[ArkArcher]

Ok ya'll. I'm going to shoot my shotgun a few times tonight and I wanted to know how many pellets in the kill zone is good at say 25 and 45. I've googled it but can't find the answer I'm looking for. I know it "only takes one in the right spot" :smack: to kill the bird, but how many pellets is a good number, how many is marginal, and how many is bad? Thanks ya’ll.

Oh, and those of you with Moss 835s (12ga)...what shell did you get your best pattern with? (Using the factory x-full turkey choke and 3") :thumb:

 

[Hobbshunter]

I've usually used the HS Strut targets, and they say how many pellets you need in the kill zone. I think they say at least 5??? I dont really remember.

 

[ArkArcher]

Speaking of targets. Here are some for free.

http://www.tackdriver.com/pix0703/remturkey.pdf

 

[turkeyhunter]

One is all it takes.

 

[LedZhead20]

10-15 on average. But it only takes one.

 

[possum]

Winchester Supreme - 12 ga. - 1 3/4 oz. - #5's @ 25 yards

 

[claydouglas76]

Very good question ARKARCHER! I would like to know more and also his question of how many pellets at 25, 35, and 45 yards.

I just shot my gun last weekend at about 40 yards and there were holes in the head of a turkey I drew on cardboard and I just figured it was dead! :smack:

I need to shoot again and count how many I've got. Please let us know what we need to look for!

At least this time I have a turkey head to shoot at rather than a figure that resembles a Giraffe! :wink:

Thanks again ARKARCHER!

 

[claydouglas76]

Winchester Supreme - 12 ga. - 1 3/4 oz. - #5's @ 25 yards

He's DEAD!

 

[possum]

I didn't shoot any farther because I'm running low (5 left) but 25 yards is as far as I trust the Mossberg. The pattern really starts to open up though from experiences in the past. :frown: I think after the season is over I'll buy several different types of shells a couple different chokes and see what happens.

 

[boomer]

These days a ten inch circle tends to be the benchmark for patterning a turkey load. Myself I want a even pattern with a tight center, very few flyers. Are you shooting a 3 1/2 inch shell? I would not like to hunt with less than 140 pellets in a ten inch circle with three inch, 175 with 3 1/2 @ 40 yards. I much prefer to have 200 plus but that does not happen without trial and error.

Some guns are very picky about loads and choke combo. One factor that is overlooked by most is having a clean bore. If you run a bore snake though your gun to remove any plastic fowling your pattern will be better with any load. Also the bore can be polished and that will improve your pattern. Turning a gun into a turkey slayer is not allways as easy as putting in a choke and heading for the woods.

Boom

 

[possum]

Nope....3". Mossberg 500A with the factory extra full choke (.680). I had 24 pellets in the red and another 31 completely inside the head/neck, I didn't count anything that just cut the line or anything in the beak.


109 pellets in a 7.75" circle. I can count 27 more than would fall inside a 10" circle but that circle runs off each side and the top of the target so I don't know how many more it would be.

I believe in a clean firearms regardless of it use or size.:thumb:

 

[moose]

Oh, and those of you with Moss 835s (12ga)...what shell did you get your best pattern with? (Using the factory x-full turkey choke and 3") :thumb:

When I had my 835, win #5's pattern the best in mine. A friend of mine own's a sporting good shop, and he let me try all the choke's he had. From cheap one's, to the expensive one's, and the one that patterned the best is one he got in on a trade, but looked like one of the $20.00 chokes from wally world. Good Luck.:thumb:

 

[10pointman]

Nope....3". Mossberg 500A with the factory extra full choke (.680). I had 24 pellets in the red and another 31 completely inside the head/neck, I didn't count anything that just cut the line or anything in the beak.


109 pellets in a 7.75" circle

I'm shooting a new Stoeger12ga auto,gobblin thunder choke{.655}3inch#6's Heavy-shot.....I'm putting 200 pellets inside 10 inches @ 30yds.

 

[Arkie_3_fan]

The size of the pellets will make a difference how many you should expect to have in your target. I always shot Federal 3" #4 shot in my 1187 and it patterned as good as most folks guns shooting 3.5" with #5's and 6's.
Now I shoot a Benelli SBE with a kick's choke and it likes Winchester #5's the best.

 

[Savage Shooter]

These days a ten inch circle tends to be the benchmark for patterning a turkey load. Myself I want a even pattern with a tight center, very few flyers. Are you shooting a 3 1/2 inch shell? I would not like to hunt with less than 140 pellets in a ten inch circle with three inch, 175 with 3 1/2 @ 40 yards. I much prefer to have 200 plus but that does not happen without trial and error.

Some guns are very picky about loads and choke combo. One factor that is overlooked by most is having a clean bore. If you run a bore snake though your gun to remove any plastic fowling your pattern will be better with any load. Also the bore can be polished and that will improve your pattern. Turning a gun into a turkey slayer is not allways as easy as putting in a choke and heading for the woods.

Boom

Same here!

I like to see 150+ in a 10" circle at 40yds.

My current setup is a Browning Gold Stalker 3" that has been camo dipped and scoped.

With Nitro Ammo's 4x5x7 hevi shot thru a jellyhead I get 190-200 in 10" @ 40yds.

Has proven very deadly combo to at least 45yds.

Testing both fouled and clean bores I have found that clean bore pattern densities go up about 15-20% over fouled bores when tested equal.

 

[ArkArcher]

Thanks for all the replies guys! I now know what to look for! As you can imagine, I didn't get to shoot last night due to rain. Hopefully I'll get out there tomorrow night if the storms they are calling for give me a chance. :smack: I have some winchester supremes in 3" #4s and some 3" hevi-shot in #6s with my factory x-full turkey choke. Maybe I'll get a good pattern out of one of them. If not, guess it's back to the store. :smack: Thanks again ya'll!

 

[JR1]

Don't just look for pellets in head and spine, but look hard at the density of the pattern. If you have big holes in the pattern you should look for another load. A turkey head is almost constantly moving and a nice, dense pattern that has a little give in it for that movement will get you what you need.

I'm bucking the norm for today when I say this, but I think some chokes shoot too tight a pattern. Seriously, have you shot one of these things at 20 yds. lately? You get a baseball sized pattern out of a lot of them. Sure doewn't leave much room for error at all.

 

[boomer]

In regards to a pattern being too tight I have never had it happen. But5 I allways install a sight system that is more like a rifle. I have had two with scope and the rest have had adjustable fiber optic rifle sights. I try to leave nothing to chance on my equipment.

Boom

 

[ArkArcher]

Well I shot last night and got a MUCH better pattern out of my factory choke and the winch. Supremes than with Hevi shot. Like JR mentioned, both loads would have killed the turkey, but the density of the pattern with the supremes was far better. I did find out that my gun shoots a little hight so it was a good thing that I shot. If I aint for right where the feathers and the neck meet, I feel extremely confident out to 40 that I can take the turks head off. I didn't get a chance to do a pellet count, but lets just say I was VERY happy with the supremes. :wink: :thumb:

 

[sprtsmn001]

Hey ArkArcher, are you shooting 3"s or 3 1/2"s? I shoot the 3 1/2"s in a number 5 shot and that gives me 2 1/4 oz of shot. Talk about a great pattern. The pattern is consistent and dense as well. :thumb: