Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Need 2 3/4" Turkey ammo...HELP!

Hi All: I have an Ithaca Model 37 Featherlight shotgun chambered for 2 3/4" (about 20 years old and in great condition)...I plan on turkey hunting this May in upstate New York for the first time in about 15 years so I am NOT familiar with Turkey "ammo" that is now available...
<br> can anyone recommend a good ammo for me to buy/use? New York says must be between #2 and #8.
<br> I have a 28" vent-rib barrel with orange front "glow bead" sight that came on the barrel. Length of barrel is 28"...and I do not know the "choke" but there are no tubes for this gun...and no markings on the barrel to indicate choke type.
<br> ANY help appreciated!
<br> Happy Hunting...Jake
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mammoth,
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<br>Is that a 20 gauge?

i use an 1100 12ga in 2 3/4" and have good patterns with both Winchester copper plated #4's and Federal premium copper plated #2's.
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<br>Regular Rem-choke Full choke tube
<br>Mike

Hi: I'm sorry...forgot to say...it is a 12 gauge.
<br> Thank you for your very kind help!
<br> I know that Walmart sells Winchester 2 3/4" MAG
<br> 1 1/2 Oz #6 shot that say TURKEY LOADS on the box...copperplated lead shot.
<br> I was going to get a couple of boxes and go to the range and see how they print (as you suggested).
<br> Let me know if this ammo is a "mistake" in any way!
<br> Thank you again
<br> Jake
<br>PS: I am on the Marlin Talk Forum nightly...usually in the Big Bore or 336 forums....same name "Mammoth"...so I am not new to shooting...just been so long on shotgun or Turkey that I feel 'out of touch"...

THE shells you described will do fine if they pattern ok. i would buy a couple of brands and a couple of shot sizes. but the rem., win., or federal "TURKEY LOADS" all should be good. i would lean toward the #6 or #7 /1/2 if they pattern good as they will add a lot of shot into the pattern. as you are shooting only at the head and neck area the pattern is what counts. it is especially important to shoot them at all yardage you feel you may take a shot at. check the number of LETHAL hits. that's the only way to know exactly how far you can shoot a turkey. what the choke on the barrel says doesn't mean a thing. if you try differant brands of shells and differant size shot you will find one that outperforms the rest. write that down someplace! my partner had only one acceptable shell for his particular gun and he forgot what it was. then he had to go over that whole deal again.
<br> luck!

I like # 6 shot in a 12 ga. and # 7 1/2 in the 20 ga. Use the heaviest shot load you can get. That would be 1 & 1/8 oz. in a 2 3/4 inch 20 ga. I do not remember what the heaviest factory load is for a 2 3/4 inch 12. ga. I've been shooting reloads too long. 1 3/8 oz is what I load for the short 12, I use 2 oz. loads in the 3 inch 12 ga.
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<br>A lot of hunters like larger shot. I have found that the smaller shot gives me a denser pattern and more hits in the kill zone because of the high number of pellets per oz. Do not worry about # 6 and 7 1/2 shot killing the bird. I have killed many out to 40 yards with 2 oz. of #6 out of a 3 inch 12 ga. And the 20 ga. with 1 1/8 oz. of 7 1/2's will cleanly kill them out to 30. And most of the time I can get the bird inside of 20 yards if I just wait.
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<br>You will need to pattern several different loads and use the shot size that patterns best in your gun.

I'm just getting started on turkeys, so want to know if this should work - approximately 100 #5 pellets in a 6" circle at 40 yards?
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<br>Also, is it just me, or does everyone else get whomped but good by 1 3/4 oz Turkey loads? Like 10 rounds and my cheek was done for the day. This is in a 26" barrel 870 Express.
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<br>Scott

100 shot in a 6" circle at 40 yds sounds devistating. especially if it is a 1 3/4 oz. load. i'm guessing there might be 500 shot in the total load. i believe patterns are established on a 30" circle at 30yds. i can't recall the exact % of the total shot that must be in this circle to qualify as a full choke but i think it is 60%. so you are saying you are putting 20% of the shot in a 6" circle at 40 yds. it sounds good. but! it is desirable to shoot at a full size turkey silouette at various yardage to check for lethal hits. and if you have 40 pellets in lethal spots at 40yds. try it at 50yds. i have heard of guns that would do the job at 60yds. i do not personally own one. but in order to know what your gun is reliably capable of you may want to suffer through a few more shots. i have never noticed my gun kicking shooting 3" 2 oz. 12ga. mags when i'm shooting at TURKEYS. it does push a little shooting at paper. but i use an old winchester mod. 12 that must weigh about 12 lbs! if you like to carry a light gun you have to pay a little for it when you shoot those magnum loads. i think deer slugs and turkey loads are about the toughest things you can fire out of a shotgun. luck!

My favorite 2 oz load of # 6's will put the whomp on you pretty good. But when you are shooting at a turkey who notices?

Just wanted to say THANK YOU for all the advice and help! Greatly appreciate it!
<br> I am almost ready for our opener here in NY of May 1st!
<br> Thanks again;
<br> Jake

Ok here is my 2 cents worth. Of course i know you from Marlin Talk. Winchester Supream Turkey loads have proven to be the best in The Top Gun Tests at Ft Polk La.
<br>In Remington, Mossberg and Browning Shotguns with Ex-Full turkey chokes. The only thing better is heavy shot by Remington, at abut $25 for ten shells.
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<br>With the Win. in a Remington 870 Supermag 3 1/2 inch I took out cleanly two turkeys this year and watched another flatened in his tracks. The ranges were 10 yards #6s, 25 yards #4, and 70 yards #4s
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<br>Although I'm an advacator of the ultra close shot, its nice to have a Magnum when you need it.
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<br>I just did battle with 7 goblers this morning, they won hands down.

Just shot my first turkey ever this past week. Used my Benilli Super Black Eagle shooting Federal 3 1/2 inch Premium 2 oz. of 4 shot. It flattened the bird at about 30 yards. I did pattern this load prior to the season and past 30 yards with the full choke tube the pattern starts falling apart real fast. Would I be better off buying a turkey choke tube or experimenting with different ammo? The recoil of these loads is stout when patterning them but I didn't even recall it recoiling when I shot the gobbler.
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<br>Jeff

I forgot to mention that I have a Hastings Turkey choke on the 870. I tried at 50 yards and the pattern looked "holey-er" than I liked. The amazing thing was the difference between #4 and #5 shot. Makes me wonder if I should get back out there with some #6.
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<br>I'm also still trying to find the darn birds in an area where they are legal to hunt. They run around town like they know exactly what's up. I get out where it's legal ( A couple miles away) and can't find any sign of them, even though there were plenty there last fall.
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<br>Off to go on a bike ride and scout some more.
<br>Scott

You should be able to get a better pattern than that. I use an extra full tube. Never tried one labeled "turkey". If you have not yet tried # 6 shot, do. The higher number of pellets will beef up your pattern. Finding a good turkey load for your shot gun is a little like finding the best load for your rifle. You just have to try several different combinations until you click on the best one. I got very lucky and caught a sporting goods store going out of busness. I bought a haul of my favorite turkey loads for half price. The way I use them, I will be set for turkey ammo for the next fifteen years.

Hey guys -
<br>The challenge is tryin' to get the best out of a 2 3/4 chamber. I wonder what the difference is between the short 12 gauge chamber and a long 410 or 20. Guess I'll have to look 'em up. I like the idea of a single shot scattergun for turkey. I know 10 would be the best, but how small can you go for 30 yds or less?
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<br>Regards, sse

When I first begain to hunt turkey all I had was a 20 ga. 870 with a full choke. I bought some 1 1/8 oz loads of # 4 shot and went hunting. I always tried to get them inside of 20 yards. Never lost a bird that I shot. Latter I got some of those trukey head patterning targets and discovered that #7 1/2 shot patterned buch better in my gun so I switched loads. It is effective out to 30 yards. I killed a truck load of turkey with that 20 ga. until my son started hunting turkey and took it over from me. He wanted the big 870 Express Magnum 12 ga. until he shot it a coupple of times. Then he decided he would trade guns with me. Last season he called in two birds, took the first at about 15 yards and killed the second on the run at 30 yards. That sealed the deal for him. He won't give up the 20 ga. He said "dad if I had been shooting that cannon I never would have gotten on that second bird in time". He has some good sense... must have gotten it from his mother

pds - Thanks for relating your son's experience and answering my question. Small bore turkey medicine: smaller shot, more shot, keep it short (20 yards or less?) to be sure. As you indicate, this is a proven winner. I like single shot scatterguns, older ones, but they are a bear with magnum loads.
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<br>My daughter is 13 and is showing some interest in the box call. Now I have to make the transition from that to patterning a shotgun, to getting in the woods. Won't be easy, but who knows?
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<br>Regards, sse
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<br>P.S. pds - if your son has any other tips let us know!