Any no.#4 shot shooters out there??I am old-school and have taken a good bunch of birds all with 4s.Never had all this great turkey stuff like custom loads ,and chokes back when I chased birds.always the bigger was better.Now with the modern tech its endless.Don,t get me wrong if it works for you go get them...............................
Fortunately or Unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, technology has increased so much over the last twenty years that we have TOO MANY choices to hunt turkeys. The invention of the 3 1/2" shell, tighter chokes, heavier than lead shot and tight turkey loads has caused us to believe more is better. I killed my first bird at 29 yards with a 2 3/4", 1 1/2 oz. load of number 5's that I had reloaded on my MEC. Since then, I bought into a 3 1/2" 835 with Hevi 7's and a .670 Pure Gold choke. They both kill, just as dead, to 40 yards so do we really need this added technology?
Haven't used it for awhile but back in the day I used #4s a lot. Back then I'd buy whatever 3" magnums were cheapest(in 25 round boxes) at my local sporting goods store. I'd use them for turkeys (spring and fall) fox, coyote, and any thing else I thought needed extra power. I never used to pattern any shells and just assumed that if it was a magnum it would be deadly out to 30 yards or so. And they usually were!
Isn,t it crazy how we go with the flow, I never would think about shooting turkeys 40 yards and beyond back in the day.The true game was to call them in close.Has the modern teck made us lazy hunters?????????????
I use to use #5 shot in lead all the time. Then along came Hevi-shot, and I jumped onto the bandwagon as well, complete with a new choke tube to handle that new shot specifically. But the cost factor for those shells is way up there compared to "normal" turkey loads. I paid $100.00 at the NWTF convention for a box of 25 of those custom made Nitro Company shells. Still have about 5 left. Now with the new Winchester Longbeard shells out on the market, I decided to switch to using #4's and bought another choke for those loads. Sticking with this set-up for now....
4s, 5s. 6s lead. 7s heavier than lead, whatever floats your boat and gives good patterns at "reasonable" range. The game used to be 40 yards and closer with NO DECOYS. My how things have changed; callers have become somewhat obsolete for many and many seek to brag about how far. Whatever.
I've probably killed more turkeys with the old 3" Federal premium #4 than any other load. Now I shoot 3 1/2 Nitros 4-5-7. Why? I guess I like getting the snot kicked out of me. :z-guntootsmiley:
Stacked up those pasture and field turkeys with the Federal Grand Slam 3 1/2" 4's.
In the woods the old Remington 4x6's did their job. Well 1/2 4 shot anyway.
Always liked a gun that patterned the 4's well. Real good gobbler slammers.
Now it is Hevi or mainly heavyweight.
I have killed 90% of my turkeys with good ol #4 shot and I plan on going back this year. Going to play around with long beard 4's and my collection of chokes. If i get 100 or more in the 10 I will be going back.
I have built myself a 20 gauge this year, in an effort to lighten the load some. I still want to feel confident in a last minute situation I have something for him at 30 yards.
Nothing will ever change my mind and give me the.rush of him making the.ground shake at 20 or less.
No matter what weapons I have.
i really like the Winchester Longbeard #4's
Killed a bunch with #4 lead and copper. I made the change to a 20ga with #9 tss shot. That stuff patterns awsome and packs more punch than lead at 40.
Why would anyone still shoot lead 4's when hevi 6s hit with the same amount of kinetic energy and give you 25% more pellets?
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 05, 2016, 10:54:47 PM
Why would anyone still shoot lead 4's when hevi 6s hit with the same amount of kinetic energy and give you 25% more pellets?
I agree, always shot 3in lead #5's, as to me it was a good compromise, more bb's than 4's, but more knock down than 6's. Now I shoot 3.5 hevi 6's, why? Probably as much knockdown as #4 lead, and way more bb's. And I only increased my effective down range by 5 yards, as I don't like anything over 45 yards, although it's capable. But with more bb coverage I get more room for error within my effective range and I 'll gladly take that.
I think I killed my first 8 turkeys with the Remington duplex 4x6's. I actually really liked that load. It shot well out of my setup back then. Now I only use a 20 gauge so it's #7's for me.
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I've got a bunch of dedicated turkey guns, my Ulti mag, I've used for almost 25 years w #4 Winchester supremes. They never haven't worked so I hadn't changed til last year. Tried longbeards, wasn't really fond of the extreme unforgiving pattern I was getting n switched back. My 11-87 is used by my daughter, also w Winchester #4s, that gun also has never once had them fail, thegun has been in use since 1987. SP 10 I have shoots #4s though because of the weight I don't use it much anymore. My turkey slayer is a toss up between 4s and 5s though I believe 5s may get the nod in this gun, once the 5s run out the 4s pattern so well they're getting used. My guns just seem to pattern 4s
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 05, 2016, 10:54:47 PM
Why would anyone still shoot lead 4's when hevi 6s hit with the same amount of kinetic energy and give you 25% more pellets?
The cost factor. Why spend almost $30.00 for a box of 5 shells, when you can get a box of 10 for $17.00? If you go to the pattern range and pattern your gun at various distances, you will end up shooting at the minimum 10 shells or more.
Quote from: maytom on March 06, 2016, 05:13:30 AM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 05, 2016, 10:54:47 PM
Why would anyone still shoot lead 4's when hevi 6s hit with the same amount of kinetic energy and give you 25% more pellets?
The cost factor. Why spend almost $30.00 for a box of 5 shells, when you can get a box of 10 for $17.00? If you go to the pattern range and pattern your gun at various distances, you will end up shooting at the minimum 10 shells or more.
When you've got $1500 in a turkey gun, thousands between out of state licenses, leases, and gas costs, whats's $60 in ammo to shoot 8-10 turkeys and another $30.00 to check the zero on your gun after traveling?
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 06, 2016, 06:57:20 AM
Quote from: maytom on March 06, 2016, 05:13:30 AM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 05, 2016, 10:54:47 PM
Why would anyone still shoot lead 4's when hevi 6s hit with the same amount of kinetic energy and give you 25% more pellets?
The cost factor. Why spend almost $30.00 for a box of 5 shells, when you can get a box of 10 for $17.00? If you go to the pattern range and pattern your gun at various distances, you will end up shooting at the minimum 10 shells or more.
When you've got $1500 in a turkey gun, thousands between out of state licenses, leases, and gas costs, whats's $60 in ammo to shoot 8-10 turkeys and another $30.00 to check the zero on your gun after traveling?
:agreed: I also use small game loads at first at 10, 20, 30, & 40 yards when sighting in my red dot (especially after I figure out what she'll my gun and choke prefers and I am just checking to see that it's sighted in each year). After that, I use my turkey load at 20 & 40 yards to pattern. I don't think I ever shoot more than 4 shots to pattern.
Shot #4's for years out of the Mossberg 835. It is a killer. Switched to a 20 with HW 7's 3 years ago.
And haven't looked back.
Quote from: bbcoach on March 05, 2016, 08:10:32 PM
Fortunately or Unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, technology has increased so much over the last twenty years that we have TOO MANY choices to hunt turkeys. The invention of the 3 1/2" shell, tighter chokes, heavier than lead shot and tight turkey loads has caused us to believe more is better. I killed my first bird at 29 yards with a 2 3/4", 1 1/2 oz. load of number 5's that I had reloaded on my MEC. Since then, I bought into a 3 1/2" 835 with Hevi 7's and a .670 Pure Gold choke. They both kill, just as dead, to 40 yards so do we really need this added technology?
Some say we buy into the "More is better technology" to be able to kill birds at further distances. As for me, I still kill 95% of my birds at 20 to 25 yards and have never killed one beyond 40. So I ask myself, "Why did I change?" That is a VERY good question!
Started with 4s about 12 springs ago but will be using 9s this season.
Quote from: rem 300 on March 05, 2016, 09:56:11 PM
i really like the Winchester Longbeard #4's
+1
The ONLY way to go if you wanna shoot lead 4's these days, IMO.
Have always used copper coated #4s since I started turkey hunting about 25 years ago, mainly because that's what my Dad and brothers used and what we had and we all had no problem killing turkeys we shot at. For the last 10 yrs used 3" Win HV #4s but ran out at the end of last spring. Got some of the new HV # 4s but they didn't pattern anything like the old ones did. Recently bought some #4 Win Longbeards to see how they do before this season. 3" Mag Blends also pattern OK in my gun but do not hit POA like the Win #4s do.
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 06, 2016, 06:57:20 AM
Quote from: maytom on March 06, 2016, 05:13:30 AM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 05, 2016, 10:54:47 PM
Why would anyone still shoot lead 4's when hevi 6s hit with the same amount of kinetic energy and give you 25% more pellets?
The cost factor. Why spend almost $30.00 for a box of 5 shells, when you can get a box of 10 for $17.00? If you go to the pattern range and pattern your gun at various distances, you will end up shooting at the minimum 10 shells or more.
When you've got $1500 in a turkey gun, thousands between out of state licenses, leases, and gas costs, whats's $60 in ammo to shoot 8-10 turkeys and another $30.00 to check the zero on your gun after traveling?
The cost factor is part of the reason lots of guys don't switch but also the marketing is bs n has guys brainwashed imo. Think about something, if you have a load that patternd very well at 40 yards n less, good evenly distributed pattern w zero holes why on earth would someone need to "kill em deader" or "pattern em better"?
Doesn't make sense. Many guys don't hunt many other states or as I do hunt two but lives 5 miles from the border so gas is not an issue. Also most everyone I know for good reason hunts w an 835, fairly inexpensive gun that I feel has no equal except for perhaps some 10 gauges. Where I live leases are split among multiple guys n there's tons of state land, much mountainous n few climb it. Fairly inexpensive compared to the method described. That being said everyone has preferences to how they see things best. To each his own but the dead bird doesn't care how it got dead
Quote from: Bowguy on March 06, 2016, 08:52:15 AM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 06, 2016, 06:57:20 AM
Quote from: maytom on March 06, 2016, 05:13:30 AM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 05, 2016, 10:54:47 PM
Why would anyone still shoot lead 4's when hevi 6s hit with the same amount of kinetic energy and give you 25% more pellets?
The cost factor. Why spend almost $30.00 for a box of 5 shells, when you can get a box of 10 for $17.00? If you go to the pattern range and pattern your gun at various distances, you will end up shooting at the minimum 10 shells or more.
When you've got $1500 in a turkey gun, thousands between out of state licenses, leases, and gas costs, whats's $60 in ammo to shoot 8-10 turkeys and another $30.00 to check the zero on your gun after traveling?
The cost factor is part of the reason lots of guys don't switch but also the marketing is bs n has guys brainwashed imo. Think about something, if you have a load that patternd very well at 40 yards n less, good evenly distributed pattern w zero holes why on earth would someone need to "kill em deader" or "pattern em better"?
Doesn't make sense. Many guys don't hunt many other states or as I do hunt two but lives 5 miles from the border so gas is not an issue. Also most everyone I know for good reason hunts w an 835, fairly inexpensive gun that I feel has no equal except for perhaps some 10 gauges. Where I live leases are split among multiple guys n there's tons of state land, much mountainous n few climb it. Fairly inexpensive compared to the method described. That being said everyone has preferences to how they see things best. To each his own but the dead bird doesn't care how it got dead
When I'm 1500 miles from home on a 3 state, 10 day trip I don't want to wonder if I've got enough KE to kill a bird hung up at 50-55 yards.
Sure, most of my birds are shot in the 25-35 yard range and I shoot some inside 15 each year but I want filled tags when time is of the essence and money (airfare, licenses, hotels)is heavily invested. Whether I've got to bust some brush to kill one at 25 or have nothing but air between myself and a gobbler at 50, lead is not the load I want conducting those transactions.
Whether I'm shooting gobblers 10 minutes from my house or 2000 miles from home, the $9 Nitro I shoot out of my browning silver or $7 hevi-13 6 I shoot out of my 870 supermag is a negligible cost.
I shot plenty of turkeys with lead as a kid and they all flopped. They'd flop for 3-5 minutes if I let them. Birds shot with hevi-13, federal heavyweight and TSS don't flop nearly as much, if at all. I like em dead. Real dead.
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 06, 2016, 09:14:31 AM
Quote from: Bowguy on March 06, 2016, 08:52:15 AM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 06, 2016, 06:57:20 AM
Quote from: maytom on March 06, 2016, 05:13:30 AM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 05, 2016, 10:54:47 PM
Why would anyone still shoot lead 4's when hevi 6s hit with the same amount of kinetic energy and give you 25% more pellets?
The cost factor. Why spend almost $30.00 for a box of 5 shells, when you can get a box of 10 for $17.00? If you go to the pattern range and pattern your gun at various distances, you will end up shooting at the minimum 10 shells or more.
When you've got $1500 in a turkey gun, thousands between out of state licenses, leases, and gas costs, whats's $60 in ammo to shoot 8-10 turkeys and another $30.00 to check the zero on your gun after traveling?
The cost factor is part of the reason lots of guys don't switch but also the marketing is bs n has guys brainwashed imo. Think about something, if you have a load that patternd very well at 40 yards n less, good evenly distributed pattern w zero holes why on earth would someone need to "kill em deader" or "pattern em better"?
Doesn't make sense. Many guys don't hunt many other states or as I do hunt two but lives 5 miles from the border so gas is not an issue. Also most everyone I know for good reason hunts w an 835, fairly inexpensive gun that I feel has no equal except for perhaps some 10 gauges. Where I live leases are split among multiple guys n there's tons of state land, much mountainous n few climb it. Fairly inexpensive compared to the method described. That being said everyone has preferences to how they see things best. To each his own but the dead bird doesn't care how it got dead
When I'm 1500 miles from home on a 3 state, 10 day trip I don't want to wonder if I've got enough KE to kill a bird hung up at 50-55 yards.
Sure, most of my birds are shot in the 25-35 yard range and I shoot some inside 15 each year but I want filled tags when time is of the essence and money (airfare, licenses, hotels)is heavily invested. Whether I've got to bust some brush to kill one at 25 or have nothing but air between myself and a gobbler at 50, lead is not the load I want conducting those transactions.
Whether I'm shooting gobblers 10 minutes from my house or 2000 miles from home, the $9 Nitro I shoot out of my browning silver or $7 hevi-13 6 I shoot out of my 870 supermag is a negligible cost.
I shot plenty of turkeys with lead as a kid and they all flopped. They'd flop for 3-5 minutes if I let them. Birds shot with hevi-13, federal heavyweight and TSS don't flop nearly as much, if at all. I like em dead. Real dead.
Dead is dead n Nitros have blown up many barrels so Id not use them if free. 40 yards is the max we can talk about here but on paper my guns pattern further, I just work em closer. God bless ya if you can spend a few grand to hunt each spring. Lots of guys can't
Quote from: Bowguy on March 06, 2016, 09:18:46 AM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 06, 2016, 09:14:31 AM
Quote from: Bowguy on March 06, 2016, 08:52:15 AM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 06, 2016, 06:57:20 AM
Quote from: maytom on March 06, 2016, 05:13:30 AM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 05, 2016, 10:54:47 PM
Why would anyone still shoot lead 4's when hevi 6s hit with the same amount of kinetic energy and give you 25% more pellets?
The cost factor. Why spend almost $30.00 for a box of 5 shells, when you can get a box of 10 for $17.00? If you go to the pattern range and pattern your gun at various distances, you will end up shooting at the minimum 10 shells or more.
When you've got $1500 in a turkey gun, thousands between out of state licenses, leases, and gas costs, whats's $60 in ammo to shoot 8-10 turkeys and another $30.00 to check the zero on your gun after traveling?
The cost factor is part of the reason lots of guys don't switch but also the marketing is bs n has guys brainwashed imo. Think about something, if you have a load that patternd very well at 40 yards n less, good evenly distributed pattern w zero holes why on earth would someone need to "kill em deader" or "pattern em better"?
Doesn't make sense. Many guys don't hunt many other states or as I do hunt two but lives 5 miles from the border so gas is not an issue. Also most everyone I know for good reason hunts w an 835, fairly inexpensive gun that I feel has no equal except for perhaps some 10 gauges. Where I live leases are split among multiple guys n there's tons of state land, much mountainous n few climb it. Fairly inexpensive compared to the method described. That being said everyone has preferences to how they see things best. To each his own but the dead bird doesn't care how it got dead
When I'm 1500 miles from home on a 3 state, 10 day trip I don't want to wonder if I've got enough KE to kill a bird hung up at 50-55 yards.
Sure, most of my birds are shot in the 25-35 yard range and I shoot some inside 15 each year but I want filled tags when time is of the essence and money (airfare, licenses, hotels)is heavily invested. Whether I've got to bust some brush to kill one at 25 or have nothing but air between myself and a gobbler at 50, lead is not the load I want conducting those transactions.
Whether I'm shooting gobblers 10 minutes from my house or 2000 miles from home, the $9 Nitro I shoot out of my browning silver or $7 hevi-13 6 I shoot out of my 870 supermag is a negligible cost.
I shot plenty of turkeys with lead as a kid and they all flopped. They'd flop for 3-5 minutes if I let them. Birds shot with hevi-13, federal heavyweight and TSS don't flop nearly as much, if at all. I like em dead. Real dead.
Dead is dead, the marketing messin w people's heads is key here, you cannot get extra dead. Death is final, there's no more. Nitros have blown up many barrels so Id not use them if free. 40 yards is the max we can talk about here but on paper my guns pattern further, I just work em closer. God bless ya if you can spend a few grand to hunt each spring. Lots of guys can't
I have very good results with Nitro #4's. Forty yards and in.
Dang Longbeard 4's shot great for me yesterday. Almost 200 at 40 yards
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Started with a 20 ga with #6 lead. Moved to 12 gauge with lead 4's. Then to a 10 gauge with duplex loads. Heavier than lead loads followed and now I shoot a 20 gauge with TSS 9's. Can't beat toting a 5lb toothpick 20ga
My late father killed almost all of his turkeys (spring and fall) with Federal Premium 4s. I've got some of his stash left and they still pattern exceptionally out of his 870.
And yes, they'll do the deed well past 40 if you misjudge the yardage.
Quote from: tha bugman on March 06, 2016, 11:21:29 AM
Dang Longbeard 4's shot great for me yesterday. Almost 200 at 40 yards
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That's a heck of a pattern with #4's!!! What gun/choke 3" or 3-1/2?
Win Longbeards changed what is capable of doing with lead. Sixes now do 230, fives hit 200 and fours are shooting 170. Some people are exceeding those numbers and with no 4 shot your doing quite well at the 40 yard mark.
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 06, 2016, 06:57:20 AM
Quote from: maytom on March 06, 2016, 05:13:30 AM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 05, 2016, 10:54:47 PM
Why would anyone still shoot lead 4's when hevi 6s hit with the same amount of kinetic energy and give you 25% more pellets?
The cost factor. Why spend almost $30.00 for a box of 5 shells, when you can get a box of 10 for $17.00? If you go to the pattern range and pattern your gun at various distances, you will end up shooting at the minimum 10 shells or more.
When you've got $1500 in a turkey gun, thousands between out of state licenses, leases, and gas costs, whats's $60 in ammo to shoot 8-10 turkeys and another $30.00 to check the zero on your gun after traveling?
will never spend 1500 on any kind of gun, or expensive out of state license. I have to work for a living, hunt with a 20ga 870 and a Mossberg 835. lead has killed them for me for 40+ years
Killed my first dozen or more bird with fours, used to think I would rather hit em with a few 4s than a bunch of 6s, made the switch to hevi 6s when Rem. first came out with it which was the best of both worlds, lot of thump and lots of hits.
The longbeard 4s look interesting to me with the patterns guys get.
It just occurred to me that there are some people that I don't want hunting the turkeys I hunt with an attitude of "I travelled a long way and by God, I am going to kill something".
When you're trying to kill one in all 49 states, you're not trying to have to come back to that state. The willingness to kill a 50 yard bird doesn't mean you have the attitude that "By God I'm going to kill something." You won't find me in a blind, you won't find me crawling with some dumbass fan in front of me and you won't find me shooting at a bird at a range my gun hasn't been patterned at. But I am there to punch the tag and I'll be damned if I'd ever shoot a shell that isn't going to help me achieve a kill that I find acceptable.
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 06, 2016, 04:37:03 PM
When you're trying to kill one in all 49 states, you're not trying to have to come back to that state. The willingness to kill a 50 yard bird doesn't mean you have the attitude that "By God I'm going to kill something." You won't find me in a blind, you won't find me crawling with some dumbass fan in front of me and you won't find me shooting at a bird at a range my gun hasn't been patterned at. But I am there to punch the tag and I'll be damned if I'd ever shoot a shell that isn't going to help me achieve a kill that I find acceptable.
Yep.
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 06, 2016, 04:37:03 PM
When you're trying to kill one in all 49 states, you're not trying to have to come back to that state. The willingness to kill a 50 yard bird doesn't mean you have the attitude that "By God I'm going to kill something." You won't find me in a blind, you won't find me crawling with some dumbass fan in front of me and you won't find me shooting at a bird at a range my gun hasn't been patterned at. But I am there to punch the tag and I'll be damned if I'd ever shoot a shell that isn't going to help me achieve a kill that I find acceptable.
Not supposed to talk about shots longer than 40 cause it can lead to wounded game and to some it might be less sporting. Patterning your gun does little to show energy at a given distance. Many beginning type hunters may hear this n try. You think it's smart for new folks to shoot exteme range? Prob not, we certainly need to know our guns n pattern them. If the object is a bird in 49 states why not just shoot em w a slug gun, we can shoot them
Farther for sure. How bout a rifle? That'd be cool. Dead bird is a dead bird right? How bout for a challenge, the guys that go on these adventures, and I'll be honest I'd love to be one, but do it yourself. If you don't find the birds, get the land, no one to guide you to birds, call em yourself. Thatd actually matter. I'd bet most guys do this do it on paid for land where someone guides you to birds. I don't personally see satisfaction in that anymore than I see satisfaction in shooting game way out there. To each his own
You're assumption would be false; most guys chasing a bird in all 49 want the satisfaction of facilitating and achieving their own kill. I've never shot a bird with a guide, and neither has anyone I know chasing the national slam. A lot of the hunting is done on public land, especially out west, where you've spent hours studying maps to prepare yourself for the challenge of hunting foreign ground and only have limited time to punch your tag. Occasionally you pay an outfitter a trespass fee to get your bird but there's no satisfaction in killing one that someone else called up.
It's funny to hear people draw such egregious assumptions thinking that chasing the hell out of turkeys means you're independently wealthy and pay guides for their services when really the opportunity to chase birds all over the country is available to anyone willing to make the sacrifices and dedication required to do it.
I digress with this thread because there's a strong ideological difference emerging but would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the many misnomers that have materialized by presumptuous individuals.
Let's get back to shot sizes...
Quote from: Cleveland48 on March 05, 2016, 11:46:48 PM
I think I killed my first 8 turkeys with the Remington duplex 4x6's. I actually really liked that load. It shot well out of my setup back then. Now I only use a 20 gauge so it's #7's for me.
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I used 12g Rem Duplex 4X6s and they shot well. My luck they discontinued and then I went to Win Extended Range and they discontinued as well. Now I use 3" HS magnum blends.
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Quote from: mlisandro on March 06, 2016, 06:47:26 PM
Quote from: Cleveland48 on March 05, 2016, 11:46:48 PM
I think I killed my first 8 turkeys with the Remington duplex 4x6's. I actually really liked that load. It shot well out of my setup back then. Now I only use a 20 gauge so it's #7's for me.
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I used 12g Rem Duplex 4X6s and they shot well. My luck they discontinued and then I went to Win Extended Range and they discontinued as well. Now I use 3" HS magnum blends.
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I just tried some magblends out of my 20 gauge setup this year they put up numbers in the 115 range. So I will keep them for a back up. I'm sure in a 12 gauge they are much better though.
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Quote from: Cleveland48 on March 06, 2016, 09:15:35 PM
Quote from: mlisandro on March 06, 2016, 06:47:26 PM
Quote from: Cleveland48 on March 05, 2016, 11:46:48 PM
I think I killed my first 8 turkeys with the Remington duplex 4x6's. I actually really liked that load. It shot well out of my setup back then. Now I only use a 20 gauge so it's #7's for me.
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I used 12g Rem Duplex 4X6s and they shot well. My luck they discontinued and then I went to Win Extended Range and they discontinued as well. Now I use 3" HS magnum blends.
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I just tried some magblends out of my 20 gauge setup this year they put up numbers in the 115 range. So I will keep them for a back up. I'm sure in a 12 gauge they are much better though.
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That's a very good number assuming it's a 40-yd count which will result in a stone cold dead thunder chicken. Good luck with the 20g.
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I'm a #4 man, only because my gun has patterned a bit better with 4's than 5's. I'm always in search of the better choke/load combo, so that might change one day.
So why would you choose to shoot #4's or #5's over #6 lead? We are not trying to penetrate a large area of tissue, we are trying to put a pellet into the noggin' or spinal column... (Not arguing, just trying to understand the thinking, and see if my own thinking is off-base)
Couple years ago, in the confusion of the early morning, I grabbed a handful of steel #2's (that I actually meant to give away as crap waterfowl loads). I killed a bird at 35 yards that morning, and had no idea I had taken the wrong shells till I picked up my empty casing. At the range most of us kill most of our birds (which is generally 30 yards or under for me), I am guessing that the loads we shoot make very little difference in the whole scheme of things... I'd bet I would have killed that bird just as dead with #7.5 lead or #4 lead at that range; I certainly would not have picked #2 steel as my top choice though.
That being said, as few birds as I get an opportunity to shoot, I generally opt for 3" 1 5/8 oz #6 Hevi-shot. It patterns tighter and carries more energy. I do not care for the recoil (or the flinching) that comes with heavier loads, and that smaller payload patterns well out to 50 yards with a good choke (which is further than I have ever killed a bird).
If I misjudge a bird, or decide to stretch a shot just a bit, I like the idea that I will likely kill him. I can shoot 3 birds per season here, and I will not be traveling out of state to shoot birds for some time, so a box of shells will last me 3 years or so if I manage to kill 3 birds a year (which I generally do not). A box of Hevi-shot cost me less than the gas I use to drive up and "not" shoot a bird on most days...