Lead or steel?

[Tomtaker47]

i was wonder on what ur guys favorite type of shot is for turkey hunting?

[jrseale82]

neither

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

If you want to limit yourself to a 30 Yard ethical pattern range, Steel shot will work.  Lead is better by far.  Much better retained energy, and tight choke friendly.

[Skeeterbait]

I would never throw steel at turkeys.  For waterfowl it is a common understanding that to retain the downrange energy of lead, you must go up 2 shot sizes in steel.  However for waterfowl you are taking body shots.  Turkeys, your target is head and neck.  Much smaller target and requires dense patterns of shot to ensure good hits on the smaller target.  But increasing shot size in steel only ensures less pellets in the shell and thinner patterns.  180 degrees out of phase for what turkey loads are trying to achieve.

Most turkey hunters either use heavy payloads of lead or a heavier than lead alloy in small shot high pellet count size.

[beagler]

H-T-L loads. I would NEVER shoot steel for anything other than waterfowl.

[BandedSpur]

I would never throw steel at turkeys.  For waterfowl it is a common understanding that to retain the downrange energy of lead, you must go up 2 shot sizes in steel.  However for waterfowl you are taking body shots.  Turkeys, your target is head and neck.  Much smaller target and requires dense patterns of shot to ensure good hits on the smaller target.  But increasing shot size in steel only ensures less pellets in the shell and thinner patterns.  180 degrees out of phase for what turkey loads are trying to achieve.

Most turkey hunters either use heavy payloads of lead or a heavier than lead alloy in small shot high pellet count size.

This.

[Kylongspur88]

On a budget shoot lead, hevi is great too. Steel shot is just not for turkeys.