CH/QuakerBoyProstaff

If you have an old "mom n pop" gunshop around,keep your eyes peeled for the old Federal "Grand Slam" premium turkey loads(pre Flightcontrol wad). These things rock in some Carlson's tubes,especially the #5's and #6's. There is a shop near me that caters to pistol and tactical shooters,and still has them,as well as a ton of Bismuth.All at the original prices from a couple of years ago.(Cheap!)

I'm in love with the quest. The process of trial and error.I like the manipulation of parts to find answers and solve problems thay defy me in each session.I like making a gun shoot balanced patterns through things that I do to it with my own two hands.I guess to me,it's not about killing turkeys far away,but making a gun that doesn't want to,capable of doing so. Personally,I love the wild turkey,and want them close so I can admire them.Sometimes,despite whatever caliber of calling I throw at them,they just don't want to come in closer,and I have to make a decision.Whichever of the two happens,I want to know what will go down when the pin strikes the primer,and the silence is shattered. Very interesting thread,I can't help but think this one might get a little Crazy!

This year I'm freestyling my Fl. hunts. I have so many events and seminars crammed together,that I'm just gonna be a turkey hunting hobo for the first couple of weeks.I'm so jacked up for my Pa. trip,that I'm actually rolling into the Fl. season realy relaxed.

We are getting mixed reports of serious gobbling activity,and that is getting me jacked up.Opening day is March 15 for me.Once this cool front passes through, then it will be time to put the ears on.

Truly a nice bird! I can see why you rolled the dice.

Our weather has been crazy.Right now at 9:30pm its 42degrees out and dropping.Mild for most places,but Florida? The wind has been whipping all day too. All the time indoors gives you time to think of ways to make your patterning sessions more productive. I want to hire a lad to run my targets back and forth at my sessions and fill out the info on them before doing so.I'd make him a "team" shirt and even let him pick up the hulls.lol;)

I tried Fed F/C #4's and they were just OK. That was all I had.This weekend,weather permitting, I am going to give the tube another go in my Remington 870 Supermag I bought on Sun. with some 3.5 loads.

This tube mystefies me a bit. If you are able,try some "cheap" loads like Kent Ultimate #6 and Rem Nitro #6. These loads didn't set the world on fire,but were pretty impressive to around 40yds +/-. My dream was always to find a tube that made affordable shells shoot like premium ones,but the quest continues I guess.My Supernova loves this tube,but my autoloader doesn't.

Mudhen, what other loads are you considering testing with your setup?

Will do. I found a straight rifled SuperFull RemChoke at Bass Pro for $10 on closeout.I wish I could say it was awesome,but it left gaping holes with everything I put through it!Good thing it was only $10,eh? take care,CH

10Ga.,thanks for your questions,I always enjoy talking with you. I'm trying each sceneraio out. The ribs run front to back like straight rifling and are about a 1/4 in wide.I just removed the extremely rough finish on the ribs.I left the other one stock,and I'm just for kicks going to ream out the other completely to .655 just to see what it's like,I just have to be presice so that the data is true.I like how long the tube is and how long the parallel surface area is for the charge to ride on.This tube sits 2" out of the muzzle. Thanks ppro for your imput,I wish you the best and hope you return to talk turkey with us!

Dude! I SO talk to my BOB as well! He rides up front with me when we are cruising the logging roads.The best thing about him is he doesn't eat all my Little Debbies and Pop Tarts like my other hunting mates(Scott,Kris!)

This has been the most interesting thread I have seen in a while!I must have missed the advertisement that said that the SBEII will cure world hunger,poverty,and diseases,and also will assemble itself out of the box,never chip or show wear,hit every target you ever shoot at and make your life better in every category. When you sum up all the opinions of people who are not happy with their guns,this is what it sounds like they were promised when they opened their wallet. If you are not satisfied with the product,complain to the company and the people who can change it.Otherwise,don't come to a place and complain about the "hard time" that the vast majority of people who are happy with their gun and also made the exact same sacrifice you did gave you. I'm not trying to sound like a jerk,but I hate seing people spin their wheels with no hint of a resolution.

This problem sounds deeper than what you found in the box.I agree with Tucker301

I'll leave no stone unturned.The journey is neverending.The paper doesn't lie,it's just up to us to listen and learn. At least we have a good time finding the truth!

The guy who designed this tube's name is Mark Bansner.We discussed this topic and he gave me some food for thought.There are two sides to the great debate,the ones who want the wad to strip away from the shot as quickly as possible,and the ones who want the wad to stay with the shot as long as possible.The funny thing that was brought to my attention is that the choke companies are designing tubes that acomplish the goal of group one,and ammo manufacturers are begining to design shells with the idea of keeping the wad with the shot charge(ie Flitecontrol from Federal) A trip back to the drawing board was in order once that technology and the data that comes with it has started to show that the answer lies in the hybrid of old and new school practices. The catylist for his epiphany was the advent of Federal Flightcontrol wads,and the mysterious Heavyweight #7 shot,hence the .643 dia. of the tube. All this ends up on a lonley patterning range in the cool of Feb. with endless possibilities. As for myself,no expense will be spared in the quest.Fortunatly,I have great support in the industry behind me who understand the importance of what the grind provides on a side note,check out some of Mark Bansner's work.He is one of the most respected gunsmith's in the world.This guy's talent is magical.

If you are looking for a little improvement in your SSX tube,try using a brake cylinder hone and some fluid(flex-hone) to remove the roughness in the "grooves" inside the tube untill you have a mirror finish.Most of the tubes are fine out of the box,but I had some extra time and product on hand,and decided to do some R&D.Please get back to me if you have similar results(especially in non-Benelli guns) Happy Shooting!

This was truly an informative link! Thank you for sharing this.

The gun that I see in my head would be such a dream to carry and blast with.It would have to be called something else beyond Ultralight,like the Benelli SFL. I'll let your imagination figure that one out!

TS, how far away is a Bass Pro Shops from you? They are having an awesome sale on adjustable fiber-optic sights and loads,as well.A new gun is not needed here,as the fix can come from a couple of easy factors that 10 Ga. brought up.We will get you set up!

One thing you might consider is the decoy stake that Buckwing offers.It's like an umbrella as it "fans" out inside the decoy and puffs it up,so it maintains it's shape in the field.

I'm always having a blast cooking up 16ga loads,too! In my fantasy world,there would be a Benelli Ultralight or Cordoba 16ga.,as well as factory Hevi-Shot 16ga. loads in every store in America.Can you imagine? There I go day dreaming again...

I think you should hedge your bets and put a set of adjustable sights on your gun,such as those available from,TruGlo,H.S. Strut,HiViz,and Williams. The bead on the I-12 is very large and could block out the turkey's head at longer ranges.This will allow you to adjust the high and low pattern as well as the left and right variations you might encounter with different loads and chokes.These sights can be had for under $20. If shooting low is your only problem,you should be able to just add a taller rear sight and leave the front bead on the gun,if you are comfortable with the size of the bead,that is. Good Luck this Spring!

I guess that decoy is so awesome that he's considered profane and obscene:p

As far as realism goes,I like the Primos B-******,and the Buckwing series of Decoys. They are made of a solid rubber that is a little more cumbersome,but when you put these things out,you'd swear a flock of live birds snuck in on you while you had your head turned.B-****** is ultra realistic,but his use is limited in terms of how often you can use him throughout the course of the season.Full strut decoys tend to scare off the lesser dominant birds,which could be a problem if "The Boss" was recently killed by someone else and the pecking order hasn't been sorted back out yet. A trick I like to use in a situation like this is to put B-****** farther off to my side with a hen decoy,and have another hen(upright or feeding) in front of me with a jake decoy just chillin'.This makes a "safe" social situation for a sub-dom mature bird to come and chill out and break the ice.