acceptable pattern for 20 ga

[Fox Fire]

I have an old Winchester 37a 20 ga and for a few years have been chewing on the idea of trying it for a turkey gitter (will be shooting lead shot), figured it was good enuff back in the day so it should work now, gonna try to get time this weekend to see how it patterns with off the shelf 6 shot and maybe 5 shot if I have any, just to see how it does.

Question : What do ya'll consider a acceptable pattern ( number of pellets in how big a circle at what distance) for such a gun shooting lead ?

Also any other food for thought is welcome as to how y'all may do an evaluation.

Thanx in advance.

[BandedSpur]

Same as for any other gun...100 in a 10" circle. The range at which you drop below that represents your maximum range. Within that range, you will kill every one if you hold right.

[Fox Fire]

Big thanx for the reply, you guys are the gold standard for info.

[surehuntsalot]

doesn't have to be 100 in "the holy circle" to kill a bird
I got several loads in a 20ga that puts 80-90 pellets in a nice even pattern and has taken birds for me over the years

[donjuan]

Does it take 3 inch shells and have screw in chokes? If you're only able to use 2 3/4 1 oz field loads, I'd start at 15 yards and work out to see when the pattern degrades. 

The old 100 in a ten is recommended by the nwtf

[Bowguy]

I'd agree w surehuntsalot. Numbers don't tell it all. It'd be a nice even pattern you want with no way of a turkey head squeezing through.
From there the gun will tell you the effective range with that load.

[BandedSpur]

SureHuntsaLot is correct; it doesn't take 100/10. There are 78.5 sq in in a 10" circle. One pellet/sq in will kill turkeys all day long, provided they are very evenly spaced, which they very rarely are. Thus the oft stated minimum of 100/10. That number provides near 100% confidence when patterns aren't perfectly even.

BTW that standard was conceived by folks on this forum many, many years ago, long before NWTF and the major outdoor rags began to quote it as gospel. And it is a good, conservative minimum IMO.