Does Any Love Remain for #7.5 Lead???

[R AJ]

I still have the federal 3-2-7.5s and they are bad medicine for a love sick tom.
Even the high brass loads at closer distances are fine. That was a secret shell of and old game warden
who had a 2 3/4" 12 gauge and he was a great mouth caller in the late 50s and early 60s.

His lead washer adhesive tape mouth calls were unknown to cause any physical problems back then but they were death on the gobbler that came to his calls.

[ericjames]

This is one I loaded up the other day and shot out of a 24" 835 .670 Pure Gold @ 35 yards looked like a very good pattern.. I did a count on them and I came up with around 376 pellets per oz. (actual size is between 7.5 and 8's) . I loaded them at 1.875 oz. with alliant's  recommended charge of blue dot and a Remington sp12 wad and this is not a buffered load. I lost what I used to make the circle with and had to find something else that's why the circle is 10 1/4"

[BandedSpur]

This is one I loaded up the other day and shot out of a 24" 835 .670 Pure Gold @ 35 yards looked like a very good pattern.. I did a count on them and I came up with around 376 per oz. I loaded them at 1.875 oz. with alliant's  recommended charge of blue dot and a Remington sp12 wad. I lost what I used to make the circle with and had to find something else that's why the circle is 10 1/4"

In a place where shots are all going to be 35 and in, there is no reason to shoot HTL. No tom alive will survive that. Nice patterns.

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

Good even density right there.

[ericjames]

Now I just have to get me some shot ordered because I don't have but instead of 7.5 I am gonna order the reg. #7 and I wanna get some different wads to try where I can get up to at least 2 oz. of shot in a 3" shell. It is pretty hard to get a good crimp with 1.875 oz. with the component's  I use.. I really wanna use this load on a tom this season. It's just gonna be hard to do it because I haven't hunted with lead since 2004 or 05'

[Longshanks]

I've been turning 160-170 with my rem870/ ventilator and 3/2/6's. This got me thinking..I have two boxes of the Fed 3/2/7.5's. They should turn some serious 30-35 yard patterns out of this gun. Thanks, will shoot a couple and see how they do on paper before youth season opens.

[Number17]

I centered up my new Fast Fire sight with lite loads today before patterning the bigger magnums. I couldn't believe how tight the 7.5s dove loads at 1200fps were to 30yd. No doubt they could be turkey medicine.

[surehuntsalot]

I centered up my new Fast Fire sight with lite loads today before patterning the bigger magnums. I couldn't believe how tight the 7.5s dove loads at 1200fps were to 30yd. No doubt they could be turkey medicine.

at 30yds or less you would be surprised at what kind of patterns 7.5  shells will throw

[WildTigerTrout]

I just found and bought 3 boxes of the "old" Federal Premium 12 ga. 3" 2 oz. of copperplated #7 1/2's. I have several chokes to experiment with. I'm leaning toward one with a tighter constriction than I would use for say #5 or #6 shot. Any ideas?  I'm betting Remington's .655 "Ventilator" should work pretty well. I also have an old Lohman "Long Shot" tube that I believe is about .660 if my memory serves me right. Any suggestions from anybody who has used these loads? I almost forgot I'll use these in my Rem. Model 870. Thanks.

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

Interesting find.  Good Luck.

[va wingbone]

Awesome patterns, but the energy of a lead 7.5 is very lacking make sure the range is right, don't believe me shoot a single sheet of cardboard at 40 yards and count the pellets that you shake or pick out of the cardboard that failed to penetrate completely. I had the same experience with lead 20ga 6s at 40

[BandedSpur]

Awesome patterns, but the energy of a lead 7.5 is very lacking make sure the range is right, don't believe me shoot a single sheet of cardboard at 40 yards and count the pellets that you shake or pick out of the cardboard that failed to penetrate completely. I had the same experience with lead 20ga 6s at 40

Actually, Pb 7.5s have plenty of energy/penetration to cleanly kill a turkey to 35 yds.

[stinkpickle]

Awesome patterns, but the energy of a lead 7.5 is very lacking make sure the range is right, don't believe me shoot a single sheet of cardboard at 40 yards and count the pellets that you shake or pick out of the cardboard that failed to penetrate completely. I had the same experience with lead 20ga 6s at 40

Actually, Pb 7.5s have plenty of energy/penetration to cleanly kill a turkey to 35 yds.

I know of a lot of dead birds that would agree.   

[snapper1982]

I centered up my new Fast Fire sight with lite loads today before patterning the bigger magnums. I couldn't believe how tight the 7.5s dove loads at 1200fps were to 30yd. No doubt they could be turkey medicine.

I know a guy that shoots an old bolt action 12 gauge and 2 3/4 inch 1oz 7 dove loads. limits his shot to 30 yards and kills 2 birds a year.

[fsu33952]

That's interesting. I wonder tho, does pb 7.5s have the energy to cleanly kill at that distance? And if so, will 7s kill at 40? Not tryin to be a smart a&$, I'm just curious bout it.

Will kil them just as dead as a hammer?