Quaker boy and Remington Claim

[TauntoHawk]

ok so I was talking to a buddy of mine yesterday chit chatting about opening weekends. he said he took a guy who killed his first bird at 56yds bird facing away. I was very happy for the first timer and clean kill, i asked what shell choke he was using that he felt confident at 56yds opening day. he said standard remington Nitros #5's and factory choke. he said the remington box states that 5 hits in the head and neck are what is considered a "kill pattern" and he had 8 and 11 hits on paper targets at 50yds even at the range. I have nothing wrong with lead or remington shells on turkeys but feel thats a stretch on shooting distance for them. I mean my dad and uncle live by "It only takes one pellet in the right place" but of course they have missed more birds than they killed.

I also found the same thing written on this "informative" article online

"Quaker Boy recommends at least 5 killing hits (BBs in the vitals) for an acceptable distance."
http://www.buckmasters.com/resources/classic-buckmasters/classic-buckmasters-articles.aspx?articleType=ArticleView&articleId=53

Is it just me or does this seem like a Low level of acceptable pattern to be advertising on shell boxes? I mean I get 48 hits in the head and neck at 50yds with Hevi-13 and my max range is 55 no exceptions. had a giant bird hang up on opening morning at 64  and the safety never got clicked off. just too far to risk wounding

if I accepted that 5 hits is enough to shoot I could say my range is probably 70yds with Hevi loads but you couldnt pay me to take that bird if he had a half dozen beards and raptor claws for spurs.

just wondering on thoughts?

[Turkasaurus]

I shoot Quaker Boy targets and the instructions are as you say, start at 30 yards and back up 5 yards at a time til you have 5 pellets in the head/neck of the turkey on the target, it then says that this is your maximum range   

Most on here go for 100 pellets into 10" as a maximum, I feel 40 - 50 into 10" will get the job done. Most probably don't even pack a range finder with 'em anyhow.

[drenalinld]

Twenty years ago as a beginner I watched a hunter kill a gobbler dead at 91 of my long steps (I'm 6'4" and this is closer to 100 yards than 90) with an 1100 modified barrel and 3" #4 lead. I thought it was pure luck then and have never been more convinced it's pure luck. I see guys take shots at passing geese b/c you never know when that lucky pellet will bring them down and once in a while it will. It is likely many more are injured to become coyote meals.

Everyone has to decide for themselves what their ethics are and decide what their effective killing range is. Just because many birds have died at long range with any setup does not make it an ethical shot.

Limiting yourself to the distance you put 100 pellets in a 10" circle seems very responsible to me. Then you have to determine at what distance you can put that 10" circle on a gobblers kill zone in hunting situations.

Every hunter has to make his own decisions and live with the consequences, but it is disappointing to see that printed as a killing pattern by QB.

[pullit]

Everyone has to decide for themselves what their ethics are and decide what their effective killing range is. Just because many birds have died at long range with any setup does not make it an ethical shot.

Limiting yourself to the distance you put 100 pellets in a 10" circle seems very responsible to me. Then you have to determine at what distance you can put that 10" circle on a gobblers kill zone in hunting situations.

Could not agree more.
Heck when I first started hunting turkey, I was told 3 pellets was goodnuff. Glad the turkeys I killed when I first started hunting volunteered to come on in and get shot in the face. No telling what kind of shots I might have tried not knowing any better.

[IowaNate]

 I've always shot lead, and after 5 shots want an average of at least 40 hit's with 4's, 50 hit's with 5's, and 60 hit's with 6's on a standard 8.5x11" sheet of paper with a turkey head and neck printed. I always seem to get at least 8-12 pellets to hit the head and neck when using this ratio...and the birds drop.

[Fastcat]

I agree there are some very low excepted standards out there.  I love the Quaker Boy Patterning targets! They have a nice gobbler to aim at and they are large enough to see where the majority of a pattern is landing.  I actually tried there "5 pellets in the head and neck" rule just for fun with Some 3.5" Winchester HV #6s I was burning up; and some \one who doesn't know better would think 70 yards is perfectly exceptable!  That being said 5 pellets in the scull and spine will drop a bird; but at ranges where that's all you get the pattern is far from predictable.  That's just not a chance we should take.

[TauntoHawk]

people need to remember about energy and penetration too, just because you can get 5 or 6 lead #6's to a turkey head at 70yds doesnt mean its 100% that it will do the damage necessary to drop a bird, and that If the bird runs or flys off doesnt mean you missed clean or that the bird will be perfectly fine.

[mightyjoeyoung]

The EXACT SAME thing happened to me this past Saturday with a "friend" with whom I will NEVER hunt again.  Took about a 55+ yard shot at a bird with #4 Nitro Mag lead through fairly heavy brambles and not only rolled and didn't get that bird but the one standing 3 FEET from him!  I finished one of the birds and the other...coyote food as we could not find that bird.   He took a highly unethical shot and has now ruined one of my best spots.  I have taken a 3 year old + bird off that property EVERY single year for the past decade...until this year.  He has actually tried it every year since he got lucky and took a HUGE gobbler at around 50 yards with Federal Premium #5 lead 4 years ago.  Now he seems to think he's carrying some magic gun that'll kill a bird at 60 yards!  I have had to finish 2 birds in 2 years due to his poor jugement.  Like I said...won't be hunting with him again.