Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: ffbowhunter on February 15, 2018, 07:33:47 PM
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Looking to pick up a new shotgun for the upcoming turkey season. I would prefer it to be under 500 because I will only use it for turkey season. I currently have an old Winchester model 120 12 gauge. Or would you just keep the Winchester and ad a better sight. That would me I would have to spend 500 elsewhere...
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Shoot the 120 if you can shoot it. Add a turkey choke and you're good to go.
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Your Win 120 will do the job.
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It has a winchoke extra full, keep that or find another choke? I’m new to turkey hunting if you can’t tell.
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It has a winchoke extra full, keep that or find another choke? I’m new to turkey hunting if you can’t tell.
Perfect, no need to change unless you want a new gun :)
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:yeah:
Practice with your bead, I think you'll find that it is accurate enough out to your max effective range.
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Put a piece of plywood against a fence
Nail a beer/soda can to it
Shoot it from 30 yards away with your turkey choke/turkey ammo.
Ask yourself “if that can was a turkey head, would that be a dead turkey?”
Make adjustments from there. If it’s good, shoot again at 40 yards and ask yourself the same question.
It’s really that simple. And you don’t need a new gun. :tup:
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I killed my first turkey with a Browning BPS modified choke. Throw a full choke or use a gun with a full choke and your good to go. Could do it with a single shot if you can work the birds into your decoys or close range.
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I would start by patterning. I use a cardboard box and a turkey target. If you don't like the pattern you can change chokes or ammo. If your point of aim isn't hitting good on the target you can adjust your aim or find a low or no magnification sight. I don't see a reason to get a new gun unless you're really just wanting to get a new gun. If you're going to hunt in a nontoxic shot area I would avoid your full choke of shooting steel. Save your money for ammo is my suggestion.
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I've killed all of my turkeys using a 1956 Mossberg 95A bolt action 12ga. honestly sights and getting special turkey guns are overrated IMHO. Now if turkey hunting if your "thing" like that is what you focus on hunting wise then sure it's worth it but for someone like me who does a variety of hunting it's not. All of my birds were shot at 20 yards or less and if you aim below the head you should be fine. This year I'm going to try my 870 20ga purely because the Mossberg is heavy and not fun to hike with. Save your money on new guns and sights and spend it on quality turkey ammo is what I would do.
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Cab hit it right on the head.
Spend the money on good ammo. Hevi-Shot turkey loads #5 or #6 are great and even better are the new Federal TSS turkey loads #7 or #9...this stuff is KILLER!
One more thing, aim point on turkeys. Now you might get a lot of argument on this subject, but I believe I am correct in this advise and will stick with it 'till I can't walk the turkey hills any more.
Aim for the base of that old boy's neck, you kill more birds and you'll wound less birds...period!
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Like what the others have said. Buy good ammo and pattern it.
I use and have been successful with a junior H&R Pardner pump 20 gauge. It has a 21 inch barrel and all I added was a cheap Turkey Choke. It has been my only shotgun for the past 20 years and I hunt everything with it.
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Cab hit it right on the head.
Spend the money on good ammo. Hevi-Shot turkey loads #5 or #6 are great and even better are the new Federal TSS turkey loads #7 or #9...this stuff is KILLER!
One more thing, aim point on turkeys. Now you might get a lot of argument on this subject, but I believe I am correct in this advise and will stick with it 'till I can't walk the turkey hills any more.
Aim for the base of that old boy's neck, you kill more birds and you'll wound less birds...period!
Which 9 shot you shooting? I’m shooting Apex TSS 9’s in the 20ga.
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Personally your Winchester will do the job. If you have the money get some fiber optic sights, I love mine. Pattern your gun with the current set up, if your happy with it at 30 yards and it will kill a bird great. If you are not happy with it then you need to change shells and or your choke tube.
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When I first started chasing turkeys I used my duck gun. After a few years I grew tired of lugging the long gun through the timber and up and over ridges. I do a lot of mountain hunting for turkeys in the SE corner.
I picked up a Rem 870 tactical, screwed in a primos turkey choke and put an aimpoint micro on top. Even with the 16.5" barrel it hammers birds to 40 yards plus. Heck of lot easier to pack around and doubles duty for home defense.
You can go this route for under 500 bucks if you skip the aimpoint.
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Cab hit it right on the head.
Spend the money on good ammo. Hevi-Shot turkey loads #5 or #6 are great and even better are the new Federal TSS turkey loads #7 or #9...this stuff is KILLER!
One more thing, aim point on turkeys. Now you might get a lot of argument on this subject, but I believe I am correct in this advise and will stick with it 'till I can't walk the turkey hills any more.
Aim for the base of that old boy's neck, you kill more birds and you'll wound less birds...period!
Which 9 shot you shooting? I’m shooting Apex TSS 9’s in the 20ga.
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TSS ups the game in the small bores. In 10 or 12 gauge, you can throw an amazing amount of lethal pellets.
Five hundred bucks would go along way toward slinging high quality shot down range.
Here's a pattern I shot yesterday.
20 gauge 7/8 oz TSS #8 @ 40 yardsBeretta Improved Modified Carlson choke
78 pellets in a 10" circle - 222 pellets in the load.
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Not a turkey load but here's a FIFTY yard pattern. Same load except the shot size is #3 TSS. There are 17 pellets in 10 inches centered on the board. There are only 59 heavy pellets in a 7/8 oz. load. Coyote/vermin load.
Both of these patterns are the start of developing my 20 gauge load. I've been shooting a 12 gauge with TSS on special occasions :chuckle: for a few years.
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Cab hit it right on the head.
Spend the money on good ammo. Hevi-Shot turkey loads #5 or #6 are great and even better are the new Federal TSS turkey loads #7 or #9...this stuff is KILLER!
One more thing, aim point on turkeys. Now you might get a lot of argument on this subject, but I believe I am correct in this advise and will stick with it 'till I can't walk the turkey hills any more.
Aim for the base of that old boy's neck, you kill more birds and you'll wound less birds...period!
Which 9 shot you shooting? I’m shooting Apex TSS 9’s in the 20ga.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
TSS ups the game in the small bores. In 10 or 12 gauge, you can throw an amazing amount of lethal pellets.
Five hundred bucks would go along way toward slinging high quality shot down range.
Here's a pattern I shot yesterday.
20 gauge 7/8 oz TSS #8 @ 40 yardsBeretta Improved Modified Carlson choke
78 pellets in a 10" circle - 222 pellets in the load.
I will be patterning my Mossberg 500 20ga with a Carlson’s .575 choke tube and Apex 3” 1 5/8 oz 9 shot TSS. I will post results once I pattern it in a couple weeks.
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#8 and #9 shot for turkeys? Hopefully that is just to get an idea of where your gun shoots, otherwise seems irresponsible unless you are limiting your shots to 15 yards or less.... :twocents:
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#8 and #9 shot for turkeys? Hopefully that is just to get an idea of where your gun shoots, otherwise seems irresponsible unless you are limiting your shots to 15 yards or less.... :twocents:
Federal’s Heavyweight TSS in 7’s and 9’s is far from being irresponsible. Technology has changed a lot and this has become very popular.
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#8 and #9 shot for turkeys? Hopefully that is just to get an idea of where your gun shoots, otherwise seems irresponsible unless you are limiting your shots to 15 yards or less.... :twocents:
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From the Apex ammunition page.
A little insight to TSS. It's long but worth the read. Enjoy
While simple kinetic energy equation tells us yes mass and velocity are in the equation. Most people don't comprehend Velocity is also exponentially proportional to mass. So exiting the barrel with similar muzzle velocities, any heavier pellet will carry more " kinetic energy." So if that's the case, let's use #2 steel. Its more than # 4 lead, right? At 3.509 grains it then must be better? This is why most big game bowhunting guides require a certain arrow weight, because a heavier, slightly slower arrow is more leathal than a light fast one. The answer is momentum. It is more important than the flashy, marketed " kinetic energy." However, what the " energy" is actually referred to is knock down power. A common misnomer used in tss. Shotgunners have two common myths, they think velocity is constant and gravity is negligible. A #9 tss pellet has the same penetration capability as a number 4 lead in ballistics gel at 40 yards. How? We'll lead is a malleable material that deforms on impact. Therefore it creates an uneven surface. It also has more surface area than a #9. BOTH which contribute to the pellet losing velocity. Since velocity is relative to kinetic energy at an exponential rate, it looses velocity at an exponential rate. Air is actually modeled as a fluid and thus we utilize this to calculate resistance loses. Therefore, because lead has lost so much velocity, it's mass is not relative to the equation as much where as an initial pellet such as 1.2 grains is but has maintained a velocity of 4-500 fps or more at that range. Coupled with its density ( which enables it to maintain speed due to momentum which is defined as a subjects ability to impart resistance on an object in motion) and ability to not deform allows it to penetrate to the equivalent of #4 lead at 40 yards (approx 2.5") As we shoot birds we are not looking to hit muscle and have a lead core " open up" to cause hemmorage, we are looking for skeletal and nervous system damage. We are looking looking for a material that as the ability to accomplish such in a greater manner and at greater distance if one so chooses.
If none of this which I said is true, then why would we just not use steel in larger pellet sizes then since say it's, possibly cheaper or more environmental friendly? Why do we not shoot #9 lead then? Why does heavyweight 15 not come in number 9? Why does hevi shot not offer their products in 8 and 9? Are the thousands of people who use TSS , even if they don't buy from us , apart of a gimmick? Does the military using tungsten tipped rounds for armor piercing a false way to spend more on ammunition?
No, they are not. Simply put. Material density enables us to utilize a smaller pellet which retains velocity due to momentum ( mass times velocity, not to be confused with kinetic energy of mass times velocity squared) and is less susceptible to wind resistance which allows it to have the " same knock down power" or " energy" as people mislabel it as #4 lead in ballistics gel at 40 yards and beyond. Since most ballistics gel is the same relative compatible composition in terms of damage as tissue of animals, it is widely used for testing such as by the FBI for testing.
So, common misnomer as people relate " energy" equivalencies from mere weight and muzzle velocities. A common software used to calculate energy at distances based on density, shot size and velocity, can be purchased from BPI called KPY which we use. Also, I will cite sources below from Tom Roster and Randy Wakeman, two of the most well known and respected shotshell experts today and argue the very same claims I mentioned above.
I assure you this is not a gimmick. Tungsten is considered a " precious metal" on the world market and is marketed as such. If it were cheaper, then every shotshell manufacturer would dabble into it and we would offer our shells the lowest we possibly could. There is a reason Federal wants in the market.
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My only issue with #9 TSS is the insane amount of shot I am bound to find in my dinner.
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My only issue with #9 TSS is the insane amount of shot I am bound to find in my dinner.
Last year I shot my bird with HWT 7’s a form of TSS and the BBs passed through the bird
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#8 and #9 shot for turkeys? Hopefully that is just to get an idea of where your gun shoots, otherwise seems irresponsible unless you are limiting your shots to 15 yards or less.... :twocents:
@lokidog You should take an honest look at TSS. It's penetration and pattern density is phenomenal. TSS #6 will shoot clean through a swan at 50 yards. I've taken two of them with TSS #6 on out of state permits. That same load will crush large canada geese at 60 yards (laser ranged) and I would not have an issue with pulling the trigger on a coyote at that range with that load. However, coyote is what the #3 TSS was intended for.
Tons of info on this at gobblernation. Here's a link that gives an idea of how dense this stuff is-
www.gobblernation.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1682
Fact is, at 15 yards, you better be right on or you're going to miss. TSS 8's or 9's will kill beyond 40 yards and have the pattern to make that shot.
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I was looking for that post but couldn’t find it @huntingfool7
Quite a few people shootingTSS #2’s on Whitetail back east now complete pass through with the shot.
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