ken nikiel
Member
im new to turkey hunting. normally i pursue whitetails. whats the usual ammo used for turkey?
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turkey ammo
- Thread starter ken nikiel
- Start date
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
This is debated more than the Bible, but I'm assuming you would like to keep things simple. Here is what I would recommend for a beginner:
1. For the ammo, buy either 3 inch or 3 1/2 inch Winchester Longbeard (lead) shells in #5 shot. Naturally you won't buy 3 1/2 if you only have a 3 inch gun. If you really get into the sport, you can play around later with different shot sizes and shells.
2. Get a turkey choke. I use Indian Creek, but I am biased because I am friends with the owners and won many NWTF World Championships (and broke many world records) with their chokes. Get the standard size for whatever gun you are using. If you don't want an Indian Creek, buy some other turkey choke.
3. Shoot at least 3 of the shells on big papers at 40 yards to see where you gun centers the pattern. Do this on a still day with no wind. Once you see where your gun is hitting, you know where to hold, or you can get some adjustable sights or some type of scope if you prefer.
4. Don't try to shoot past 40 yards unless you spend extra time patterning and evaluating. If you get to where you feel comfortable going a little more, then you can do it.
This is not perfect advice, but if you will do this, you will be above 80% of all the turkey hunters in the woods. Most people don't even know where their gun hits, because they have never patterned it, and most shoot too far. More birds are crippled than killed. Best wishes.
1. For the ammo, buy either 3 inch or 3 1/2 inch Winchester Longbeard (lead) shells in #5 shot. Naturally you won't buy 3 1/2 if you only have a 3 inch gun. If you really get into the sport, you can play around later with different shot sizes and shells.
2. Get a turkey choke. I use Indian Creek, but I am biased because I am friends with the owners and won many NWTF World Championships (and broke many world records) with their chokes. Get the standard size for whatever gun you are using. If you don't want an Indian Creek, buy some other turkey choke.
3. Shoot at least 3 of the shells on big papers at 40 yards to see where you gun centers the pattern. Do this on a still day with no wind. Once you see where your gun is hitting, you know where to hold, or you can get some adjustable sights or some type of scope if you prefer.
4. Don't try to shoot past 40 yards unless you spend extra time patterning and evaluating. If you get to where you feel comfortable going a little more, then you can do it.
This is not perfect advice, but if you will do this, you will be above 80% of all the turkey hunters in the woods. Most people don't even know where their gun hits, because they have never patterned it, and most shoot too far. More birds are crippled than killed. Best wishes.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
@Native Hunter nailed it on the Turkey loads, that's advice to take to the bank.
Here's some of my stash of Turkey loads, I've got the required #5 longbeard and some other old relics. Back in 1980s Remington nitromagnum ruled the roost, now it's all about TSS loads and hevishot that cost $10 a shot. I'm fortunate to have several boxes of Federal hevishot at 16.90 a box, pictured on top of the pile. When I use my 20ga. 870 and a special turkey choke, I always use TSS #7.
But Winchester Longbeard #5 kills most of my turkeys with my tried and true 870 12ga, Remington factory full choke. Less close range misses like @George had the misfortune of doing.
Here's some of my stash of Turkey loads, I've got the required #5 longbeard and some other old relics. Back in 1980s Remington nitromagnum ruled the roost, now it's all about TSS loads and hevishot that cost $10 a shot. I'm fortunate to have several boxes of Federal hevishot at 16.90 a box, pictured on top of the pile. When I use my 20ga. 870 and a special turkey choke, I always use TSS #7.
But Winchester Longbeard #5 kills most of my turkeys with my tried and true 870 12ga, Remington factory full choke. Less close range misses like @George had the misfortune of doing.
ken nikiel
Member
thanks fellas. just what i was looking for.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Ken, I forgot to mention to shoot your gun on paper up close (like 10 yards) and you will see how it is easy to miss a close shot.
Catchin’ deer’s
New Member
Me personally, I use federal premium Grand Slam turkey loads, got lots of range and are packed full of copper plated pellets
ken nikiel
Member
definitely plan to pattern at multiple distances. i shoulda mentioned that actual shooter will be by nephew. first time for both but hes only 15.
weekender21
Well-Known Member
What gauge is the shotgun he’s shooting? Plenty of good options in 12. I’d start leaning towards TSS with 20 and call it the only good option for .410. My son shoots #9 TSS with his .410, excellent option out to 30 yards.
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yoderjac
Well-Known Member
I have found some boutique ammo companies like Nitro test a variety of common turkey gun/choke combinations with their loads and make recommendations. You still need to pattern you gun at the range to determine your maximum shooting distance, but this boutique ammo using shot like TSS is quite expensive. Having a good starting place can save you money.
Here are two good videos we use in the turkey hunting workshop we teach:
This one is focused on turkey firearms.
This one provides a good patterning technique and talks about other equipment.
There are other short videos we use in the workshop on that same channel.
Here are two good videos we use in the turkey hunting workshop we teach:
This one is focused on turkey firearms.
This one provides a good patterning technique and talks about other equipment.
There are other short videos we use in the workshop on that same channel.
g squared 23
Well-Known Member
If I’m shooting a new choke or a gun for the first time, I like the first round to be birdshot at 7 yards. You can normally get a good idea where the gun is shooting as you’ll have almost a bullet hole at that distance. If you have an adjustable sight you can try to get that lined up at that distance first, then move on to longer distances with your more expensive turkey loads. I have a benelli that shot a foot low at 7 yards, just dreadful. You can imagine how bad that was at 40. With an adjustable sight it’s a usable turkey gun, but I missed many ducks and doves before that because I assumed all shotguns had a similar POA and POI.
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ken nikiel
Member
12 gauge
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
About all 3 and 3 1/2 inch turkey shells in 12 gauge kick pretty hard. For some small framed 15 year olds not used to shooting, it might be too much. If you are shooting under 30 yards, a plain old AA Trap load in 1 1/8 of 7 1/2 shot will kill a turkey in most full choked 12 gauge guns if you get the pattern centered on his mid neck. So, if you can get them in closer than 30 yards, that is another good (and cheaper with much less recoil) option. But I warn you - it's easy to midjudge the distance on a turkey - especially when the adrenalin kicks in. Best wishes to you and him.
PS - A quality recoil pad is a good investment for many folks.
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Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
I'm trying to remember if you have stories and information about your turkey competition endeavors on the site here somewhere? I'd be interested in knowing more about how and what you competed in? I remember reading something about that earlier but forget where it is.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
At one time the NWTF had a forum similar to this forum, and that is where me and other used to post about the competitions. Back then they had a world championship event every year and sanctioned regional events at various places around the country. Those of us who competed would travel to these events, and nearly all of us would shoot at the world championship. They had 3 classes for men, a women’s class and one for youth. The world championship was held in Georgia when I started competing around 2002 and was later moved to the NWTF headquarters in Edgefield, South Carolina.
I got into this by accident. A friend invited me to a turkey shoot and I beat the world champion who was there that day. That year my dad and I went to the world championship and I came in second, losing by 4 pellets. After that year I started winning, and in 2004 won all of the events that a male could enter - 12 Hunter, 12 Open and 20 Open. I was the only person to ever win all three events the same year. After that the guys from Indian Creek asked me to shoot for them. At that time, Indian Creek didn't exist as a company - they were making chokes for other companies. I helped them do their product testing, and then started winning and breaking world records with their newly developed chokes.
A few years ago as I was getting older and also changed to a more demanding job, I got tired of traveling so much and eventually gave up the sport. About two years after I quit shooting, they ended the competitions, because it had mainly just become people in the industry (chokes, shells, sights, scopes, etc.) that were competing. Unless you had a sponsor, it was more money than most people wanted to spend.
Those were some happy years for me, and I made some incredible friendships. But, now I'm glad to just be home shooting real turkeys instead of paper ones. And the real ones taste better!
PS - the pic below is from 2004 when I won it all.
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Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
That's really interesting! Is all that loot in the picture the prizes?? What gun are you holding in the picture?At one time the NWTF had a forum similar to this forum, and that is where me and other used to post about the competitions. Back then they had a world championship event every year and sanctioned regional events at various places around the country. Those of us who competed would travel to these events, and nearly all of us would shoot at the world championship. They had 3 classes for men, a women’s class and one for youth. The world championship was held in Georgia when I started competing around 2002 and was later moved to the NWTF headquarters in Edgefield, South Carolina.
I got into this by accident. A friend invited me to a turkey shoot and I beat the world champion who was there that day. That year my dad and I went to the world championship and I came in second, losing by 4 pellets. After that year I started winning, and in 2004 won all of the events that a male could enter - 12 Hunter, 12 Open and 20 Open. I was the only person to ever win all three events the same year. After that the guys from Indian Creek asked me to shoot for them. At that time, Indian Creek didn't exist as a company - they were making chokes for other companies. I helped them do their product testing, and then started winning and breaking world records with their newly developed chokes.
A few years ago as I was getting older and also changed to a more demanding job, I got tired of traveling so much and eventually gave up the sport. About two years after I quit shooting, they ended the competitions, because it had mainly just become people in the industry (chokes, shells, sights, scopes, etc.) that were competing. Unless you had a sponsor, it was more money than most people wanted to spend.
Those were some happy years for me, and I made some incredible friendships. But, now I'm glad to just be home shooting real turkeys instead of paper ones. And the real ones taste better!
PS - the pic below is from 2004 when I won it all.
View attachment 29593
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Yes, that was a bunch of the prizes I won at the world championship shoot that year.
The gun I’m holding is a Savage, Model 212 bolt action slug gun with a custom barrel built for patterning turkey loads. In the 12 Gauge Hunter class we had to use guns that had not been altered from the factory, except that you could use any commercially available choke. However, in the 12 Gauge Open Class, any alteration to the barrel was allowed except that the barrel length with the choke added could not be longer than 32 inches.
Lot's of shooters had custom guns built using the bolt action slug guns. I did too that year, and the gun you see me holding was the first custom gun I ever had made. Barrel builders had several little tricks that they used to give tighter patterns, and like any competition, everyone was looking for an edge. You could shoot a factory gun in the Open Class and occasionally win against the custom guns, but it was difficult to do. Over the years I won different championships in both the Open and Hunter classes.
9x56MS
Active Member
A word of caution, unless your shotgun weighs more than 10 lbs and you really enjoy a good punch in the shoulder and jaw I don’t recommend 3 1/2” 2 1/4oz shotshells. In a 7-8 1/2 lb shotgun the kick worse than a 470 NE. You really don’t need more than 3” shells and good calling skills so pattern your shotgun and practice your calls.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
I have a Savage 212 and I thought that's what it appears to be, with that peculiar 2 round integral box magazine built into the bottom under the action, but I knew that it doesn't work to shoot shotshells in a rifled barrel. Re-barreling explains the discrepancy, though I'm a bit surprised that you didn't start with the higher quality Browning 12ga. bolt action available at the time?
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
The Savage was cheaper and worked okay for a rebuild. The factory, Browning BPS was a favorite in the Hunter class. I also mounted a pistol scope on the rib of a Briwning Citori, White Lightning and won a lot with that gun.
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