How much shot should be in the kill zone?

[highside74]

I am a turkey rookie. I just patterned my 11/87 with a Jellyhead choke and a couple of diff. loads at 40 yards. I used a #6 shot 1 7/8oz. 1210 fps and a #5 shot 1 3/4oz. 1300 fps. I had no fewer than 29 bb's in the kill zone and as many as 47 bb's. My question's are.  How many bb's am I looking for? What size shot is best. Thanks.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Minimum of 6 pellets in the head and neck IMHO, size 6 or larger.  If that is the kill zone you are looking at, on a 1:1 scale target, you could back up to determine a "maximum range".  However, I would call it "good enough", 40 yards is plenty far.  I had a gun/choke/load combination that gave me a 55 yard "maximum", but I shot a tom at 38 yards that rolled, jumped up and flew across a canyon.  I found him 3 hours later over 200 yards away with 13 holes in his head and neck - beak, front of eye, and bracketing the spine, but no pellet broke the central nervous system.  He bled out inside from a pellet that nicked his jugular. 

That's the only time I've not had one knocked DRT, but that convinced me I wanted to be pretty conservative.  That was the furthest shot of 15-20 turkeys I've killed.  Others have ranged from 6 to 32 yards, with a full choke and either 3" Fiocchi #5 shot turkey or 3" Remington Duplex 2x6 turkey loads. 

[yelp]

I am a turkey rookie. I just patterned my 11/87 with a Jellyhead choke and a couple of diff. loads at 40 yards. I used a #6 shot 1 7/8oz. 1210 fps and a #5 shot 1 3/4oz. 1300 fps. I had no fewer than 29 bb's in the kill zone and as many as 47 bb's. My question's are.  How many bb's am I looking for? What size shot is best. Thanks.

It sounds like a great pattern for 40 yards.  The objective isn't the number of pellets so much it is the distance the load and choke work best.  Even different shell manufacturers can effect number of pellets within kill zone.. My goal is decapitation..I like tight patterns, but I rarely will shoot over 40 yards. So most shots will be between 25-35 yards.  So I want and effective recipe within this zone..I can assume that if you have 29 pellets out of 47 Total gives you 61% coverage at 40 yds.  I will assume higher at 30 yds..thats pretty decent.  Also remember..it only takes a few well placed pellets to kill a turkey, but I like to know where my comfort range is..another tip is set decoy within that same comfort range.

[highside74]

The target's were the black shoot n c turkey target's. Basically the top of his body and neck and head on the target with the bb's anywhere from the top of his vital's to his mellon.

[highside74]

I am a turkey rookie. I just patterned my 11/87 with a Jellyhead choke and a couple of diff. loads at 40 yards. I used a #6 shot 1 7/8oz. 1210 fps and a #5 shot 1 3/4oz. 1300 fps. I had no fewer than 29 bb's in the kill zone and as many as 47 bb's. My question's are.  How many bb's am I looking for? What size shot is best. Thanks.

I can assume that if you have 29 pellets out of 47 Total

No it was 4 target's that had a minimum of 29 bb's in his upper chest to head and 1 target had 47 bb's in his upper chest to his head. 33 and 38 in the others.

[highside74]

Here is a pic of one of the target's.

[Tom Tamer]

The one above is fair, I've always looked for my max zone to have at least 20 in the head or neck alone, remember at your longer ranges those pellets you show in the body/lung area may NOT penatrate the feathers and all the meat to get through. Those I would personallly discount.

 Also another pointer is notice where the bulk of your pattern is. This is also critical. If you have fixed sights I would notice that the bulk of your pattern is tending a little right  and maybe a little on the low side, I would like most of those body pellets in the head. Make sure you are aware of that when shooting  and compensate. Personally with that pattern you show there , that would be my max range 

[PA BEN]

Looks like you need to sight a little higher on the head.

[jackelope]

That turkey is very dead, but if you have sights that you can adjust on your gun you might adjust them to get that pattern centered. The majority of it is low and right, maybe not low depending on where you're aiming. Otherwise aim a little high and to the left for the best punch.
Really it looks pretty good.

[KimberRich]

I agree..  Looks like a good pattern to me.  I would feel comfortable at 40 for sure.  Which ever one you got 47 bb's with I would go with and probably shoot a couple times at 50 or 55 yards and get an idea of what they look like to determine your max effective range.  But looks to me like your good at 40!  Good luck!

[turkeydancer]

They are correct, you're a little low and to the right.

The NWTF says minimum 6 BB's in the brain pan and spinal column, however I have always gone with a minimum of 12 BB's.  I shot my 1st thunder chicken at 7 yards and longest was a little under 35 yards with most being under 20 yards.  Agree also that maximum should be 40 yards with what I saw on your target unless you are a firm believer that the BB Gods will guide a magic BB to its desired destination (but you shouldn't have to shoot the far as noted earlier, and you shouldn't have a problem if you get adjusted a little).
  

[yelp]

FYI


http://www.chuckhawks.com/turkey_patterning.htm

[dawei]

I do this with one of my 20ga guns

[turkeydancer]

Nice post Yelp ........

[PA BEN]

Found this web page. Printable targets. Scroll down for the turkey target.

http://www.huntingclub.com/uploadedFiles/Travel/Travel_Data/Resources/Shooting_Targets/NAHCTargets.pdf