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Post by dpoor65 on Dec 16, 2009 21:10:14 GMT -5
anyone got a good turkey load (home load) that they feel would hold better, farther, than Remington Heavy Shot
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Post by mountainam on Dec 17, 2009 19:00:58 GMT -5
I don't know what you're using but this is our 12ga. 3 1/2" Turkey Load. It will put 65 hits in a 12 in. circle at 50 yds. I use it to shame my buddies that pay $22 + bucks for Heavy shot shells.I've made kills out to 82 steps. They went down like you swatted them with a snow shovel All components can be had at WWW.balisticproducts.com POWDER: Blue Dot 38.0 grs. WAD: X12X/ Turkey Ranger w/4 slits to bottom w/.250" cork wad & Tyvek PRIMER: CCI 209SC CASE: Rem 3 1/2" steel Roll crimp SHOT: Lawrence copper plated #5 1 7/8 oz. w/#47 buffer I also use this 2 3/4" load that patterns great to beyond 50yds. POWDER: Blue Dot 33.0grs PRIMER: Win 209 WAD: BP-12 w/BPGS 3 slits to bottom CASE: Federal 2 3/4' plastic roll crimped SHOT: Lawrence copper plated #5 1 5/8oz. w/#47 buffer Your shot density will vary depending on your choke. I use a Rem 870 Super Mag with a .650 extended choke and my son uses a Mossberg Ulti-Mag with a .675 choke. If you are using a choke for Heavy Shot you may need to tighten it up some. These loads will really flatten the toms. Good Hunting!
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Post by artjr338wm on Dec 19, 2009 16:35:50 GMT -5
Mountainam that sounds like a excellent performing reload. Have you ever done the math and figured out what it costs to reload them per 10/20/30 or even 50?
I ask because I use Winchester Supreme Elite Xtended Range Hi Density heavier than lead turkey loads in 12ga 3.5" and have taken Toms at some incredible ranges. But I only shoot five or so shots per turkey season so unless reloading my own will yield a cost savings in the extreme I could not justify the component cost of reloading my own.
I bought quite a few of the Winchester Xtended Range turkey loads at $25 per box of 10 because my quite extensive and also expensive testing of turkey loads made by Remington, Federal and Winchester showed that shot out of my 870 the Winchesters were clearly superior.
Thanks, Arthur.
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Post by mountainam on Dec 19, 2009 18:39:51 GMT -5
ART, LOL! If I would have just bought a large case of Heavy shot ammo to begin with, I'd probably be hundreds of dollars ahead. I used to shoot trap and reloaded for that. Patterned all of my loads counted pellets until I looked like a pellet. It helped me see the pattern in my minds' eye while I was shooting. So when it came to turkey hunting I just couldn't help myself. Maybe I ought to go see somebody about that. Seriously, you can check out their website at Ballistic Products and all the components for their current prices. There's a lot of satisfaction shooting a big tom that your buddies think is out of range. If you bought your factory stuff right you can always sell them off for a profit to your pals that think it isn't worth reloading. Just tell them to save you their casings.GOOD HUNTING!
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Post by artjr338wm on Dec 19, 2009 20:03:01 GMT -5
I know what you mean mountainam. I was a long time ago lucky enough to get permission to hunt and still do, some simply awesome turkey land. I actually missed the first mature tom I ever had a chance at. This utterly disapointing failure on my part prompted me to pattern the gun (a borrowed 1300 NWTF mod) and found out just how badly it pattered at 40yrds, forget 50yrds.
Well now that I actually had turkeys to hunt, I decided I should at least learn what was necessary to equip myself with as good a dedicated turkey shotgun as I could afford and shoot out of it ammo that was equally good. In short know as much about turkey guns as I did rifles and slug guns.
I promptly went out and bought 1 box of every dedicated turkey load made by Rem, Fed, Active, and Win. Like you said I took them apart and inspected the pellets for uniformity consistency as well as numbers of pellets per shell.
I wound up settling on Winchesters new lead HV turkey loads as they #1-shot best out of my 870 and (no coincidence here) had the most uniform and consistently round and highest # of undamaged shot of any shells I took apart.
Then came the "heavier than lead" craze and I like so many others had to see if they lived up to all the hype. I had by now moved up to a 12ga 3.5" 870 Express Super Mag. I gave Remington's and Winchesters new heavier than lead shells a try. In the end the Winchesters edged out the Rems, not by much, but enough to matter. I had also equipped my 870 Super Mag with True Glow after market fiber optic sights that worked awesome allowing for much more precise aiming than any simple two bead system ever could.
Let me tell you sir, I would not want to be a Tom turkey with in 85 yards or less of me with my 3.5" Supermag shooting Winchester Supreme Elite Xtended range turkey shells. I was always careful when turkey hunting in the past to be 1000% of what I was shooting, but now after seeing first hand what the new "heavy-shot" shells can do to a 7/16" pine panel board I use to hold up my turkey targets, I now give a second and even third look to make sure all is OK to shoot before I do.
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Post by lowoctane on Mar 2, 2010 18:12:15 GMT -5
I know what you mean mountainam. I was a long time ago lucky enough to get permission to hunt and still do, some simply awesome turkey land. I actually missed the first mature tom I ever had a chance at. This utterly disapointing failure on my part prompted me to pattern the gun (a borrowed 1300 NWTF mod) and found out just how badly it pattered at 40yrds, forget 50yrds. Well now that I actually had turkeys to hunt, I decided I should at least learn what was necessary to equip myself with as good a dedicated turkey shotgun as I could afford and shoot out of it ammo that was equally good. In short know as much about turkey guns as I did rifles and slug guns. I promptly went out and bought 1 box of every dedicated turkey load made by Rem, Fed, Active, and Win. Like you said I took them apart and inspected the pellets for uniformity consistency as well as numbers of pellets per shell. I wound up settling on Winchesters new lead HV turkey loads as they #1-shot best out of my 870 and (no coincidence here) had the most uniform and consistently round and highest # of undamaged shot of any shells I took apart. Then came the "heavier than lead" craze and I like so many others had to see if they lived up to all the hype. I had by now moved up to a 12ga 3.5" 870 Express Super Mag. I gave Remington's and Winchesters new heavier than lead shells a try. In the end the Winchesters edged out the Rems, not by much, but enough to matter. I had also equipped my 870 Super Mag with True Glow after market fiber optic sights that worked awesome allowing for much more precise aiming than any simple two bead system ever could. Let me tell you sir, I would not want to be a Tom turkey with in 85 yards or less of me with my 3.5" Supermag shooting Winchester Supreme Elite Xtended range turkey shells. I was always careful when turkey hunting in the past to be 1000% of what I was shooting, but now after seeing first hand what the new "heavy-shot" shells can do to a 7/16" pine panel board I use to hold up my turkey targets, I now give a second and even third look to make sure all is OK to shoot before I do. What choke tube did you settle on with yer Supermag? I'm with ya on the Winchester loads! ;D
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Post by artjr338wm on Mar 3, 2010 23:38:52 GMT -5
Sorry it took me so long to reply, I have not visited this page in a while. I use a plane Jane Remington for heavy shot factory choke I found on sale in the close out bin real cheap at my local Gander Mtn, IIRC for $9.99.
IMHO I got a world class Turkey turkey killing machine for under $300. $239.99 for the gun W/24" barrel<> $39.99 for the true-glow FO 100% steel A/M sights, and $9.99 for the choke. Hard to beat that.
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Post by lowoctane on Mar 4, 2010 13:24:18 GMT -5
Mercy! Yeah, you got a low buck death dealer! Mine is an 870 also, supermag, polished the barrel, installed a red dot by drilling and tapping the vent rib mid way, trigger job, limbsaver pad and painted the whole gun od green. The choke I'm using (655) comes from Gobblers Guns in Arkansas. Gotta tell ya, would not want to be on the receiving end of this thing shooting the Winchester Extended, 3.5x6 loads!!! Shoots like a rifle!
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Post by 10ga on Mar 4, 2010 21:56:23 GMT -5
Yeah, #5 are my favorite for spring season too. Both in my 10 and 12 gauge guns. If I'm just calling for someone else and taking a gun for possible doubles I use my 20 with #6 and the shot better be SAFE and under 30 yd. I also like the Win. Supreme Turkey whatever... in my 12 but handload for the 10 ga. For fall hunting I prefer #4 in the 12, #2 in the 10 as I am usually wing or body shooting with a more open choke. The fall turkey season here is before leaf fall and the woods are thick and not beat down and clear after leaf fall and a winter of ice and snow etc... 10 ga
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Post by boarhog on Mar 18, 2010 12:25:20 GMT -5
The last turkey loads I bought were the Federal 2 1/4 oz #4s in 3 1/2" 10 ga. These patterned far better than the Rem Heavy Shot in my turkey gun. I could have taken shots to a tad over 60 yds before pattern density faded, but wouldn't. This load is devastating on both ends! Boarhog
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