Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting 10 gauge factory turkey loads

Haven't been in the 10 gauge game for many years. Back in the day when I had a Remington SP-10, I believe I was shooting Winchester Double X #5. That gun could pattern. (I used it more for deer than turkeys, and it patterned 00 very well, too.) Well, I don't have that any more. But may get back into the 10 gauge.

Winchester isn't showing a 10 gauge Longbeard XR load. Just the same Double Xs. I see Remington and Federal both have 10 gauge turkey loads, the Federal with a flight control wad.

Just wondering is anyone is hunting with a 10 gauge and what load you are using.

I'm shooting Federal Heavyweight 15cc #7's. Got them back during the clearance sale at Rogers Sporting Goods. Down to last three boxes of 5 shells.

Started to buy some this week during Apex's sale. Would have been $57.00 a box of 5. It's a 2 1/2oz load which is a ton of tss. I didn't buy any. Bought 20 gauge tss instead.

Would like to get someone to load me some 2oz tss # 8. Would buy some more Heavyweight 7's if I found some at a reasonable price.

I looked at Apex. Though it's expensive, $74.99 from them seems almost reasonable. I've seen some retailers asking that much for 12 gauge.

The best lead load ever got (go figure) discontinued.

The old Winchester Supreme 2 oz. of #6 was an absolute MONSTER through a Comp-N-Choke XXX-Full tube.

I think that's what I was shooting back then, Supremes, not Double X. I just can't remember. I know they were Winchester black box #5. I did have an XFull choke for my Remington and couldn't believe the patterns.

Double X was same thing before Supreme.

I figured they just changed names from Supreme to Double X. I remember it being their premium black box ammo. And it was just buffered, copper plated shot.

I've patterned the Double X in 12 and 20 gauge and it patterns well, though in 20 gauge one probably wants to not stretch much past 30 yards.

When I had one, I was using Nitro Heavy Shot.

I had my Remington SP-10 and a Browning BPS 12 gauge 3 1/2" at the same time, the one that had engraving and a long magazine tube. Both the 10 gauge and the 12 gauge 3 1/2" loads had 2 oz of #5 shot. I wondered what the advantage, then, was for the 10 over the 12. Then I patterned them. With an extra full factory choke in each, I remember the 10 producing a significantly more even pattern. And it didn't recoil as much (weight and an auto will do that), and didn't have the ear drum splitting report of the 12.

I see Federal has a 2 oz load of #5 with the flight control wad. I actually like that wad. I also like the idea that Federal didn't cut the payload to accomodate the FC wad. Anyone shot it in a 10?

I shot some Federal Grand Slam # 4's thru a tru lock non ported choke. At 20 yards it was super tight and nearly blew a golf ball hole in the bullseye. If I were gonna shoot lead, they would be what I would use in whatever shot size I preferred.

The kid I gave my 10 to has but he really didn't say much about it.

I gave him about 100 other rounds, some Winchester 2 and 2 1/4 Oz stuff plus several boxes of the Remington 2 1/4 oz #4 which as far as #4 went they always shot better than any other load in several Brownings and several different chokes.

Best my BPS 10 ever shot was with a .695 Hastings and 2 1/4 oz Winchester #5. We weren't counting numbers in those days but at 40 yards there was always about 20+/-shot in the brain and vertebrae of those paper turkey head targets.

An absolute killer. Got stupid and traded about 5 boxes of those #5 for same in #4. The 4s work but those 5s made some impressive patterns.

Nowadays the 2 Oz loads by all but Remington have no real advantage over a 12 other than recoil isn't as bad in a heavy gun.

Where the 10 shines is with big steel shot. Even there they have cut the payload back. Haven't bought any 10 gauge steel in a long while but I think they have reduced the 1 3/4 Oz payloads a bit.

I still hunt deer buckshot, particually on weekends when the hunt clubs are active and the deer are driven. Buckshot is king, then. I recall my Remington patterned 00 better than any other shotgun I had. 00 in a 12 gauge shell is stacked and often times will protrude a bit so you see small lumps on the hull. It gets deformed easily going through a tighter choke. A 10 gauge shell is big enough that the 00 buck can be poured in with buffer. You won't get more then 18 pellets in a 10 gauge, but I think becasue its more loosely packed in a 10G versus a 12G, it patterns better.

My BPS-10 has become semi-retired.

Over the years, the turkeys and geese that met their demises in front of it would fill a few pickup beds. I still carry it as a 2nd to my kid's .223 when we're calling coyotes. What the BPS will do with a Winchester XX 2 1/4 oz. #2 shell should probably be outlawed.

Problem for me is that the thing kicks like a mother ph***ker !!!!!!!!!!! I've shot oodles of Mossy 835's with no issues or complaints. I've shot various .375's, .416's and .458's comfortably. My BPS-10 about likes to split my brain in two.

Must be stock fit. A BPS 10 is a pussy cat compared to any pump 12 gauge 3 1/2" that I have shot.

I'm pretty sure my 10ga days are over, same with the 12ga 3-1/2". Only shotgun hunting I do anymore is turkey and with the performance I'm getting from my 20ga with the TSS shot...

But there was a time I used a Remington SP-10 for waterfowl and turkey, a 10ga Pedersoli muzzleloader for anything from upland to trap to waterfowl and a bunch of 12ga 3-1/2" guns for waterfowl and turkey. With the SP-10, turkey shells were either Federal Premium or Winchester Supreme. Thankfully back then, ammo wasn't hard to find and not near the prices of today.

10Glocks, if you're thinking of getting back into a 10ga, more power to you and enjoy!

I found 2 great looking SP-10s on Gunbroker but the seller was asking $1900 each. Pass. I ordered a Browning BPS 10 gauge with 28" barrel. Looking forward to it. I ordered some 00 buchshot and some slugs. Green Top Hunt and Fish in Richmond stocks 10 gauge tuykey ammo. I will likely get a box each of #5 Remington, Federal and Winchester and see how they do. I'll likely get a Briley extended extra full choke for it before I start patterning the turkey shot.

Are the 10 gauge BPS's overbored like the 12 and 20 gauge are ? If so, Browning recommends against shooting slugs.

No. Standard 10 gauge bores.

Same with older 12 and 20s that use Invector chokes.

Heavishot Blend and a Patternmaster Choke have been excellent for my SP-10. I stocked up on the ammo a few years ago and have enough for a few more seasons. It has served me well but when I run out, I will switch to Apex. The thought of a bunch of small pellets from a 10ga sounds wicked.

It could be that. It doesn't seem to bother my kid as much as it does me. He's a couple inches shorter than me.

"Back in the day" I patterned guns for oodles of guys. Shot LOTS of 835's and a good handful of Super Novas. Never gave em a second thought They didn't kick near as bad as most of the owners let on........... But this freakin' BPS10............ !!!!!!! Another story...........