Picked up a good used one last week at the local shop. It has a 26" barrel and a supposedly full choked barrel. I took it out this past weekend and patterned 2 different loads at 30 and 40 yards. Needless to say I wasn't really all that impressed with the patterns at 40 yards. I did not count pellets, but the whole pattern seemed fairly consistent, just a little too "wide". I was hoping to make a 50-60 yard turkey/coyote gun out of it. Do any of you guys have any experience with these things and what are the loads you recommend? I am not a handloader so it will have to be factory offernings. The 2 I have tried so far are the Winchester 3.5" 2oz. 6's and the Federal 2 oz. 5's. I want to stick with lead or something similar since I won't be doing any waterfowl hunting with it so steel is out.

I used the Mag-10 for Turkey Hunting for a couple of seasons and it was a killer but it was so heavy i sold it and went to a lighter 12 ga and now use the Benelli Super 90 3.5 inch. I used nothing but factory in the Mag-10 . Winchester 3.5 inch . Good Turkey shotgun but just to heavy to suit me.

At 40 yards, what are you expecting? Your pattern, even with a full choke, will be about 3 feet wide.. First thing you need to do is find out exactly what choke you do have.. Get the bore and choke measured so you know..

Here's a good read on the subject re: turkeys...


http://www.gamebirdhunts.com/Resources/PheasantPhacts/ShotgunPatterns/tabid/73/Default.aspx

Get a set of choke tubes for it. I had one of mine cut from 32" to 28" and threaded for tubes. I have 3 Colonial tubes, 1 super tight for turkey, one for buckshot and one for steel. I I had it done for about $125 about 10 years ago. I remeber the smith who did it said there was some variation in the mag 10 barrels depending on what year they were made and most but not all barrels were adaptable. He miked my barrels though and said I'd be good to go.

They are heavy, but with a sling you do not notice it too much while you are walking. Doing deer drives in the thick stuff is another story though. You do feel the weight after a day of carrying it like you are rabbit hunting!

Get Briley to make you a choke for the load you intend to use. This is what i did in my Mag-10

I hunted coyotes with two Ithaca Mag 10's, both were 32" full chokes. They would eat up a coyote at 60 yards.

I suspect that your gun has been cut down, may be not.

Do not give up! With a set of screw in chokes, you would be in a different world from 12ga shooters.

Back in the lead days of duck/goose hunting, I shot geese regularly at 100 yards with my own hand loads of T shot.

I would contact Kicks and Briley for choke information.

Try some of the Federal HW (Heavy Weight) FC (Flight Control Wad) #7s or #6s. That shell is designed for a more open choke that doesn't have any ports or wad stoppers.