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TradHunter

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I bought my 10 year old a 20ga.870 and a undertaker choke. We shot it Sunday with Remington Nitros #5 @ 20 yds.had a great pattern. 30 yds it looked liked the wad blew a hole in the pattern only 4 pellets in the kill.Any suggestions on other shells with this choke. Thought about using #6's high brass.
 
Give serious consideration to some high-velocity "pheasant loads" in #7 1/2 shot. Otherwise, #6's will probably provide a denser pattern than #5's.

If you can justify spending just a little more, see if you can find some Winchester Extended Range shells in 20 ga (#6 shot), or some Federal Heavyweights in #7 shot. Those particular Federals are very hard to find, but imo, the very best for your 20 ga. Since your son is ten, the recoil from those Federals might be an issue, as they are a 1 1/2-oz load, whereas most 3-in 20ga loads are 1 1/4 oz.
 
Here's something that may give you a denser pattern than most, and will be deadly out to 40 yards. These Fiocchi "Golden Pheasant" loads use nickel-plated shot (much harder than copper) and are loaded to very high velocities. Take a look at the 20 ga. in #7 1/2 shot.

And a decent price since you get a box of 25 for a lot less $ than a box of 5 to 10 "turkey" shells.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting ... t104567580
 
My little brother used to shoot a youth model Mossberg 500 with an undertaker choke and 3" Winchester Number 5's ( bet the Extended Range shells would really tear em up). That thing would destroy a turkey out to 40 yards with his set up.
 
I shoot a hastings in mine. I think its a 552 but its been a while since i looked at it. It could be a 562. It shoots very well at 30yards and i have killed several at 40yards with it with Winchester Supreme #5. I killed my first one with it in 1997 so I try to kill the first turkey of each season with it before i bring out the 12ga. I have only let one longbeard get away with this combo through the years.
 
No. I've really not experimented with many different choke tubes. Most of my experimenting has been with different shells, different loads, different shot sizes. Simply took the advice of many others, and went to an Indian Creek on my main turkey gun. Since then, it's become all about the shells and shot size for me.

My opininion is the "easy" solution for many people to have a more effective turkey gun is simply to go to #7 hevi-shot, using whatever choke(s) you have. #7 will shoot completely thru a turkeys head at 45 yards, and provide a denser pattern than any #6 load I've tried.
 
My 9 yr old shoots the same gun, Rem 20 ga 870 3" chambered. I too was unhappy with the factory Full choke and cheap Turkey loads.
I went to an Undertaker tube and more importantly I found the Winchester Xtended range Hevi shot in #5's
This made all the difference and just over the weekend we all patterned our guns, and he had had no problems with a good pattern out to 35+ yards!
The addition of Choke and quality ammo really woke this gun up!
 
Winchester, I'd bet if you could find some #7 (any brand heavier than lead) for your son's 20 ga., it would add another 5 yards to his effective range. Not sure if the Federal Heavyweights' "Flight Control" wad would be an issue, but if no issue with the wad, they're available in 20 ga. with 1 1/2-oz of #7 shot. (I should say "available", but not readily available.) Dunn's Sporting Goods is the only place I know of at the moment that has them in stock.
 

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