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Shooting turkeys beyond 40 yards???


10Gauge

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Ran across this info today and thought it might be of use to some of you guys patterning your turkey loads this season and planning to take shots out to 50 yards......personally I don't advocate shots beyond 35yards but I hear guys talk about these 55-60 yard turkey kills and figured they might need some help in the ammo department!!!

 

What I found interesting was the author used factory "xtra-full" or "turkey chokes" and got some rather outstanding results with them and a variety of off the shelf turkey loads. Keep in mind this is a test of "TURKEY LOADS" not various chokes or different shotguns and was done in 2007 (relatively up to date);

 

http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/turkey_loads.htm

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

 

no problem quake!

 

i found it interesting even though the author used a Remington 870 to do his testing ;)

 

in this test he used 2 chokes a .665" for lead and .675" for non-toxic (hevi-shot, etc.) and got very respectable pattern density at 40 yards with many different loads. he also makes a note of the actual barrel bore diameter for both test guns....this is very important info to keep in mind when testing loads, patterns or chokes! Most of us only note the choke diameter in our tests and in 3 of my benelli guns the bore diameter varies from .719" to .726".....even if I use the same .660 choke in all 3 guns I actully have 3 different "constrictions" with the same choke in 3 different guns! this is why every SBE doesn't pattern the same as every SBE even when we use the same choke and same load.

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NK, I've shot turkey's with 20, 16, 12 & 10....in early spring i like a 20 when their isn't a lot of foliage and when the birds are "working" well and coming in aggressively. As the season wears on or if i'm hunting in thicker cover (greening up) i reach for one of the 12's or the mighty 10....i'm partial to the 10 when i'm after a gobbler that hangs up or is a bit call shy! i actually carry two guns in my Yukon and have switched as i feel the need. two years ago i put a 12 ga barrel on my encore and this was my go to gun for "runnin & gunnin" it is really, really lite....i killed birds with it several times last year in three states!

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Well...it can be done i once shot a bird with 13 hens..i called up...and he hung up at 56 yards...i threw 2oz of number 6's at him and he tumbled in the air only to hit the ground Stone cold....I used a Turkey Mossberg Special 24 inch barrel and a Prodiamond scope.. and a Hasting .640 Choke tube.I ussally don't shoot that far...but this Bird was out in the open on a ridge and sporting a 11 inch+ beard and 1 1/4 inch spurs and weigh 24 lbs....and of course i have patterned it at 50 yards...so i knew what it was going to do....best Turkey yet for me...Honkers41

 

Turkey16.jpg

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Well...it can be done i once shot a bird with 13 hens..i called up...and he hung up at 56 yards...i threw 2oz of number 6's at him and he tumbled in the air only to hit the ground Stone cold....I used a Turkey Mossberg Special 24 inch barrel and a Prodiamond scope.. and a Hasting .640 Choke tube.I ussally don't shoot that far...but this Bird was out in the open on a ridge and sporting a 11 inch+ beard and 1 1/4 inch spurs and weigh 24 lbs....and of course i have patterned it at 50 yards...so i knew what it was going to do....best Turkey yet for me...Honkers41

 

Turkey16.jpg

 

nice bird honk! you won out on the "theory of probability" with that shot and if I were in the same situation I would have taken the shot as well.

 

you mention the pro-diamond scope, is this the Nikon turkey scope? The reason I ask is I got a Nikon (with diamond reticle) in a trade that is mounted on my Encore 12ga (3" chamber) and i have not shot it yet but thinking i might give it a go this spring in KY or TN. I've never been a big fan of scopes on a shotgun but how do you like yours?

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