what do you consider good pattern #

[chad fenton]

I shot a few loads through my 870 ,28" barrel at 40 yds.  Win HV 5&6, win super x 5, federal 2oz #6. & Kent 2 oz #6.  The Kent's did the best unexpectedly but had o ly 80 in a 10" circle.  The worst was the HV #5 @ 53 in a 10" circle. The choke I used was some home wad striper type choke used in local turkey shoots (pretty crappy choke though). It has noticeable dimension step downs, 3 or 4 of them.  I really think I could get better numbers with a better choke.  I am thinking of going with a full or mod choke and fed flight control wad.  But hear good things about longbeards.  Trying to keep ammo cost minimal, for what reason I don't know.  I am kinda on this minimalist kick thing going in to this year.

Although I will say looking at the patterns every one of them would have drop a turkey.  So with that being said not sure it really matters.

[Philippe]

By all means 80 in the 10 at 40 yards is huntable, I would keep it more to 20-30 yards max though. Now, the gun has a ton more potential if you deep clean and polish that barrel and try different choke and load combos. A Jellyhead .660 or .665 and Winchester Londbeard 5 or 6's will do you a premium.

[DawgsFan1]

My 870 with 20" barrel puts up some respectable numbers in my opinion. I get 240+ in 10" circle at 40 yards shooting a .662 Hevi-Shot Turkey choke and 3" #6 Longbeards. To add my gun patterned better from 20 to 40 with the Longbeards over Hevi-Shot Mag blend. That was great for me because box of 10 Longbeards cost less than a box of 5 Mag Blends.

[surehuntsalot]

you don't have to put 250 holes in a piece of paper to kill a turkey
80- 100 pellets in the 10" circle will kill them just as dead

[Dr Juice]

you don't have to put 250 holes in a piece of paper to kill a turkey
80- 100 pellets in the 10" circle will kill them just as dead

Yes sir, but more is better as long as it doesn't break the bank.

[Ihuntoldschool]

Dead is dead.   There are no degrees of dead.  Surehuntsalot hit the nail on the head.   More is not necessarily better it just makes your effective killing pattern smaller thereby decreasing any margin for error or head/neck movement.    80 in ten is more than plenty.

[surehuntsalot]

Dead is dead.   There are no degrees of dead.  Surehuntsalot hit the nail on the head.   More is not necessarily better it just makes your effective killing pattern smaller thereby decreasing any margin for error or head/neck movement.    80 in ten is more than plenty.

exactly

[dzsmith]

ill take what I can get....but generally with the modern technology of shells and chokes, and the money we pay, I wont accept anything under 200 in a 10 at 40. I know that sounds stupid....but my gun has good spread and density at all reasonable ranges ...and still puts over 200 in 10 at 40...even with a 21" barrel. sure 80 will knock him dead....but when there are 20 dollar a box shells that can do what mine do through an average priced choke why would I accept anything less.

[albrubacker]

Dead is dead.   There are no degrees of dead.  Surehuntsalot hit the nail on the head.   More is not necessarily better it just makes your effective killing pattern smaller thereby decreasing any margin for error or head/neck movement.    80 in ten is more than plenty.

x3!

exactly

[buck_hunter21]

While I agree that you don't need any crazy amount of pellets in a 10 at 40, I would not use a set up that did not at least give me 100 in a 10 inch circle at 40 yards. My set up for 40 yards would be called over the top from some on here, but I if it was under 100 pellets at 40 yards I would limit my range to 30 yards. And with that said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a limit of 30 yards.

[Sealbilly]

I'm probably gonna be the guy that everybody disagrees with but here we go.  While I will try and get as many pellets in a 10" circle at 40 as I can I will take a pattern that puts 150 in a 10 that was aimed for over a pattern that will put 180 in a 10 that is a foot higher than where I aimed.  If I were shooting at paper in a competitive arena then I'd go for as many as possable, but in a hunting pattern (at least for me) it's all about ballance.  Poi matching poa and a pattern that is even but still hot in the middle. 

That being said I'm sure you can milk a few more pellets out of your gun than what your getting. 

[mikejd]

I have only been turkey hunting 24 years now. But when I started they recommended that you be able to put 5-6 pellets in the vitals on a pattern target with the head picture. As long as you could do that you where within your affective range.

For many years that's what we did. I don't know of anyone loosing a bird going by that rule. Killed many birds with number 4 lead.