Favorite Shot Size for shooting Turkey in face?

[270Shooter]

here's some patterning I did today. This is 1 3/4 of 6's winchester long beard xr. From my benelli with a carlson .665 choke tube. 209 hits in a 'rough' 10" circle at 40 yards. These shells are the real deal, best pattern I've ever gotten out of my gun.

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[270Shooter]

just for fun I tried the same gun and load at 60 yards, now I don't think I'd really shoot a turkey that far, but it's nice to know that your gun is capable of doing it. I pulled the shot slightly. Counted 92 hits in a rough 10 inch circle.

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[Timberstalker]

270shooter;

All you have to do is your part with that patterning. 

That's good stuff.

[sakoshooter]

I just patterned a few Kent Diamond shot and Winchester Long Beard in #4 and #6 in both 3" and 3 1/2" out of my 30" 870 with a fixed full choke and out of my Beretta A400 Extreme with a Patternmaster Turkey choke. Shot only 3" out of the 870 and both out of the Beretta at 40 and 50 yds. 50 yds is questionable in my opinion based on my results. 40 yds - everything would have been super dead. 6's were by far the best as far as total hits in the neck/head with #6 Kent Diamond shot winning. Both patterned good but the Kent was more even.
I will say this, those heavy loads have some serious recoil when you're only wearing a T shirt, LOL.
If I get a chance, I'll take pics of the pattern results and post em.

[Dan-o]

I like #6 in lead or #7 in hevishot. #6 lead has double the pellet count of #4 lead so there's a much tighter pattern and less chance of a miss. I strongly discourage #4, if you doubt the difference shoot some paper targets with #4 and #6 shot at 40 yards and you will see the difference.

#7 hevishot has roughly twice the bb count as #5 hevishot, but #7 hevishot has the same energy as #5 copperplated lead. Shoot #7 hevishot at 50 yards on a paper target, great patterns. I've seen several turkeys killed at 60-65 yards with 1 load of hevishot.
(you need more open chokes with hevishot or you risk damage to your gun, hevishot makes choke tubes too)

I know hevishot costs a lot but considering what you already spend to go hunting does another $20 matter?

Great thread.

I've only huntied turkeys 5 years, and have been very fortunate to take 4 turkeys.

But I went with 4 shot, thinking bigger is better.

This post from Bear Paw made me go out and buy some 6 shot.   Great logic.   

[C-Money]

Lead Remington or Federal 3" 1 7/8oz or 2oz, 4, 5, or 6s. Hammers them!

[bearpaw]

A new combo load of 5/6/7 in 20 gauge smoked a nice tom this morning. 

[Tjv28]

#5 is the biggest shot size legal in Washingtion state. I was thinking #2 3" mags would give me some extra range, but found out it aint legal!

[benhuntin]

#5 is the biggest shot size legal in Washingtion state. I was thinking #2 3" mags would give me some extra range, but found out it aint legal!

you can use #4


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[Tjv28]

#4 it is! my bad

[dawei]

My wife & I hunt with 20ga guns and use Pb ammunition...
• NEF® Single Shot does best with 3" Federal® Mag-Shok® #6
• Remington® SPR220 SxS patterns best with 3" Remington® Nitro Turkey™ #5
• Mossberg® Mdl 500C Pump shoots 3" Winchester® Supreme® #4

It is all about the capabilities of your ammo-choke-gun combination.

YMMVH

[270Shooter]

30 yards with 1 3/4 Oz 6's. These winchester longbeard XR are devastating. And not one single pellet in the meat.

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[mossy8352]

Mag Blend's 3 inch opening day four out of four tags filled all one shot clean kill good enough for us. A great hunt and quick kills.

[PA BEN]

I've always shot 3" #6, full choke

[alexjm]

I'm a #6 man, but that also fits with the choke diameter I like to shoot (.665).  Different barrels & chokes & diameters like different loads.  I agree with everyone else on here about the winchester xr's.  Just patterned up a new barrel/choke combo on my 870 with 204 pellets in a 10" Circle at 40 yards with 3", 1 3/4oz, #6's.  At 20 it's shooting baseballs.  I've shot federals and remingtons over the years, all with success, but nothing touches the performance of these winchester xr's.  Devastating.