choke.

Not sure about modified.