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Turkey Load

gcr0003

gcr0003

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2018
Messages
8,048
What are a few good options on ammo for a Remington 870 12ga with a primos tight wad turkey choke? Trying to procure some ammo that I can have confidence in before being able to pattern it. My season opens Friday. What have y’all used?
 
I went by the store for some turkey loads yesterday.....there was a big line....they were only allowing 2 customers in the store at a time....I decided to just take the bow

I'm interested to hear some responces too....
 
gcr0003 said:
What are a few good options on ammo for a Remington 870 12ga with a primos tight wad turkey choke? Trying to procure some ammo that I can have confidence in before being able to pattern it. My season opens Friday. What have y’all used?
Click to expand...

Nitro Ammunition Company has a great website with a lot of advice on patterning and ammo recommendations. They helped me a lot with my turkey gun years ago.
One take-away was that for a lot of guns/chokes, a triplex type load (3 different shot sizes) helps the shot to "organize" better when it goes down the barrel so it holds it's pattern better. If you try to jam too much (or too large) of shot thru the choke, it can be counterproductive to retaining a tight pattern down range.
A harder material that the shot is made of is better than soft lead. Lead gets deformed as it travels thru the barrel and creates little flat spots which won't fly as straight. They "wander" out of the pattern.

Nitro Company Ammunition - Superior Shotgun Ammo - Nitro Company

Nitro Company Ammunition manufactures superior shotgun shells for 10ga., 12ga., 20ga., 16ga., 28ga., and .410ga. Our advanced technology using high quality components create dense patterns at longer ranges. Recommendations given on guns, chokes, and loads, depend on your hunting situation.
nitrocompany.com nitrocompany.com
 
For the money Winchester XR Longbeards are hard to beat. You will want to try 5 and 6 shot at least. I have set up 2 turkey guns one patterns better with 6's the other with 5's. If price is no object then TSS will be impossible to beat from what I've seen ( I've never tried it).
 
My favorite has been HeviShot 2 3/4" 5,6,7 blend w/ a carlson turkey choke. I am comfortable shooting this combo out to 50 yards.

Longbear XR also patterns well out to 50. Everything else i wouldn't shoot past 40. I also try to avoid magnum loads as I have found they don't really pattern any better than regular loads with the added disadvantage of kicking like a mule.
 
Last edited:
Allegheny Tom said:
Nitro Ammunition Company has a great website with a lot of advice on patterning and ammo recommendations. They helped me a lot with my turkey gun years ago.
One take-away was that for a lot of guns/chokes, a triplex type load (3 different shot sizes) helps the shot to "organize" better when it goes down the barrel so it holds it's pattern better. If you try to jam too much (or too large) of shot thru the choke, it can be counterproductive to retaining a tight pattern down range.
A harder material that the shot is made of is better than soft lead. Lead gets deformed as it travels thru the barrel and creates little flat spots which won't fly as straight. They "wander" out of the pattern.

Nitro Company Ammunition - Superior Shotgun Ammo - Nitro Company

Nitro Company Ammunition manufactures superior shotgun shells for 10ga., 12ga., 20ga., 16ga., 28ga., and .410ga. Our advanced technology using high quality components create dense patterns at longer ranges. Recommendations given on guns, chokes, and loads, depend on your hunting situation.
nitrocompany.com nitrocompany.com
Click to expand...
Steve Rinela from Meateater uses a combination load as well. Was going to try some when I run through my Winchester turkey loads.
 
I shoot the HeviShot 3" 5,6,7 blend with a Jelly Head Max out of an 835. Shoots great out to 60, not that I ever shoot out to 60 with it. Honesty I get pretty performance with he same setup shooting Winchester Super X also.
 
I still use whatever I have available but mostly the copper plated lead (cheap) Winchester 3" #6's. For close calling coyote's I purchased a Kick's Dead Coyote choke several years ago. It was manufactured to shoot the HeviShot "T" sized coyote load well but in my experience with this choke for my gun (Ithaca Model 37 Turkeyslayer), it patterns anything I put through it quite well. I had the forcing cone lengthened in the barrel of this gun by a local gunsmith years ago and I believe it helped somewhat but it was already backbored at the choke by Ithaca at the time they sold this particular model turkeyslayer in the later 1990's.
 
When it comes to choosing a load, it comes down to knowing your equipment. You don't "need" to spend the money on a 3.5" #4 shot shell because a company labeled a turkey load. You can kill turkey effrctively with about any legal load, provided you know how its patterning and you know the range limitations. I prefer a 2 3/4 #6 high brass, its lethal with my current setup out to 45 yards. I have not taken a shot that far and mostly will not. My daughter took her first gobbler last year with a 2 3/4 #7 small game load @ 18 yards, she's 9 and can't handle much more from a 12ga. Just use what you got, and shoot before you hunt, know what your limits are.
 
Winchester long beards, TSS of some sort, Remington Nitro. I’d try 5 and 6 shot and see what patterns best.
 
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