Sighting in Advice

[talltines]

I just recently got a 835 tactical Turkey gun and it has a red dot scope/sight.  I have also picked up an Indian Creek choke for it and some Hevi 13 # 7 in 3 1/2 inch.   All I need to do now is pattern and sight this thing in.
My question is what do you guys do to pattern and sight in your guns without going broke buying this hevi shot?  Do you sight in with a cheaper shell or what?  Also once you get a good pattern what range do you shoot to sight in your gun?  Any advice or recommendations is greatly appreciated.   

[knightrider]

use some cheap 2.75 shells at 25 yards to get your dot sighted in, then set up a big piece of cardboard with a 3in dot at 40, shoot  a hevi find the dense part of your pattern and adjust your dot to put the hevi on at 40

[talltines]

Thanks for the advice.  I will give it a whirle.

[VAHUNTER]

i start off around 10yds. with low brass dove loads. at that distance you will be blowing a quarter sized hole. the center of the hole will be the center of your pattern. once i'm hitting there i move on out to 20yds. and use dove loads until i'm satified. then finally move out to 40 with a turkey load.


once i'm all sighted in at 40 with my hunting load. i come back to 10yds. and fire a dove load.
and remember exactly where it is hitting. that way if i fall or drop my gun i can come back and check it at 10yds. with a dove load. i can tell if my gun is still on without having to waste a turkey load.

[talltines]

Thats a great tip!  Thanks Van.             

[hookedspur]

i start off around 10yds. with low brass dove loads. at that distance you will be blowing a quarter sized hole. the center of the hole will be the center of your pattern. once i'm hitting there i move on out to 20yds. and use dove loads until i'm satified. then finally move out to 40 with a turkey load.


once i'm all sighted in at 40 with my hunting load. i come back to 10yds. and fire a dove load.
and remember exactly where it is hitting. that way if i fall or drop my gun i can come back and check it at 10yds. with a dove load. i can tell if my gun is still on without having to waste a turkey load.

[Reloader]

Another option is to fire a dove load and a turkey load at 10-15yds at two diff targets on the same large sheet of paper.  After you have fired each, see where the turkey load impacts in relation to the dove load.   If the turkey load is 2" high and 2" to the right of the dove load, zero so that the dove load is the exact opposite from the center of the bull(in this case 2" low and 2" left).  This allows you to only waste a minimal amount of your high priced turkey loads.  I've wasted tons of high dollar loads by just zeroing dove loads at close range and fine tuning for turkey loads at 40.  It really depends on the sight, some track correctly and some are a headache.

Reloader