Short Range Load

[edward.penny]

Good short range shell would be a 1 1/4oz 7.5 load.

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[limbhanger777]

Good short range shell would be a 1 1/4oz 7.5 load.

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Agreed!

[mtns2hunt]

Good short range shell would be a 1 1/4oz 7.5 load.

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Agreed!

I'll pick up a box and pattern. Only have one tag left so the pressure is off. My only concern is wounding one but my range will be 20 yards or less as I will be woods hunting now that the fields have grown up.

[Longshanks]

Kicks .655, .660 out of my 870's with Winchester XX and Super X lead loads are awesome inside 35yds.

[twoanthree-quarters]

Just got back on this site, and reading these post, have got. Me wanting to get out there and testing some shells
And chokes again.
Yesterday I had to hit the brakes on my truck,  two long beards were kicking the feathers out of each other.
I had to blow the horn, to make them move.

[mtns2hunt]

Just got back on this site, and reading these post, have got. Me wanting to get out there and testing some shells
And chokes again.
Yesterday I had to hit the brakes on my truck,  two long beards were kicking the feathers out of each other.
I had to blow the horn, to make them move.

Welcome back. I basically finished my testing of shells for short range and found some of the trap shells work very well but would not trust them to 40. My 20g with #9's TSS is working very well I doubt that I will shoot the 12 at Turkeys anymore. Solved the short range dilemma by putting a 1.5 scope on the 20g. Problem with 12 was open sights and if the site picture was not perfect I some times required a second shot. Hate that. but then eyes are getting old.

[BandedSpur]

Just got back on this site, and reading these post, have got. Me wanting to get out there and testing some shells
And chokes again.
Yesterday I had to hit the brakes on my truck,  two long beards were kicking the feathers out of each other.
I had to blow the horn, to make them move.

Welcome back. I basically finished my testing of shells for short range and found some of the trap shells work very well but would not trust them to 40. My 20g with #9's TSS is working very well I doubt that I will shoot the 12 at Turkeys anymore. Solved the short range dilemma by putting a 1.5 scope on the 20g. Problem with 12 was open sights and if the site picture was not perfect I some times required a second shot. Hate that. but then eyes are getting old.

Agreed about not trusting trap loads to 40, but they are deadly to 30.

[outdoorsmen]

Anyone ever try the remington shurshot heavy dove loads?  I got a box of the 20ga 1oz #6 for my young son to use as Turkey loads in his 1187. I thought is that they will be fine out to 25yds, which is all the farther I'd let him shoot.

[BandedSpur]

They will do fine to 25 yds, but they will not pattern nearly as well as a 7/8 oz load of high antimony 7&1/2s like you will find in a high quality target load.

[CGhost]

Old post..but i've had great results with the 3" #5 1 7/8oz super X turkey loads. Cheap and throw a good pattern out to 40 and not too tight close

[Old Swamper]

To this day, my deadliest load has been straight 7 1/2 "dove loads". This is out of an older beaded, stock, full choked 12ga 870 magnum. When I set down on one, I try to be within 30 steps of where I think he will come into view. Old gobbler would be hard pressed to walk out of that pattern if I do my part.   

[surehuntsalot]

the Federal High Brass 2-3/4" 1-1/4oz #7-1/2 makes a great short range load out to 35 yds

[jakebird]

Agree. Beat close range <25yd loads I have seen are trap loads. Btw,trap loads are typically high velocity loads because they are intended for high speed targets. That extra velocity really makes those smaller shot sizes hit with authority. Don't be afraid to drop down to even #8 or #9 lead for close range. Experiment with some dove loads. You may be pleasantly surprised. My son whacked his first bird when he was 8 years old with a single shot 20 ga with a fixed modified barrel and a dove load at 8 yards.

[BandedSpur]

Agree. Beat close range <25yd loads I have seen are trap loads. Btw,trap loads are typically high velocity loads because they are intended for high speed targets. That extra velocity really makes those smaller shot sizes hit with authority. Don't be afraid to drop down to even #8 or #9 lead for close range. Experiment with some dove loads. You may be pleasantly surprised. My son whacked his first bird when he was 8 years old with a single shot 20 ga with a fixed modified barrel and a dove load at 8 yards.

I would not personally go smaller than 7.5s. Any smaller and you are really talking "short" range. Launched at 1200 fps 7.5s will penetrate 1.25" of 20% BG to 35 yards. 8s to 30 yards, and 9s to only 20 yards.

[eggshell]

I had a gunsmith friend that I called turkeys for over many years.  He restored old Parkers and smiths and many others, including making high end custom stocks. He always carried a side by side (usually a smith ) and he never used the new high pressure loads coming out. His choke combo was full and modified. I watched him kill 18 straight birds without a cripple or miss. He finally missed one but it wasn't his fault. It was at <10 yards and the bird looked over a stump and as he shot it pulled it's head down, because it was already spooked. I hunted some with  my O/U and my choke was full and Imp. Cyl. If a bird got inside 20 yards I used the IC. I only shot high brass pheasant loads when I carried that. I killed every bird I shot with it easy. It actually made me a more disciplined shooter knowing I had less error. Some of the hardest hit birds I ever shot were with that IC barrel and a load of lead 6s or 7.5s, inside 20 yards they wouldn't even flop.

I think the ammo companies are laughing all the way to the bank. We don't need high end loads if we are disciplined with our shots. However, most of us want that little extra range for those times old tom is cemented to his spot at 45 yards or even more. I am guessing 80 to 90% of the birds we kill could all be killed with lighter loads. Sure there's going to be that one bird we have to let walk away every once in a while, but they'll be another. I haven't bought the high priced shells for years. I shot Remington nitros in 5 shot for years and now shoot Winchesters in 5 shot. I can't remember which shell without looking, but they're $15.00 - 20.00 a box. I still kill my birds cleanly. When I sit down I pick landmarks as my circle of death (typically 30 yards) and I do my best not to shoot outside that circle....of course I get antsy sometimes and shoot sooner, but mostly I stick to it.