Wally Dog
Well-known member
My dedicated smokepole is a Mossberg 835 ultimag, ported, back bored, tapped, Kicks .675 ported choke. Shoots like a house a fire with Winchester Long beard XR 1.75 oz #6's.
Dedicated Turkey shotgun
- Thread starter Beaneater
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FLMIKE
Member
Buddy of mines wife shot a near record book Bird (her first) with a .410 last year. When he told me I didn't believe him either.
You can use most anything you like. It's more about matching the choke and load to the particular gun you like. If you're going to use standard lead shells, Mossberg rules the roost for patterns out of a 12 gauge. You got the 835 and 935 for the big barrel known for throwing great patterns. Mossberg also sells probably the lightest 12 gauge pump, the 535. The 535 does not have the big barrel, but you can still do well with it. A 535 with Truglo Strut Stopper Xtreme choke will do with any good lead shell. These are not high quality guns, but they'll last for years and years of turkey hunting. The Mossbergs are drilled and tapped for optics.
Me, I wouldn't tote anything bigger than a 20 gauge anymore. I tested a handload of #9 tungsten the other day that will do anything a 3 1/2" 12ga lead shell does. My .410 throws a better pattern of #9.5 tungsten than my old 3" 12ga did 20 years ago.
While the tungsten shells are great, the downside currently is getting your hands on the stuff. Federal makes the shells. They apparently are not making them fast enough. Another downside is if a pellet gets loose from the wad it will score your choke and barrel. I wouldn't get a high quality gun due to the pain of seeing the damage.
A sub 6# Mossberg pump with a micro red dot on top is about right. Get your choke from somewhere like Trulock who will swap them out if one doesn't work out for you. Really, though, a heavier load of #9 TSS is plenty good with the standard full choke.
As for optics, Leupold DeltaPoint Pro is best for most people. The triangle reticle is less likely to starburst like most red dots.
Me, I wouldn't tote anything bigger than a 20 gauge anymore. I tested a handload of #9 tungsten the other day that will do anything a 3 1/2" 12ga lead shell does. My .410 throws a better pattern of #9.5 tungsten than my old 3" 12ga did 20 years ago.
While the tungsten shells are great, the downside currently is getting your hands on the stuff. Federal makes the shells. They apparently are not making them fast enough. Another downside is if a pellet gets loose from the wad it will score your choke and barrel. I wouldn't get a high quality gun due to the pain of seeing the damage.
A sub 6# Mossberg pump with a micro red dot on top is about right. Get your choke from somewhere like Trulock who will swap them out if one doesn't work out for you. Really, though, a heavier load of #9 TSS is plenty good with the standard full choke.
As for optics, Leupold DeltaPoint Pro is best for most people. The triangle reticle is less likely to starburst like most red dots.
Mallardsx2
Well-known member
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- Apr 4, 2015
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"Pipsqueak" .410 birds...and there is a lot more were that came from lol
Did some load testing with my new designated turkey gun. Sighting in tonight
shot out of my 870 20ga youth, 21" barrel, w/ factory rem super full choke. 1 7/16 oz #9 tss shot, at laser'd 40yds. Gun weighs a little over 5lbs and with the kick lite stock, collapses down to 39" carry length....perfect for me....till I move over into a 28 or 410. LOL
shot out of my 870 20ga youth, 21" barrel, w/ factory rem super full choke. 1 7/16 oz #9 tss shot, at laser'd 40yds. Gun weighs a little over 5lbs and with the kick lite stock, collapses down to 39" carry length....perfect for me....till I move over into a 28 or 410. LOL
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Topgun 30-06
Active member
If it does that at 40 yards, there is no gobbler that is safe out to at least 50!
406LIFE
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- Aug 18, 2016
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The Danger with loads that tight is that at closer yards you are essentially sendig a pop can size string at their head. off by just 2 inches to the left, you can entirely miss the bird.
H
hobbes
Guest
Any load at 10 yards and in is a pop can size pattern. While I don't know for certain what phutch's handload is doing in the 10 to 20" ring at 40, I do know that TSS#9 shot has 362 pellets per ounce. That give him approximately 520 pellets in a 1 7/16 oz load. He's got another 215 pellets outside of that 10" circle.
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I patterned it at 27 yds. The pattern was 18" dia, pretty much every one of the 500+ pellets was in the circle. Tss patterns tight..which is why it has a vortex venom mounted.
I had planned on counting up the 20 ring but didnt get to it. But Like hobbes said theres another 215 floating around out there.
I had planned on counting up the 20 ring but didnt get to it. But Like hobbes said theres another 215 floating around out there.
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Jamen
Well-known member
Browning BPS pump 10 GA with 3 1/2 IN. It is my goose gun, swan gun, and turkey gun.
I use the Remington® 870 SPS Super Mag Turkey/Predator. It comes with a TruGlo Red/Green-Dot Scope and turkey choke. I got mine for about $450 from Gander last year. I saw them recently advertised at either Bass Pro or Cabalas in the sub $500 range also. It has an amazing grip and recoil pad. I shoot 3.5" high velocity and although it still has some kick its very manageable.
This is 1 5/8oz T9s. It will kill anywhere in a 30" circle at forty yards. The center of the pattern should do to at least fifty. That's a bead shooter's special.
If you're gonna stick to 40+/- yards and don't mind a small pattern, you can back off to around an ounce of shot and still be good.
If you're gonna stick to 40+/- yards and don't mind a small pattern, you can back off to around an ounce of shot and still be good.
Have any of you guys patterned the TSS out of a more open choke? If my son (10yo) is able to go, I'm thinking the more open choke would help and I'd probably limit him to 40yds as a max. Stupid rules in IN won't allow us to use the #9s.
Beanland_fan
Active member
My 20 will pattern lead #5s with the super full ok at 40yds.
Heres a couple of more open TSS patterns
Factory full choke (rem)
Factory mod (rem)
Like that. Now I know who you are...Pointer,
Like this?
Thanks! Looks like I may be in business with the modified. I should probably take up handloading these and only use hulls with 6s on the outside...
That's the great thing about TSS. You can use light payloads and factory chokes to get full house 12 gauge performance. No comment on shot size in an unmarked handload.
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