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southernhunter

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Thinking about buying a 1100 remington with 21 inch barrel , it only shots 2 3/4 though , are the 3 inch shells need for turkey hunting ? I was. Told some company's make 2 3/4 shells that perform just as well as the 3 inch ? Thanks
 
If you get them in close enough.... patterning your load/choke combo with the gun will tell you what your ethical range should be.... if you get turkey in said range, should be DRT.

If you can find them, Hevi Shot made some 2-3/4" turkey loads that should have no problems rolling a turkey over.
 
I have on old 1100 with a 26 inch barrell and it uses only 2-3/4. It has an improved choke. It has killed lots of gobblers. I would say 40-50. Just try a few different shells and see what works the best. I can't remember what I used, been years since I did use it.
Your range will probably not be as long as a 3'' or 3-1/2, but you should still be able to get one at 35 to 40 yards.
 
Don't worry about the hype about expensive fancy turkey loads that make a perfect pattern at 50 yards unless you really want to shoot that perfectly at 50 yards. I do use 3 inch shells and a XX turkey choke but if I had to, I think I kill em just fine with 2 3/4 inch loads. Most kills will be in the 20 yard range anyway, which shouldn't be a problem with standard loads. Just make sure you shoot paper a few times and know where your POI is, and how far you can shoot without the pattern breaking up too much.
 
catman is spot on.

I kill most of my birds under 20 yds. I think ive shot one turkey over 30 yds in the last 5 or 6 yrs. Have i had em hang up out of range? sure. Just part of the game. If ur dialed up for 50 theyll hang up at 60.
 
catman529 said:
Most kills will be in the 20 yard range anyway, which shouldn't be a problem with standard loads. Just make sure you shoot paper a few times and know where your POI is, and how far you can shoot without the pattern breaking up too much.
Click to expand...


Saying most kills @ 20 is a giving a false sense of hope while playing the game.... Yes a person can get lucky and have one walk in that close... Out of the dozen+ I have killed only 1 was 20 yards or less (16 paces to be exact).... They don't always get that close for whatever reason.

Alot has to do with the area your hunting.... thick woods, open hardwoods, or fields/pastures.

As was said, shoot the gun, check the POA/POI, and determine the effective range for your barrel length/shell/choke combo.... then hunt and try to get your birds within that effective range... If you try long enough and are not satisfied with the results.... you can always buy another gun with a larger chamber.

I would rather have a gun set up for distance and not need it, than to need it and not have it.... Turkeys have their own schedule and you can't make them do something they don't want to....

I have limited time to hunt, spent hours at the target range testing, spend money on shells, license, gas, equipment, and calls..... I won't be going home empty handed unless all other options have been exhausted.
 
Grizzly Johnson said:
catman529 said:
Most kills will be in the 20 yard range anyway, which shouldn't be a problem with standard loads. Just make sure you shoot paper a few times and know where your POI is, and how far you can shoot without the pattern breaking up too much.
Click to expand...


Saying most kills @ 20 is a giving a false sense of hope while playing the game.... Yes a person can get lucky and have one walk in that close... Out of the dozen+ I have killed only 1 was 20 yards or less (16 paces to be exact).... They don't always get that close for whatever reason.

Alot has to do with the area your hunting.... thick woods, open hardwoods, or fields/pastures.

As was said, shoot the gun, check the POA/POI, and determine the effective range for your barrel length/shell/choke combo.... then hunt and try to get your birds within that effective range... If you try long enough and are not satisfied with the results.... you can always buy another gun with a larger chamber.

I would rather have a gun set up for distance and not need it, than to need it and not have it.... Turkeys have their own schedule and you can't make them do something they don't want to....

I have limited time to hunt, spent hours at the target range testing, spend money on shells, license, gas, equipment, and calls..... I won't be going home empty handed unless all other options have been exhausted.
Click to expand...

I dont think its giving a false sense of hope. You cant shoot birds under 20 yds if you pull the trigger at 40 every time.

For the record. I rarely hunt fields and opt for thicker cover for my setups. It works better for me to let the bird come searching thus creating shorter shot opportunties. I have had many less instances of birds hanging up out of range or being intercepted by hens before they get to me. Fields are freakn hen magnets.
 
N17, I agree.... but, to go into the woods every trip and expect every gobbler to come into 20 yards or less is just nonscense.

The closer the bird gets, the greater the chance that something you do will spook him.... I try to shoot at the first available/clear shot opportunity.... and that depends on my setup... depending on the gun setup, the closer the shot, the better the chance of missing as well.

I will let them come in if they will... just have to see how the bird reacts to whats going on in that particular situation... if he gets close and starts acting spooky... you better be ready to shoot. If he is at your maximum comfort zone.... and doesn't seem to want to come on in... only you will know whether to pull the trigger or not.
 
Grizzly Johnson said:
catman529 said:
Most kills will be in the 20 yard range anyway, which shouldn't be a problem with standard loads. Just make sure you shoot paper a few times and know where your POI is, and how far you can shoot without the pattern breaking up too much.
Click to expand...


Saying most kills @ 20 is a giving a false sense of hope while playing the game.... Yes a person can get lucky and have one walk in that close... Out of the dozen+ I have killed only 1 was 20 yards or less (16 paces to be exact).... They don't always get that close for whatever reason.

Alot has to do with the area your hunting.... thick woods, open hardwoods, or fields/pastures.

As was said, shoot the gun, check the POA/POI, and determine the effective range for your barrel length/shell/choke combo.... then hunt and try to get your birds within that effective range... If you try long enough and are not satisfied with the results.... you can always buy another gun with a larger chamber.

I would rather have a gun set up for distance and not need it, than to need it and not have it.... Turkeys have their own schedule and you can't make them do something they don't want to....

I have limited time to hunt, spent hours at the target range testing, spend money on shells, license, gas, equipment, and calls..... I won't be going home empty handed unless all other options have been exhausted.
Click to expand...
most people I've talked to kill most of their gobblers in the 20 yd range. I didn't go past 25 yards this past spring and tagged out. This fall, some instinctive shooing took over and I shot a couple at 35 yd and one at 45 yd but normally 20 to 30 yd is a pretty common range to kill a gobbler in the spring, from my limited experience and from others I have talked to. Doesn't mean they won't hang up at 40 or 50 but like someone else here said, it's part of the game..... My two cents
 
catman529 said:
Most people I've talked to kill most of their gobblers in the 20 yd range. I didn't go past 25 yards this past spring and tagged out. This fall, some instinctive shooing took over and I shot a couple at 35 yd and one at 45 yd but normally 20 to 30 yd is a pretty common range to kill a gobbler in the spring, from my limited experience and from others I have talked to. Doesn't mean they won't hang up at 40 or 50 but like someone else here said, it's part of the game..... My two cents
Click to expand...


You have been very lucky young man.... congrats on your success!!
 
I kill the majority of mine at 20 to 30 yds but I still want my gun to be able to thump one at 50. I always take the first good shot I get. I try to get em inside 40 but sometimes they get nervous as we all know.
 

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