Turkey Loads?

[Blind Dog]

seriously thinking of taking the smoothie out this spring to try on the mountain Merriums in the White River Forest. For elk I use a .600 round ball with 90 grains of FFF. I was thinking of using FF with 90 grains and 1-1/4 oz of 6’s. Sound good or would you do different with a .20 bore?

 

[Toklo Etee]

Blind dog
I killed an Eastern Tom years ago with a 20ga Flint trade gun. It had a 42" cylinder bore barrel. My load was 60 grains fffg a fiber wad , twice my powder charge of #4s. I made some paper shot cups to put the shot in and put a thin over shot card on top.
I patterned the load a fair amount and could consistently get 10 pellets into the vitals on a turkey target. The range is limited however and it was pretty much a 20 yard gun. Got it done in the hills of North Alabama but in open hardwoods I'm surprised we were able to get him so close. Your gun might pattern better but the guy who was showing the ropes of turkey hunting used that 10 pellet goal as the effective range of the gun.
Good luck to you....I've had the chance to chase a few Tom's but my most cherrished memory is of that first bird I took with a flintlock trade gun

 

[Skychief]

That ought to do Blind Dog.

Patterning your gun will tell you more than we can.

Head to the hunting section and search it as far back as you like around the month(s) of April. There you'll find plenty of successes to whet your appetite along with several load descriptions that bring home the bacon.

Good luck, you're going to love it, Skychief

 

[tenngun]

Largercharges tends to blow the pattern more shot less powder was an old saying that works, try 65-70 grains an ounce to an ounce and a half of shot.

 

[Huntschool]

Largercharges tends to blow the pattern more shot less powder was an old saying that works, try 65-70 grains an ounce to an ounce and a half of shot.

Tenngun is right. The old competition shotgun shooters (muzzle loaders) went with lighter shot loads for tighter patterns and if they wanted to open them (the patterns) up they ran more shot. This could be a good example of less is more. That said, you need to check your gun.

 

[Skychief]

Tenngun is right. The old competition shotgun shooters (muzzle loaders) went with lighter shot loads for tighter patterns and if they wanted to open them (the patterns) up they ran more shot. This could be a good example of less is more. That said, you need to check your gun.

Wait. What???

 

[Brokennock]

20 gauge cylinder bore. 80 grains 3f, thin card, 2 lubed felt wads, premade paper shot cup containing 1.25 oz. #5 shot, topped with 2 more thin cards.

Thinking of patterning the same load but with 1 overshot card then a heavily lubed fiber wad ala the "SkyChief Special"

If you look in the craftsman section for some threads I put up about the 1st bag I made, there are pictures there somewhere that show the premade shot charges in their tin.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Tenngun is right. The old competition shotgun shooters (muzzle loaders) went with lighter shot loads for tighter patterns and if they wanted to open them (the patterns) up they ran more shot. This could be a good example of less is more. That said, you need to check your gun.

That's amazing. Where did you get that from?

B.

 

[Blind Dog]

Largercharges tends to blow the pattern more shot less powder was an old saying that works, try 65-70 grains an ounce to an ounce and a half of shot.

That’s why FF to reduce pressures. I’d even consider F. I’ve found big felt wads will put a hole in the pattern and usually use 3 over powder wads stacked and a thin over shot wad on top.

 

[Brokennock]

That’s why FF to reduce pressures. I’d even consider F. I’ve found big felt wads will put a hole in the pattern and usually use 3 over powder wads stacked and a thin over shot wad on top.

Look up the so called SkyChief Special load.

 

[Huntschool]

Wait. What???

That's amazing. Where did you get that from?
B.

I am sorry that I can quote "chapter and verse" but it came from some reading and also some comments from old shotgun shooters. It would seem, back in the day of the big pigeon and glass ball shoots major competitors (Borgardus, Oakley et al) would have their loaders work the loads for the targets presented. This was before choke was used and everyone shot CYL bore barrels. I am sure things changed a bit since those competitions changed over the years but think about it.... The current Olympic load is 24 gms in a 12 ga. When the committee made that change they wanted scores to go down but instead once the competitors worked at it the scores went up and some shooters even said the targets broke harder....

If you think about it from a ballistics point with no shot collars or cups and very different velocities and pressures..... a heavy load of shot is pushed out the barrel in a longer string then a shorter (height) load thus pellets in the rear are pushing pellets in the front and spreading the load. I think.

I don't have a better answer but I have tried it and it worked great for me. I shoot 1 oz in my 12 gauges and it works really well.

Don't want to start a war here. Try it and see what happens for you.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I am sorry that I can quote "chapter and verse" but it came from some reading and also some comments from old shotgun shooters. It would seem, back in the day of the big pigeon and glass ball shoots major competitors (Borgardus, Oakley et al) would have their loaders work the loads for the targets presented. This was before choke was used and everyone shot CYL bore barrels. I am sure things changed a bit s those competitions changed over the years but think about it.... The current Olympic load is 24 gms in a 12 ga. When the committee made that change they wanted scores to go down but instead once the competitors worked at it the scores went up and some shooters even said the targets broke harder....

If you think about it from a ballistics point with no shot collars or cups and very different velocities and pressures..... a heavy load of shot is pushed out the barrel in a longer string then a shorter (height) load thus pellets in the rear are pushing pellets in the front and spreading the load. I think.

I don't have a better answer but I have tried it and it worked great for me. I shoot 1 oz in my 12 gauges and it works really well.

Don't want to start a war here. Try it and see what happens for you.

Buddy 1oz is quite normal in a 12g but tell us please what powder charge do you use with 1oz?
No need for any wars.

B.

 

[Huntschool]

Buddy 1oz is quite normal in a 12g but tell us please what powder charge do you use with 1oz? No need for any wars.B.

Bout the same as Tenngun… 65-70 gr. although I have gone as high as 80. I felt that was overkill. The pattern started to open a bit at 30 yards. Most of my turkey hunting here is done pretty close. Using a decoy and being real careful I can generally get a shot under 30 and more like 20 or less. I shot my BP doubles with the same charge on pointed birds.....

 

[Britsmoothy]

Bout the same as Tenngun… 65-70 gr. although I have gone as high as 80. I felt that was overkill. The pattern started to open a bit at 30 yards. Most of my turkey hunting here is done pretty close. Using a decoy and being real careful I can generally get a shot under 30 and more like 20 or less. I shot my BP doubles with the same charge on pointed birds.....

Buddy, that's pretty much standard loading.
It's ok, think I miss understood. I thought you were, say for example implying a lot less shot and wayyyy more powder.

B

 

[Feltwad]

The black powder loads for the live pigeon shooters of muzzle loading guns varied depending on the bore size although the shot loads did not vary much they were about the same
Feltwad

 

[Robby]

I've never taken a turkey with a modern shotgun, most have been with the equivalent of a 16 Ga., 80gr.FF, about 1-1/2 oz. #4, #6 mixed shot. I use the shot mix because a guy gave me a two liter bottle of it free and In patterning it worked just fine. One thing I do that tightened up my pattern is to cut down the cushion wad to about an 1/8"-3/16" thick. I have used a 20Ga with pretty much the same load with 1-1/4 oz. shot. These pattern real well and will still poke holes through a coffee or tuna can at 35 yards.
Robby

 

[Huntschool]

Buddy, that's pretty much standard loading.
It's ok, think I miss understood. I thought you were, say for example implying a lot less shot and wayyyy more powder.
B

Nope…. your right.... Not more powder....

 

[Rat]

Generally speaking, you want a little more power for knocking turkeys down, compared to pigeons, or quail, small game birds. With my Bess, which is not a 20ga, I keep the powder charge down, but go heavy on the amount of shot. Or, greater volume of shot, compared to powder. With the paper shot cups, I get very good range.

 

[Blind Dog]

Bout the same as Tenngun… 65-70 gr. although I have gone as high as 80. I felt that was overkill. The pattern started to open a bit at 30 yards. Most of my turkey hunting here is done pretty close. Using a decoy and being real careful I can generally get a shot under 30 and more like 20 or less. I shot my BP doubles with the same charge on pointed birds.....

Are you using FFF or FFF?

 

[Huntschool]

Are you using FFF or FFF?

I have used both but the guns have liked 3fffg the best and I do also based on pattern and hits.

JMHO