skunked

[longspur]

I still have a couple of days I can hunt but I smell a skunk comming. First time I've been skunked sence I started hunting turkeys. Clear missed one because I forgot to aim. Not used to shooting slugs under 20yds. Second one I eather missed or it was too far depending on who you ask. Next year I'm opening it back up. Then I'll just know I can't shoot past 40yds as always before. Only birds I ever dropped a hammer on and didn't get was when I shot a limb or a sappling. If the heavy shot cost a little more I would still use them because there is an advantage, but I ain't paying 4-5 times as much for them. Never needed them before and don't need them now. Took the fun right out of it for me. It was fun shooting the paper but not very fun watching the turkeys leave. I know it was my fault, I could have aimed like I was trying to shoot him with a 22. Not fun to me. And if you do hit him he ain't got no head left.

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

This may be a really good thread.

Open your pattern up?  I hear you on that.

[S.C.C]

That's the best part about shootin tight patterns and Hevi Shot....when you miss one ya know you missed him for sure,completely missed!A man shouldn't point and shoot at turkeys at any time,always aim your shotgun like a rifle!Stay after them!!

[gobbler74]

In most cases its a matter of habit. Re-training hunting habits is tough I imagine. You may consider sticking with hevi and run a modified choke to give similar to lead patterns but with better knockdown.

[jfair]

That's the best part about shootin tight patterns and Hevi Shot....when you miss one ya know you missed him for sure,completely missed!A man shouldn't point and shoot at turkeys at any time,always aim your shotgun like a rifle!Stay after them!!

I agree you should aim like a rifle, I'm an advocate for some type of scope on a shotgun.  You know you are on them.  If the turkey flies away at twenty yards, lead or hevi, you missed him clean.  A 40 yd. fly away and you probably hit him with a pellet or two at least, lead or hevi.  Unless you were way off.

If you want to shoot at 40+ yards you need that super tight pattern.  I'm with you longspur.  I will shoot em at 40 or less with a more open pattern.  Hevi is still superior at that range IMO.  To each his own though.  Sure gives us alot to talk about.

[longspur]

Heavy is superior, no queation about that. As I said before I would use it if it cost a little more, but I ain't paying 4-5 times as much for it. I don't point and shoot, but I don't try to hit his eyeball eather, which is the way you would shoot a rifle. The only reason I ever read on this forum for using a 10" circle is because a turkeys head is always moving. If he moves it 4" you missed.  I want that 10" circle at 20yds.The second bird I shot at left feathers, neck feathers. I wouldn't say I completely missed him. Sounds like the white house. None of this stuff makes any sence. No bird has ever left me except when I shot a limb until now. Don't take the white house thing too serious now, ya'll my friends. I don't care if you shoot him with a 243 if its legal.

[WyoHunter]

A turkey gun needs to be aimed which means it should be equipped with a scope, red dot or at the least rifle sights IMO. This isn't wingshooting!

[longspur]

never heard of anybody that didn't have at least one of those on there turkey gun

[Borden811]

I've only got a strait bead on my SBE II. I use it for just about everything, and it would be a pain to change sights back and forth for wingshooting and turkeys all the time. The good thing is, with the shim kit that came with it, I have it dialed in dead on for me. Now someone else shooting it, may be a different story. I did have and 835 tactical turkey with a red dot on it, but that was for turkeys only. It shot a wicked pattern, but I usually felt bad about leaving 1600 dollars at home, and carrying 400 with me. So, I ended up selling it, and haven't looked back!

[Basser69]

I know that everyone talks about the "10" but I want an even "20" not a softball at 40. I am liking the idea of a basketball and that is the way my sbe II shoots. I am sure that I could choke it down some more for higher numbers but if he wiggles you miss and I like dead birds.

[coyotetrpr]

This is the same problem that I had when I set up my wife's 20 guage, I used the hevi 6's and a choke that really liked them. It would have been fine for me , but the pattern was just too tight for all the emotion that was going through her on her first ever hunts. I was guilty of getting caught up in the 10" numbers game and cost her 2 birds that she would have killed with the factory full choke and lead 5's or 6's. In my opinion if one is going to play the numbers game and have the tightest pattern possible they are better off shooting at 40 yds than 20.

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

In my opinion if one is going to play the numbers game and have the tightest pattern possible they are better off shooting at 40 yds than 20.

That's a good way to put it. 

Ideally, at 30 Yards I'm looking for 10"+, at 35 Yards I'm looking for 13"+, and at 40 Yards I'm looking for 15"+ of even coverage.  A hunting pattern, if you will.

[surehuntsalot]

I'm looking for a good 20" pattern now when I check my guns,a 10" pattern is only going to wind up costing you some birds sooner or later