Why is everyone moving to # 7's???

[Grunt-N-Gobble]

Sounds to me that you took shots at birds that you never should have in the first place.

Thats not a problem with the shells you were using.  Truth hurts sometimes.

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

You show me the bird that can get up and walk away from a pattern like this at 40yds and I'll personally shake its foot and I'll quit shooting Hevi-13 #7's.  But it ain't going to happen.  Not when you can put around 120 shot in the head and neck alone.  That bird will die before it even hits the ground.  Regardless if he does flop. 

[Deputy 14]

Yea. I'm not so sure that mag blends are the problem. The two birds I have shot with them didn't stand a chance. Shots were 36 and 39 yds and it mangled them.

[turkeykiller22]

You may notice that there a few post missing.
Thats because, Nothing Over 40 means Nothing Over 40!

Sorry AngryBird had not read what you posted. Thank you for sharing this with me. I am sorry I caused this, and it will not happen again.

[mightyjoeyoung]

Yer gonna and are getting hammered right now because you took unethical shots pure and simple.  That and I think a combination of user error and its no wonder you crippled birds.  That's exactly what you did btw...crippled and likely doomed those birds to a slow and painfull death.  Darn good at killing turkeys? Not from reading your posts you aren't.  I shot my best PA bird in 28 years today with heavyweight 7s...out of my 20 gauge!  Almost 22 1/2 pounds and thick!  He twitched a couple times and every single pellet in the bottom of the pattern that entered the left side at the top of the breast/ back went all the way through him to his right side!  THAT is why I shoot 7s...and don't need to make excuses for wounding birds.  Learn to get em closer and you won't "need" to take those kinds of shots...

[R AJ]

There is a chart on this forum that lists the shot count per ounce by chemical make up and density, mass, etc.
The 20 gauge Federal HW 3" 1 1/2 ounce load of #7 shot contains 246 shot. That is more than a LEAD 2oz. load of 12 gauge #4(198), nearly as many as the  #5 (251), and only 39 pellets less than a 1 3/4 oz. of #6s.
The recoil is much lighter in the 20, the gun is lighter to tote, and the #7 HW hits with the authority of the #5 in lead.
A hevi13 , whether it is 12 g/cc or the old 13 g/cc, is still denser than lead at 10.6 g/cc and these loads do hold tighter patterns at longer distances.

Does this mean that lead is no good any more? No. But for the reasons listed above it is why so many have gone to #7 HW or H-13 . I also believe that the movement toward the 20 gauge for turkey hunting has pushed the #7 use and there are several states that now allow shot smaller than #6 to be used. Many hunters have no idea of the state regulations on legal shot size for certain game animals.

Know your shot limitations before hunting any game. This includes your capability as well.

[MUSHCREEK]

Yer gonna and are getting hammered right now because you took unethical shots pure and simple.  That and I think a combination of user error and its no wonder you crippled birds.  That's exactly what you did btw...crippled and likely doomed those birds to a slow and painfull death.  Darn good at killing turkeys? Not from reading your posts you aren't.  I shot my best PA bird in 28 years today with heavyweight 7s...out of my 20 gauge!  Almost 22 1/2 pounds and thick!  He twitched a couple times and every single pellet in the bottom of the pattern that entered the left side at the top of the breast/ back went all the way through him to his right side!  THAT is why I shoot 7s...and don't need to make excuses for wounding birds.  Learn to get em closer and you won't "need" to take those kinds of shots...

THIS^^^^^^^^^

[TauntoHawk]

advertising and energy claims about Hevi-Shot has given hunter too much range confidence, You hear guys brag more about how far they killed rather than how close they called them in... I know I've been guilty of this mind set so I'm not pointing fingers

[bawana]

I've been using the Fed HW #7 in 3 1/2 for two years now and the knockdown power is just flat out amazing!!

[davisd9]

First off I do not condone the distance that he shot at but back off the judging.  The rule here is to stick to 40 yards.  That is great advice but I would be lying to say that through misjudging distance I have not shot farther, never intentionally. 

You should have never shot at a bird that far.  I have done it in the past when I was dumb and before I know what harm I was causing.  I will not be judgemental cause I have myself made poor choices. 

I do not know whether you shot this far from ignorance or arrogance, but it was one of the two.  When I did it, it was from ignorance but the one time I did it I learned why you should not do it and is why I learned the proper way to pattern and ethical distances to shoot. 

I hope you shot this far in ignorance for that can be fixed with you understanding why it is a bad decision to shoot this far, especially with lead number 4s, but with any shot! 40 yards should be your limit but I think we all would be lying if we said that we did not set up or guns for ethical kills when we misjudge distance, but understand that misjudging distance is normally just 5 -10 yards and not 25-30.

I know you are a good person and a good hunter, I have seen that.  I hope you learn the proper and ethical way to shoot a turkeys and all other game.  Good Luck and I offer my little bit of knowledge if I can help.  If I cannot then I will find someone that can.

[Lucky Clucker]

I like them, in hevi 13  and Fed fcw. kills all of them.

[learn2hide]

I shot a bird with Hevi 13 7's this year...I too was skeptical but even with a gun/choke/sight set up that wasn't really shooting directly at point of aim and no adjustment possible I went with it and dusted that bird at 33 yards, could only see head and a little neck through some grass in a creek but he never took a step.  Plenty of pellets in the head/neck (27 with a quick count)  I definitely believe the 7's have the juice and they have patterned well, better than 5's and 6's which I also tried.  Killed another one at similar range with Hevi 13 5's and while he was just as dead he was not shot up as much which was concerning...Still looking for a final combination to choose a long term load but I was not unhappy with the 7's...does sound like your shot selection was partially to blame, any load, lead, HTL, Steel etc will kill a turkey at extreme range if you get lucky and put a pellet in the right spot but I wouldn't call it ethical.  I know this, I will shoot 6's and 7's going forward, no more room in my vest for 4's or 5's after seeing the patterns and hunting results...at 40 yards it really shouldn't matter, any of them will post a killing pattern at that range if you pick the right shot