captain hook said:
. . . . I shoot at 25 yards which is where a turkey has to be before I lay him down. Tight patterns at 40 can be wayyyyy too tight for 25 and closer. What is more concerning is the 10 yard shot with a 50 yard pattern.
I totally agree with you on that Captain, and have killed most of mine at 15 to 22 yards over the years, limiting my shots to no more than 35 yards. Most factory "Modified" and/or regular "Full" chokes are just right for these ranges.
IMO,
most turkey hunters would actually bag more turkeys if they were
NOT using the tightest of tight "turkey" chokes --- mainly because these tight chokes are a handicap at close range, and may encourage many hunters to take longer shots at ranges more difficult to assess, rather than call up or wait on a surer thing, up close and personal.
That said, a true expert and accomplished turkey hunter will sometimes benefit from a choke tighter than factory full, but the hunter needs to do his homework in knowning exactly where his pattern is centered and with which particular loads it works best. But I suspect most hunters are simply being duped out of their money when they think a tighter choke is the magic pill.
