Optics planet has screwed quite a few people over. I wouldn't order anything from them. Mike is correct

I used to live local to Campsaver in northern Utah. They were, and still are, a great place to visit. Once Optics Planet bought them out everything changed as far as stock on hand is concerned. They still have some really good parking lot sales a few times a year. Well worth checking out if you're in the area.

jbyrd63, I do hunt other states and no I don't need to poach. I even hunt mine and your "home" state of Ky. I'm sorry you can't understand why some people use better equipment to hunt and do what they like. I guess I'm not like you, I don't own an expensive bass boat and pay entry fees for tournaments so I can throw 10 dollars lures at fish then put them back in the water. But to each his own. Good luck in your tournaments. I'll pay fees to hunt different places and use good shells and equipment to enjoy my sport. I won't even throw my turkey's back.

Seems like we sure can argue about stuff.
If I have a halfway decent shot from point blank to 40 yards
my old 870 12 ga. will kill a gobbler with Federal No, 5 Premiums.
If I have to kill a turkey further or deader I have the means to do that also.
Patience will kill more turkeys than anything else.

Zim

Lestan I OWE YOU AN apology !!!!! I looked at your location with out my glasses on and thought I saw INDIANA . My bad Tn has pretty liberal bag limits and Ky let's you kill 2 in the spring. Good thing about USA you can do what you are passionate about as can I


Once again MY BAD !!!!!!!!!!!

Ditto

jbyrd63, no big deal I was just hitting back at you a little. I'm around cherokee lake around Bean Station in TN. I see a lot of good paying tournaments. Nothing wrong with making a sport pay. I was raised in KY on the VA border my land borders VA so I get to hunt TN,VA and KY among other places.

I’d like to see some of these patterns at 40 yards with the #4’s, 5’s and even 6’s. Or for the folks that shoot’em close, let’s see those patterns as well.

If I had a rifle bullet that was shooting 2-5” off at 100 and never could get a decent group I’d be ostracized for hunting deer with a rifle and bullet combo that wasn’t “lethal”. Yet when it comes to turkeys and associated gear your ostracized for using the best there is.

I haven’t found your standard factory ammo TSS or lead that will pattern worth a can of beans in my gun/choke combo…but Apex 3” 1 5/8oz loads #8.5 and 10’s pattern extremely well in my gun…no wounding turkeys with those shells. I think the traditional factory loads (Federal, Winchester, Remington, etc) are loaded to hot or everyone I know that has tried them, including me, must all have the wrong choke for them. They don’t pattern for me at all, I’d be lucky to kill a duck or dove with them.
.

Wanna Be, I patterned the Apex 20 gauge 1 5/8 load in an Indian creek .555 and didn't have any luck. It was a decent pattern but not what I wanted. I picked up a Comp N Choke .565 and some Boss Tom 3 inch 20 gauge with 2 oz of # 9 TSS. I haven't tried that combo yet, with 2 oz of 9's I may have to go with the factory Full choke. That's a lot of shot down the bore. I'm going to try both the .555 and the .565 with it. I didn't try the Apex load with the .565 yet either. That may make a difference.

You'll find that the 555 is way overchoked in 20ga. You should notice a more even distribution in your pattern with the 565. Somewhere around 570 is where I always fall

I’ll buy your leftovers if you have any left. I believe my choke is a .567.5. As stated, over constricting will blow out a pattern. Same with steel and duck loads.

You guys are overthinking patterns. A pattern to win a turkey shoot contest is not needed for hunting. Know your limits and don’t shoot too far. I think some of you set out to shoot every turkey in the woods using all the new toys and modern equipment.

Dang B&B right on cue you only post if I say something and your only comment is directed toward me. Dude you need to stop stalking my post . Your going to die young and lonely.....

For turkeys, I loaded up 2 3/4" shells with 1 1/2oz of #4 shot. The farthest one I killed was 34 yards. The closest was 26 yards. I always shoot them in the head for an instantaneous kill.

Guess you’re an “all it takes is one BB” type of pattern guy? Guess if I can get a group the size of a pie plate for big game it’s acceptable as well?

Still haven’t seen anyone post a pattern.
Next question I guess I’ll ask, and this involves honesty, who all has lost a turkey? I will tell you straight up I have with lead. I haven’t with TSS and been shooting it for years and in multiple states around the US. And to top it off, the lead was out of a 12ga…TSS out of a 20ga.

You guys are hook line and sinker on this TSS. A turkey head will fit on a pie plate so a kill pattern on that should be acceptable? The other pellets won’t hit much anyway? Do you think those of us shooting lead are 50/50 on retrieving birds?Lol. Most of us shooting lead are taking shots 35 yards or less, 20-30 is in the wheelhouse. You want to believe one pellet is on a pie plate in that range, keep on thinking that.
Personally, Ive missed a few moving birds clean so not sure how shooting TSS would have helped if shooting late? Only one bird that has been hit left the scene, thought I could clear a small pine tree a few feet in front, thought wrong, majority of the load hit side of the tree. Bird went about 100 yards before falling out. My shotgun shoots lead 4s exceptionally well and I’ve hunted long enough with lead that I know what the results will be.

Got a pattern sheet or just figuring since a turkey died it must be good?

Finally got my buddy to pattern his high dollar gun and “shells” he’s always used and we had to back up from 40 to 25 before he got a pattern decent enough to quit wounding birds.

Yeah, 40 yards is the standard at which loads/patterns are measured. Just like 100 yards is generally the standard for rifles.

I’m envious of those that can consistently kill birds at 20 yards. Here in Georgia that’s not a problem, got plenty of cover and I know our turkeys. Traveling out of state and paying nonresident prices, I want to know if I screw up in range guesstimating that my pattern is sufficient enough to not wound a bird. I always enjoy the clean miss stories as well. It comes from the same folks that don’t need a turkey contest pattern, but yet they don’t seem to think their patterns spread. The problem I see is most don’t pattern their guns, period. They’ll buy a shotgun, throw in a full choke, buy some Walmart shells, and think that’s good enough. It’s really ironic that they want sub-moa shots out of their rifles and shoot those or want the least amount of hurt on a trapped critter, but when it comes to feathered game, the cheapest will do.

Another fine example of people trash talking something they haven't ever tried.

I've yet to see someone who has actually patterned and killed with tss have anything bad to say about it

Appears the trash talking is on lead shot to justify something different? I don’t know any serious turkey hunter that hasn’t shot a few rounds at a target to confirm pattern. 25 yards is a chip shot with 4s and a factory full with my shotgun. Yes I’ve killed many moving birds and occasionally have missed. It’s not the gun or shot pattern. My Rem 870 shoots lights out for being factory unmodified. Mostly shoot Winchester xx mag #4