I would like to hear from people who have patterned and hunted with nitros and hevishot. Are nitros really worth the extra money in the field and on paper. My friend and I are contemplating trying some, but I would love some input first. I have a very good combo now, but there is a little part of me that wonders if they are like the hand of God on turkeys. Thanks for your time.
YES I think they are to me . :icon_thumright:
Honestly, hevi 13 7s vs the tri-plex loads...which is how we gnerally compare...I will outshoot the nitros, but again that's not really apples to apples.
Where the nitros shine to me are in the woods. I look at it like this now...anything 250+ in the 10 at 40 and om golden with plenty of error room. They just hit hard and kill hard. I have also never killed with the hevi 7s tho..so my comparison is no good here, but I see how the hit targets and have killed loads with nitros and know they hit hard..in both ends. I have some at home waiting on me to test. I will get to test 7 vs 7 this time.
I jumped off the Nitro and Hevi bandwagon, i don't believe anyone wanting to take a turkey at 40 yards or less needs these loads. If the hunter wants more distance these may be the shells for them, personally i don think it is worth 5-8 dollars a shell for something i can do with a lead shell at resonable distances.
To me yes they are worth it!!! I have killed a bunch of turkeys with NITRO'S. They have worked well for me. From 40 to 3 steps deadly!!!
great shells and you should get great numbers but at 40 or less they kill a turkey just as dead as lead. i spent that big money on them and when i shot at a turkey and it folded just like with my old federal i relized they werent really worth the extra money
Quote from: runngun on March 18, 2012, 04:08:33 AM
To me yes they are worth it!!! I have killed a bunch of turkeys with NITRO'S. They have worked well for me. From 40 to 3 steps deadly!!!
[/qte] 3 stepswith nito or hevy is a waist of money to me
Quote from: coyotetrpr on March 17, 2012, 10:20:37 PM
I would like to hear from people who have patterned and hunted with nitros and hevishot. Are nitros really worth the extra money in the field and on paper. My friend and I are contemplating trying some, but I would love some input first. I have a very good combo now, but there is a little part of me that wonders if they are like the hand of God on turkeys. Thanks for your time.
In a word (YES) i started shootin them 15 years ago and never looked back they are expensive but you get what you pay for.
Frank, you gotta dance with the one who brung you!!!
I've got too much time and money tied up in turkey hunting to worry about a couple of bucks when they are the best you can buy.
I use hevi-13's mag blends and im getting about 200 pellets in a 10 inch circle at 40 yards shooting a remington 870 with a hevi-shot choke tube. I believe they do just as good as nitro's and they're half the price.
Nitro shells are more expensive because the quality control from shell to shell is head over hills better than a mass produced shell such as Hevi. I buy them because of their quality, superior patterns (in my guns) their customer service and to support a small business, I just wish they were closer to me do I could drop in and try different loads.
Ive shot Nitro's exclusively for several years and am a believer. Pretty much all my friends who tried them are sold as well. I dont really agree with the complaint about price. They are expensive but after patterning, you only shoot a few each year.
Quote from: Jake#5 on March 18, 2012, 01:22:20 PM
I use hevi-13's mag blends and im getting about 200 pellets in a 10 inch circle at 40 yards shooting a remington 870 with a hevi-shot choke tube. I believe they do just as good as nitro's and they're half the price.
The mag blends are good and I have killed birds at long ranges with them.
However, if you want to jump up to 300 pellets in the 10 at 40 and 200 pellets at 50 yards jump on the Nitro train and you will never look back!
The mag blends will not match the Nitros performance in velocity or in pattern numbers.
With all the money I spent on turkey hunting the cost of 10 of these shells is the cheapest thing I buy every other year for turkey hunting.
Myself no i was killing turkey just as dead with lead as people do with hevi shot if it wasnt for that guys would rely on their calling instead of shooting 40plus at birds :OGturkeyhead:
For me Mag Blends put 30 more pellets in the 10 than the Nitros
I've been shooting Nitro's for the last seven years now with great patterns/success. This past season I tried the Hevishot Mag Blends. They worked/patterned ALMOST as good as the Nitro's.
Why would some assume just because you shoot NITRO'S or Hevi that you would shoot a turkey a turkey passed 40? And cannot CALL.
Paying twice as much as Hevi for the Nitros wasn't worth it to me when I turned better patterns with Hevi 7's. I agree that the cost of shells is a minimal cost with respect to overall cost of turkey hunting..but throwing money away is not real smart.
Quote from: Longshanks on March 18, 2012, 09:42:32 PM
Paying twice as much as Hevi for the Nitros wasn't worth it to me when I turned better patterns with Hevi 7's. I agree that the cost of shells is a minimal cost with respect to overall cost of turkey hunting..but throwing money away is not real smart.
I must be missing something. I keep hearing Hevy 13 are 1/2 as much. Im paying $7-8 each for Nitros. I was at Dick's and saw Hevy 13 magblend 3.5 were $29 for a box of 5. Checked cheaperthandirt and they were $27.97. Where are you buying them for 1/2 cost of Nitros? Thanks
Cabelas. $21.99 for 5 that is $4.40 a shell. Almost 1/2 of Mega weight nitro at $8.10 per shell or h517 at $7.90 per shell.
Hevy Magblends at Cabelas....... 20 ga is $21.99..... 3 1/2 12 ga is $29.99
I also don't like playing the lot lotto with the Hevi-13's.
Quote from: southernfly on March 19, 2012, 04:21:21 PM
Quote from: Longshanks on March 18, 2012, 09:42:32 PM
Paying twice as much as Hevi for the Nitros wasn't worth it to me when I turned better patterns with Hevi 7's. I agree that the cost of shells is a minimal cost with respect to overall cost of turkey hunting..but throwing money away is not real smart.
I must be missing something. I keep hearing Hevy 13 are 1/2 as much. Im paying $7-8 each for Nitros. I was at Dick's and saw Hevy 13 magblend 3.5 were $29 for a box of 5. Checked cheaperthandirt and they were $27.97. Where are you buying them for 1/2 cost of Nitros? Thanks
I've been paying 19.99 for Hevi at academy and basspro..I've seen nitro from 8.50 to 10.00 a shot. That's ridiculous. Both of the turkeys I killed this year I could have killed lead 6's of any kind so 8.00+ makes no sense for one shell.
I burned a $8.70 Nitro shell on a 21 yard longbeard this morning could have used a dove load but didn't mind a bit. Hope I do it again tomorrow! Shells are cheap compared to gas!! Nitros are great shells too.
Quote from: Longshanks on March 19, 2012, 10:20:47 PM
Quote from: WiLL B on March 19, 2012, 10:13:42 PM
I burned a $8.70 Nitro shell on a 21 yard longbeard this morning could have used a dove load but didn't mind a bit. Hope I do it again tomorrow! Shells are cheap compared to gas!! Nitros are great shells too.
I guess if you are trying to see how much money you can spend..per turkey..you win. :z-winnersmiley:
Sometimes I shoot em a little further and I want the best shells I can get although the price is getting a little extreme. I killed way over a hundred with lead before I even heard of Heavy Shot or Nitros. Gas wasn't $4 a gallon then either though.
Quote from: WiLL B on March 19, 2012, 10:13:42 PM
I burned a $8.70 Nitro shell on a 21 yard longbeard this morning could have used a dove load but didn't mind a bit. Hope I do it again tomorrow! Shells are cheap compared to gas!! Nitros are great shells too.
Been there, done that and will continue to do that. All good points. ;D
So a few years ago, nobody wanted to spend $7 a shell. Now the argument is an extra $3-$4 over the other HTL loads on the market. I'm not rich, but that's pocket change compared to the rest of my equipment, especially one of the most critical links to putting the final nail in a gobbler's coffin.
I tell guys all the time, you can spend a ton of money and range time trying different chokes and loads, or you can start with what Nitro recommends for your setup and MOST of the time wind up with a winner. I tried to stock up on the Hevi 13's last year after watching the 2010 patterns posted on here. I ended up with several boxes of the same lot number as I hoped, but only to find out the recipe had apparently changed from the previous year, and they shot numbers comparable to my wife's 20ga. This was a for a gun that usually shoots 300+ in the 10" circle @ 40 yards with my Nitro combo. I had messed around and not re-ordered my usual Nitro loads and only had a few on hand. After they were used up I shot 3 more birds with the Hevi's and they did fine, no complaints. But after nearly 10 years of shooting the Nitros, I didn't play around and restocked my supply this season for my primary gun.
Are they needed? Of course not. But is confidence and consistency important to me in my hunting? Absolutely. I like them and until I started loading my own, I'll keep shooting them.
Quote from: Longshanks on March 19, 2012, 10:51:04 PM
I think if a company came out with a shell and marketed the right way for 25.00 a shell. Some folks would buy them claiming they have more confidence in them. Shooting a turkey with a shotgun is pretty easy. The rest of the hunt, scouting, setup, calling, moving on the turkey, etc. that's the tough part. You either have confidence in your ability to get the turkey in close or you try to make up for in other ways..like 8-10 shells.
I'd have to respectfully disagree in my case. The shells absolutely do NOT make up for the rest of the equation (setting up, getting close, etc.). I'm sure there are folks out there that buy them for those reasons, but not for me.
I handload my own rifle ammo for the same reasons - consistency and confidence, and will eventually do the same with my turkey loads if for nothing other than knowing they are the same from year to year. In my case, I'm paying somebody else for the consistent performance that I haven't gotten over the years with typical factory loads.
I probably don't NEED to shoot Barnes bullets at whitetails either, but I do. ;D At least we all have one thing in common, a passion hunting the wild turkey. Carry on.
The Hevi-13's do just fine for me. They're expensive enough!
Quote from: link=topic=21208.msg236044#msg236044 date=1332237267
Shells are the cheapest expense for me by far. Can't see skimping on shells when I've spent so much trying to get into gun range of a turkey. My days afield are too few and far between. But I can get much better performance than Nitros for less money, with no worries about over pressure shells. So, I no longer use them.
I would think shells would be one of your most expensive gear as much as you test, pattern, ect.
Quote from: kman on March 20, 2012, 09:05:50 AM
Quote from: gaswamp on March 20, 2012, 06:48:19 AM
Quote from: link=topic=21208.msg236044#msg236044 date=1332237267
Shells are the cheapest expense for me by far. Can't see skimping on shells when I've spent so much trying to get into gun range of a turkey. My days afield are too few and far between. But I can get much better performance than Nitros for less money, with no worries about over pressure shells. So, I no longer use them.
I would think shells would be one of your most expensive gear as much as you test, pattern, ect.
No kidding gaswamp. The way talks he is the self proclaimed reloading expert and knows more than Nitro does.
I'm going to take up for hal knowing his stuff.
Quote from: kman on March 20, 2012, 09:05:50 AM
...The way talks he is the self proclaimed reloading expert and knows more than Nitro does.
Ummm...I'm pretty sure that's not what he meant.
(http://www.threadbombing.com/data/media/2/fillion1.gif)
Quote from: Longshanks on March 20, 2012, 08:15:25 AM
Quote from: link=topic=21208.msg236044#msg236044 date=1332237267
Shells are the cheapest expense for me by far. Can't see skimping on shells when I've spent so much trying to get into gun range of a turkey. My days afield are too few and far between. But I can get much better performance than Nitros for less money, with no worries about over pressure shells. So, I no longer use them.
Thats my story as well. I couldnt see buying the most expensive shell on the market when I can get better performance for half the price. (Hevi) I also look at overall cost of hunting and save money in every area. But thats just me. I run across folks all the time that seem to be in some kind of contest of how much money they can spend on hunting. Guiding we call them GQ hunters, they show up looking like they just stepped off the pages of Cabelas magazine with every new gadget they can possibly find in their brand new 50 pocket vest shooting a 2,000 shotgun with 10.00 dollar shells. You ask them if they can call a turkey and they say "no" or " a little". Strange behavior.
why does it matter what someone else spends on their equipment,you make fun of them not being able to call but you know, maybe thats why they came to you in the first place to pay you to put them on a bird is because they cant call.i bet you dont make fun of them to their faces since their paying your bills
Longshanks, do you require that your clients shoot lead?
Quote from: Longshanks on March 20, 2012, 04:18:40 PM
Quote from: knightrider on March 20, 2012, 03:57:58 PM
Quote from: Longshanks on March 20, 2012, 08:15:25 AM
Quote from: link=topic=21208.msg236044#msg236044 date=1332237267
Shells are the cheapest expense for me by far. Can't see skimping on shells when I've spent so much trying to get into gun range of a turkey. My days afield are too few and far between. But I can get much better performance than Nitros for less money, with no worries about over pressure shells. So, I no longer use them.
Thats my story as well. I couldnt see buying the most expensive shell on the market when I can get better performance for half the price. (Hevi) I also look at overall cost of hunting and save money in every area. But thats just me. I run across folks all the time that seem to be in some kind of contest of how much money they can spend on hunting. Guiding we call them GQ hunters, they show up looking like they just stepped off the pages of Cabelas magazine with every new gadget they can possibly find in their brand new 50 pocket vest shooting a 2,000 shotgun with 10.00 dollar shells. You ask them if they can call a turkey and they say "no" or " a little". Strange behavior.
why does it matter what someone else spends on their equipment,you make fun of them not being able to call but you know, maybe thats why they came to you in the first place to pay you to put them on a bird is because they cant call.i bet you dont make fun of them to their faces since their paying your bills
First of all, I don't make a living guiding. I do it because I love to teach people how to turkey hunt. The point is that I teach them that preparation for turkey hunting is not spending an hour and a half at basspro spending a stupid amount of money. I let them know about certain books they can read to help them and the essential element of time in the woods. I teach them the importance of all the factors of turkey hunting, calling, concealment, set-up, importance of not moving, when to move, when to raise the gun, when to shoot. If your gonna be a turkey hunter you have be a student of the wild turkey. I say all the time "GQ" you hunt with me this morning. You got your feathers ruffled..you must be a GQ hunter as well. :boon:
Good luck this spring sport.
yep you got me i am,ive been killig turkeys since i was 12 which was 23 years ago,and iv gotten quiet well at it,no i dont take shots past 40 yards,yes i call my own birds,yes i shoot nitros,heck i even use new camoflauge when my blue jeans and t-shirts are dirty.i to guide several folks a year for the fun of it and dont care what they use or what they wear as long as they are with in the confines of the law. heck i even over compensate by using a 20ga instead of a 410. i just dont understand the holier than though attitude because someone using something different than yourself or because they cant call as well as you but they still want to be succesfull in thier endevours. good luck to you as well :z-flirtysmile3:
OK gentlemen.... It's good to see that you agree. Now shake hands and lets go huntin'!
Quote from: southernfly on March 19, 2012, 06:53:09 PM
Hevy Magblends at Cabelas....... 20 ga is $21.99..... 3 1/2 12 ga is $29.99
Things have changed. When I ordered mine a couple weeks ago they were 21.99 for 12 ga 3.5 inch.
Any turkey hunting shell is a highly specialized load or special purpose shell
30 years ago there was no such item -over the years they have slowly been developed for the special purpose of shooting tight and hard -every single turkey hunter on this site uses a turkey shell of one variation or another , it just depends on your personal preference -- unless you using" high brass " pheasant loads and flush mounted permanent choke like they were decades ago then you can count yourself out of the group entirely
If you like a crunchy peanut butter then buy it up and use it , if you like creamy peanut butter instead , then use that instead , don't down the folks that like crunchy .....they like PB&J sandwiches just like you , they just have different preferences that's all
The question was..are Nitros worth it? I answered no and gave reasons why..even though my answer may not be popular with everyone..Bottom line is I get better patterns with Hevi 7's for half the price out of a number of different guns..My statements about newcomers to the sport being focused on the wrong things completely parallels the statements made in "image control" Thou Shall.
Teaching folks the important facets of turkey hunting: Scouting, knowing the lay of the land, calling, set up ,concealment,being still, moving on the turkey, when to raise the gun, when to shoot etc, far out weigh the importance of what gun/shell you are using when it comes to learning to be a turkey hunter. I try to teach them how to get the turkey in gun range and to know their weapon. Downing people? No. Trying to teach them how to be turkey hunters. Yup. I've taught kids to turkey hunt that have grown up to some of the best in the country. If what we teach them is that what they need to be a turkey hunter is all of the top of line equipment/ long range guns/shells..then we haven't taught them very much.
Quote from: runngun on March 20, 2012, 04:11:10 PM
Longshanks, do you require that your clients shoot lead?
They shoot whatever they want..but they shoot 40yds or less..more productive that way regardless of what kind of shell they shoot. If the weapon is a 20 gauge..Pb..bring the distance in a bit. They also pattern at 40 before they hunt. Run across guns/choke/shell combos quite often that shoot sub par patterns at 40yds. POA/POI off etc.
I don't mind paying that much for a shell because it's all relative... Gas is 4$ per gallon and it makes my head hurt to think how much I spend scouting and hunting turkey each spring.
Having said that, I pay for TSS at about the same price as what Nitro's cost.
They're worth it for me. I harvested a bird in each of the past 2 seasons at 53 yds. In each case this was the only shot
available.
Quote from: orion43 on March 22, 2012, 09:30:24 AM
They're worth it for me. I harvested a bird in each of the past 2 seasons at 53 yds. In each case this was the only shot
available.
Precisely my point..that's what Nitro shells promote in the sport of turkey hunting..long range shooting.