Two and three-quarter Turkey gun

[79L]

I am at using a browning gold With a Leopold 1-4 Power Scope Choke tube Undertaker XT HD .675 I am only using two and three-quarter shells because of a shoulder injury I tried three different kinds of shells Heavy shot Heavy 13's ounce and a half of five Winchester extended range high density Ounce and a half of five And federal heavyweight Ounce and a quarter number sevens Which i Shot through the factory browning full With the Winchesters I got 144 hits and a 10 inch circle At 30 yards 157 At 30 yards At 40 yards with the Winchesters I got 59 hits and In a 10 inch circle In  66 hits And a 10 inch circle With the federal heavyweights #7 at 30 yards I got 144 And  133 I did not get to shoot the federals at 40 yards I'm wondering if this is typical of a two and three-quarter gun Or if I should try some new Choke combinations I'm going to shoot the federal heavyweights the next time I go out at 40 yards Just ran out of time

[old3toe]

  I'd try another choke or two. I think you can get better numbers at forty with the 2 3/4" shells. Also if your not against 6's that'll help get a fuller pattern. I've shot the win high velocity 2 3/4" 6's with great patterns at 40. Believe they were 1.5 oz loads. However if you can call them in close the numbers you got will work up to 30 or so yards very well. Also with a smaller shot charge you can go to a little tighter choke with better results due to less deformed pellets.

[BandedSpur]

Definitely ditch the 5s - huge surplus of pellet energy at the expense of pattern density, which is what you need with a 2.75" shell. I'd try Winch Rooster XR 6s if you want to shoot lead. HS 7s or Fed HW 7s if HTL. And if you really want a low recoil option, a good quality trap or sporting clays load of 7.5s will kill 'em all day long to 35 yds. Here's one shot at 30 yds. Lead 7.5s have the penetrating power to kill to 35, and this pattern will hold up to that distance with very little recoil.

[allaboutshooting]

The only difference in a 2.75" shell and a 3" or 3.5" in really the number of pellets. The range is the same. Many turkeys have been killed over the years with 2.75" shells.

A good swarm of #6 shot or #7 shot will certainly do the job for you at ranges up to 40 yards. The #5s are limiting the number of hits and also can produce unacceptable gaps in your pattern because of that.

I'd recommend that you consider another turkey choke for your gun. That could make all the difference in the world in the quality of your patterns. A good dense 10" core pattern, without large gaps and a decent "halo" pattern around that, out to maybe 16-18" will do the job every time.

There are many good chokes out there, if you are a member of the NWTF, you may want to take a look at the March/April issue of "Turkey Country" magazine and look at the article I wrote "Choking Winchester's Long Beard XR" and take a look at the chart to see what chokes worked best in with the Invector+ barrelled guns like yours. I did use 3" shells but the principle is the same.

Please let us know how it goes and all my best in the season.

Thanks,
Clark

[79L]

Thank you for the replies I will look into getting another joke and trying some sixes And trying  the heavyweight seven some more