Selecting the appropriate turkey shotgun shell and load can make or break your next gobbler hunt, regardless of your level of experience. Driven by the constant refinement of shotgun shell performance due to enhanced shot material, shotgun shell producers persist in optimizing options for hunters who pursue waterfowl, upland birds, and turkeys. Over the past century, Federal Ammunition, a company that has been selling ammunition, has been at the forefront of shotgun shell innovation. They help us break down the perfect loads to consider for your next successful turkey hunt. Table of Contents.
What size shot for turkey? This age-old question has perplexed turkey hunters for generations. While there’s no “one-size-fits-all” answer, understanding the factors at play will help you choose the optimal shot size for your specific hunting scenario.
Understanding Shot Size and Its Impact
Shot size refers to the diameter of individual pellets in a shotgun shell The smaller the number, the larger the pellet For turkey hunting, the most common shot sizes are #4, #5, and #6.
Factors influencing shot size selection:
- Target distance: Larger pellets retain energy better over longer distances, making them ideal for longer shots.
- Choke constriction: Tight chokes concentrate pellets into a denser pattern, allowing for effective use of smaller shot sizes at longer ranges.
- Personal preference: Some hunters favor the increased pellet count of smaller shot sizes for close-range encounters, while others prioritize the power and penetration of larger pellets for longer shots.
Demystifying Popular Shot Sizes for Turkey Hunting
#4 shot:
- Pros: Delivers maximum energy and penetration, ideal for longer shots (40+ yards) and dense cover.
- Cons: Can produce wider patterns, potentially leading to misses at close range.
#5 shot:
- Pros: A versatile option, effective at moderate ranges (30-40 yards) and offering a good balance of power and pattern density.
- Cons: May lack sufficient penetration at longer distances or through heavy cover.
#6 shot:
- Pros: Produces the densest patterns, maximizing the likelihood of hitting vital areas at close range (under 30 yards).
- Cons: Lacks the power and penetration for longer shots or dense cover.
Additional Considerations for Choosing the Best Turkey Load
Beyond shot size, several other factors contribute to choosing the right turkey load:
- Payload: The total weight of shot in a shell. Heavier payloads deliver more energy and increase the likelihood of a clean kill.
- Shot material: Lead, copper-plated lead, and tungsten are common options. Tungsten offers superior penetration and is often preferred for longer shots.
- Shell length: 2 ¾-inch and 3-inch shells are common. Longer shells hold more shot and powder, resulting in higher velocities and denser patterns.
- Choke selection: Match your choke to your chosen shot size and hunting scenario. Tight chokes concentrate patterns for longer shots, while more open chokes provide wider patterns for close encounters.
Patterning your shotgun is crucial to ensure your chosen load delivers consistent and effective patterns at your intended hunting range. Shoot at a large target from various distances to assess the pattern density and make adjustments as needed.
Choosing the right turkey load is a multi-faceted process. By understanding the impact of shot size, payload, shot material, shell length, choke selection, and patterning, you’ll be well-equipped to select the optimal load for your specific hunting situation and maximize your chances of success in the field.
Remember:
- Larger shot sizes (e.g., #4) are ideal for longer shots and dense cover.
- Smaller shot sizes (e.g., #6) excel at close-range encounters.
- #5 shot offers a versatile balance for moderate ranges.
- Consider other factors like payload, shot material, shell length, and choke selection.
- Pattern your shotgun to ensure consistent and effective patterns at your intended hunting range.
By following these guidelines and considering your personal preferences, you’ll be well on your way to selecting the perfect turkey load and achieving success in the spring woods.
Go forth, conquer the turkey woods, and enjoy the thrill of the hunt!
12-Gauge vs. 20-Gauge For Turkey Hunting
It’s not always necessary to “go big or go home” when hunting turkey, so a 12- or 10-gauge shotgun isn’t necessary to have a good gobbler hunt. “We have seen tremendous growth in 20-gauge shotguns over the past 15 years for turkey hunting,” says Compton. Wad designs and choke tubes are enabling very tight patterns in lead loads, expanding the conventional ranges of a 20-gauge gun. TSS loads have made the 20-gauge even more viable with plenty of power and much less recoil. Do not be afraid to hunt with a 20-gauge and some TSS tungsten!”.
Understanding Shotguns and Shells
A shotgun is a type of firearm that fires a pattern of “shot,” which are pellets that are typically made of steel, bismuth, tungsten, copper-plated lead, or nickel-plated lead. The dispersion of these shots facilitates the shooting of moving targets, like birds or small game; however, we won’t discuss “slugs,” a type of shotgun load that consists of a solid lead projectile intended for larger game, here. Shotguns come in different gauges. The gauge is a bore measurement like that of calibers for pistols or rifles. The two most common gauges used for turkey hunting, in order, are a 12-gauge and 20-gauge shotgun. A 12-gauge has a larger, wider barrel than a 20-gauge. Here’s how gauges of shotguns are classified. Imagine a round lead ball that fits perfectly inside a 12-gauge shotgun barrel (0. 729″). It would take 12 lead balls of that diameter to equal one pound of lead. Since a 20-gauge shotgun barrel has a smaller diameter (0. 615″) it would take 20 lead balls to make up one pound of lead. That’s the difference between the sizes of these guns. Shotguns also come in 10-gauge, 16-gauge, 28-gauge, and a . 410 (the smallest bore shotgun available).
Shotgun shells are sold by their gauge, shell length, and shot size. The shotgun shell gauge should match the gauge of the shotgun. The length of the shells will range from 2 ½” for most small-bore guns up to 3. 5” inches for long-distance shots from a 12-gauge. Shots are categorized with an inverse naming system, where a #1 shot is larger than a #4 shot. The shot’s diameter can be determined by deducting the shot-size number from 17 and dividing the result by 100. Thereby, a #6 shot would have a diameter of . 11” (17-6 = 11, divided by 100, equals . 11). Just to confuse matters, however, there are larger diameter shots than #1 and they are labeled as B, BB, BBB, T, TT, and FF. The general range for shotgun shells used for bird and turkey hunting purposes, though, falls between #1 (long-range ducks) to #8 (doves, quail, and pigeons). In a moment, though, we’ll cover a #9 shot used for turkey hunting. It’s also worth noting that “buckshot” has an even larger diameter than the shot defined above. These loads are generally for home defense and medium-to-large game, including whitetail deer. Shot sizes for these loads range from #4 (. 24” diameter) to #000 (. 36” diameter). In order to illustrate how shell sizes vary according to gauge, length, and shot, a 2 ½” shell for a 410 will hold eight #4 buckshot pellets, but a 3 ½” shell for a 12-gauge will hold 41 of the same size #4 buckshot pellets.
Choosing The Right Shot Size and Choke | Turkey Hunting Tips | The Advantage
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