Choice of Shot for Spring Turkeys

[bitterrootfly]

Hope everyone has had a fun and rewarding season so far, to all the guys and gals with late season tags I wish you the best of luck. This spring I’m headed to B.C. to hunt spring turkeys and I was wondering what size shots folks with experience would recomend. I plan on patterning as many types of shot as possible but I was wondering what sizes you guys generally go with.
Thanks in advance,
Jonah

[fingershooter]

heavy turkey loads with 2 oz of #5 or #6 and shoot for the head. Having said that I got one with my .410 with #7 1/2. Turkeys are surprisingly hard to kill.

[Ithaca Dog]

Originally Posted by fingershooter

heavy turkey loads with 2 oz of #5 or #6 and shoot for the head. Having said that I got one with my .410 with #7 1/2. Turkeys are surprisingly hard to kill.

This is good advice. I used a 3 1/2" shell with 6 shot in a 2 oz turkey load for a couple of birds. I'll used 6 and 4 shot in 2 3/4" pheasant loads 1 1/4 oz of shot for a few birds as well. I haven't hunted them for a long time though.

Used my bird gun and found it patterned high. I aimed for the bottom of the wattles and all shots ended up in a turkey dinner.

[flyguyd]

I like the little extra forgiveness that comes with 6 shot , but for a little more range and knockdown ,i prefer #5

[MooseRiverTrapper]

5 and 6 for turkey but BB or 2 for geese? That surprises me.

[CNP]

Originally Posted by MooseRiverTrapper

5 and 6 for turkey but BB or 2 for geese? That surprises me.

The difference is lead for turkey and steel for geese.

[Koschenk]

I have killed turkeys with steel BB and with lead #5 both 2 3/4" shells. So long as you get enough pellets in the head and neck they will fold up.

[bitterrootfly]

Thanks everyone for responding, final question, what about choke tubes, any recommendations, full, modified...

[koothunter]

What happened to boycotting BC?

[bitterrootfly]

Originally Posted by koothunter

What happened to boycotting BC?

I didn’t say anything about boycotting BC, I’ll be boycotting Vancouver but many of my friends are from the koots and Fort St. John area and we are all on the same page, they aren’t the enemy, urban liberal B.C. is.

[fingershooter]

Originally Posted by bitterrootfly

I didn’t say anything about boycotting BC, I’ll be boycotting Vancouver but many of my friends are from the koots and Fort St. John area and we are all on the same page, they aren’t the enemy, urban liberal B.C. is.

Thanks for that. We here in the Kootenays are not the same animal as from the LML (lower [much lower] mainland) and the vast majority of us are on your side. Having said that, a Turkey choke or full if you don't have a turkey choke and please come kill some of these birds.

[normanrd]

I've killed several dozens of turkeys with 4,5, or 6 shot, whatever patterns best out of your gun. Mine likes the Winchester high velocity Turkey loads, 2 oz 3 1/2" particularly 5 shot. I also found that the comp'choke xxx full (.660) provided the best results. The primos jellyhead worked pretty good too. Been quite a few years since I set my turkey gun up so there are likely way more options now!

Hopefully this info plus the other posts helps you out some!

Norm

[bitterrootfly]

Originally Posted by normanrd

I've killed several dozens of turkeys with 4,5, or 6 shot, whatever patterns best out of your gun. Mine likes the Winchester high velocity Turkey loads, 2 oz 3 1/2" particularly 5 shot. I also found that the comp'choke xxx full (.660) provided the best results. The primos jellyhead worked pretty good too. Been quite a few years since I set my turkey gun up so there are likely way more options now!

Hopefully this info plus the other posts helps you out some!

Norm

This is perfect thanks, hopefully I’ve got a successful turkey thread come May!

[normanrd]

Originally Posted by bitterrootfly

This is perfect thanks, hopefully I’ve got a successful turkey thread come May!

Any time! I hope to see your pics too. I think I may go to southern BC and do some Turkey hunting this spring too. I've got a good friend with some Intel for that region, lol.

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk

[fingershooter]

fyi, just drove through Skookumchuck and saw a pile of turkeys in the motel lot. must have been 3 or 4 dozen.

[weekender7]

6 shot X-full choke

[GOBBLER FANATIC]

I have hunted the King of gamebirds for 19 years in Alberta, BC, Ontario and Montana.
The previous posts are accurate in that it is very important to pattern your shotgun to see what shot size is ideal at various ranges from 15 to 60 yards.

For me, using a 12 gauge shotgun, my favorite shot size is number 5 shot which seems to pattern well and provide the right balance of pellet density and energy at ranges up to 50 yards (although I don't take 50 yard shots). I really like the Kent turkey loads in 3 inch with 1-3/4 ounce or 2 ounce shot charges which have put a lot of turkeys on the dinner table for me and my friends. They are reasonably priced at around $12/box.

What I have found that has significantly improved the harvest rate to almost 100%, is the use of a red dot scope. Since using this technology 4 years ago, we have had 6 kills in 6 shots - definitely a difference maker! To see the red dot on a turkey's neck or chest and confirm that you are holding steady before the shot, is a tremendous advantage. The Browning TRS - 25 Red dot scope is an amazing scope, affordable and doesn't move with the recoil of the shotgun. Many of my turkey hunting friends use this scope with similar results.
If you would like to talk further about shot size or anything else regarding turkey hunting, please drop me a message!
Regards, GOBBLER FANATIC

[32-40win]

I used a Hunter's Specialties Undertaker choke in a Mossberg and an 870 with Win Supreme plated/buffered #6, those cheap chokes patterned really well at 50, nice even coverage and plenty of pellets on the turkey head targets, if he moved his head he'd still be getting a real nice pattern top to bottom. I was impressed with that setup.

[Gary]

I use an old Remington 870 Wingmaster with a modified choke on a 28 inch barrel. The gun is chambered for 2 3/4 inch loads. I have found 1 1/4 ounce size 5 lead shot does the deed.

[GOBBLER FANATIC]

I have hunted the King of gamebirds for 19 years in Alberta, BC, Ontario and Montana.
The previous posts are accurate in that it is very important to pattern your shotgun to see what shot size is ideal at various ranges from 15 to 60 yards.

For me, using a 12 gauge shotgun, my favorite shot size is number 5 shot which seems to pattern well and provide the right balance of pellet density and energy at ranges up to 50 yards (although I don't take 50 yard shots). I really like the Kent turkey loads in 3 inch with 1-3/4 ounce or 2 ounce shot charges which have put a lot of turkeys on the dinner table for me and my friends. They are reasonably priced at around $12/box.

What I have found that has significantly improved the harvest rate to almost 100%, is the use of a red dot scope. Since using this technology 5 years ago, we have had 7 kills in 7 shots - definitely a difference maker! To see the red dot on a turkey's neck or chest and confirm that you are holding steady before the shot, is a tremendous advantage. The Browning TRS - 25 Red dot scope is an amazing scope, affordable and doesn't move with the recoil of the shotgun. Many of my turkey hunting friends use this scope with similar results.
If you would like to talk further about shot size or anything else regarding turkey hunting, please drop me a message!
Regards, GOBBLER FANATIC
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[303carbine]

I have taken turkey with 12 gauge 7.5 shot, but BB works better.