Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Problems with Federal's Flitecontrol Wad and extra full choke?

I've read mixed reviews of Federal's mag-shok turkey load with the Flitecontrol Wad and an xtra full (turkey) choke. I picked up a box on sale for my son to use with his 20 ga, #4's were all they had for sale. I haven't had a chance to pattern this load yet. Does anyone have any experience with these Fed loads (esp 20ga) and choke recommendations with them? Thanks

I use these in a 12 gauge 870 with absolutely no problems. I have about 5 extra full turkey chokes and have used these loads in all of them with great success. They are my favorite turkey loads. They should work great in a 20 gauge too. Use any full or extra full turkey choke and you'll be golden. I've even used them in an old fox sterlingworth with no problems: Have taken turkey at over 45 yds with that shotgun with its mod and full barrels.

Thanks BSA for your testimonial. These flitecontrol turkey loads seem like a good idea, esp for a 20 ga. I haven't used them before. Just got to wondering if the extra full chokes would be too constricting and work against the flitecontrol wad.....CT

I think you'll be happy with them. They patter very well out of my shotguns. Good luck with your turkey hunting too.

With 11yo son in tote, luck always helps

The problems are not from too tight of a constriction, they are from the ported "wad stripping" chokes. The aftermarket chokes that are extended and ported are designed to strip the wad away from the load and provide a tight pattern. Federal designed its "Flite Control" to strip away from the shot on its own. If you shoot them from a non ported choke, you will like them and they will likely pattern well for you. You probably won't get very good results from a ported choke though. Federal Heavy Weight shot is the heaviest available commercially too which is a good thing. It s15 gm/cc where lead is 10-10.5 and Hevi shot is 12. Very dense heavy stuff.
Lee

Have you tried them in the ported chokes? I have and they work great. Again, nothing to worry about. They are one of the best performing turkey loads I've used.

i shot the heavyweights in my mossberg 935 with a rhino choke and had terrible patterns, then after some reading i shot them thru a factory improved cylinder choke and was amazed at the pattern i was getting.i have shot several turkeys with this combo most between 25 & 30 yards but some at 45 as i missed judged the distance.

I don't think the op is asking about "heavy shot" loads. The ones I think he's talking about are these:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=274986

I may be wrong, but that is what I got out of the op's original question. Remington makes hevi shot loads and federal does make a non toxic heavy load, but that wasn't what he was asking. The federal's premium "mag shok" flitecontrol turkey loads are just copper plated lead shot and work great in any choke configuration in my experience. They do however state that they may work better in a non ported choke tube and certain choke constriction. Take a look at the reviews from cabela's:

http://reviews.cabelas.com/8815/215...views.htm?page=2&sort=submissionTime

I bought a Mossgerg 20 gauge and use the factory full choke with Federal flight control 5 shot. I have a 40 yard pattern, no joke. A little better choke should make a little better improvement; I recommend a smooth extended.

I shoot the federal flight control wad high velocity lead 3.5" out of my Mossberg 835. The stock choke was not great, I then tried a more open choke like they recommend, and it was the same or worse. Finally I tried a Carlson smooth .675 (I think) and it is great.

I also shoot the flight control wad high velocity lead 3" out of my 500 12 gauge with a factory extra full non extended choke with great results.

4 shot has been giving me as good of a long range pattern in my 12 gauges so I opt for the heavier bb. I chose 5 shot for the 20 gauge for more bb's due to the 1 5.16 oz shot.

I am thinking about trying magnum heavy loads in the 12 gauge versus the current high velocity loads to maybe improve my pattern density. Less velocity but more bb's and subsonic I believe. 4 shot or back to the high velocity.

Mossberg 500 20ga. Undertaker Choke-- Federal Flitecontrol #7 Heavyweight- Will kill turkey's at 40 yards-- Web

The undertaker also does wonders in the 870's too. Is your undertaker ported or non?? Thanks.

I have used these with a Primos tightwad choke in my 12 ga 870 with great results. However I haven't done so well with my Browning and a .665. Others also feel its may be too tight. The Primos is vented the Browning isn't.I am goingm to try a more open choke in the Browning.

bsa1917hunter ---Non Ported Undertaker--- Web

"I don't think the op is asking about "heavy shot" loads. The ones I think he's talking about are these:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=274986"

Yep, that's the load to which I was referring

Thanks, just checked mine too and it is unported. I've got other turkey chokes that I use with the 11-87 and 870 that are ported and have worked well. I did, however, notice the undertaker choke patterns better than the ported ones. If the ported ones were all I had, I'd use them without question. If someone doesn't already have a turkey choke I'd suggest the undertaker with these loads.

This is exactly as I have found with the Fed Flite Control loads. I've shot #5 & 6's in my chokes with ports, they do not pattern well. I have pards that shoot them in non-ported chokes and like them. I've seen them roll birds over easily at 45yds

I shoot Win Supreme #5, and they work for me.

I too vote for the Win Supreme 2 oz #5s for my 12 gauge shotguns. I have yet to find a combo that works as well with the Fed Flitecontrols. Still looking, since I have several boxes of them.

I have used them in several different guns and chokes in both ported and unported chokes. They shoot much better in unported chokes. I use Win supreme's, mag blends, and Nitro's(my preferred) in my guns now and with ported chokes they shoot significantly better than the Fed with Flight Control Wads. I will be patterning some Fed's tomorrow in a gun for my Dad with a non ported choke and I'll report back.

I now prefer Nitro's in my main turkey gun and used to avoid them for the reason that most guys do, they cost too much. However, I then realized that I spend hundreds if not thousands every year chasing birds and very little of that money actually helps me kill turkeys. I buy new clothes, calls, decoys, blinds, etc every year and they are nice but they don't do much that my current (i.e last years) stuff does. I have killed birds for a long time with the same old equipment. The Nitro's though, add a really tangible difference to you ability to kill turkeys. It extends your range at which you are able to kill a turkey. I have shot birds at 50 plus yds with other loads before and I have also missed them at that range with other loads. With the nitro's there is no doubt that the load will perform well enough if you do your part. When you can put 250 plus pellets in a circle at 40 yds every time it makes a difference. The cost is roughly $50 more for 10 shots than plain lead loads and $30 more than premium type loads. I don't know about you but for me, $30-50 more per season to ensure that I don't go home empty handed is money well spent. Some will argue with me and that's fine. It's just my opinion. I chase turkeys is 6-7 states every spring and I like every advantage I can get.
Lee

I've been using the Federal Mag-Shok { 1 5/16 oz #5 lead shot} with flite control wads out of my 20 gauge Browning BPS with the factory full choke tube for the past couple of seasons. So far I've pounded 3 turks decisively at 37,42 and 46 yards. My 12 gauge will be spending alot less time in the woods from now on.