Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: pianoman9701 on March 28, 2018, 06:46:45 AM

Title: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: pianoman9701 on March 28, 2018, 06:46:45 AM: In most states, it's #4. Some have #2. Why the restriction on shot size?
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: Henrydog on March 28, 2018, 07:00:07 AM: Not sure but, I think the idea is that you can you 00 or a sabot and take one out at 100 yards.
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: pianoman9701 on March 28, 2018, 07:17:35 AM: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: gaddy on March 28, 2018, 08:11:06 AM: My thought is number of pellets and density of pattern and why it is recommended to hit the neck and head. Hard to penetrate a turkeys thick plumage and body. Saw a guy hit a turkey with a ten gauge at about 30 yards, it rolled hard and got up and ran off. I asked what shot he was using - #2 goose loads. I know he hit it hard but don't believe he got the head, neck, or any vitals.
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: bobcat on March 28, 2018, 08:33:56 AM: Yes, I'm pretty sure it's so people will do what you're supposed to do and call them in close and shoot for the head.

Same reason rifles aren't allowed.
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: CaNINE on March 28, 2018, 08:41:03 AM: My understanding is that the requirement is for safety. Turkey hunting has the highest risk of hunting related stupid accidents. A #2 or 00 pellet has enough mass to cause higher risk of lethal injury to the victim. I had some dude put the sneak on me while I was hen yelping last year. I waved him off as he approached with his gun at the high ready. I'm not of fan of people "stalking" turkeys.
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: Evil_EdwardO on March 28, 2018, 08:43:14 AM: Probably a safety thing. New York and Pennsylvania you can hunt them with a 22lr.
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: jackelope on March 28, 2018, 08:46:43 AM: I'd venture to say there's a lot more margin for error using the smaller shot too with a much denser shot pattern, aside from the safety factor.
Personally I like to use a 5 or 6 shot size.
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: The Gobble-stopper on March 28, 2018, 01:20:58 PM: Density in the larger shot sizes does not equal a clean kill. Head and neck shots are the only sure way to kill a turkey. There are a lot of holes in the patterns of larger shot, you may miss the neck and head. Shot though a body usually only ends up wounding the turkey, Hard to hit a quarter size heart or lung shot with the bigger shot. Just as easy to call em in close and blow their head off. A lot more fun too
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: bearpaw on March 28, 2018, 02:35:02 PM: I imagine they want to keep turkey hunting sporting. Lets face it, if we could use .223 and even 22lr more turkeys would get killed due to the greater effective range.

I like 6's because of the denser pattern, I've got some of the new tss #9 coming, can't wait to see the pattern on that stuff.
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: Bob33 on March 28, 2018, 02:36:02 PM: Safety.
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: kevinlisa06 on March 28, 2018, 03:14:30 PM: Quote from: bearpaw on March 28, 2018, 02:35:02 PM
I imagine they want to keep turkey hunting sporting. Lets face it, if we could use .223 and even 22lr more turkeys would get killed due to the greater effective range.

I like 6's because of the denser pattern, I've got some of the new tss #9 coming, can't wait to see the pattern on that stuff.

Who did go with?

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Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: Pegasus on March 28, 2018, 03:16:02 PM: Safety for other hunters. High rate of hunters get shot while turkey hunting. Years ago many hunted turkeys with buckshot or .22LR. Getting hit with 4's or smaller increases your chance of survival when someone thinks that gobbling sound you are making is a real turkey. That's why they also recommend calling with your back against a tree and not wearing red, blue, white or black.
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: Yelper Guy on March 28, 2018, 03:51:50 PM: I took three #5's to the face two years ago on opening day from a downhill shooter chasing the flock up-hill.
We were set-up against a tree, and start hearing shots below us getting closer.
The third shot was the one that hit me.
Never saw him until it was too late.
I'm glad they weren't #2's!
I posted it on here two years ago -"Turkey head shot - me not the turkey!"
Be careful out there! :yike:
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: Machias on March 30, 2018, 08:13:49 AM: 100% safety issue.
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: Russ McDonald on March 30, 2018, 08:23:23 AM: Safety for sure. You have to watch out for those turkeys of the non feathered kind out there. One of the things I preach in my clinics. I use 5 shot normally. I got some triple threat which is 5,6 and 7 but I decided to go with a crossbow this year.
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: kevinlisa06 on March 31, 2018, 06:25:40 PM: Not even sure why you would even want to go bigger than 4 shot. Very few pellets to get a good pattern at a bobbing head. Shot my bird last year with Heavyweight 7’s last season, way more pellets. I will be patterning my TSS 9’s tomorrow morning.

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Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: pianoman9701 on April 01, 2018, 06:46:14 AM: I didn't say I wanted to go bigger. I was simply wondering the reason. I assumed it was safety.
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: kevinlisa06 on April 01, 2018, 08:56:37 AM: Quote from: pianoman9701 on April 01, 2018, 06:46:14 AM
I didn't say I wanted to go bigger. I was simply wondering the reason. I assumed it was safety.
Got ya 👍

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Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: Luna butte on April 01, 2018, 09:24:58 AM: I always figured it was so the fish cops could easily tell who was shooting em with a 22
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: Duckslayer89 on April 01, 2018, 12:07:35 PM: Quote from: CaNINE on March 28, 2018, 08:41:03 AM
My understanding is that the requirement is for safety. Turkey hunting has the highest risk of hunting related stupid accidents. A #2 or 00 pellet has enough mass to cause higher risk of lethal injury to the victim. I had some dude put the sneak on me while I was hen yelping last year. I waved him off as he approached with his gun at the high ready. I'm not of fan of people "stalking" turkeys.

Turkey hunting has highest rates of accidents because its popular in the south
Title: Re: Why is #4 shot the largest you can use? Safety? Sportsmanship?
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on April 02, 2018, 10:35:08 AM: Both safety and killing efficacy - you can put the recommended minimum 5-6 pellets in a head/neck pattern further with #4-6 shot, and still have enough energy per pellet to penetrate the neck bones (about 65 yards max energy/pellet in a lead #6 IIRC).