Ammo

[Northwesoutdoor]

Getting in on turkey for the first time this season. What loads do you recommend I use? Thanks!

[Russ McDonald]

Really it is hard to say.   What I use 5 shot Remington super turkey load in 3".    This may not pattern well in your gun.   All shotguns pattern differently even us ing the same ammo.  4,5,or 6 shot is best if your gun shots 3" go ahead even 3 1/2.  There is some new ammo or there that users multiple size shot and some non toxic stuff to.   I tell everyone use what patterns best in your gun.

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[kevinlisa06]

Exactly as Russ has stated.
Every gun/choke tube/ammo can be different. A lot of guys including my dad use Winchester LongBeard XR. Federal turkey loads are good as well.
What gun and choke are you planning on shooting?



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[Russ McDonald]

Exactly as Russ has stated.
Every gun/choke tube/ammo can be different. A lot of guys including my dad use Winchester LongBeard XR. Federal turkey loads are good as well.
What gun and choke are you planning on shooting?



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I forgot to add i have shot all of these to add had success.

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[ctwiggs1]

Buy a box of shells and pattern a shot or two.  If it works, there you go!

I personally only shoot non-toxic so that has drastically reduced my options but if you're not a weirdo like me, there is a lot to choose from.

Curtis

[kselkhunter]

I use the Federal Premium turkey loads.   Size 6 shot.

[kevinlisa06]

Buy a box of shells and pattern a shot or two.  If it works, there you go!

I personally only shoot non-toxic so that has drastically reduced my options but if you're not a weirdo like me, there is a lot to choose from.

Curtis

What non toxic are ya shooting?


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[ctwiggs1]

Hevi Shot.

Spendy... but I finally asked myself how many shots I planned on taking during turkey season 

And let's face it - Turkey is the one animal that only an extreme minority of the population can hunt and still beat supermarket prices per lb.

[kevinlisa06]

I’m shooting TSS #9’s this season. It’s turkey hunting and my passion so it doesn’t matter to me what I spend.


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[ctwiggs1]

I’m still curious about those.  Do they lose kinetic energy over distance?  I mean obviously they do but last year both my turkeys were 50 yard shots.  Just curious if any #9 could do that. 

[kevinlisa06]

Oh yes even with the 20ga people are whacking birds at over 50 yards. Most guys shooting the .410 are killing birds at 40 yards.


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[northwesthunter84]

I'm running Winchester Longbeard XR #5 with a Carlson Longbeard choke.  Pattern is the size of pie plate at 30 yards.  Papers well out to 60 but plan on keeping it inside 40. 

[tlbradford]

Hevishot Reduced Recoil Magnum Blend for my daughter.  It is a mix of #5, #6, and #7 shot
Hevishot Hevi-13 Magnum for me

They patterned great out of a mossberg 590 with the hevishot choke.  Destroyed two tom's last year with a 20 yard and 45 yard shot.  This will be my second year using them.  After rebate it is still around $4 a load, but after my daughters bird came back to life a couple years ago, I made the switch.

[TriggerMike]

Hevi-shot magnum blend. I have a Remington 870 and my brother has a Mossberg 500. We went to the range one day years back and shot all of the different turkey loads and the Hevi-shot by far patterned the best for both of us. It's not cheap, but it's worth it and we've killed a lot of turkeys using it. I wouldn't use any other ammo.

[lokidog]

I've killed every turkey I have shot at with copper plated lead.  I usually use #5.  I guess I did miss one, once, when a friend's reload squibbed on me....  Just keep to a reasonable range, more fun to call them in closer and you don't need expensive ammo.   

[Cab]

honestly, you take so few shots turkey hunting I prefer to buy high quality like Hevi-shot magnum blend or anything hevi shot really. All of my birds were taken with Hevi shot and I just find the patterning to work well for my shotgun. Buy some good stuff and shoot a few rounds, see how it patterns at 20 then maybe 40 yards. I never get a shot over 25 yards most of the time but you never know. If it patterns well then you are good to go.

[Bill W]

for those who shoot "non-toxic" or "harder than lead", what choke are you shooting it thru?    I wonder about the chance of damaging a choke or bulging a barrel when using a super tight turkey choke and ammo that doesn't compress the same as lead shot.    I haven't seen any data on turkey chokes and "other than lead".  I'd like to see if the choke is enlarged or if the wad encompasses all of the shot load to keep pellets from scratching the side of the barrel.

[tlbradford]

for those who shoot "non-toxic" or "harder than lead", what choke are you shooting it thru?    I wonder about the chance of damaging a choke or bulging a barrel when using a super tight turkey choke and ammo that doesn't compress the same as lead shot.    I haven't seen any data on turkey chokes and "other than lead".  I'd like to see if the choke is enlarged or if the wad encompasses all of the shot load to keep pellets from scratching the side of the barrel.

I think your concerns have validity.  When I researched what I was going to use out of the new shotgun, and specifically when looking at the Hevishot product, they cautioned against using some types of chokes.  I looked at being cheap and using my Carlson Dead Coyote choke, but decided to just spend the $40 for the Hevishot choke.  Now everything matches, I have consistency, and I have no concerns I am hurting the barrel or choke.

[biggfish]

for those who shoot "non-toxic" or "harder than lead", what choke are you shooting it thru?    I wonder about the chance of damaging a choke or bulging a barrel when using a super tight turkey choke and ammo that doesn't compress the same as lead shot.    I haven't seen any data on turkey chokes and "other than lead".  I'd like to see if the choke is enlarged or if the wad encompasses all of the shot load to keep pellets from scratching the side of the barrel.

I'm shooting magnum blend through a black maxx choke which is.002 less constricted than the hevi-shot turkey choke. They work well with x-full chokes and compress good enough to use the same chokes as you would for lead shot. Steel is where you need to worry, hevi-shot makes a steel turkey load and recommends not going above an improved modified choke.

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[kevinlisa06]

for those who shoot "non-toxic" or "harder than lead", what choke are you shooting it thru?    I wonder about the chance of damaging a choke or bulging a barrel when using a super tight turkey choke and ammo that doesn't compress the same as lead shot.    I haven't seen any data on turkey chokes and "other than lead".  I'd like to see if the choke is enlarged or if the wad encompasses all of the shot load to keep pellets from scratching the side of the barrel.

I'm shooting magnum blend through a black maxx choke which is.002 less constricted than the hevi-shot turkey choke. They work well with x-full chokes and compress good enough to use the same chokes as you would for lead shot. Steel is where you need to worry, hevi-shot makes a steel turkey load and recommends not going above an improved modified choke.

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Mossberg 500 20ga with a Carlson’s .575 shooting Apex 9’s TSS


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