What do ya'll think about Fed. HW loaded in a blend of #5,7,& 8 shot???? 3.5"/2 1/8 oz./ 5,7,& 8 shot????? Oh,and NO FCW!!!! Just thinkin' out loud!!!!!
Last years bird i dumped at 52 paces with Federals 3rd degree, i didnt have a whole lot of time to pattern it, but i was pretty impressed
I go by paces not yards, because its rare that I carry a tape measure in the woods.
Absolutely zero need for size 5 shot when using the 15 gm/cc stuff, just wasting valuable hull space...
I would be interested in a 7/8 blend however !
2015 Old Gobbler contest Champions
Quote from: BowBendr on April 27, 2016, 07:15:10 PM
Absolutely zero need for size 5 shot when using the 15 gm/cc stuff, just wasting valuable hull space...
I would be interested in a 7/8 blend however !
2015 Old Gobbler contest Champions
5 shot Hw is a waste, except for the wild hog you may have to deal with ;)for turkey 7-8 would be nice
6/7/8 Heavyweight blend, but Federal will never drop the damn Flitecontrol wad. Too much has been spent by Federal and too many careers ,at same, are vested in the FCW. Hell, what do we know, we're just a bunch of toothless, shoeless dumb turkey hunters who need to fall in line and drink the "Federal FCW Kool-Aid". I've invested a lot of time and money trying to get the 3", 12 gau.ge FCW Heavyweight shell to perform better than the Hevi-13, but am sold on both the 20 gauge and 10 gauge offerings.
Quote from: decoykrvr on April 27, 2016, 07:40:07 PM
6/7/8 Heavyweight blend, but Federal will never drop the damn Flitecontrol wad. Too much has been spent by Federal and too many careers ,at same, are vested in the FCW. Hell, what do we know, we're just a bunch of toothless, shoeless dumb turkey hunters who need to fall in line and drink the "Federal FCW Kool-Aid". I've invested a lot of time and money trying to get the 3", 12 gau.ge FCW Heavyweight shell to perform better than the Hevi-13, but am sold on both the 20 gauge and 10 gauge offerings.
I think it really boils down to what they consider the average hunter. And the guys on this forum ain't it! The average guy sees the ads, buys the shell, and hunts. Many don't ever pattern a shell. They kill a turkey with the shell so it must be good. They can sell the flight control wad (or they would have dropped it by now) so why change. As long as a company is selling a product they are reluctant to change it. I am a die hard turkey hunter but I'm not a number chaser. I feel that the federals pattern plenty good in my guns for 40 yard shots. Remember, the majority of turkey hunters are not number chasers. They want to kill a turkey and federals will easily do that in most cases.
I'd be happy if the bumped up the payload in the 3.5s to a least 2 oz . Heck they have a 1.5 oz 20 gauge load and only 1 7/8 oz load in a 3.5 12 gauge . I'm not sure if its pressure or what . I used the 12 gauge load for several years till it seemed like the load changed after buying a few new boxes . I really liked it till that happened . I could do without the flight control wad too but my original ammo I was pretty good stuff . The only power we have as a consumer is to not buy it till they change it . It's disappointing because it has a lot of potential .
Well I guess a lot of people like it . It sure goes off the shelves fast . Around 150 in the 10" is what I get with a few combos . Those HW 7's sure pack a punch. Never had to do the turkey chase rodeo since using the load. Will say the 20 gauge is easier to work with with a bit softer FC wad.
Would agree a heavier load in 12 gauge would be nice .
Obro that is my question exactly... How could Activ have had a 3" 2 1/4 oz load 20+ years ago with all of the advances we have had? If federal did that in #6 heavy and didn't use the flite control wad and got it around 1100 like the 20 they would own the heavy market IMO. I say 6 because that is all the NWTF allows in their shoots...
The Fed HW 7's are awesome in 20 gauge 3" and 12 gauge 3". Would love to see 3/2/7's and 3/2/8's with the Federal HW shells and no FCW. They produce enough shells with the FCW that it wouldn't effect the company as a whole to put out a couple of loads without the FCW. When 7's came out people thought they wouldn't be sufficient for turkeys. I bought boxes of 10 for 12.99 because they sat on the shelf for awhile. Look at the price of them now. If you have shot turkeys with the Fed HW 7's and seen what they will do then 8's in my mind would be devastating on the turkey.
No need for anything larger than 7 in HW. A 7 x 8 would be great; straight 8s would be even better.
Straight 8s. I would love straight #8 in HW especially in my 20 gauge.
I've killed several birds with hw#7 and its the closest thing to tss in a factory shell. Find a choke that works with the flight control piece of junk wad and kill you some.
I just wish the 12ga load would work as good as the 20ga load!
Quote from: Izzyjoe on April 30, 2016, 10:12:46 PM
I just wish the 12ga load would work as good as the 20ga load!
I can get 190+ with 3.5" #7
Gooserbat, What gun? What choke? Initially, Rochelle Poore, product development/product mgr.at Federal, years ago when I called to seek direction on patterning the HW loads, advised using a .700 in 3", 12 gauge. No Good!
Rochell then reversed course and suggested a long-parallel non-ported .650-.665. Better, but not nearly as good as the EnvironMetal Hevi-13 6's w/.660-.665. I have shot most of my Federal 3", 6's and 7's out of an Ithace Mod. 37 w/ a 28' modified barrel at ducks river hunting and they are great, but too expensive.
I have turned some great patterns with a Hastings .665 non ported choke out of a Rem 870 21" bbl. Tru-choke threads CT-1. Fed HW 3" 7's. Haven't found anything that would warrant buying anymore 12 Fed HW 7's. Turning 160's-180's with the 20 gauge load.
doubt you will ever see any loads like a 7x8 blend or straight 8's
several states don't allow #7 shot and I don't think any allow #8 shot for turkey hunting
Decoy try these three chokes, Truelock HW7, or Rob Roberts, and a Ballistics Specialties which is basically a Rob Roberts. For what it's worth I'm shooting a 3.5" 870 with a lengthened forcing cone.
Surehuntsalot, several states don't have a restriction on small shot. Some however do.
Quote from: surehuntsalot on May 01, 2016, 09:50:59 PM
doubt you will ever see any loads like a 7x8 blend or straight 8's
several states don't allow #7 shot and I don't think any allow #8 shot for turkey hunting
Actually, lots of states allow 8 shot. NC makes no mention of shot size, so 8s are legal. Other states specify no shot larger than 4s with no mention of how small it can be. But I agree with you that we will likely not see a 7 x 8 blend or straight 8s. That's why I load TSS 9s.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ALL THIS FEED BACK!!!!!! PLEASE KEEP IT COMIN' IN....and oh yea,now please .....some of ya'll who shoot SBE2 .....guide me into what choke and which HW (3" or 3.5") shell are providing good....or even better GRRRRRREAT results.....PLEASE!!!!!!! AND THANK YE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:z-guntootsmiley: And YES.....now that I look back,#5s in HW are simply unecessary!!!!! A sweet blend/idea would be 3.5" 2.5oz. of #8 HW shot held together with an idea somewhat like the Winchester LB resin.....also the same thing with #7 shot HW.....
Or a blend of the two #7s & #8s ( as was mentioned earlier ) again,thank everyone for the input!!!!!
Quote from: Gooserbat on April 30, 2016, 11:56:09 PM
Quote from: Izzyjoe on April 30, 2016, 10:12:46 PM
I just wish the 12ga load would work as good as the 20ga load!
I can get 190+ with 3.5" #7
PLEASE!!!!!! tell me what your gun & choke are....the best I've got out of a SBE2 & 3.5" #7s is around 130s....
Quote from: Gooserbat on April 30, 2016, 11:56:09 PM
Quote from: Izzyjoe on April 30, 2016, 10:12:46 PM
I just wish the 12ga load would work as good as the 20ga load!
I can get 190+ with 3.5" #7
Like Sam My 3.5 guns do 200 in the 10 at 40 with he Federal #7 shot. And it is nasty stuff.