federal premium prairie storm for turkey huntingyb

I haven't patterned those particular ones, but suspect they pattern much like other "pheasant" loads. The high velocity will probably give you larger and less uniform patterns than most loads marketed for turkeys.
 
Would also say most any load can be deadly on turkeys with almost any gun if you just don't shoot beyond the limits of the load and the gun. Despite our tendency to opt for long-range guns, most turkeys continue to be killed (in TN) at under 35 yards.

Up close, it may not matter much what you're shooting.
 
Wes Parrish said:
Would also say most any load can be deadly on turkeys with almost any gun if you just don't shoot beyond the limits of the load and the gun. Despite our tendency to opt for long-range guns, most turkeys continue to be killed (in TN) at under 35 yards.

Up close, it may not matter much what you're shooting.
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True. The sport of turkey hunting is being taken away by those wanting to kill a gobbler at 60 plus yds.
 
The first pattern was good..... the others looked to be just wishing for lucky pellets.... wasn't impressed. I wouldn't use them past whatever the first target was shot at.... 30 yards maybe?
 
what does it matter how far you shot a turkey, is there a law saying no shots after 30 or 20 yards, we have high powered rifles, super fast bows?
 
It depends on if you can kill it with your particular load. Then the dreaded "ethics" word shows up. Thankfully, that word is not thrown around loosely here because sometimes it's nothing more than someone's opinion. Some work hard for a pattern that will kill to 60 yards while condemning anyone who wants to kill one that far. Their excuse is "in case I misjudge that hung up tom".

My load does not pattern tight at all but, inside of 40, he's going for a truck ride.
 
Daniel Willoughby said:
what does it matter how far you shot a turkey, is there a law saying no shots after 30 or 20 yards, we have high powered rifles, super fast bows?
Click to expand...

It matters if your gun/choke/load will put a good killing pattern at a specific distance to take a turkey down or if you are just slinging shot and wounding birds that will be lost or never found.... and there are also limits with high powered rifles and super fast bows as well....




Uncle Jesse said:
It depends on if you can kill it with your particular load. Then the dreaded "ethics" word shows up. Thankfully, that word is not thrown around loosely here because sometimes it's nothing more than someone's opinion. Some work hard for a pattern that will kill to 60 yards while condemning anyone who wants to kill one that far. Their excuse is "in case I misjudge that hung up tom".

My load does not pattern tight at all but, inside of 40, he's going for a truck ride.
Click to expand...


The "ethics" have been brought up several times in the past.... it basicall boils down to two things.....

1.) A hunter puts in the range time to find the choke/load combo that will give a good killing pattern at 60 yards and he can kill one at 60 yards.

2.) A beginner/noobie reads a post on a hunting forum about a guy killing a turkey at 60 yards and is impressed. They go to the local sporting goods store the night before turkey season and buys a new camo shotgun, a "turkey" choke for it, and "turkey" shells that read on the box "preforms out to 65/75 yards".... So now the next morning he goes out and trys to find a turkey.... sneaks up on one at ?? distance and thinks he can kill it..... The gun goes BOOM, turkey is peppered with shot but flys/runs off.... nowhere to be found. Now hunter is left scratching their head wondering what happened.....

Meanwhile, turkey dies a slow death and is one less bird for another hunter to have the chance at.


My personal OPINION.... if you put the time in at the range and testing to put up a good killing pattern at 75 yards, good for you.... if you're capable and that is what a person wants to do, go for it.

But coming on here boasting about it isn't good for beginners to be reading and trying to copy expecting the same results.... they won't know all the time/money a person went through to reach that 75 yard killing pattern.

I really hate reading 50-60 yard shots for the same reason....

40 yards seems to be the golden number as far as the average/everyday hunting/patterning distance.... 45 max.
 
Great post, Grizz.

Grizzly Johnson said:
. . . . 40 yards seems to be the golden number as far as the average/everyday hunting/patterning distance.... 45 max.
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I agree.

I've spent lots of time testing many different chokes and loads, using over-bored, back-bored, etc. 3 1/2" magnum 12 gauges. Under the best of circumstances, about 50 yards would be the maximum distance the shot would be "high probability" enough I feel "ethical" in taking it (with my equipment). I hear of others stating they can push the range a little farther, and no doubt, the pellet energy of some of the HTL loads are capable. But I've found too much inconsistency from shell to shell, or shot to shot, that I feel comfortable taking a shot beyond the 45-50 yard range.

Now hunting more with a 20 gauge, surprisingly, I don't believe I'm handicapped more than about 5 yards compared to those big mule-kicking 12 gauges. My 20 gauge is deadly "ethical" out to 45 yards. :)
 
One final thought on our hunting "ethics":

A turkey's gut has more surface area than the killing portion of his head & neck. When we take a long shot beyond that "high probability" range, there is a better chance of placing a single pellet in the bird's gut than a single pellet where it will kill the bird quickly. A single pellet to the gut usually means that bird dies within a few days, but not found by the shooter.

Hunters who regularly take "long" shots may actually set themselves up to take home fewer rather than more turkeys.
 
On the flop side, a super tight pattern up close can also produce wounded birds if they are caught with the edge of the pattern. I've seen it happen more than once.

If I used a shotgun load that didn't kill a turkey on the spot but they run off and die then, that would not be accepted by anyone because it would be deemed unethical. But for some unknown reason, bow hunting is accepted as an ethical method for taking turkeys.
 
''True. The sport of turkey hunting is being taken away by those wanting to kill a gobbler at 60 plus yds'

this comment is what i meant, i say to pattern your gun and get the kill yardage, same with bow same with rifle, i dont think it takes away from hunting a turkey if you can kill at 60 yards. hunting and our daily limit is to help with control of the game, its for spot and for some it's for food.
 
Daniel Willoughby said:
''True. The sport of turkey hunting is being taken away by those wanting to kill a gobbler at 60 plus yds'

this comment is what i meant, i say to pattern your gun and get the kill yardage, same with bow same with rifle, i dont think it takes away from hunting a turkey if you can kill at 60 yards. hunting and our daily limit is to help with control of the game, its for spot and for some it's for food.
Click to expand...

I agree man....
 

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