New turkey gun, and need advise

[IowaNate]

I recently picked up a gently used NEF Pardner single shot 20 with fixed full choke. I only had two types of shells to pattern with, Remington Nitromag 3" #4's and an old box of original 3" Federal Premium Mag Shok #5's. The gun shot very mediocre patterns with both rounds at 30 yards, with the Remington 4's putting the same number of pellets on the target as the Federal 5's. So I chose to use the Remington for more downrange energy per pellet.
  After shooting I noticed that the front bead site actually penetrates into the barrel slightly, enough to feel with my pinky finger. Thinking this could be the cause of less than desirable patterns, I gently filed the bump down a bit with a "rat-tail" file...but was very apprehensive about making contact with the actual barrel. The bump has been filed down a bit and I averaged 9 more pellets on the target with additional shooting.
  Should I risk taking the file to it a bit more? I don't have the money to take it to a gunsmith currently.
  With that said, I took a nice 24 pound, 3/4" spurred, and 9.5" bearded gobbler this season at 32 yards during the virgin hunting expedition with this gun. I found 8 pellets that struck his head and neck at that range.
   

[IowaNate]

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=a41ykh&s=7   Not sure how to post a photo here yet, but here is my tom taken this year with the 20 gauge.

[WyoHunter]

Can you back out the sight bead and file or sand off just enough to clear the barrel? Just a thought.........

[IowaNate]

I tried getting an adjustable crescent wrench on the hex part of the bead base, but it seems like it's already a bit rounded. 

[IowaNate]

Here's a few pics of my patterns that I traced over since the original targets were crumpled...these are before I filed down the bump. They are 3" and 8" circles.

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/7669/1001123r.jpg

This second shot had some error on my part, as it was a bit to the left.

http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/8744/1001125.jpg

Unfortunately I don't have the patterns after filing the bead threads, since I shot them in the field and left the targets at our trailer. Both targets would've made a dead turkey, but there were clearly open holes in the pattern.

[Twister]

I would get some 3" Hevi 13 in #7 or 3" Federal Mag Shock Heavyweight #7 and try those. You will improve your numbers considerably and there good out to 40 yds. Then see how your patterns are.

[IowaNate]

I would get some 3" Hevi 13 in #7 or 3" Federal Mag Shock Heavyweight #7 and try those. You will improve your numbers considerably and there good out to 40 yds. Then see how your patterns are.

  I am a religious Pb shooter, for both cost and availability in my area. I would be happy with an average of 40-50 hits with Pb #4's at 30 yards in the 8" ring.

[IowaNate]

  I still wonder where the extra 50 pieces of copperplated shot in the Federal #5 loads went. Granted, the backstop for my target was only a foot square so I didn't have a good reference of POI...but even with the bead issue I still expected a decent increase in hits over the #4's. I guess I will just save those shells for pheasant hunting 

[IowaNate]

Can you back out the sight bead and file or sand off just enough to clear the barrel? Just a thought.........

  I just acquired a small crescent wrench and got the bead out and gave it a good sanding with fine grit sandpaper. Whew, now it will be back to the range for additional patterning!

[lmbhngr]

 

[WyoHunter]

Let us know if that makes any difference. Thanks!

[dawei]

I am a religious Pb shooter, for both cost and availability in my area. I would be happy with an average of 40-50 hits with Pb #4's at 30 yards in the 8" ring.

I use Pb for all my Turkey Hunting. I get THE BEST results with the following four loads.....
• Federal® Flitecontrol® Mag-Shok® 3" Mag 1185fps 1 5/16oz #4 (PFC258F 4)
• Federal® Flitecontrol® Mag-Shok® 3" Mag 1185fps 1 5/16oz #5 (PFC258F 5)
• Remington® Nitro-Turkey® 3" Mag 1185fps 1¼oz #5 (NT20M5)
• Winchester® Supreme® High Velocity 3" Mag 1200fps 1 5/16oz #4 (STH2034)

Using the Winchester® Supreme® #4 I smacked a 25# Merriams gobbler @ 42yds on 04/19. He was dead before his beak hit the dirt. Necropsy revealed 19 pellets in his head and neck. (I used a Wrights® .555" Swarm™ choke.)

[IowaNate]

Just went to my local Mal-Wart and picked up a box of Remington Nitro (NT20M5) and Winchester Supreme XX (X203XCT5) both in #5's. They were both under $8 a box so I couldn't pass it up, but I was hoping they had #4's. I really hope these perform better than the few boxes of Federal #5's (GST258) I obtained.