When I started turkey hunting and checked into patterning... I was told you wanted at least 8 pellets in the pattern target head & neck for a lethal kill.

Does that still apply?
Any other rules to look at?

I always thought the general rule of thumb was 100 hits within a 10" circle

That's what I remember. The turkey target had the kill zone shaded. The hits there that counted, they need to hit the brain or neck bones. Bob

i looked and my pattern target does have vitals and neck bones in it that I can count pellets. The profile is based on a turkey neck xray.

Yep, that's the target I use. My 870 shooting 2 3/4" Baby Mags" 1 1/2 oz of #4 will put 7 to 9 into that shaded area--neck bones & brain @40 yards. It's what I've being using for 25 years---never had a problem. I've killed at 40 yards. With that said I try to get them into 25 yards.

I also aim at the "waddles"--where the skin meets the feathers. that way your top 1/2 of the pattern hits the head. The bottom 1/2 hits the neck

side question... would dropping back to a 20 inch barrel loose too much velocity?

Theres a 20 inch 870 sps camo turkey/predator integrated pistol grip shotgun with optic mount on clearance at a gun shop for $500 that's tempting me. It would be for the day I want to use optics.

This was the original standard, and then the blended loads, x-ray pattern targets were developed, and the shift has been to pattern to the 8-10 pellets in the neck/head.

I know local hunters, and both methods are still used. I generally go with the second on blended loads.

Nope. I hunt with a 21" barrel youth 870. It's a hammer with TSS loads.

To be fair, a .410 is a hammer with TSS loads!

I once killed a bird and only found one pellet that hit the head. Dressed it out, and figured I'd find a bunch in the body, but there were none. I always thought I must have hit just right. I have used a number of different shells, in 4, 5, and 6 shot. I used 12 guage in 3 1/2, 3, and 2 3/4 inch, as well as 20 guage 3 inch. In the 12's I always liked Winchester Supremes in all of them, with number 5 shot being my favorite. I mostly shot a 20 now, and have been shooting Federal 5's, mostly because I have a bunch of them. I prefer heavier shot because it penetrates better, and I think 4 or 5 of them will take down most turkeys.

I once killed a bird and only found one pellet that hit the head. Dressed it out, and figured I'd find a bunch in the body, but there were none. I always thought I must have hit just right. I have used a number of different shells, in 4, 5, and 6 shot. I used 12 guage in 3 1/2, 3, and 2 3/4 inch, as well as 20 guage 3 inch. In the 12's I always liked Winchester Supremes in all of them, with number 5 shot being my favorite. I mostly shot a 20 now, and have been shooting Federal 5's, mostly because I have a bunch of them. I prefer heavier shot because it penetrates better, and I think 4 or 5 of them will take down most turkeys.

Who makes these TSS loads?

Do they come in non-lead?

I hunt WPA's and cant have lead shot...

TSS= Tungsten Super Shot

Hold on to your wallet but the stuff is awesome. A bud of mine shoots it in his 20 gauge. Patterns super dense.

My days of hunting turkey with a 12 gauge are over.

side question: what drives that?

Shoulder injuries?
other surgeries?
Age?

Some of the older guys on our work trap shooting team are shooting lighter loads and switching to lighter loads and autoloaders because their bodies ache after league.

I've seen what the 20gauge can do with the heavyweight #7's and what some pards with the TSS, which is my next go.

No injuries, of course age always factors on everything, but a 20 gauge is all one needs with the right ammo.

There is no reason to lug around a shotgun that weighs a few more pounds and beats the sheit out of you. Recoil really isn't a big issue, since you seldom shoot.

So in short, you aren't gaining anything with the 12 gauge.

3" 20 gauge, with the right load and choke cover a whole lot of bases, as well as home plate.

Last spring, Federal Heavyweight #7's, Remington 20 gauge Youth 870 (with new buttstock).

Bird was shot at 56 yards and dropped at the shot. I don't like to shoot that far and it's the furthest I've ever killed a bird. I wouldn't have taken that shot with my 12 gauge and the lead loads I used for 25 years.

nice footprints in the frost...

It was dew, but yeah. See the wad at the bottom right of the pic

It made it that far?

Makes me wonder when the shot left the cup if it had that much momentum

Yeah, I'm guessing the wad went 60 yards. I could only have done that with 19 year old twins.

Thanks for the clarification.

I was looking at my little 20 ga browning BPS upland with its 22 inch barrel thinking I should pattern that guy....

Going from a 28" barrel to a 20" will drop about 75fps. That's not per inch, it's 75 fps total.

The turkey will never know the difference.

If it takes 100 pellets on a pie plate to kill a turkey, then the turkeys have gotten a lot more durable. I started hunting in the early 80's. Back then the rule we went by was 2 pellets on a Dixie cup.

You took a Dixie drink cup and stuck it on the end of the stick and put newspaper up behind as backing, so you could see if your pattern was centered. They did not have dedicated turkey guns in those days. A decent trap gun was considered as good as you could get. However, any shotgun would do so long as you stuck to the 2-in-the-dixie-cup rule. I first hunted with a 2 3/4" Win Model 12 Trap and later with an Rem 1100 TB Trap. Both of them would put two in at 40 yards, but it was pushing it. It didn't hurt my hunting any, because up until about 10 years ago, I'd taken all my shots inside 20 yards. Truth is I've missed more with a too-tight pattern up close than not enough pellets further out.

I've hunted with lead #4's throughout. It's old school to be sure, but it is not meant to be deliberately so. Those bigger pellets help put down coyotes. In these parts, you're quite likely to have a pair of them come into your calls.

TSS is lead free, it's a handloading only proposition, and it's wicked expensive. It's also completely awesome if you don't like to call birds in close and want maximum killing range.

870 Youth 20 gauge and Federal HeavyWeight 7's for me. That's all I've used for the last several years. My 12 gauge looks good sitting in the safe.

Gonna hafta try this 20 ga. #7 HW thing I keep seeing. Maybe the 10 bore and 12 bore would start collecting dust!!

I use an 20 ga 870 youth with the 21" barrel and load TSS. I drilled and tapped the receiver and mounted a Burris Fastfire 2. I did the same thing for my son. His 870 is the Compact Jr with an 18 3/4 barrel. He shoots the reduced recoil Federal HW #7's. He killed his first bird at about 35 yards with the combo last year. The 20 with the right ammo still amazes me.

A few pics...

How far was that pattern target?
What restriction / make on the choke tube?

Get a good choke, mine like the Tightwas .570 and a SumToy .562-5. The Rem Super Full lead only seems to be very effective also. I added a set of Williams Slugger sights to mine but would like to add a FF3. My gun is solid to 50yds.


42yds:



Another:



Hevi 13 #6's @ 42yds:



Another HW 7 @ 42yds - 16" circle

Indian Creek .555 -- TSS #9's. For some reason, I'm thinking 30 yards on that one? IIRC, that target was the first I shot after zeroing the FF2.

Me too, never got into the super duper camo 3 1/2" blah blah but did carry a double 12 for several years. Now, this 20 gets it done just fine with 2 3/4" 6"s

SAS got me sold on the 20ga and the turkey umbrella, not so much on his calling skills...

The Flitecontrol wads in Federal loads will go a LOOOOONG way !!! Yep.

I've had the Flite Control wads smack a plywood backer at 40 yards while doing pattern work.