Posted on 02/28/2017 5:56:01 AM PST by w1n1
Whether you prefer a 20-, 12- or even a 10-gauge shotgun to go after your spring gobbler, the time is now to pick the right load for maximum effectiveness. You might only get one chance at that trophy bird, so why not give yourself the best opportunity at a quick clean and ethical harvest?
There are many turkey choke tubes on the market, and folks often ask me which one is best. I always tell them to pick a choke designed for your gun and the load you plan to shoot. But whatever you do, choose something, because you shouldn't head into the woods without a turkey choke. Trust me, you are not doing yourself any favors by not having one.
Choke tubes come in four standard sizes, commonly known as cylinder choke (C), improved cylinder choke (IC), modified choke (M), and full choke (F). Essentially, turkey chokes are extra full. Once upon a time, the standard for shotgun patterns was the 30-inch circle and what percentage of the pellets in a shotgun shell was delivered inside that area. The idea was to have an evenly distributed pattern inside the circle, but modern turkey hunters want something tighter than that. TURKEY CHOKES ARE DESIGNED specifically to keep your pattern tight at various distances. Turkey shells have more of a powder charge than a typical shotgun load, and this is where this distinctive choke will pay dividends. The general rule of thumb is that it takes three pellets to break a clay target and six pellets to take down a small game bird. Read the rest of the story here.
Tsk, Tsk.
You have posted a Turkey of Color.
I have always liked #5 shot. As a kid my hunting was long hikes through varied game country, squirrels, rabbit duck, pheasant and varied terrain, forests, river bottoms open fields. I read all the literature when you needed #4 or #6 shot. Easy decision for a kid on a budget, hard#5’s.
I also like variable chokes for the same reason. Where I hunted ducks with my grandson there were also snipe. I ended up switching out choke tubes in the wet pasture. So now I am an old guy on a budget and am looking at working a screw in variable choke into the budget.
good tips win1.....gives me an excuse to go to the range and try these out..
What about a drone load? #4?
#5 hardened lead.
Nice to be back to thinking about trophy critters instead of blue helmets when discussing firearms!
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