# ?? about how many shot to kill a turkey



## JasonTheOutdoorsMan (Dec 16, 2000)

a few weeks ago i was patterning my 16ga for the up comming turkey hunt. the turkey head picture said that 5 pellets(if u calll then that) in the kill zone move back 5yds. that brings me to my ??. how may "pellets" it takes to kill a turkey? i know in different situlations things happen. but in general what have been your finding.

thanks Jason


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## Slugshot1 (Jan 20, 2000)

I kind of hate to get this started, but it also depends on other factors. I use 12 guage 3" 2oz magums with an extra full turkey choke. I will shoot to 35 yds with no worry. I will say I have taken a bird cleanly at 40 yds with this setup, but only if I get the feeling the bird is about to or is moving away. My buddy on the other hand has a 10 guage that shoots 3.5" with xtra full choke and I saw him paste a gobbler at 50 yards that went down hard. I was trying to discourage him from shooting, but he said he could take it and dang if he didn't.


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## Mr. 16 gauge (Jan 26, 2000)

Jason;
You didn't say what load, pellet size, & choke combination you are using. I would suggest that since you are using a 16 gauge you try and find some Federal Premium shells in this gauge. They come in 1 1/4 oz loadings, and I beleive in #4 & #6 shot. The shot is copper plated and the load is buffered to help give tigher patterns. This load moves at 1260 fps. Much of the loads out there today for the 16 gauge are abysmall: the "dove and quail", "pheasant", and "game loads" are promotional loads designed to be made and sold as cheaply as possible. The shot is generally soft and deforms readily when it comes in contact with the bore. They are good for breaking clay pigeons on the target range and hunting small game on occasion. It is too bad that the loadings in the 16 gauge have languished do to lack of interest. I would suggest that you go with the #6 shot and go back to the patterning board. If you have an adjustable choke, such as a Cutts or a polychoke, I would test the loads with improved modified, full, and extra full, and fire 3 patterns per choke. I would not be surprised if you find double the number of pellets in the target at the same range than you did previously. The copper plated shot and buffer help to tighten patterns; the extra shot adds to pattern density.
I envy you; I would truly like to take a turkey with one of my 16 gauges, but won't do it until I have had a little more experience turkey hunting, and have had a chance to do some load developement and evaluation with some copper plated shot. Those premium shells also work great on pheasants as well, so remember where you put them when pheasant season rolls around. 
Trout has also given you good advice; with the smaller gauges, it is best to let the birds close the distance, and 35 yards is not unreasonable for someone gunning with a 16 or 3" 20 gauge. Good luck, and I am interested in learning how you do.


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## hypox (Jan 23, 2000)

I know I'm gonna hear it for this, but, I use a 20 gauge 3" number 6 shot turkey load. The first year I hunted I leveled a turkey at 43 yards. I was not real good at judging turkey distance because it was my first year. I was guessing the bird to be no farther than 35 yards, but I paced it off, and I was 43. I must have got lucky or something because It was a very clean kill. So, I don't suggest going over 35, but I guess it can be done.


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## Sarge (Apr 25, 2000)

I've shot 2 and both were clean (from relatively close on the 2nd) but niether had more than one pellet I could find, and both were in the neck (up high). I've only seen one other killed bird up close and it had one visible pellet in the upper neck also. It's possible that there were other pellets and we just didn't find them.

It seems like the critters aren't that hard to kill just hard to get close to.


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## JasonTheOutdoorsMan (Dec 16, 2000)

thanks for the help. i think now i will have to go out and bye more ammo . the loads that i shot were win. supper X #4 with an 1 1/8 oz and rem. #6 with and 1oz of shot. those were just what i had at the house. the #4s at 30yds on more then one time i had 7 or more (pellers) in the kill zone. then i moved out to 35yds and had 1 or2. also with the #6s they didnt do as well as the #4s at 30yds. they had about 5 or 6 at 30yds and at 35 1 or less. so from what Mr.16ga said i will go out and bye some copper shot. the reason i am using the 16ga is it is the only shotgun i have right now without a rifled barrel. it has a mod. choke but i will limit my shots to 30yds for now. and once again thanks for all the help. it will be my first time turkey hunting this year and all u have helped a lot.

Jason


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## Sarge (Apr 25, 2000)

Most of the guys I talk to are using 3" shells and #5 shot. I use #4 and that's because I started with it and have not run out. From what I've read, the quantity of shot and velocity out of a magnum shotshell with #5 is optimal for turkey. That's what I'll use after I've shot 6 more shells. Let's see, that would be 3 shots to pattern and 3 turkeys. Yup! works for me.

I only know how many ounces etc. if I'm looking at the box a the time, and I'm not, at this time. The details are important for me to find out and to use when shopping and shooting, but not important enough for me to carry around in my memory. It's very small and very crowded already.


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## Stalker (May 15, 2000)

Jason, Your 16 gauge will do just fine. I was able to talk my wife into going turkey hunting with me last year. I bought her a 20 gauge to use. She knocked down a bird at over 40 yards with 3 inch - #4 shot. Not a distance I would recommend. However it proved that my concerns about the smaller gauged guns being inadequate for turkey hunting were without merit.


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