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What do you use?

#5

5

Either Hevi-Shot Magnum Blends or Hevi-13 #5.

#9 TSS

12--- 6's
20--- 7's

Mostly 5's. Used a Longbeard in 6 shot to take a bird this year. Although I know it's all about the pattern of your shotgun, I just cannot get used to the small shot thing. I'd use 4's if I could the gun to pattern them good enough.

#7 Federal Heavyweight for the last 5 years. Winchester #5 before that.

Mostly 5's, but have killed them w/ 2's, 4's 6 's & 7 1/2's.. Never could find the #7 Fed heavyweight for my 20 ga.

20ga #5 Hevi-shot
12ga #6 Hevi-shot

The only reason is they way they pattern.

I use #5 shot, but three things are more important than shot size:
1. a dense pattern
2. limiting your shots to a range that will kill the turkey.
3. maintaining your composure during the shot.

Many hunters make the mistake of thinking their shotgun will do the same thing under field conditions as it does under range conditions. But under range conditions, you have a measured yardage (as opposed to a field judgment), a clear shot to the target (as opposed to the possibility of unseen saplings being in the way), and a completely relaxed shot (as opposed to the nervousness of shooting at a live target).

Steve.

Maker of the the Northern Scratchbox turkey call.

I used #4's this year for my gobbler. I've killed them with 4's, 5's,6's and duplex loads of 4x6. They all work. But it seems I go back to 4's most times. I shoot my old Remington 870 2 3/4" 12 guage. It has a 30" barrel. I bought it back in 1970 with money earned by delivering newspapers after school.

19g/cc #9.5 aka Turkey Kryptonite

#6 winchester supreme turkey.

tried federal, remington, remington
duplex, regular remington high brass


of course, each gun patterns different and
to get the optimum you have to burn lots of
shells and experiment. i also cut a long
forcing cone on my guns. all the newer ones
already have it i think, or are backbored.
good luck

Dittos.

For both 12 and 20 GA.; Federal HW #7s. Better retained velocity and kinetic energy downrange than lead #5', which is what I always had used previously.

"Playtime is Over"

NB

#5

Ditto. Started with #7s in a 12ga, then #8s, then #9s. Went to a 20ga with the #9s and now at #9.5s. About to step to the 28ga and try to complete my slam with the #9.5s. Nothing like hand rolling your own loads.

Used 4's or 25 or so years in 3" 12 gauge. Now it's Federal Heavyweight 7's in the 20 gauge.

I been using #2 but seems more 4 and 5 shot guys....

I think I've used about every shot size from OO buck up to 7 1/2 and they'll all kill a gobbler.

My favorite used to be 3" Federal 6s in 12ga. Then I discovered 3" Hevishot 4s which were dynamite, and should have been at $3 a round. Used 2 3/4 Remington pheasant loads with 7 1/2s for a bit, patterned great out of my old gun.

This year the Mrs has her gun loaded with Fiocchi Golden Pheasant 3" 1 5/8oz nickel plated 6s and I used 2oz of Bismuth 4s out of my SP10 on my first bird of the season. I will probably try for the next one with one of my Browning double autos and a pheasant load left over from December. That'll probably mean a 1 1/4oz load of 6s as I think that's what I have left.

Federal 7's - 20 gauge
Hevi13 7's - 12 gauge

Very good post, especially number 2. We hear and read about those 60 yard kills, and how great a certain shell will kill a turkey at that range. I have killed several birds over 50 yards, measured distance, not estimated, and while I had the confidence in myself and my gun to make the shot, afterwards I realized that was almost too far. If someone just wants to kill a turkey, then they don't care how they do it. If someone wants to hunt a turkey, then they pride themselves on calling that bird in as close as possible, then taking the shot. I get a much bigger thrill knowing I called a tom in and killed him at 25 or 30 yards, than I do anything else. At this distance, shot size doesn't really matter.

#9 TSS and have used some #8.5 TSS. Both in the 20 gauge.

I used Federal HW#7's before the TSS.

When I shot a 12, it was usually with a #5 or #6 of some sort. I won't go back to the 12 at this point.

[quote=Everyday Hunter]I use #5 shot, but three things are more important than shot size:
1. a dense pattern- That's why we play with shot size and metal density
2. limiting your shots to a range that will kill the turkey.- That's why we play with shot size and shot density
3. maintaining your composure during the shot.- Has nothing to do with choosing shot size or shot density
/quote]

Comments in blue

5's

Copper plated #7 1/2 in 20 gauge.
Copper plated # 6 in 12 gauge.
Nickle plated # 7 1/2 in the 20 gauge flintlock

Those give the best patterns in my guns and plenty of penetration at the distances I will shoot.

Had the best luck with 5's

6's .... I somehow have acquired enough for several lifetimes.

I use #5 shot in both 20 ga. and 12 ga. conventional shotguns. In a flintlock 20 ga. I use No. 5 as well. I am in a rut.

The flintlock I use requires birds to be within 25 yards and I get pretty good pattern density with #5 shot

5's here too...

#4s, 5s or 6s. They all work.

Could easily be satisfied with #5s from here on out.

Tempted to play with #7 Hevis though.

The majority of the Shamanic Dream Team shoot #4 lead shot. Angus shoots #5, because it patterns better in his gun.

When I started hunting Turkeys 25 years ago I bought 3" #2,4,5,6 and 4x6. I have been shooting them with 4x6 duplex as they patterned better than 5's. But 5's will do for me just fine.

If I was starting out again I would start here.

https://www.hevishot.com/catalog/magnum-blend/

I have heard great things about the 5,6 and 7 loads.

Anything over 40 or 45 yards with a factory shotgun can be hit or miss IME. It is all about pattern density.

Good luck and shoot straight

Bob

Hevi Shot Mag Blend here for the 12 and 20 gauge.

Used 5's in the Winchester Longbeards as well.

No 5 shot

Mostly htl 7s, as they will strait wreck a bird any any reasonable range. Played around with the longbeards in all shot sizes, killed a couple birds with the 4s, but couldn't get any consistency in the patterns, so I ditched them. Back to the 7s and life is good.

3" Nitro Ammunition 4x5x7 HeviShot blend in the 12ga; 3" Nitro Ammunition HeviShot 7s in the 20ga.

Yea, none of the above are cheap - $5-$7/rnd. But ammo is the cheapest part of the hunt!

The state regulations here allow #4 shot as the largest size for turkey, they have no minimum size.

I've used 4,5, or 6 shot depending on the conditions. This year I will likely be using #6 as it was an early spring and the woods should be leafed out pretty well. They will fill out a more open choke which I use after the woods leaf out. If it were a more normal spring the visibility would be much greater and I would most likely load up with 4s and a more typical choke.

Winchester 3" 5's have always seemed to work for gobblers. I do not believe I do not need expensive shells to kill them.

20=#6Heavyshot
12=4x5x7Nitro or #6 Longbeard's

Well said...I think I will try 4 shot next time out....the 2 might not be a dense enough pattern in 2 3/4

Well said...I think I will try 4 shot next time out....the 2 might not be a dense enough pattern in 2 3/4

Someone school me on the shot sizes smaller than 6 for turkeys - what are the advantages?

If using heavier than lead you get more pellets on target that out penetrate lead.


Federal heavyweight 7's from my 20 gauge will hit about like a lead #4 but have a much greater pattern.


I shot a bird a couple years ago at 52yd with Hevi13 #7's and had pellets break the near humerus and femur along with cleanly shooting through the brain and spine. The turkeys and coyotes I've shot with HTL 7's have been absolutely smashed.

So lead #7's might not be a good idea? I like the idea of more pellets and better patterns.

12 gauge 3" Federal Premium copper-clad, buffered #4

I would probably pass on the 7's lead.


A pattern from my 20 gauge with Fed 7's:

20ga 3" 1-1/2oz Federal Heavy Weigh 7s.
After one pattern board with these I put the 12ga away.

It just happens to pattern better in some of my guns. Hard plated shot gives plenty of penetration. Head and neck shots catch more pellets with smaller shot size so more hits in the vertebra and skull are probable.

What Rug3 said

I hunted with a 3 1/2 4,5,7 magblend the first year I turkey hunted as it had the best, most dense pattern.
Now as stated earlier in post I hunt with a 20gauge and 19g/cc from reloaded that will eats the heavy shots lunch on paper or the field. It’s amazing if you never used tss to see what the smaller shot size is capable off.

1.5 oz of #9 /2 TSS in a 28 gauge

# 5

6’s in Heavy Shot, 5’s in lead.
Both in 3” shells.

In the 10 ga plain old #4 copper plated lead 2 1/4 oz. Rem of Fed. They generally don''t flop. But last one was Win #5 2 1/4. At 48 steps he flopped a bit but was dead just the same.

#5's work great for me.

Years ago, before I figured out more about shot density, pattern, and ballistics, I’d shoot some 4s and 5s. For the last 10 years, nothing but 6s and mostly smaller, usually in varying other than lead compositions. I find zero need/practical use for larger shot sizes on turkeys to as far as anyone needs to shoot at one, 12 or 20. I’ve killed them to 50yards (in a pinch on someone else’s cripple) with a 20ga and 6 or 7s. It’s way more about holding a pattern density together, than needing more energy or penetration than any >6 shot. It doesn’t take much to brain pan or break a neck on a turkey. I’ve killed birds with a lot of OTHER PEOPLE’S 4s and 5s in their breasts and legs, though.

I use number 5 hard shot,1 5/8 oz.in 2 3/4 12 gauge.

Shot well out of all the shotguns they were tried in.
I did kill a wild chicken at 80 yards on the wing and a friend killed 2 turkeys with his Winchester 97 12 gauge with 1 shot,full choke.