| Posted: Tue Sep 8th, 2009 07:39 PM |
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J.Fish
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I'm going turkey hunting for the first time ever. I'm wanting recomendations for a good turkey load. I'm using a Winchester Model 37 16 guage full choke and also going to take a Mossberg 20 Guage. Really cant wait to use the 16, was my grandfathers for about 50 years, before he gave it to me.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 9th, 2009 03:49 AM |
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2nd Post |
.45 COLT
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Federal Wing-Shock Magnum load, 1 ¼ ounces, #4 plated lead shot. 1,260 FPS, #P165 looks like the Factory load I’d probably go with in 16 Gauge. There aren’t a lot of options in 16 if you’re using Factory shells. I don’t believe you need the 1,260 FPS, 1,200 or so would do just fine, but I like the 1 ¼ ounce load.
20 Gauge has more loads, I’d go with #5 or #4 shot.
My opinions.
DC
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| Posted: Wed Sep 9th, 2009 01:46 PM |
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leadhead
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I've heard the hevi-shot loads are murder on turkeys.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 9th, 2009 02:38 PM |
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16gauge
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I would strongly suggest that you pattern your shotgun on a turkey pattern prior to going out......you might be greatly surprised at what you find.
I have worked up some buffered loads using nickle plated shot in the 16 gauge....I fired them through my Remington model 11 with polychoke, starting with the Xtra full setting. What I found was that with bigger shot and tight chokes, the patterns were blown! I acutally got tighter patterns using the improved modified choke setting.
There is no 'best' load....every gun reacts differently to different ammo, same as a rifle. I would suggest buying a few different boxes (maybe go in with some buddies to reduce cost, if possible) and pattern a 5 or 6 rounds at 35-40 yards and see what you get.
45 Colt's recommendation of the Federal 1 1/4 oz load is a good one, and I would also suggest that you try Fiocchi's golden pheasant loads (also plated shot). Generally speaking, corse (bigger) shot will open patterns and smaller (fine) shot will tight it, plating will tighten patterns, and speed will tend to open patterns (these are all generalities, however, and your results may vary )
I don't think it is an issue with the 16 gauge (because I don't beleive anyone is loading it in 16 gauge), but I would suggest staying away from hevishot for use in older, fixed full choked shotguns.
Good luck.........bring home a bird for thanksgiving.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14th, 2009 03:20 AM |
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J.Fish
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Thanks for the input folks. I wont have a problem finding anything for the 20 guage. The 16 on the other hand is. I found a box of #4 for it, but almost $30.00. I'll suck it up though. Next year, however, I'm thinking muzzleloader shotgun.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 16th, 2009 01:52 AM |
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Novashooter
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I don't have any 20 or 16 gauge loads but I do know my favorite 12gauge load. It gets 29 pellets (average of 10 shots) in the head and neck zone at 30 yards and 14 pellets (10 shot average) in the head and neck at 50 yards. That is with my nova so I don't know how it will do in yours. It has about as much recoil as a 2 3/4" duck load.
Hull-federal 3" (card base)
primer-federal 209
powder- Its bluedot but I have to check on how much.
wad- Ballistic Products Turkey ranger with a 1/8" felt in bottom
shot- 1 3/4oz. lead (I prefer #5 chilled)
crimp-6 point
pressure-10500psi
velocity-1300fps
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| Posted: Thu Apr 15th, 2010 04:23 AM |
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Novashooter
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oh, its 32gr bluedot
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| Posted: Thu Apr 15th, 2010 06:03 PM |
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BEAR
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I use a 16 ga single. I call close so I use Rem 2 3/4 inch with #6 shot. I shot two last spring and my 84 year old hunting buddy got his first spring turkey with the same 16 ga single and out of the the same $5 box of ammo.
Expensive shells are really not needed for spring birds. Sex does it all, they will come in really close and no need to be shooting longer than 25 yards.
If you go with a MZ next year, I also use a 20 ga Flintlock for turkeys. I use a plastic cup wad and 1 ounce of #5. My bore is cylinder and the 5s seem to hold tight.
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| Posted: Fri Apr 16th, 2010 01:30 AM |
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Novashooter
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good, my load is not overly large, costs $4 a box of 10, and patterns better than any factory turkey load I have found.
20 gauge muzzle loaders are illegal to hunt with here, 12 gauge or larger only.
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"A fanatic is one who sticks to his guns whether they're loaded or not." by Franklin P. Jones
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| Posted: Sat Apr 17th, 2010 04:30 PM |
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BEAR
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Strange laws in Minnesota on 20 ga. Shows what happens when you get too many lawyers, they have to do something!!!!
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| Posted: Sat Apr 17th, 2010 09:25 PM |
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.45 COLT
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Strange laws stem from a very strange DNR. If you want to see widespread panic, tell someone in the MN DNR that you've seen a large number of Dyslexic Grouse. Or that Pheasants are freezing to death because of Feather Root Rot. Or that Deer in your area were observed to be sobbing uncontrollably, in the final stages of The Weepings.
Only 2 people in the whole bureaucratic mess would even question the reports' validity (A night janitor in Bemidji and a secretary in Blue Earth). The rest would rush to issue new rules, directives and edicts in order to "Protect Minnesota's Treasured Wildlife".
DC
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19th, 2010 01:15 PM |
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Novashooter
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I know, its rediculous. Maybe I should move to canada.
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| Posted: Wed Apr 21st, 2010 03:18 PM |
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.45 COLT
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Forget all that - did you kill a turkey?
DC
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22nd, 2010 12:05 AM |
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Novashooter
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no, in the first 1/2 hour of the hunt a Jake with a 1-2" beard walked in to 10 yards. I let him walk being so early in the hunt and so young a turkey. If he had showed up later that day or Sunday, I would have killed him though. He was young and short-bearded, but he had to have been 15 pounds, and wild turkey is some of the best meat I have ever had. after him I saw maybe 6 hens, plus 2 red squirrels, 3 rabbits, 3 does, 4 fawns, and a snake. No toms, but on Sunday I sat near their roost. It is early in the season so the strut is just starting, and they travel and roost 50 yards over the border I'm allowed to hunt on. So far I didn't hear a gobble, but I decided to try out the new Squealing Hen call that came out a few months ago. Well after a few squeals they gobbled like it was the peak of the strut. Well things didn't go as planned and the ran off to their strut zones and I never saw them again.
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"A fanatic is one who sticks to his guns whether they're loaded or not." by Franklin P. Jones
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22nd, 2010 02:20 PM |
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.45 COLT
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Sounds like you've done your preliminary work, staking out a roost. It should pay off for you.
DC
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22nd, 2010 03:36 PM |
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TMan51
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BEAR wrote: Expensive shells are really not needed for spring birds. Sex does it all, they will come in really close and no need to be shooting longer than 25 yards.
Pretty much the case, and big pellets are not really necessary either.
The important thing is to determine how far your pattern will give you enough pellets in the head and neck, with enough energy to break bones and/or penetrate the skull.
With 1 1/4oz of shot, you run out of pattern density with 4's, and pellet energy with 6's at about 30 yds with a full choke. As your 16 isn't likely to have a "superfull" constriction, the numbers and yardages you would likely get are very different than you would get with today's chokes and loads. I say that because my daughgter decided to become a turkey hunter this year, and purchased a 20Ga 870 Youth. I also own a 20Ga 870 to make comparisons with. To date I've patterned 3" - 1 1/4oz. Remington Nitro Turkey 5's, 3"- Kent 1 1/4oz. 4's and 5's, and 3" - Winchester Premium 1 5/16oz 4's and 5's, and Winchester 2 3/4" 5's.
I shot both shotguns with a RemChoke Full, an Extra Full .582 Ported Hunters Specialties, and a .575 Primos ported Superfull. The Remchoke runs out of pattern density at about 30yds with 5's, the HS .582 gets to 35yds, even with 4's, the Primos Choke is a true 40yd turkey hammer with 4's or 5's.
But to the point, 1 1/4oz of 5's is probably the best balance of pellet energy and pattern density. There is not much difference, if any, between 12's and 20's with a full choke, and I doubt the 16Ga would be any different.
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