I use an Undertaker choke in my turkey gun and I use Winchester Long Beard #5s in 3inch shells and love my pattern. Plus it's alot cheaper than TSS loads.

^This. See if you can get a hold of some longbeard #5's. Have patterned a Stevens, Mossberg and sxp all with different chokes including an undertaker and all have been good honest 40 yard patterns.

Screw that tss stuff unless you like burning cash.

Lead has been killing stuff for centuries and it ain't quit working yet.

I'd buy up as many good loads as possible. And by good I mean plated shot, nickel better than copper, packed with buffer. In shot size 6 or 5.

In a 20 I wouldn't try 4.

6 carries killing power to 35 yards while 5 adds another five yards. You might squeeze another five for each if you up the velocity. But velocity is gained by loss of payload weight so its a trade off and the 20 is hampered by a smaller payload to start with.

My guess is 6s will give you the best pattern but I'd try to find a 5 that will as I favor power.

Then if possible try different extended choke tubes designed for lead. I'm happy with my straight rifled Bailey turkey trauma.

Now if you got deep pockets the tss stuff is heavier than lead and you can drop down in shot size for more shot. But tss comes with it's own totally different needs when it comes to chokes. Just don't buy into the fools who claim it makes the irresponsible way out past fifty yard shots doable.

That pattern is why when anyone hunts with me they use my gun or show me their pattern sheet. No way I’d hunt with that. And that’s only 35, if you’re off a few yards on your estimate you won’t have that many on the sheet. When I shoot, I don’t have to run to a bird…unless they’re flopping down a mountain, lol.

Try TSS, I’m shooting #9 and sometimes #10 in a 20ga. I wouldn’t shoot a 12ga or lead again if I had a lifetime supply of each.

Go hunt. People get hung up on patterning guns in my opinion. I don’t enjoy shooting turkey loads at paper, just go kill a turkey. Get him in close , that’s the fun of turkey hunting anyway. I like hearing him spit and drum, gobble so hard your hair stands up. I’ve killed a whole lotta birds and a whole little paper.

John

I had that problem with my 870. I had a big hole in the pattern at 30 yards. I went and bought a Carlson turkey choke and that helped a lot.

Hope you don’t hunt deer the same way you hunt turkeys, lol. Just buy a rifle and some bullets and go to shooting.

I’d start with a 12 ga also a 20 ga is something a guy works his way to, its a disadvantage to begin with so get that first turkey in the freezer then go with a lesser gauge. A lot is going on with a first bird mistakes will often be made take all the advantages you can.

This is a very important point. Especially considering that your first turkey is likely to get the nerves bouncing pretty good. With a pattern like that I would have little confidence that it would result in a dead turkey. Don't get discouraged though as every load patterns differently. every gun is different too. One of the best turkey loads I have shot were actually 2-3\4 inch #5 pheasant loads. Now I wouldn't stretch that to 40 yards, but 30 was doable. If 5 shot doesn't pattern well, try some 6 shot. Personally I would pattern at 30 yards with every load so there is some standardization to whittle down the contenders. The respective pattern densities will show you which one to use and which could stretch a little further.

Enjoy - its a blast!

Shoot that same load at 30 yards and it may be a ton better. I would still shoot a couple more loads personally, just to see. I am no turkey pro by any stretch but ive probably shot around 20 birds and have been hunting consistently 15 years or so. Out of those birds, i bet 75 percent were 25 yards or less.
Take a range finder and hit some landmarks like trees, bushes ect as soon as you sit down. Know your limits and stick to them. Depending on where you are sitting or the lay of the land, distances are deceiving. I remember one specific spot a few years ago my buddy was ranging and I didnt want to believe it til I walked it off. 60 yards. (I actually trusted him and wouldnt have shot). I swore it was 45, which ive set as my gun/load’s limit. I can still see it and man it looked a ton closer.
Ive watched birds veer off at 50-60 yards but those wouldnt have been nearly as fun as the 20-30 yarders, or even closer. Ill stick with lead for now, because ive never come close to losing a bird. If I ever move away from a 12 gauge, I may go tss. That mossberg mossy oak .410 is appealing for some reason.

Here in KS just the tag costs more than a dressed turkey at the grocery store. I would not keep spending. Pretty obvious that one will work. When your deer hunting do you shoot through a bush so you can miss or wait till you good a shot to pull the trigger?

I shoot a Benelli Super 90 12 gauge equipped with extended choke tube with 3 inch 6 shot preferred and have killed several over 50 yards in open fields , bought this gun in 1999 after my 5500 Mossberg blew to pieces on me in Sonora Texas.

You guys saying its too expensive to shoot TSS, how much you got in your dedicated deer rifle? the scope? what about camo clothing? and spend how much in fuel to hunt? but complain about an extra 10 bucks for 2 rounds of ammo to tag out during turkey season. Set up right a TSS shotgun puts most of the shot in a 10" circle at 40 yards, that leaves no shot in the edible parts of the turkey if you do your part.

Not enough pellets in that load IMO. 35 yards, I wouldn't take the shot. I don't shoot 20 gauge's for turkey. When my kids did distance was 15 yards.

I drive about 3 hours to a friends to let my grandson deer hunt. I get to visit. His grandkids are there too. its a youth season. So its a combination thing.

I dont drive 5 miles to deer hunt.

Doesn't matter how much your firearm costs. How many guns do you own that will sell right now for less than you paid?

You guys do what you want. Looks to me like that gun with that ammo WILL kill a turkey.

Lots of misinformation in this thread with opinions that will lead to nothing but injured turkeys

Not to sound rude, but please leave that gun and ammo combination in the safe

Or find a shell that puts at least 120 pellets in a 10" circle at 40 yards

So your great great great great grandfather shoulda never dumped 80 grains of black powder in his 60 caliber musket, a wad of tow, some shot, another wad of tow then went turkey hunting? You need to quit reading hunting mags and watching tv.

If you need TSS to kill a Turkey you're not getting close enough. Not worth the expense and have fun finding #9 TSS in the meat. Let the flaming begin.

Hey I know about tow.

He needs to keep buying more shotguns
until finding one that shoots the shells better.
Or just use the bow and arrow.

Have to laugh at this??? Don't get hung up on patterning guns? You are joking right?