Shotgun patterning ?

Hey guys, last year for turkeys, I used my mossberg 500 12 gauge. With 2 3/4 inch, 1 7/8 ounce loads, my range was around 35 yards. This year I bought 3 inch, 2 ounce loads. I’m using an extra full choke. I’m going to pattern my gun with these shells, but am curious about how much farther these new loads will reach out. Thoughts? Thanks

Hate to even go there it's kind of how far I shot a deer kind of thing if you know what I'm saying here. I try to sit where I see about as far as I can shoot when I can in the woods, out here that won't work well.

I'd stick with the 35-40 yards as more shot often equals less FPS so you gaining pellets on target but not distance as much. IMO

What caused your range to be only 35 last year? Were you using the extra full then too? I use a old browning bps with a full choke with what ever shell I have 2 3/4 or 3" I have killed Turkey out to 68 steps and a ton at 50. I figure your set up should do 50 real good.

I mean if I was only going to shoot 35 yards I would take a bow or 20 gauge.

Just shot the gun, and I am confused to say the least. At 50 yards, I got 1 pellet in the head. At 30, I only got 5. I thought that these would do better than a smaller load with less shot. What would cause this? Thanks

Different pressures = different point of impact.

Have you patterned your old loads ?

Try a full or improved modified choke. Heavy loads and extra full are not always a good combination.

Been through this . Hotter loads and more constriction don't always equal denser patterns .

Instead of reaching out , getting closer is always an option , as well.

There's a litany of factors. Too many for a forum post. The best answer is to buy a whole range of ammo and see which yours like best. What came first - the ammo or the choke? IMO - pick your choke and find the ammo it (and you) likes best.

For what its worth - I went through a choke phase trying to find the perfect ammo/choke combo for turkey out to 50yds. I was convinced I had to have 50. I gave up after 2yrs of sporadically testing it and dumping money down the tube. None of the ammo/tube results were to my liking. I just gained a sore shoulder.

For the last few years I'm back to my 20ga 870. 40yds is her limit, 35 the sweet spot and 12ga duck gun stays in the safe when the Toms are gobbling.

Its my experience that each shotgun is an individual. You will have to try all sorts of different loads and choke combos to find what it likes. Personally i dont even buy 3" or 3.5" shells anymore. They just hurt me more than the target lol.

Yes, at 30 yards, I was getting 20 bbs in the head. At 35, about 15

every gun is different

we patterned a bunch of kids guns last year that were having trouble with consistent hits on clay at the trap range

2 guns same model, same choke, same ammo , very different pattern

paper grocery bags work well because you can keep stapling them over the last one to the card board, they are free with your food.and you have less bulk to dispose of when done.

if you could conceivably fit a miss into that pattern thats max range

My daughter had the same issue with her new Remington 870 with extra full choke. We were going to try different loads but gave the modified choke that came with it a shot...………….good patterns out to 50yrds but still keep hunting under 35.

What shot you putting through it lead, steel, bismuth or tungsten? Harder shot may not pattern well in a tight choke the reason steel chokes are less restrictive so a Full lead= a mod steel kind of rating.

Who makes a 2 3/4" that holds 1 7/8 oz.? Handloaded maybe?

I’ve done a ton of turkey load testing, I own well over a dozen turkey choke tubes. Tested 4-5-6-7.5 shot, mostly in 3-3.5” from a wide variety of ammo manufacturers. Best to invest by way of pulling the trigger and letting the target tell you what your gun/choke combo likes. Use a good solid rest. More shot, as in a 3.5” load doesn’t always equate to a more dense pattern. In fact , in my experience the vast majority of the 3.5” loads did NOT pattern as well as the same load in 3”, not always, but most often that was the case.
After 30 rounds of testing my shoulder has had enough n I get a bit “flinch” LOL.
Good job for patterning your gun/loads!!

What size shot. You said BB That big shot in tight chokes will deform and sail. PLUS was there any spot on target that the pellets where grouped. Sometime you may need to hold low or high depending on the shot PATTERN .

I use the same thing I use for snow geese. #2 steel through a .720 terror choke out of a Gold 10.

Most of the turkeys I have shot though have been inside 15 yrds.

I now turkey hunt with a Benelli SBE II. I shoot 3,5 inch 5,6,7 1/2 triplex hevi shot through a rhino choke tube. The best results I had in 5 different dedicated turkey guns I own is with the Kicks Gobbling Thunder with lead shot. Each gun likes different loads. Sometimes different manufactures sometimes different shot size. First I am going to shoot the smallest shot size that will get the job done. Normally 5 or 6. I will shoot 4 but it is a rare occasion. I prefer more shot than bigger shot. Now I have only killed a couple hundred turkeys in 11 different states and Old Mexico so my experience is limited. I have killed 1(ONE) gobbler at 80 steps and it was an absolute accident that I took a shot that far. I have the capability to kill gobblers at 60 steps comfortably with a 3 inch pattern at 15 yard. I WILL not shoot at a beautiful, majestic, rare tom turkey past 45 steps under any circumstances on any day. The one I killed at extended range was in open timber in Missouri after a spring freeze that killed all the vegetation and I misjudged the the distance by a long shot. I always use a lead sled to pattern my shotguns and I usually do it at 40 yards. I start off with a 3'x4' piece of white paper that I tear off a roll which is cheap. I put a 1" circle in the center of it. I look to see initially if there is a sweet spot in the pattern. If there is then I adjust to that. All my turkey guns have red dots on them. The Tasco pro point III is a good one for a decent price and will take the recoil. I have a Burris speed dot on the Benelli. If there is not a sweet spot I change ammo. If after 2 or 3 different types of ammo if I don't find it I change shot size. If you have a 3" gun shoot 3" shells. If I want to shoot 2 3/4' shells I have a 2 3/4" gun for that but I retired it a long time ago. Use a quality choke tube. If you can't afford one start with a modified then full then extra full with the same shells before switching brands. A factory modified or full can and will surprise you. My personal belief is 45 steps is an ethical shot on a tom. Others may have different thoughts and I don't disagree i just choose not to do it. i figure if I got him in front of me once I can get him there again hopefully closer. Yes he may be a little smarter but I am too. Good luck and keep us posted. Don't let it frustrate you and enjoy the learning curve it will pay off big time.

More shot doesn't always mean a denser pattern. And don't forget, a real tight choke has a real small pattern diameter at 15-20 yds. You need to be dead on target. I always used 4's or 5's, copper plated. Maybe include some 1-5/8oz loads and some 1-3/4oz loads. Pattering turkey loads is fun...................not really.

I believe they are made by Remington

I just shot The 3 inch shells at 40 yards using a modified choke. The 2 3/4 with full choke are very similar to the 3 inch with modified choke. I still managed to get 20 bbs in the head, so I think I’m good to go. My shoulders going to be hurting in the morning! Lol Thanks for all the great answers!

Only thing left to this story is the picture of the tom with a swole head.

Not even reading through the comments, but the purpose of patterning your gun is to find the right shell/choke combo that works for you. The general range used in patterning is 40 yards. Find the choke you want then the shells to give you the optimum performance at 40 yards. I prefer a slightly open pattern at 40 rather than the 300+ pellets in a 10” circle that most strive for. I shoot a Remington Youth 870 20ga topped with a Fastfire III with a Sumtoy Choke in .562.5 and TSS #9’s. Easily a 50 yard gun with that combo, but I rarely shoot past 30. Don’t want them any closer, lol...too much opportunity for a miss on my part.

2 3/4 worked like a charm at 15 yards this morning!

Great job!

Chris

Great job!
Still waiting for the season to open here.......

Very nice bird! Good post.

I use the same shotgun for turkeys. I’ve been using it for over 30 years and killed a lot of gobblers with it. The best combo I found was the factory XXFull choke from Mossberg, Frederal Premium 3” 2oz of copper plated bb’s which they don’t make anymore, but I have 4 boxes left lol, I’ve killed gobblers out to 45 yards with it. Not saying yours will shoot the same but just throwing it out there to think about.

Excellent, WTG!

Nice bird by the way!!

Nice bird
I shoot a mossberg 5500 auto I using 3 inch 1 5/8 oz buffered nickle plated #6 hand loads with a browning turkey choke. My mother in law uses a single shot winchester 12ga. That I load a 2 3/4 in 1 1/4 oz buffered nickle plated #6 for her. Any bird withing 35 yards is toast gun throws a really nice even pattern at 30.
J

Sounds like a coyote load. I thought most states had rules against using shot that large for turkey hunting.