what is the best and the cheapest turkey load out there?

[mightyjoeyoung]

Federal #5 with the flight control wad. In my opinion the federal loads before the flight control wad were junk.

I don't think many on here would agree with that statement including myself but it seems your experiences with these loads are different.

[surehuntsalot]

Winchester XX Magnum(red box) 3.5" 2-1/4oz #5's

[coyotetrpr]

Federal #5 with the flight control wad. In my opinion the federal loads before the flight control wad were junk.

I don't think many on here would agree with that statement including myself but it seems your experiences with these loads are different.

I used these shells some. EVERY bird I shot with these shells got back up. These are the only shells I haven had this problem with. The flight control wad shells hammer turkeys.

[surehuntsalot]

I used these shells for years especially the 3.5" 2-1/4oz #5 load until they got hard to find then I switched over to Winchester
I don't know what kind of problem you were having(choke,gun or both)
but I promise you this,of the 30-40 birds I took with these shells,not one"got back up"

[MOStrutter]

Now my arguement comes with a bad experience with the Fed shells.  I once had to shoot a turkey twice and then still had to fight it to get ahold of its neck.  And yes the turkey was well in range and I did not make a bad shot(s).  Never shot another Federal shell of any sort for a few years after that.  The Winchester XX 5's flat out rock turkeys.

[coyotetrpr]

Now my arguement comes with a bad experience with the Fed shells.  I once had to shoot a turkey twice and then still had to fight it to get ahold of its neck.  And yes the turkey was well in range and I did not make a bad shot(s).  Never shot another Federal shell of any sort for a few years after that.  The Winchester XX 5's flat out rock turkeys.

maybe missouri turkeys are tougher, because that is exactly what happened with every turkey I shot with these loads.

[mightyjoeyoung]

I have killed many turkeys with Win Double X #5's.  I hated the old Federals.  It just doesn't hit the birds as hard IMO.

A #5 winchester pellet and a #5 federal pellets leaving the barrel at the same velocity are gonna hit just as hard as the other...

I know, I know...bringing physics and logic into the debate...   

Unless they didn't pattern well, and assuming you DID actually pattern them and they shot well, there is absolutely...possitively...ZERO difference between that pellet from your winchester load and the federal load when it gets to the turkey's head.  Period.  There is NO SUCH THING as one pellet of the same size and weight "hitting harder" than another.  I lived and hunted in MO for ^ years...shot a lot of turkeys then and for a few years after and I can tell you with a certain they are no tougher than any other bird that strutts...  Every single time I dropped the hammer on a bird in MO, there was a DEAD bird afterwards and at least 75% of them died to a federal lead load.  They were of course also in range...but that is a whole other area for discussion isn't it?   

[Turkeykiller12]

OP pm me the load you prefer to shoot and I can probably round you up a half box or maybe 3/4 of a box of shells for pretty cheap. I have several several boxes of lead loads that have a shell or 3 missing that I went through while patterning a few years back. I shoot Hevishot these days.

[MOStrutter]

Now my arguement comes with a bad experience with the Fed shells.  I once had to shoot a turkey twice and then still had to fight it to get ahold of its neck.  And yes the turkey was well in range and I did not make a bad shot(s).  Never shot another Federal shell of any sort for a few years after that.  The Winchester XX 5's flat out rock turkeys.

maybe missouri turkeys are tougher, because that is exactly what happened with every turkey I shot with these loads.

I am glad to see that I am not the only one who had horrible luck with these shells.  They patterned fine and was told they were good but they just didn't work for me.  I am trying Federal Turkey loads again this year however, but in the Heavyweight #7s.

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

Don,t overlook winchester xx 2 and 2 1/4 oz. Loads.

I like the double X better myself.  I prefer the heavier payload.

Those are bad to the bone loads. 

[Longshanks]

Winchester gray box 1-7/8oz #6

:agreed:I seem to get good patterns with those out of all of my guns and at times i have been able to pick them up at Wal Mart for less than $10.00.

[ohiostrutter]

i had good luck with rem nitro turkey

[Clay]

Winchester Supreme #5 would be undoubted pick for low cost shells.

[spctbone]

Win Supreme #5 or the Rem. Nitro # 5 both pattern REALLY well out of my Rem 870 Super mag with a Kicks .660!