Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting 20 gauge with lead

Any of you all had any consistent killing patterns @ 40 yards with lead loads? I do have a couple of Trulock .565 & .575 tubes that do excellent @ 30 yards with #6 Winchester Longbeard XR, but I won't take a shot at 40. Pattern too thin.

Or should I just accept reality that a 20 bore with lead is strictly a 30 yard MAX Tom whacker?

Just can't see spending $15 per shot, but my 62 year old bones love carrying a 5 3/4 lb 20 gauge Benelli vs an almost 8 pound, 12 bore while trekking the Appalachian Mountains.

If you reload, you can do much, much better than $15/shot for TSS.

Talk about smacking stuff with a 20 gauge ...

I've only tested lead in a 20 gauge at 40 yards through a Carlsons TSS choke .565. I have shot Double X #5, but not Longbeard XR. I have some Longbeard XR but have yet to pattern it. I was not pleased at all with Double X at 40 yards. This is an 8"x8" target.





30 yards is a little better, but still lots of holes in the pattern:





In contrast, here's #7 and # 9 TSS at 30 yards thru the same gun and choke:





And at 40 yards:

That TSS will make a believer out of you for sure. It's just hard to swallow the price. But, in the grand scheme of things, the 1 shell fired to harvest a bird is not going to make me broke.

buy Boss ammo, 2 oz of #9 TSS order 2 boxes of 5, they ship free and its 11 bucks a round, you shoot what? 3 rounds a year, thats 33 bucks, how much ya pay for lisence, camo, gas etc to get through the season? ammo is on average the smallest expense of the season.

555 Jebs with #6 long beards was good at 40yds for me.

We’ve tried lead from 6-7 different 20’s and none will consistently give a pattern I’m confident in at 40yds. We’ve tried Federal stuff, Longbeard XR and a few more through chokes that are .555, .562, .565, and .570.



I shoot the old Federal Heavyweight #7’s but if I didn’t have a pile of those I’d be using TSS #9’s.


I think $99 gets free shipping: https://rogerssportinggoods.com/remington-20gauge-3inch-112oz-1100fps-tss-turkey-loads/

Carlson Longbeard choke and Winchester Longbeard #5 shot works well in a 20 for me at 40, and even beyond.

I shoot BossTom 2 oz. of #9 TSS, the smaller gauges are alot more efficient with TSS vs. lead. Jeb's ..555 choke in the front. The 1 in the middle, the 1 on the left is a 3.5" 12, recoil is brutal.

This was at 41 yards as I walked it off before I put the rangefinder to it. Carlsons long beard choke and #5 long beard xr. I adjusted my dot as the pattern was a little to the right but I think it’ll kill one at 40. Going to try #6 longbeard this week

Since I already have a good bit of 20ga Apex TSS, acquired before the worst of the price hikes, I’ll stick with them. They throw truly murderous patterns. OTOH, so do the Apex .410, definitely killers to 40.

Still waiting for the surgery date for my new knee, so turkey hunting remains a maybe.

Just got my new knee on 2/12 about 2hrs out of recovery I had to get out of the hospital bed to use the bathroom. Using the walker I could put more weight on the new one than.in the last year of my own wore out knee. Went the lower spinal block for anesthesia it worked well count on needing help for atleast 2-4 weeks after you go home. Still have achy pain but extra strength Tylenol and tramadol taking care of that. Can walk on my own last 2-3 days but following Dr orders not to.mb

You guys are more gun geeks than me. I just use my old Remington 870 that uses 2 3/4" shells. I've been using old lead 1 1/2 oz # 4's & 5's duck loads.

Thanks, Bob. Most of those I know who had it done are 20 years or more into it, and the consensus is it’s definitely worth the trip. I’m ready for certain as the old one is getting to really be a nuisance. I’ve got stuff to do, and it’s cramping my style, as they say. The house is two story, so I suppose I’ll have to plan around that, maybe camp upstairs for a time.

A lady I know messed up after surgery and ended up spending several months in a wheelchair, so I’ll be a good boy.

Continued good luck with yours…..

Thanks I need to point out a couple other things.1 make sure who ever your surgeon is that he is using the latest in robotic equipment and techniques( you just heal and recover much faster because of the precision in the merhod.)2 Next you have to do your pt to get the results you want. Mb

More turkeys have probably been killed with that load than anything else.

I consider the 20 gauge with lead a 35 yard gun. You run across some that are better but it’s the exception not the rule.

I use Win XX 1 5/16 ounce or Longbeard in 5’s or 6’s if I’m shooting lead in a 20.

I’ve killed several turkeys 40 yards with these loads. They are more effective than the paper patterns would indicate.

I'm 62. I carry a 12 gauge no complaint. People are shockingly soft and lazy nowdays.

Federal premium #6 with flight control was always worked good out to 40 yards for me if I didn't have TSS.

Meant to me these also, haven't shot the 20s, but they work great in 12 gauge.
FED 3RD DG 20 3IN 17/16 5/50 TKY | PTDX258567 - Buds Gun Shop
FED PTDX258567 3RD DG 20 3IN 17/16 5/50 TKY https://www.budsgunshop.com/product...+ptdx258567+3rd+dg+20+3in+17+16+5+50+tky

And some 62 year old guys have more stainless steel & titanium in their bodies than other guys on account of broken bones & worn out joints.

A lot of ammo is far more effective than paper indicates.

For me turkey hunting is a close range game. A regular full in 20 will easily get a guy to 30 yards. We make things more complicated than needed.

Apex ninja 8.5 tss in 20 ga adjusted after this shot. 40 yds


Longbeard#5 lead in 20 ga 41 yards

They’ll both kill any turkey at 40

Every joint and my spine is inflamed with arthritis and deteriorating. Knees, hips, shoulders, hands. Have had several surgeries and in need of more. Cry me a river. Like I said. People are soft and lazy.

Quit eating sugar & processed meats for the inflammation. Haven't had any for going on 5 years. Fish oil & turmeric daily works wonders for me. But ain't no gettin' around the stainless steel plates, screws, and titanium balls riding in ceramic sockets.

Already on it.

Boss ammunition loads a 20 ga. 3" 2 oz TSS load,, they are 11 bucks a shot, order 100 bucks worth they ship free, so your looking at 22-33 bucks for a season worth of ammo, compared to gas, camo, and other hunting gear ammo is the cheapest part of turkey hunting even shooting TSS

I ran across some longbeard xr 20 ga 6's tonight . I bought my wife some. I set me up a Mossberg SA 20ga turkey gun. Indian Creek. 555 TSS 9.5 shot. This yr i went to a 28ga.

I'm a believer in the Carlsons Longbeard XR choke. I have one in 12 gauge, .665, and it patterns Longbeard XR better than any other choke I have, save the Pattermaster Code Black turkey, which is pretty close. The Carlsons Longbeard XR choke is the choke I'd use in 20 gauge if I were going to use Longbeard XR or Double X.

Dang. Those are showing as 43% off. $36.99 per box of 5. If I wasn't stocked up on Federal #9, I'd get some.

Patterns about what I'd expect with half your shot over the turks head wasted. Think about it and hold lower on the neck. Mb

Mangum Go, what load/shot you referring to there?

Not lazy, just smart. I can load 20ga tss for 3.50 ish a shell. And it is just as if not more lethal than any heavy 12 ga w lead. Plus it weighs 4.5 pounds..

I agree 100% 👍.....BUT I pay the $15 😁.....Hb

No steel in my body and i am almost 60 years old but I dont turkey hunt on the back 40 out of a turkey blind that takes all of 10 minutes to walk to through the open pasture where carrying a 7.5lb 12ga makes no difference, my preferred turkey hunting method envolves hiking several miles (2 to 8 miles) of rugged Appalachian ridges and hollows each hunt so why would I want to carry the extra weight? I travel light with my gear and good lightweight boots are also a must.....Good hunting...Hb

Used to do the same when I got my first 10 at age 17. Probably 10+ pounds loaded up and I never missed a beat in some of the Southern Missouri Ozarks. Got to where I hated packing that thing even a half mile.

62 years old, morning junior! Lol!

A 20ga, using lead, IMO, is a 30 yard gun. Will it kill further? Of course it will. But is further a good shot? TSS sure makes up the difference for a 20ga! I don't use TSS for ridiculously long distances, but that swarm of #9's give incredible patterns and allows the 20ga to stretch its legs a little further. If you look at the price of a single round, do you also calculate the cost of every bite? Way cheaper to just go get a Butterball....

Best to you and to everyone headed out this spring, enjoy!

I will take that 30 yards and in nowadays. I enjoy the show more than anything. I chased those 40 yard numbers with my 12 gauge about 10 years ago.

These days I enjoy the hunt far more than the kill.

In fact the last bird with the 10 gauge was shot at about 25 yards in the timber, couldn't even see any farther. It was about that time I realized even a 20 with a standard field load would kill 99% of the turkeys in my AO. That other 1% will get a pass and gives us another day to play the game.

Not knocking anyone but a $15 load isn't needed to kill a 40 yard turkey.

I remember my grandpa telling me that giving $.80 a shell was nuts when I first got my 10, I would hate to think what he would think about the cost of ammo now.

I'm glad that it's up to each individual what we want to use. The mention of TSS sure steps on a lot of toes...

And yes, the hunt/experience is way more important to me than a kill too.

That statement right there is about as true as anything I've ever read on here. I'm not going to knock anyone on what they choose to spend their money on, as it's their dollar, but killing a turkey doesn't require a lot of expense.

I knew two deer hunters in our community who were total opposites when it came to their equipment. One used a Savage 110 rifle and Tasco scope that he'd bought at Walmart, and whatever shells were the cheapest. The other guy had a custom rilfe built on a Model 700 action, and loaded his own ammo, using whatever bullets were the latest rage. Though the latter fellow had the best deer hunting land, it was the first guy who was by far and away the best hunter and killed the most deer. Why..........because he knew that the equipment was only part of the game.

I have never used anything but lead shot, and have killed a slew of turkeys over the years. I honestly can say that I have never felt handicapped by not using a shell that might gain me 5 yards or so. But, that's just me and my opinion.

You guys still usin a horse and buggy? Or do you have one of those horseless cariage thingies?

Definitely more the Indian than the arrow, but does a better arrow make a better Indian?

Must be a slow morning for me! Lol!

Yep, same here.....Hb

FOR ME, Longbeard is much better than Double X, although lots of turkeys were killed with Double X and everything else before LB came out. And I think you'll be surprised how much better #5s do than #6's. I've just never had the need or desire for the TSS, although no doubt about it's effectiveness. I don't like the cost, and so far, haven't needed it.

Dean and Pullit were the ones that convinved me that a 20 gauge and TSS was an awesome turkey combination. I still remember the thread. Up until then, I had never used anything other than a 12 and 10 gauge, and lead. I shot my first bird with a 20 gauge, with TSS no less, in January 2023. #7 Federal TSS, at 41 paces, with the stock full choke. Bang-flop. Sure made me a believer. And I got my first bird with a .410 and #9 TSS in January of this year. Now I am going to try TSS in 12 gauge. TSS is amazing.

I'll still hunt with lead. I have too much of it to not use it. But Dean and Pullit were right. TSS is "game changer" as they say.

I have no doubt TSS is some bad stuff, especially for the 20 gauge and smaller crowd that hunt fields.

For me it's close range stuff from here on out. I wanna smell his breath.

I haven't even killed a bird with LB, just XX, Federal Premium #4 and Remington Premier or Nitro Mags.

Possibly a few dove loads tossed in many moons ago.

I have 2 410 turkey guns.

Mossberg 500 410 turkey gun.
Mossberg sa 410ga turkey gun.

Both with Indian Creek chokes .385. And Apex Ninja 9.5 TSS loads. The 500 410 i carry it the most.

Dang I'm still working on my 20 boxes of Federal heavyweight #7's. Think those will last me another 10+ years....

I wish I had found those before they quit making them because my federal land forces me to use non-toxic shot. My Hevi-shot isn't impressive, but works. Now using 20 gauge TSS because once you pay the hevi shot premium... just go to the end with TSS.

I think Kent makes the heavy weight equivalent called TK7 and it didnt do well... I don't see it on rogers or my sporting good store shelf.

Side note... Muddy feather girl is my favorite.

Tss has turned sub ga guns into lethal 40yd killing machines...

In 20, the Long Beard XR are 1000fps, not sure if that looses some distance to get good groups at 40 yards. Federal Grand Slam are $18 for 10 rounds, that's $1.80 per round. Federal should get you 40 yards if your gun/choke likes it. Another option is Remington Nitro Magnum (Extended Range Buffered), it is $31 for 25 rounds, that's $1.24 per round. It's only good in my guns out 35yards, I use it when I woods hunting. Your gun/choke may like it out to 40 yards. These are some good, low cost alternates to TSS, but you won't get pass 35-40 yards.

In my wife's Franchi Affinity 20 ga with a Pure Gold .570" choke, Winchester Long Beard 3" #6's is a solid 35 yard gun but 40 yards is pushing it. Switched to Federal Prairie Storm 3" #6's and it's impressive to 45 yards. I would have never guessed it.

If any of you guys that switched to TSS have any Federal Premium 20ga sitting on the shelf, I’ll take it off your hands!
PM me!

Federal grand slam #5 with the flex wad will give you a dead turkey at 35-40 yards every time. You don’t need to get caught up in the 10 inch circle jerk numbers game.

I’ve used tss and heavyweights but $11 a shot is just retarded and a don’t see the point in playing that game anymore.

A Longbeard #5 out of my Mossberg SA-20 with a Carlson's Longbeard choke did a bang flop on a tom at almost 40 yards this past week. I've never killed a turkey with anything but lead shot. Never saw a reason to use anything else.

The Carlsons Longbeard XR choke does seem to pattern Longbeard XR very well. At first I thought it was kinda gimmicky - an ornately machined and ported choke with wad stripping rings in it. But in 12 gauge, I've got a Longbeard XR choke in .665, as well as a Carlsons Extended (smooth, non-ported, no wad strippers) choke in .665, and the Longbeard XR choke patterns Longbeard better than the smooth choke shooting the same ammo. So Carlons seems to have hit some kind of sweet spot with the Longbeard XR choke, at least in 12 gauge Invector Plus.

I have one in 20 guage in .568 but have not tested in side x side against my Carlsons .565 smooth extended turkey choke.

I have an 11-87 compact 20 gauge that I let my granddaughters use. I have two turkey chokes for it, an Indian Creek and a Carlson's Longbeard. If the youngest one is using the gun, I load it it with 2 3/4 inch 5's or 6's, which the Indian Creek choke seems to pattern a little better. When the oldest one hunts with it, I use 3 inch Longbeards and the Carlson choke, which patterns better.