Ive been hearing allot of talk about the lead loads being less than ideal over 40yds, I agree. Something that no one seems to want to mention is that there can be bad results trying to shoot over 40 yds even with HTL. I know I am not the only one that has seen this..From guiding to hunting with partners with high performance guns at 40..seeing folks try to take long shots with guns that turn amazing patterns at 40yds... can yield less than satisfactory results. Allot of factors involved..mainly the turkey is alive and is subject to moving. These movements aren't as noticeable when most of the turkey is covered up with a shotgun bead and barrel. The other factors, wind, limbs, low light conditions etc also play a huge factor. Shooting under 40yds has been the most productive goal for me and my guiding friends regardless of whether it's lead or HTL. That being said I don't hunt any different regardless of the gun/ choke/shell combo I hunt with. I make sure the gun (12g or 20g) shoots a productive efficient pattern at 40 yds...and hunt. Call the turkey inside 40 and i rarely miss or lose a turkey. The only turkey I have missed in allot of years was a turkey that came through a fence line behind me and I missed him at 7 steps. I called he and his buddy back and killed the turkey at 38yds.
Hunting this way I have killed a limit (3 turkeys) every year for the last 23 years. If I had to let the turkey walk away..I was able to come back and hunt him again. No loss and sometimes a for sure shot the next time.
That being said, if it were me, there would be no difference whether I hunted with either one of the patterns shown above. Result would be..dead turkeys.
