Quitting HTL

[DBell]

Starting this thread mostly for fun, to share my experience, and hopefully get some general discussion going. I hunt the Maine woods and over the years I have yet to take a shot over 30 yards. I shot hevi 13 #7 and #6 through a 26 inch barrel 870 with SSX .550. I've haven't lost a bird other than 2 missed shots, two separate occasions, on toms last spring that snuck in to ~20 yards (bead only, no optics). So I set out to find a pattern with more room for error at closer distances given that I haven't/usually can't shoot 40 yards in the New England woods anyway. I don't use blinds or decoys, I like to move as needed and setup in natural cover. After missing those birds and shooting $10 of HTL into the puckah brush I decided to get a final strut .570 from Rob Roberts and see if I could find a happy medium. Forgiving spread at 15-20 yd but also reach out and touch one at 35 if needed. At about $6 per 5 shells compared to over $20 for Hevi, I am switching to plain old Fed grand slam #5pb with FCW. I shot 3 boxes of target loads through the choke today to season it, couple passes with the snake to clean, then sent a few slams down range. It warmed up today by noon, 45 degrees (can only assume the pattern may be better with warmer temps, but 50 is avg for spring here, sometimes up into the 60s). Here is the 32 yard pattern

This is showing 10, 14, and 18inch circles. 98% of the shot is in the 16, 78% in the 14, and 54% in the 10. I also took a few more shots, a couple at 35 and a couple at 38, and averaged 80 and 70 hits in the 10 respectively. I am not trying to get anyone fired up or to switch to lead because I see those TSS patterns and believe me, I spent plenty of time trying to convince myself that I needed to shoot those because they look absolutely devastating. But I just don't need the range where I hunt. This forum helped me get started as a new turkey hunter and I want to show that, even amongst all the pictures of targets shredded by HTL and TSS, you can still slam a gobbler with lead, and for a lot less money, which is a factor for someone who is new to the game and trying to setup a rig for the turkey woods. *sidenote: I got the final strut just in case, maybe, someday, I break down and decide to try some TSS...just once..


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[quackaddict]

There's nothing wrong with that at all. If you want some even cheaper shells, you can check out the Winchester Super Pheasants and some Fed. Prairie Storms. The Super Pheasant 1 1/4oz #6 patterned really nice for me out of a Franchi 720 with the Carlson's .575 tube. I had a really nice even pattern of 125-130 in 10" with them. I don't remember what they did at 40, but probably pretty similar to your numbers at 38. The Prairie Storms(1 1/4 #5) weren't quite as good and were around 115-120 at 30 yards but weren't as nice and even as the Super Pheasants.

[DBell]

I was thinking of trying those. I tried Winchester double X and it was barely a 25 yard shell in this combo. I could only get 90 in 10 inch circle at 20 yards. Not sure if it's the wad in that shell or what.


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[Spurs Up]

Starting this thread mostly for fun, to share my experience, and hopefully get some general discussion going. I hunt the Maine woods and over the years I have yet to take a shot over 30 yards. I shot hevi 13 #7 and #6 through a 26 inch barrel 870 with SSX .550. I've haven't lost a bird other than 2 missed shots, two separate occasions, on toms last spring that snuck in to ~20 yards (bead only, no optics).


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:-XThat must be a typo. Last I knew the "Pine Tree State" didn't allow use of 7's unless part of a blend...

[DBell]

You're right on that one and that's why I moved to the #6 hevi. I remember gearing up my first year turkey hunting and getting the #7s at cabelas (figured anything they sold would be legal). Come to find out they weren't so I did the right thing and started using the #6.

I was in there the other day and they have the federal TSS in 9 for the 12 ga. I wanted to ask why they stock them locally if they can't legally be used.

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[nyhunter]

Another couple good lead loads for the 20ga are the older Fed. 1 5/15oz #6's "if you can find them" and the Win. LB #6's .         Personally I wouldn't change a thing with what you have, Thats a nice even pattern and plenty of hits to kill at your maximum range.

[DBell]

The LB #6 shot very well also out of this choke. Definitely surpassed the federals at 35 yards and beyond. Gonna carry both shells. Going to use the fed 5s for setups 35 and under and the LB if I might need the extra range. Got lucky in that they both shoot awesome out of the Rob Roberts. Still want to take a few more pokes at 40 now that the choke has a few boxes of shells through it.


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[TrackeySauresRex]

Great even hunting pattern that, will definitely get the job done. I'm going to do my best not to break down for the tss. 1) because 9's aren't legal in my state yet and 2) Too much.  H-13 7's will be my load for a lil bit. My lead patterns I'm very confident with as well, we like em close :^)

[Tom Foolery]

Another couple good lead loads for the 20ga are the older Fed. 1 5/15oz #6's "if you can find them" and the Win. LB #6's .         Personally I wouldn't change a thing with what you have, Thats a nice even pattern and plenty of hits to kill at your maximum range.

Those fed 6's shot good from my 870. 

[DBell]

Are these pre FCW? There are some on rogers sporting goods that are 4.99 a box, wondering if those are what you are talking about


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[DBell]

Great even hunting pattern that, will definitely get the job done. I'm going to do my best not to break down for the tss. 1) because 9's aren't legal in my state yet and 2) Too much.  H-13 7's will be my load for a lil bit. My lead patterns I'm very confident with as well, we like em close :^)

Same here. No point to try TSS, can't even hunt 7s here. The hevi #6 just doesn't give me enough of an advantage over #5 or #6 lead to justify the cost. Thought about trying the mag blends, but those are even more, and Im not shooting over 40, not even over 30 usually, so I'm not using them to the full potential and really just wasting money every trigger pull. That was my whole reason starting this. Maybe someone new will see this thread and find lead to also be sufficient for their needs. Save a little time and money. If I had a designated turkey gun, with an optic, and was regularly hunting setups where I needed the range, than heck yea I'd prob setup a rig for TSS.


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[RED NECK]

I have tried a ton of lead 20 gauge shells and the only shell I would trust at 40 yards would be a Winchester lb #6,I prefer the htl over the lead in 20 gauge.I would never spend the extra  coin on my 12 gauge shells as the long beard is deadly way past what I would shoot.I do agree the prices have gotten ridiculous,I bet it keeps going up and up though.The long beard is the best lead shells ever produced for any shotgun...imo...Nice patterns and good luck this spring...gobble gobble gobble.

[DBell]

I have tried a ton of lead 20 gauge shells and the only shell I would trust at 40 yards would be a Winchester lb #6,I prefer the htl over the lead in 20 gauge.I would never spend the extra  coin on my 12 gauge shells as the long beard is deadly way past what I would shoot.I do agree the prices have gotten ridiculous,I bet it keeps going up and up though.The long beard is the best lead shells ever produced for any shotgun...imo...Nice patterns and good luck this spring...gobble gobble gobble.

Yup the LB 6's put up some nice numbers for lead. I might experiment with HTL again if we get smaller shot sizes legalized here and if something like the federal
Heavyweight comes back or is introduced by another company.



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[Tom Foolery]

With a .570 tightwad my 870 youth averaged 115 in the 10" @ 42yds with H13 #6's.  The best my gun ever turned in at 42yds was, I think 82, in the 10" at 42yds with Fed 6's.  I've not tried LB's from my 20 but I'll take H13 6's over lead 6's every time.   I got a bunch on sale and sent in rebates so I don't have much more in them than I would lead loads. 

The Fed 6's I mentioned have the FCW.

[DBell]

With a .570 tightwad my 870 youth averaged 115 in the 10" @ 42yds with H13 #6's.  The best my gun ever turned in at 42yds was, I think 82, in the 10" at 42yds with Fed 6's.  I've not tried LB's from my 20 but I'll take H13 6's over lead 6's every time.   I got a bunch on sale and sent in rebates so I don't have much more in them than I would lead loads. 

The Fed 6's I mentioned have the FCW.

I don't blame you one that one, if the price was right I'd probably take em too. The hevi #6s did not pattern well at all out of the final strut .570. Here's a 35 yard pic, 91 hits in the 10, and it was distributed in an unsatisfactory hunting pattern. Would take a tom at that range no doubt, but the rest of the pattern was weird and kind of to the top left of the main core
The fed #5s put up a similar number at 35, but better distribution around the 10, which I honestly did not expect.


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