100-200-300-400 in the 10 " circle

[hobbes]

10" circle..............I'd never even heard of a shooting a 10" circle until I came here.   We taped a turkey head target to a box at 40 and counted the number of holes in the birds kill zone then went out and killed turkeys.  I knew that I needed a good pattern to kill a turkey, that was common sense.  I had also shot a shotgun enough to know that the reason I was shooting shotshells was to make it easier to hit the target, especially if it's moving.  If I wanted a single projectile, like I did for squirrels, I shot a 22 rifle.

Nothing wrong with improving the pattern, but don't try to sell me on its necessary beyond reason.

[Boomstick]

ok, im new to turkey hunting, but not new to hunting or shooting. when im at the range shooting, i shoot a turkey target. i am more worried about the 10 or 15 pellets consistently hitting the head and neck than i am about the number of holes outside of the head and neck. of course i understand that a turkey is a live animal and not a piece of paper, and that animals move, and i also check the consistency around the head and neck and i might not have more than a hundred, but they are always dense enough that at least 10 pellets are gonna hit the head and neck for up to 6 inches to the left or right.

jmo
charlie

[Ctomp1974]

I have personally shot plenty of paper, bought numerous chokes, and spent enough on turkey loads to buy another turkey gun. Sounds ridiculous right! The benefits of all this is simply that I have pretty good idea what my gun will do at any given yardage. I ended up choosing what works best for me.

As far the quest for how Many? Sometimes, I think my motivation was similar to why someone tinkers with a hot rod, just to see what it can do. Its kinda like my Toyota Camry will run the speed limit and get me from point A to B, but it sure is fun to snag the keys of the father-in-laws Vette.

As far as the old Turkey Head n Neck targets, if you have a dense even pattern in a 10" or 12" etc., you will consistanly put pellets in the vitals. My neighbor brought me one of his targets with the head and a 12"circle on it, showing me how well his #4 lead had done, he had 5 pellets in the vitals, plenty with #4 lead, then pointed out that 1" to the left, he would have none, 2" right he only has two.


To each his own,

Clint

[Boomstick]

i get what your saying johndoe, and i have my guns poa/poi about as close to perfect as i can get, ive honestly in almost 20 years of shooting shotguns(got my first 20 gauge youth at 6) never counted the amount in a circle. ive always just been taught by my granddad and dad to check for consistency in patterning and look to the left and right of your poi to see how dense it is to make sure it will do the job on a moving animal. heck this afternoon when i shoot i may very well decide to draw me a circle and count, but im not gonna be upset and change everything if my counts not 200

charlie

[Call1in]

I agree with almost every post on this topic....Personally speaking I want the ABSOLUTELY BEST performance out of my set up because first of all I have alot of money in my set ups...Why do people get a new truck and tint the windows, get bigger and more shiny rims, a better stereo...Because they want to personalize their truck...Why do Nascar teams continue to tinker with their cars even after winning the pole position....People who like to tinker with their set ups, it isn't because it may be necessary but because maybe they want to extend their turkey season as much as possible and this is a way to do so...I want to know what my gun and load will do at ALL ranges and I want the best load, choke, gun, combo that I can get....I enjoy every aspect of Turkey Hunting and this is one of them...Truth be known more turkeys have been killed with an old squirrel gun with 2.75 shells than all the new loads and guns combined..I Enjoy Turkey Hunting because of all of these different aspects...Just my 2 cents..If you are happy with what you got then great...As for me I don't want to get complacent with anything I have. If something better comes about than I want to try it...The only competition I'm in is with a Turkey...And I want every advantage that I can get...

[gobbler336]

i have read this thread from beginning to end and i hear alot of folks talk about killing birds with 2 3/4'' shells of whatever they had, but i have yet to hear about the birds that flew or ran away and i guarantee you there were some.  i think htl shot is the greatest think since screw in chokes, because of its density and its hardness.

i shot a bird several years ago (pre htl) at 38 measured yards with copper plated #4's. the bird flipped flopped and ran away befoe i could get out of the briars.  my gun routinely threw 110-130 lead 4's in the 10 ring.   the next year i killed a bird in the same area with hevishot, when i cleaned it i found 4, copperplated 4's against the neck bone, lightly flattened on one side.  i have personally lost 5 birds in several years of hunting with lead 4's and they were all 45 yads and closer, and like i said my gun threw i good pattern for that load.   since #6 hevi shot came out i have yet to have a bird get away, and there have been several.

[chatterbox]

I average 185 in a 10" circle @ 40 yards.
Good enough for me.

[hobbes]

I had another post that I must not have posted that clarified my stance on this a little better than my first post.

I only debate these posts for the sake of conversation.  I don't have any problems with guys improveing their patterns. If I wasn't quite impressed with what some of you do, I'd stay over in the general forum.  

The only difference I have with this effort is what constitutes an improved or good pattern.  If I get a great pattern at 40, 50, 60, but have no room for error at 25, I don't call that a great pattern.  I'd call it shooting myself in the foot.  However, if my pattern will kill one stone dead at 40, gives me plenty of fudge room to 50 and still throws a reasonable pattern at 20.........I don't think I can improve on that if it means a golf ball pattern at 20.  I would not call that a "the best you can be".  I don't really mind if the rest of the guys do. I understand its a passion as much as turkey hunting itself.   I just don't care for it being implied that I'm choosing to settle for less.

The truth be known a large portion of guys are improving on these incredible patterns for one purpose, even if they won't admit it, to increase their effective range to ranges that I don't really care to shoot.  If I did I'd kill em with a rifle.

[redleg06]

I enjoy working on my gun in the offseason and it adds to the enjoyment of turkey hunting for me.  

I have much less concern about guys doing extra homework to maximize their guns potential than I do about the guys that seem to pride themselves on not needing the big numbers as an excuse to fail to pattern their guns.  (not saying that's what this is by the OP)

....point being, it irritates me to no end to roll up to hunting camp and have a guy get out with a gun,choke and load of lead 4's with NO idea what he shoots on the pattern board and says its because he's been killing em like that for years and no need to change.

I would rather have the guy that goes to the bench before the season to work out his combo for max results.

[paladin]

I agree. Also patterning is hard work. If you can talk yourself out of needing to do it your save a lot of time and money.

[BrowningGuy88]

I both agree and disagree with a lot of points in this thread. I refuse to spend the price of Nitro's on shells, but I do want to start handloading to maximize effectiveness. I shoot lead and probably always will, but I know its limitations and do not push its limits. I am willing to go home empty handed unless I know beyond a shadow of a doubt if I pull the trigger it is a dead turkey. I enjoy seeing you guys put up huge numbers and show off your rigs, but I don't spend a lot on turkey hunting trips or leases and can hunt 5 or 6 days a week for two months of season so I am not putting that kind of money in scopes and chokes...

I don't want new guys to turkey hunting to think they can't go turkey hunting unless they have a camo gun with a scope and a IC choke shooting Nitro's. I think if you are responsible with your setup and know its limitations, whatever you hunt with is good to go.

Please don't take offense at this any of you cause I am not trying to be controversial, but rather trying to explain my stance on the topic.

Daman