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As a rule, do the non-ported choke tubes pattern better with TSS shot (#9)?
i've got two twenty gauge turkey guns. Both shoot Boss TSS loads great (300+ in the 10" @ 40 yards). One has a ported choke, one doesn't.

i had to try a bunch of choke and shell combos in my 410 to find a combination that worked. that one shot best with a ported choke

Sumtoy Customs will tell you non-ported do better. But i've seen wicked patters from both ported and non ported.

Long winded way of saying that you just have to find what works best in your gun
In my 20 ga's, Indian Creeks shot the best. They have the long slits that I guess could be counted as ports.
pullit what constriction or you using in your 20ga IC chokes? Also do you run TSS?
Have the Indian creek, sumtoy and Jebs, all do very well with hand loads from my 20’s. Just pick your poison
Originally Posted by lone wolf
pullit what constriction or you using in your 20ga IC chokes? Also do you run TSS?

I use a .555 with TSS #9. Some find that a .562 works well but when I tried it, I could not get the patterns I wanted. I like a hot core to my pattern, some like a nice even pattern out to 20", but I like a high count in the 10" circle at 40 yards and of course the numbers fall off in the 10 to 20" areas.
I do use a red dot sight on my guns, and I might want a little more open pattern if I were sighting down the barrel (a little more fudge factor)
Hmmm....

So I looked at my choke tubes and I suspect my lack of impressive 45 pace performance was the ported .570 restriction over with porting.
I have a .555 straight tube that I screwed in last night.

Debating which one to go out with...
The 570 is less miss risk
May not have time or more TSS shells to spare on the 555 tube before season.

Which tube would you run?
If you have a known, (.570 tube) and know your limits, I would take that over an unknown .555 tube. The other thing to consider is the POA vs POI. Changing chokes can change the POI big time in a turkey gun, seen it too many times.
I would go with the known and limit my shots to what the pattern will support.
I'm using a .565" non ported, gives me what I wanted. Tried a .555", and it certainly did give a "hot core" to the pattern. My own opinion, a .555" will work great with an aiming devise on your shotgun, I use a Burris FF III with a 3MOA dot.
I have a Burris FFIII 3 MOA dot on one shotgun and a Holosun 507C with a 3 MOA dot on another shotgun. I feel like you almost have to have it with a tight patterning shotgun like mine are.
Originally Posted by pullit
If you have a known, (.570 tube) and know your limits, I would take that over an unknown .555 tube. The other thing to consider is the POA vs POI. Changing chokes can change the POI big time in a turkey gun, seen it too many times.
I would go with the known and limit my shots to what the pattern will support.

Sage advice.
My pattern wasn't really bad, but its certainly not the typical bragging board.

I'll screw the more open one in.

Side comment... theres a you tube hunter Dave Owen that runs a more open choke because he gets them in closer than most and he wants more margin of error. I suspect thats why I purchased the 570 choke. Or it was on clearance.
I have a buddy that uses a .570 choke his patterns look very close to what I am getting with a .555
I have found that just because you and I have the same make and model of shotgun, we are shooting the same shells and choke, the patterns can be way different. I took the choke out of my buddies gun and put it in mine, same model gun same barrel length and same shells but my pattern was way different than his.
Your barrel may be tighter or looser than the gun you are trying to mirror and it will change the world.
I have a drawer full of chokes and several different shell recipes to come up with what mine likes.
Once you find the shell that your gun likes, you better buy all you can afford of not just the same shell but the same lot number (if you are buying your TSS shells). I have seen the same shell but different lot number of the same shell drop more than 50 hits in a 10" circle (that was with Hevi13 shells)
That is when I started loading my own (in the Hevi13 days) and then moved to the Federal Heavy Weight, and then to TSS. I can control everything about the shell and gun at this point. I have not bought factory turkey shells to hunt with in many, many years.
I did buy some LongBeards to try and was impressed with them but I only hunt with a 20 ga and TSS.
My gun with a 575 is the tightest shooting one I’ve got with several different loads
Originally Posted by humdinger
Hmmm....

Which tube would you run?

I wouldn't answer that question until I shot both with TSS at 40 yards. Then the answer is self evident.
I have shot a hand full of toms 30 to 40+ yards with the old Federal Flite Control #6 or #7. 20 ga. factory full choke. The TSS 20ga loads I shot today completely blows away any pattern I ever got with the flite control loads. Ported or non ported .565 to .575 will do the job @40yds.
I can honestly say I’ve never had a bad pattern with any Indian Creek choke tube with my hand loads. With that being said I mainly stick to Indian Creek chokes unless I can’t find a constriction I want to try. I like the Indian Creek .575 in 20 ga. and Indian Creek .665 or .670 in 12 ga. I set my sons shotgun up with a Turlock (non ported) .585 and I do have a 12 with a Jeb’s .675. Those 2 sizes Indian Creek doesn’t offer.
My Carlsons TSS extended non-ported choke, .565, patterns Federal #7 and #9 TSS very well at 40 yards.

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Also, try patterning your standard Full choke tube that came with your gun. IMO, that ought to be your control choke to which others are compared.

This is a Federal TSS #7 pattern at 30 yards using my standard Full choke.

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#9 with the standard full choke at 30 yards

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I shot a bird in January during our 2-week winter season with Federal TSS #7 and a standard full choke at 40-42 yards. I only found a couple of pellets in the body high on the back just below the neck. The head was plastered with shot. I think that flight control wad does a good job keeping the shot pretty tight even with less restrictive chokes. I found the flight control wad about 20-25 yards out from where I pulled the trigger

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I'm coming around again to the standard full chokes that came with my guns and that's what I will be hunting with this spring. They are more forgiving up close, and still produce deadly patterns further out.
Nice patterns.
My choke didnt get that even.
Your Carlson is doing a great job with the shells you are using for sure.
Most don't want to hear it, but you have to try it and see what your gun likes. You took the time to shoot and pattern your gun and that is the only way to know.
The other advantage is knowing and not guessing about POA/POI which is not a given with tight chokes and patterns.
Non

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Originally Posted by killerv
Non

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Ewwww.... but cool at the same time.

Details needed
I think he sprung a leak
Just a more fun way to check your pattern....

Actually, these were tss 7s out of my sons 1187 20ga compact, with a cheap carlson turkey choke. About 35 yards.

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Nice bird, congrats
That is a nice bird , indeed. Likewise, congrats!
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