Hello Fellow Hunters,
This is my first post and wasn't sure if this should go under 12 gauge forum or this one but I felt it fit better in this one.
I have been a deer hunter since I was 14 years old going out with my dad. I have bagged a few deer over the years and this will be my first ever turkey hunt. I am going over to Eastern Washington and our season starts April 15th. My buddy and I are going over to hunt with an establish camp of Old Timer's who have hunted the area for quite some time. My buddy has gone the last two years so he has a general lay of the land, but for me this will be all new territory.
So when my buddy first asked me to go I told him I would love too. We go pheasant and dove hunting together every year and he knew that I only had an old Remington 1100 that only shoots 2 & 3/4 shells and a fixed choke. He says "If you want to go Turkey Hunting you have to get a gun that shoots 3 & 1/2" shells." Without a whole lot of research into turkey hunting (I researched guns) I went out and bought a Benelli Super Nova pump. This was back in January.
Since then I have been researching and studying everything I could on Turkey Hunting, practicing with my diaphragm calls, and watching every Turkey hunting video I could find. I have noticed that some guys don't hunt with 3 & 1/2 inch shells. They prefer 3" shells.
I went and patterned my gun last weekend with 3 & 1/2" shells. It was a horrible experience as the range I went to only had one pattern board set at 35 yards and there was no real good rest. I did 2 shots resting on basically a 4' pony wall (I am 5' 9"), and one shot standing up. I couldn't sit on the ground as the pony wall would have been in the way. I knew these shells would kick pretty good and wasn't surprised when I was knocked back a little while doing the standing shot. Regardless the experience was unpleasant.
I want to know what your guy's experience's are with 3 1/2" shells vs 3" shells. I bought a 300 WSM for deer hunting. Now I know some of you may say this is a bit over kill however, where we hunt there are very few chances at deer and I have killed 1 deer at over 400yards, so it helped in that regard. My understanding of turkey hunting is that the 3 1/2" shells may give you a little bit more range to go after a bird (Really sucks as I didn't get to test the pattern out to my max distance). I am wondering though how often do you really need to take that distance shot? I would figure if you take the same shot at 35 yards with 3 1/2 vs 3" the same result will happen.
For those guys that hunt with 3" shells have you ever had an experience where you wish you had 3 1/2"? I know some of you will say I only hunt with 3" shells or the opposite. I am looking for hunters that have had experiences with both and I don't want reasons such as the kick of the 3 1/2" shell was why I switched over to 3" shells. I want to know of other reasons as to why you choose which size shell to use.
I also want to know if anybody has ever hunted with 2 3/4" shells. This one is just out of curiosity and whether or not my Remington 1100 would have worked for my first year.
There is a lot of great information on this site and I appreciate all the good advice. Keep it up and good luck this year.
I have several 3.5" guns and I shoot only 3" shells in all of them. They all pattern very well out to 40yds with both 3" and 3.5". 3" shells are cheaper and easier to find and the lighter recoil is a bonus IMO. Most of my kills are inside 20yds, and most that are farther could probably be killed at 20yds also if I where to wait for them. That being said, I could kill most of the turkeys I hunt with 2.75" 20 ga modified choke.
I will not personally take a shot at a turkey that is out side of 40yds, as a matter of fact, I usually won't take a shot at one any further than 35 in case of error on judgement. Every hunters situation is different by area and I usually put myself in a posistion to where when the gobbler shows up, he is in range unless I am going for the visual decoy method. With decoys I typicaly set them about 20yds from me when possible.
Not sure what kind of terrain you will be hunting in your area, but you can use terrain to your advantage when it comes down to moving on a bird and also setting up for the kill.
Your 1100 will work fine. Just get some 2.75" winchester xx mags 6's and see what it'll do on the range. People were killimg toms long before the 3.5 in shell came around. No offense but your buddy doesn't sound very experienced himself or he would know better. For the record I have two 3.5in guns but they are definitely not necessary
I shoot 3.5" but I agree it's not really necessary. Your 1100 would've worked fine. You'd just have to pattern it and see how tight it shoots. I took a double barrel 20 and patterned it for my wife with 2.75" 6 shot pheasant loads. Front trigger 22 yards and back trigger 28 yards. Just know your limits with your equipment.
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Huh... I would have thought I would have gotten a few hell NO's on the 2.75" shells. I don't regret buying the Benelli as I thought it would be nice to be able to shoot all types of shells and something different than the auto for hunting dove, pheasant etc.
So how about this question for you experience guys. With the 3.5 vs the 3 do you see or notice a significant difference in the knock-down power? I bought 3 different boxes of 3.5 which should last me a few seasons but I am thinking it is not necessary and from now on I might as well just use 3" shells unless I set up in a spot where there is a chance of a longer shot being required.
Quote from: alclark2 on April 11, 2014, 02:41:26 PM
I shoot 3.5" but I agree it's not really necessary. Your 1100 would've worked fine. You'd just have to pattern it and see how tight it shoots. I took a double barrel 20 and patterned it for my wife with 2.75" 6 shot pheasant loads. Front trigger 22 yards and back trigger 28 yards. Just know your limits with your equipment.
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Did you actually hunt with the 2.75" 6 shot pheasant loads? I have some of that ammo stocked up and if you think that would work I could bring my 1100 for a back up.
Quote from: budtripp on April 11, 2014, 12:58:38 PM
Your 1100 will work fine. Just get some 2.75" winchester xx mags 6's and see what it'll do on the range. People were killimg toms long before the 3.5 in shell came around. No offense but your buddy doesn't sound very experienced himself or he would know better. For the record I have two 3.5in guns but they are definitely not necessary
Ya, you are correct. My buddy is not very experienced. He just got into hunting about 4 years ago and only turkey hunting for 2, this will be his 3rd season. He's a pretty cool dude, but likes to get caught up in the biggest, baddest, best type of mentality. I showed him the ropes on deer hunting so I am hoping he has picked up enough experience to get us into some turkeys.
Quote from: appalachianstruttstopper on April 11, 2014, 12:45:44 PM
I have several 3.5" guns and I shoot only 3" shells in all of them. They all pattern very well out to 40yds with both 3" and 3.5". 3" shells are cheaper and easier to find and the lighter recoil is a bonus IMO. Most of my kills are inside 20yds, and most that are farther could probably be killed at 20yds also if I where to wait for them. That being said, I could kill most of the turkeys I hunt with 2.75" 20 ga modified choke.
I will not personally take a shot at a turkey that is out side of 40yds, as a matter of fact, I usually won't take a shot at one any further than 35 in case of error on judgement. Every hunters situation is different by area and I usually put myself in a posistion to where when the gobbler shows up, he is in range unless I am going for the visual decoy method. With decoys I typicaly set them about 20yds from me when possible.
Not sure what kind of terrain you will be hunting in your area, but you can use terrain to your advantage when it comes down to moving on a bird and also setting up for the kill.
I was thinking that was probably the max for me as well as my gun patterned fairly well at 35 yards. I thought I heard somewhere that 60 yards would be the max for an excellent shooter with 3.5" shells. Not sure what the terrain is going to be like. I know it will be heavily wooded and there is some hills we will be hiking on and around. It sounds like it would be good if we could spot some turkeys in open fields and then set up the next morning in those fields but I don't know if we will have luck finding that situation.
60 is too far for any setup to guarantee instant kills 100 percent of the time. Too many people are living on the lucky BB. "I killed a bird at 60 yards so I know my gun is a 60 yard gun". Well fact is on any given shot all it takes is one pellet to find the brain and you have a dead bird. You can't guarantee that will happen though 100 percent of the time with any setup at 60 yards.
40 yards is a slam dunk 100 percent of the time with a good setup. Some setups will even give you a bit of margin beyond that if you misjudge yardage. That is why we advocate a 40 yard maximum.
Difference in 2.75, 3, and 3.5 inch shells is not power or energy, it is number of shot. Longer shells have the POTENTIAL to give more dense patterns because they are pushing heavier payloads of shot. But it is only potential until you take the time to find a gun/choke combination that handles that larger payload well. It is quite possible for a given gun/choke to pattern smaller shot payloads better. Therefore in some gun/choke combinations, a 3" shell may well outpattern a 3.5" shell. 2.75" shells can certainly be turkey killers also. It is all in finding a gun/choke combination that handles it well. In general, the tighter the bore and tighter the choke, the more likely that the gun will handle lighter payloads of shot better than heavier.
"Did you actually hunt with the 2.75" 6 shot pheasant loads? I have some of that ammo stocked up and if you think that would work I could bring my 1100 for a back up."
My example was for her 2.75" 20 gauge. I can't find any 2.75" lead turkey loads for that old gun. Everything is 3". In a 12 gauge you can find the previously suggested 2.75" turkey load. I would get the best you can and skip pheasant loads in your 12 gauge.
When you can put 100 pellets in a 10" circle... you've got your effective range. She is going to hunt with this setup in about 2 weeks when our season opens up. I plan to put a decoy at about 10-12 steps so she can use it to range her shot distance.
I'd take your stuff to the range and test them at 30,35, 40 yards and see what kind of pattern your putting down. Also, use a big piece of paper or cardboard to check the point of impact. If you try that pheasant load at 30 it might look really good. At 35, it may fall apart. At 40, you may scratch your head and wonder where all the pellets went LOL. Usually, in my experience you get a good pattern out to a certain distance and then it exponentially falls apart. The more time you spend at the range with your guns and different ammo the better. Knowing your guns capability will drop a turkey in its tracks and not wound them with a long distance shot. That's what we're all after I hope.
There is a ton of information on here to learn about ammo. If you can find Winchester Long Beard Xrs at the store consider yourself lucky. They shoot very tight and are getting all the hype this year. Second, I'd recommend Federal Turkey Thug ammo. Both of these loads are new in the last two years and put up great patterns. They would be a good place to start in your new gun.
Quote from: Skeeterbait on April 11, 2014, 03:54:21 PM
60 is too far for any setup to guarantee instant kills 100 percent of the time. Too many people are living on the lucky BB. "I killed a bird at 60 yards so I know my gun is a 60 yard gun". Well fact is on any given shot all it takes is one pellet to find the brain and you have a dead bird. You can't guarantee that will happen though 100 percent of the time with any setup at 60 yards.
40 yards is a slam dunk 100 percent of the time with a good setup. Some setups will even give you a bit of margin beyond that if you misjudge yardage. That is why we advocate a 40 yard maximum.
Difference in 2.75, 3, and 3.5 inch shells is not power or energy, it is number of shot. Longer shells have the POTENTIAL to give more dense patterns because they are pushing heavier payloads of shot. But it is only potential until you take the time to find a gun/choke combination that handles that larger payload well. It is quite possible for a given gun/choke to pattern smaller shot payloads better. Therefore in some gun/choke combinations, a 3" shell may well outpattern a 3.5" shell. 2.75" shells can certainly be turkey killers also. It is all in finding a gun/choke combination that handles it well. In general, the tighter the bore and tighter the choke, the more likely that the gun will handle lighter payloads of shot better than heavier.
I did not know this. Thought it was all about distance and more powder charge. Ok, that helps a great deal. I knew all about the patterning and finding the right combination between gun, choke, and ammo.
Quote from: alclark2 on April 11, 2014, 04:27:41 PM
"Did you actually hunt with the 2.75" 6 shot pheasant loads? I have some of that ammo stocked up and if you think that would work I could bring my 1100 for a back up."
My example was for her 2.75" 20 gauge. I can't find any 2.75" lead turkey loads for that old gun. Everything is 3". In a 12 gauge you can find the previously suggested 2.75" turkey load. I would get the best you can and skip pheasant loads in your 12 gauge.
When you can put 100 pellets in a 10" circle... you've got your effective range. She is going to hunt with this setup in about 2 weeks when our season opens up. I plan to put a decoy at about 10-12 steps so she can use it to range her shot distance.
I'd take your stuff to the range and test them at 30,35, 40 yards and see what kind of pattern your putting down. Also, use a big piece of paper or cardboard to check the point of impact. If you try that pheasant load at 30 it might look really good. At 35, it may fall apart. At 40, you may scratch your head and wonder where all the pellets went LOL. Usually, in my experience you get a good pattern out to a certain distance and then it exponentially falls apart. The more time you spend at the range with your guns and different ammo the better. Knowing your guns capability will drop a turkey in its tracks and not wound them with a long distance shot. That's what we're all after I hope.
There is a ton of information on here to learn about ammo. If you can find Winchester Long Beard Xrs at the store consider yourself lucky. They shoot very tight and are getting all the hype this year. Second, I'd recommend Federal Turkey Thug ammo. Both of these loads are new in the last two years and put up great patterns. They would be a good place to start in your new gun.
I see. Ya, I didn't go looking for turkey ammo for the Remington but thought if you did it with pheasant loads maybe I could use that gun as a back up. I have already spent a ton of money trying to get all the necessary gear for this season.. Calls, Leafy Suit, Gun, Ammo, Tags, blah blah, I don't think I will buy ammo for the gun I probably wont use. Maybe next year to mix things up.
I didn't find the Winchester Long Beards XR's just Double X. Attached are the 3 types of ammo I patterned with and the order I shot them in left to right. As you can see in the photo that was all I had to rest on and I didn't have a chair behind it. I just had to lean over. My first and best shot was with the Remington #5's. However I don't think my results were accurate as that was the first shot where I hadn't experienced the kick and I had the worst possible rest for all of the shots. I did learn that all of them would have put at least 10 BB's in the kill zone of a turkey at 35 yards. Figured that was good enough for me.
(http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h105/Keehnel1414/photo.jpg) (http://s62.photobucket.com/user/Keehnel1414/media/photo.jpg.html)
Our season starts next Tuesday and we are leaving this Sunday or else I would go try and pattern more. Hopefully during the summer I can get some better shots and really see what works best with my gun. However, this will have to do for the time being.
Quote from: keehnel1414 on April 11, 2014, 05:19:58 PM
Quote from: Skeeterbait on April 11, 2014, 03:54:21 PM
60 is too far for any setup to guarantee instant kills 100 percent of the time. Too many people are living on the lucky BB. "I killed a bird at 60 yards so I know my gun is a 60 yard gun". Well fact is on any given shot all it takes is one pellet to find the brain and you have a dead bird. You can't guarantee that will happen though 100 percent of the time with any setup at 60 yards.
40 yards is a slam dunk 100 percent of the time with a good setup. Some setups will even give you a bit of margin beyond that if you misjudge yardage. That is why we advocate a 40 yard maximum.
Difference in 2.75, 3, and 3.5 inch shells is not power or energy, it is number of shot. Longer shells have the POTENTIAL to give more dense patterns because they are pushing heavier payloads of shot. But it is only potential until you take the time to find a gun/choke combination that handles that larger payload well. It is quite possible for a given gun/choke to pattern smaller shot payloads better. Therefore in some gun/choke combinations, a 3" shell may well outpattern a 3.5" shell. 2.75" shells can certainly be turkey killers also. It is all in finding a gun/choke combination that handles it well. In general, the tighter the bore and tighter the choke, the more likely that the gun will handle lighter payloads of shot better than heavier.
I did not know this. Thought it was all about distance and more powder charge. Ok, that helps a great deal. I knew all about the patterning and finding the right combination between gun, choke, and ammo.
Well you MIGHT get a little more distance from the longer shells but that is because the increased number of shot can create a pattern that remains denser at a longer distance. More powder (and more recoil) is to get the larger quantity of shot moving. I doesn't leave the barrel any faster.
Federal Heavy Weights make a great turkey 2 3/4 shell
"Turkeys were harvested for centuries with cylinder bored flintlock, percussion cap fowlers, muskets and shotguns. What you had in the beginning for upland game/bird hunting is more than sufficient. Now that you have a collection....do what has been suggested. Pattern what you have. Listen to what folks here advise....then go to the National Wild Turkey Federation website. They provide tutorials on all aspects of huntin' ol' Tom. Remember.....Americans traditionally want the biggest/baddest/fastest/costliest/newest whatever you're talking about at the moment. We all "jump" to fit in with the group. Sadly, usually this leads to lining someone else's pocket with your hard earned money. My first two turkeys were taken in about '97 with a '76 Ithaca M37 Featherlight with 30" full choke goose barrel and 25 year old Federal High Brass #4 Pheasant loads. I learned through trial and error in calling. Learned how turkeys use their home range.....made mistakes.....missed a few..... and finally nailed 2 at the same sitting. One as he rounded a cutover area's logging road at 15 paces and the other as it took flight to my left rear at 20 paces. Use what you have now.....it will last you for years. The Super Nova.... bought one two years ago.....hasn't been bloodied yet....but will be by next week......Good Gobblin' to you......"
legitimately the 2 3/4", 3", and 3.5" don't have that much power difference in magnum loadings...they do obviously have more pellet count...but as others have said, if you can find a load that will work out you'll be fine. Now a full choke barrel for the 1100 wouldn't be a bad thing. But now that you have a Benelli I'd simply buy a few types of 3" loads in #5 or #6 shot and pick the one that patterns best at 35 yards. You will most likely never have to shoot a turkey beyond 40/45 yards even though you'd like to, but your regular magnums will easily take turkeys at 35-40 yards as long as you've done your prep work. Much like shooting at 400 yards with your 300WSM...that caliber is not super accurate compared to others but if you understand its ballistics and practice your form you can take ethical shots at the edge of its effective range. Same thing with shotgunning. Good luck to you, hope you get a chance to experience a real good hunt, and if you're fortunate enough maybe even get some turkey in the fryer. :fud: :OGani:
I used a Remington 1100 2-3/4" fixed full choke shotgun for several years when I first started out.
I shot Winchester or Federal 2-3/4" Magnum 1-5/8oz #4's and 6's
Man those were some good times and memories.
I always shoot 3.5 for turkeys and it's not so much to give me more range as much as it's to add extra pellets in case something goes wrong.
Small tree or branch goes unnoticed at the shot.
Misjudge the distance.
Aim isn't true.
Wounded bird getting out of dodge.
With that said if you are uncomfortable your odds of something going wrong are higher and you should shoot what is comfortable. Forget about 60 yards not only are your odds of a clean kill lower your odds of a successful 2nd shot on a wounded bird are slim to none.
I like the 3 1/2" I think it hits a little harder
my 1100 is a killer with 2 3/4 in lead loads at 40. My 10 ga is a 50 yard killer all day long & twice on Sunday 100%. Wouldnt think of it w/ 1100 12 ga, wouldnt hesitate with the 10. Mike
I skipped most of the post so I hope I'm not repeating others. I've killed them with 2 3/4, 3, and 3.5 in shells. It's all about knowing the limit of your gun. I currently shoot 3.5in shells but wouldnt hesitate grabbing my old A5 and send a 2 3/4 remington duplex 4x6 down that 30in full choke barrel. My. 2nd bird from last year was killed just that way. My first ever was with a 3in shell. But many many more with a 3.5 lol
Been using 2 3/4 Winchester 6's In my 870 with a rem super full choke .660 for years now. I've tried 3 inch but those 2 3/4 6's throw a awesome pattern out to 40. Your results may not be so good, every gun is different. Buy and try till you get a good EVEN pattern is a must with any gun, choke combination. Don't be afraid to try 2 3/4 shells. It may be what your looking for.
I started turkey hunting in 1982 with a single shot using 2.75 inch #6 Winchester XXs and killed plenty of turkeys with them. It is all about having an even pattern at normal hunting ranges. My old single shot has a fixed modified choke, so the turkeys had to be close before I shot. I never lost or wounded a turkey with that gun either. I only killed 10 turkeys with it before I moved up to a 3 inch chambered semi auto.
These days, I shoot a Benelli SBE II with 3 inch Hevi #6s or #7s and they absolutely stomp a turkey's butt. I know a lot of guys shoot the 3.5 inch shells, though I never tried them. Heavy recoil hurts my bad shoulder. The 3" shell does the job and I'm sure I could have killed most of my turkeys with a 2.75 inch shell. As long as your gun throws an even pattern at normal hunting ranges and you can let the turkeys get in range before you drop the hammer, you should be good to go.
Good luck this spring.
Jim
Two years ago I switched to 3.5s out of my 835 and my pattern was better. Mostly because there is an additional 1/4 of shot.
My 870 is a 3 inch gun and with #6 hevi, there is no worry.
I have a 2 3/4 chamber old single shot that I plan on using sometime. It has a fixed full choke so I picked up some Federals with the flight control wad.
In the right set-up, 3.5" is a breeze.
I shoot 3.5" in my NWTF BPS, love the patterns with H-13 3.5" #6's.
My Super Vinci also likes the same 3.5" H-13 load.
I've got an SBE II that is like Thor's Hammer with 3" Magnum Blend.
When I'm on the road in places like NE/KS, I try to not let the weather conditions to affect me, so I try to bring the best combinations I can.
Just depends on the set-up for me....
mudhen
When you shoot a "big" shell at game you might not feel the recoil however your brain knows its coming and you flinch. No matter how you try not to or practice not to you will. I have caught myself doing it and have seen others do it.
I myself prefer a 3" shell. I have 3 1/2" guns but have NEVER felt under powered with 3".
Since I started turkey hunting (too many years ago to count), I've used a 2.75" Browning A5... it has killed a many turkeys shooting Win XX or Win X #6 out of the stock 31" full choke barrel. 20 years ago I put a 21" barrel with screw in chokes. Fully confident in it out to 40y with WinX #6.
My 870 doesn't like 3 1/2" shells. I have tried 7-8 different loads through 5-6 different choke tubes and get about the same results....there is always a hole in the pattern. I switched to 3" and the hole in the pattern disappearred. Last year I set up my 1187 20ga. for the wife to use. Using Federal HW 7's it throws just as good of a pattern at 35yd as the 870 12ga. using 3" Wincherster HV 6's. I have been turkey hunting for 15yrs and the farthest I have killed a turkey is 31 steps/ yds.....most have be in the 15-20 yd range.
I'm using a winchester model 1912, 12 gauge with fixed full choke and a 2.75" chamber. I don't feel under gunned at all inside 30-35 yards. I know people that have killed them with a 2.5" load of #6 out of a . 410
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Quote from: surehuntsalot on April 14, 2014, 10:13:33 PM
I shot Winchester or Federal 2-3/4" Magnum 1-5/8oz #4's and 6's
What shells are those? The payload is as heavy as some 3'' shells....
Quote from: Skeeterbait on April 11, 2014, 03:54:21 PM
60 is too far for any setup to guarantee instant kills 100 percent of the time. Too many people are living on the lucky BB. "I killed a bird at 60 yards so I know my gun is a 60 yard gun". Well fact is on any given shot all it takes is one pellet to find the brain and you have a dead bird. You can't guarantee that will happen though 100 percent of the time with any setup at 60 yards.
40 yards is a slam dunk 100 percent of the time with a good setup. Some setups will even give you a bit of margin beyond that if you misjudge yardage. That is why we advocate a 40 yard maximum.
Difference in 2.75, 3, and 3.5 inch shells is not power or energy, it is number of shot. Longer shells have the POTENTIAL to give more dense patterns because they are pushing heavier payloads of shot. But it is only potential until you take the time to find a gun/choke combination that handles that larger payload well. It is quite possible for a given gun/choke to pattern smaller shot payloads better. Therefore in some gun/choke combinations, a 3" shell may well outpattern a 3.5" shell. 2.75" shells can certainly be turkey killers also. It is all in finding a gun/choke combination that handles it well. In general, the tighter the bore and tighter the choke, the more likely that the gun will handle lighter payloads of shot better than heavier.
Excellent response Skeeter!
I personally shoot 3" 1 5/8" Hevi-shot #6's... That stuff will kill a bird further than I am willing to shoot one.
Hevi-shot is denser than lead, and tends to pattern much tighter... I would go with 2 3/4" Hevi-shot over 3" or 3.5" lead...
I will not shoot those 2 oz loads for a turkey any longer... I love wing-shooting, and although it never bothers me when I am shooting a bird, I always find myself flinching after dusting off one of those loads. I have killed a a bird at 40 yards, but I would not care to shoot one any further than that... By far most of the birds I have killed have been under 30 yards, and most under 20...
When patterning my gun to see where it shoots, I use standard target loads... When I figure out what is going on, if I am using a new load or choke, I will put one turkey load through the gun just to take a look at the pattern... A box of ten loads will last me 2-3 seasons, as I can only shoot 3 birds per season here... So the cost per shell does not bother me much...
In fact, next season I am thinking of switching to a 20 ga. with Hevi-shot, as it will be more pleasant to carry, and more comfortable to rest on my knee for long periods...
I killed a number of them with 2 3/4" 4s and 6s. I now use the Winchester Longbeard 6s in 3" in my Encore, not for distance, but pattern density. I absolutely refuse to shoot one past 35 steps. You can kill them with a .410 if you call them close enough. Pattern density and pellet energy seals the deal, and that means close.
i shot a bird once with a rem 1100 factory full choke 2 3/4 5 shot winchester i believe silver box at 40 yds. it rolled it. then i bought a 835 and used it ever since
I have shot alot of turkeys over the years with 2 3/4 inch shells.Sporting Ammo has a 2 3/4 inch custom turkey load in 12 ga that I have used that has 1 1/2 oz of shot in 4's,5's and 6's.I stoned a big tom at 51 yds. with that shell,because he hung up and would not come closer and was out in the open.I had already patterened that shell out of my Benelli,and I knew what it would do. My buddy had a constuction wheel in his truck,and we measured it exactly to the yard.2 3/4 and 3" shells are plenty enough to kill a turkey.Just find a shell that your gun patterns well and likes, and you will be good. Good luck to you,once you put one on the ground you will hooked for life. :icon_thumright:
Shooting 3-1/2" at the range sucks, but I never feel it when shooting at turkey. I figure the added number of pellets is worth one sucky day at the range.
I am a believer of the pattern and shooting reasonable distance. Many turkeys are taken with a 20 gauge, even the stoutest 3" 20 ga loads won't outperform a 12 ga 2 3/4" premium load. I say shoot what patterns best in your gun and you are comfortable with. Put your time in at the pattern board and then be confident with your choice. Good set ups and good calling and scouting are more likely to help you than splitting hairs about what shell to use. Good luck. BTW, I shoot 3.5" Longbeard XR #5's. I will never switch unless they stop making them. Great patterns at the range and live birds. Longest bird this year was 52 yards, stoned him. Good choke, good ammo and practice.
Quote from: zelmo1 on June 01, 2014, 07:43:03 PM
I am a believer of the pattern and shooting reasonable distance. Many turkeys are taken with a 20 gauge, even the stoutest 3" 20 ga loads won't outperform a 12 ga 2 3/4" premium load.
Completely disagree....a 1.5 oz load from a 12 gauge is no better than a 1.5 oz load from a 20.
We also try to limit our discussions of talking about shots over 40 yds here on the forum........
http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,46964.0.html
Quote from: BowBendr on June 02, 2014, 12:10:45 AM
Quote from: zelmo1 on June 01, 2014, 07:43:03 PM
I am a believer of the pattern and shooting reasonable distance. Many turkeys are taken with a 20 gauge, even the stoutest 3" 20 ga loads won't outperform a 12 ga 2 3/4" premium load.
Completely disagree....a 1.5 oz load from a 12 gauge is no better than a 1.5 oz load from a 20.
We also try to limit our discussions of talking about shots over 40 yds here on the forum........
http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,46964.0.html
For turkey hunting I would agree. In fact, I find it a bit easier to get a 20 gauge to pattern a bit tighter...
Now for wing shooting, it has been argued that much of that pattern density is actually strung out in a shot string... It is generally considered that a 12 gauge does actually have an advantage over the 20 gauge, because the shot-string is shorter in the 12 ga... This is of no concern for turkey hunting, cause for all practical purposes we are generally shooting at a stationary target, so the shot-string has no effect.
Although a 1.5 oz load in a light 20 ga. is going to belt ya pretty good...
Quote from: Terry on May 17, 2014, 06:01:55 PM
Shooting 3-1/2" at the range sucks, but I never feel it when shooting at turkey. I figure the added number of pellets is worth one sucky day at the range.
Try These the next time you pattern, it takes the sting out of it http://www.midwayusa.com/find?dimensionids=10706
I guess the only difference between the 12 gauge and the 20 gauge in the same weight of shot is that the 12 gauge would have a shorter shot string. It would probably be a benefit for most of the shot to get there at the same time, instead of strung out.
It's great that there are bigger and better shells available than in the past. I started turkey hunting when only 2 3/4 inch shells were available. We did use magnum loads. Then the 3 inch shells came along and now the 3 1/2 inch loads.
I would guess that each gives you about another five yards of killing range. The same with using a ten gauge. About another five yards.
That said , if you don't try and shoot at turkeys that are too far , it normally is not a problem. The last two that I missed were actually too close. Easily done with todays shells and chokes.
Skeeter is right on. My gun will shoot 3 1/2" but I always use 3", I like my shoulder. Try different loads/choke combos out and find the one your gun likes. The new ammo is deadly out to what most would consider an ethical range and then beyond. Pattern your gun out to your shooting limit and then stick with that combo. You will be confident when you pull the trigger and that's as important as what you ultimately decide to shoot.
Quote from: keehnel1414 on April 11, 2014, 12:27:37 PM
Hello Fellow Hunters,
This is my first post and wasn't sure if this should go under 12 gauge forum or this one but I felt it fit better in this one.
I have been a deer hunter since I was 14 years old going out with my dad. I have bagged a few deer over the years and this will be my first ever turkey hunt. I am going over to Eastern Washington and our season starts April 15th. My buddy and I are going over to hunt with an establish camp of Old Timer's who have hunted the area for quite some time. My buddy has gone the last two years so he has a general lay of the land, but for me this will be all new territory.
So when my buddy first asked me to go I told him I would love too. We go pheasant and dove hunting together every year and he knew that I only had an old Remington 1100 that only shoots 2 & 3/4 shells and a fixed choke. He says "If you want to go Turkey Hunting you have to get a gun that shoots 3 & 1/2" shells." Without a whole lot of research into turkey hunting (I researched guns) I went out and bought a Benelli Super Nova pump. This was back in January.
Since then I have been researching and studying everything I could on Turkey Hunting, practicing with my diaphragm calls, and watching every Turkey hunting video I could find. I have noticed that some guys don't hunt with 3 & 1/2 inch shells. They prefer 3" shells.
I went and patterned my gun last weekend with 3 & 1/2" shells. It was a horrible experience as the range I went to only had one pattern board set at 35 yards and there was no real good rest. I did 2 shots resting on basically a 4' pony wall (I am 5' 9"), and one shot standing up. I couldn't sit on the ground as the pony wall would have been in the way. I knew these shells would kick pretty good and wasn't surprised when I was knocked back a little while doing the standing shot. Regardless the experience was unpleasant.
I want to know what your guy's experience's are with 3 1/2" shells vs 3" shells. I bought a 300 WSM for deer hunting. Now I know some of you may say this is a bit over kill however, where we hunt there are very few chances at deer and I have killed 1 deer at over 400yards, so it helped in that regard. My understanding of turkey hunting is that the 3 1/2" shells may give you a little bit more range to go after a bird (Really sucks as I didn't get to test the pattern out to my max distance). I am wondering though how often do you really need to take that distance shot? I would figure if you take the same shot at 35 yards with 3 1/2 vs 3" the same result will happen.
For those guys that hunt with 3" shells have you ever had an experience where you wish you had 3 1/2"? I know some of you will say I only hunt with 3" shells or the opposite. I am looking for hunters that have had experiences with both and I don't want reasons such as the kick of the 3 1/2" shell was why I switched over to 3" shells. I want to know of other reasons as to why you choose which size shell to use.
I also want to know if anybody has ever hunted with 2 3/4" shells. This one is just out of curiosity and whether or not my Remington 1100 would have worked for my first year.
There is a lot of great information on this site and I appreciate all the good advice. Keep it up and good luck this year.
Effective range does not exactly change from a 3.5 inch to a 3inch shell. Typically all a 3.5inch provides is more pellets. So technically a 3inch shell with a good load and choke combo will outperform a 3.5 gun with a bad load/choke combo. people need to get out and pattern their shotguns! That being said, I think my next shotgun will be a 3.5incher to give me the option of 3.5s if I want them. More pellets down range, if patterned correctly, can only HELP so why not?!?!
I shoot a 3" #4 load of lead, and I'm good out to 40 yards or so.
My youngest son shoots a 2 3/4" #4 lead load and he does pretty well out to about 30 yards. My son is a better caller than I am, and frequently has them crawling up his legs.
For us, distance is not usually a problem. I figured it out a few years ago: my average shot over the past 30-some years is 17 yards. A few of those turkeys have been taken over 40 yards. A lot have been at under 5. I didn't deliberately make it that way. It just happened.
I hunt a variety of set-ups. Some venues offer views over 100-200 yards. However, the folds in the land and the trees will often obscure turkeys until they are close in. I try and use that to my advantage. That is, I prefer a set-up where the turkey is not going to see me until it is too late.
I remember back to a time before choke tubes and purpose-built turkey loads that a good trap gun with a full choke was okay for turkey. I can also remember when 2 pellets in a dixie cup at a given distance was considered good-to-go. If you could pull that off beyond 20 yards, you were good to go.
My point is not to come off as an old-school snob, but truth is the fashion for turkey guns that perform at extreme ranges is just that, a fashion. Other people are going to see it differently, but honestly I have missed more gobblers inside 15 yards because my pattern was too tight than over 25 yards because my pattern was not tight enough.
I killed a fair amount of birds with my 2 3/4 " Auto 5 using the Remington Duplex load.
it really doesnt matter. ive killed birds with 2 3/4 dove loads. pattern your gun and call them in close you will have more fun that way.. :fud:
I agree with what was said. My daughters hunt w 20 gauges n the turks aren't any less dead than when I shoot em. I guarantee your 3" 12 has more payload. 3-1/2" shells can be great but bear in mind in some guns as already stated by others the 3" patterns better.
Many times it's because the shot is being rattled in the forcing cone area. That's an easy fix and may help your gun pattern better. Forcing cone is the area where the crimp opens and that rough transition beats the shot up. Even though turkey chokes are tight, the shot should string out slightly by the time it hits that n be fine given a smooth start
I was killing turkeys before I ever fired my first 3" shell. The same as with 3 1/2" shells. That said, todays shells are far better than what we used back then.
It's all in the proper choke for that gun or shell. Also, it's about taking good shots. From what I've seen, each bigger shell gives you about five more yards of clean kills. The same with a ten gauge.
Pattern density, muzzle velocity and pellet size/composition are the only relevant factors. A particular pellet fired at a particular muzzle velocity retains the same energy at any given distance. You can gain energy by shooting a larger or denser pellet, but at the cost of pattern density. Call them close and nothing but pattern density really matters.
I read a book called "turkey hunting spring and fall" by mr. Doug camp. Granted the book was published in the 80s long before all the new technology in load and shell combos, but he said you are never over gunned when it comes to turkey hunting. I tend to agree with this. Turkeys are allot better at not letting me kill them than I am at killing them. I like 3.5in shells cause I feel it gives me that much more of an advantage. If I owned a 10ga and knew where to find shells for it I'd probably carry one. Just my :z-twocents:
Not sure if the OP is still reading this, but the Benelli Nova has a recoil dampener that screws in to the back stock-they are around $70 if I recall. I used one when I was on the 3.5" bandwagon for geese and it make a huge difference. It also makes the gun balance better. With that said, I switched to 3" loads and killed geese as well as 3.5" and saved myself some money.
I gave away my Nova because the POA and POI could never be brought close, no matter what load and choke I tried. Most expensive free gun I ever had. Was glad to see it go.
Last year, I thought I had to have 3.5" shells to be successful. It only took two shots at the range and the, what I can only assume, overcharged shells busted my gun up (broke off and bent the ejector port cover and spring). I now have no desire to shoot 3.5" shells. Luckily for me, it was only a $10 fix.