favorite turkey load

[catman529]

Winchester Supreme 3" 5

But it's the only shell I've ever used

That was my favorite load before I started shooting magblends. Word of advice if you ever shoot the magblends at 40 yards, at a turkey head target you will not go back. Don't do it!

Amen!!

OK I wont do it! My wallet will thank me. Same reason I won't climb any Summit or API... not until I have the money to buy it. :grin:

lol your wallet will thank you very very much! but I would invest in a summit as much time as you'd spend in one! lol

yeah I would much rather buy a summit than some expensive ammo... the summit will last for years and I will actually be comfortable

 

[TheRealSpurhunter]

Nitro triplex loaded with hevishot 3.5" 4x5x71/2's.

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

Handloads:

12ga 3.5" 2-7/16oz mix of TSS #6 & #8

12ga. 3.5" 2-1/2oz Hevi-13 #6


Factory:

Hevi 3.5" Mag Blends

Hevi 3.5" #6's & #7's

 

[muddyboots]

Nitro Hevishot 3 1/2- 4 x 5 x 7

 

[Lawrence]

mag blends
when I run out Im going back to lead

 

[chrmayo]

I like the nitro 3.5" straight 7s in my 935 with rhino.

 

[duckriver]

The Winchesters have been mine to. But it looks like I'm changing this year.

 

[tickweed]

federal heavyweights 5's

 

[FARMTOFIELD]

federal heavyweights 5's

Not many pellets there but enough energy to body shoot an ostrich

 

[SKFOOTER]

federal heavyweights 5's

What gun and choke are you shooting those Fed 5's thru, J D?

 

[Gravey]

Switched to 3 1/2" hevi shot magblends last year or the year before. Until then winchester supreme #5's ruined more than one turkey's day.

 

[letsgohunting]

Got my outdoor life magazine the other day. There was a article about the Winchester long beard shells. Tested with a Mossberg 835 turkey thug with an 18 inch barrel and an XX full choke.
10 inch circle,
3 in no. 6 shot,
1 3/4 oz
40 yards 145 count in circle
55 yards 87 count in circle
70 yards 56 count in circle

 

[woodsman87]

Many different favorites of mine.

My all time favorite was when Remington owned hevi-shot. They patterned the same as hevi-shot today, but the shells never came apart and the brass didn't get nicked up. New Hevi-shot brass gets bummed up and sometimes the end comes apart leaking the buffer and shot.

My next favorite was the Winchester Extended range HTLs, too bad they don't make them any more. They patterned better in my gun than anything.

I use Hevi-Shot mag blends now, and am happy with them.

My favorite lead shot is Federal Mag-Shok turkey number 5 or 6s, they patterned nearly as well as hevi-shot.

Also liked the Remington 4x6s in my old 11-87 3" gun.

I never use the cheap winchester supremes. They are the worst patterning shell I have ever experienced.

 

[stringtalker]

Federal heavyweight #7 out of my 20 gauge

 

[elkman]

Extended Range 3.5 #6.

 

[TheLBLman]

Federal heavyweight #7 out of my 20 gauge

Among the "factory" offerings, this wins out hands down over everything else in a 20 gauge.

But what I don't understand is how can Federal put 1 1/2 ounces of this in a 20 gauge shell (more than any other manufacturer), yet they only load their 3 1/2" 12 ga Heavyweights with 1 7/8 ounces?

Granted, you get much higher velocities with the Federal Heavyweights than the Hevi straight 7's, but in 12 gauge, it may be that 2 1/4 ounce of straight 6's (in the Hevi's) is a more potent load than 1 7/8 of Federal's #7 Heavyweights.

Of course there's more to this than either velocity or the weight of the payload, but . . . . .

Federal Heavyweights have a velocity rating of about 1300 fps.
Straight Hevi's (either #7 or #6) are coming in at less than 1100 fps.
While Magnum Blends are rated at about 1200 fps.

Extended Range 3.5 #6.

I used to like those, but do they still make them?

 

[FARMTOFIELD]

The problem with the payload of federal, wes, is the payload. The shot holding capacity of the wad just isn't there. The 10 gauge wad holds 2 oz ant the crimp is bulged on every heavyweight shell I own, all 32 boxes. They shoot great though. If the petals of the wad were shorter it would leave more room for the cup with additional capacity.

 

[TheLBLman]

Yep, Federal's problem (to me) is that "Flight Control" wad, which limits how much shot they can get in the shell. But how do they get more than anyone else in a 20 gauge shell?

 

[FARMTOFIELD]

The petals are shorter in the 20 gauge wad giving a longer shot cup, compared to the 12 gauge, and the whole wad itself is about 50% thinner than the 10 and 12 bore giving more room for pressure and payload.

Federal probably has their hands on a lot better proprietary powders (only available to manufacturers) than environmetal, giving them safe pressure. They could get 2 oz in a 3-1/2 12 gauge but the would have to develop a new wad. If I remember correctly they are using the same wad in the 3" and 3-1/2" shell. I'll have to look back at my stuff and see

 

[FARMTOFIELD]

Its cheaper for federal to put spacer in the 3" shell than to develop 2 different shotcups for 3" and 3-1/2