Remington 870 express super magnum with a leupold "turkey scope" newly sighted in! Winchester Longbeard 3 inch #5's! 20 yards!

UHH! Headless turkey. Don't hickup when you pull the trigger at a closer range.



Earl

Not to be rude to you, honestly I think you could save yourself several bucks a shot with a plain old lead shell at twenty yards.
Generally I see hunters moving towards seeking patterns that seem to me to be way way too tight for a general hunting turkey hunting application. Earl has said the same thing in the prior post i think. I shoot lead (plain old lead) #4 . My experience is that one or two # 4 in the vital zone will kill them. Everybody has to suit themselves on their set up.

I'm looking for a pattern that "throughly covers" a 20 inch or larger circle at all ranges from 20 to 40 yards.

Be interesting to see what your LB's do at 30 and 40 yards. While I love to call them in close (sometimes too close) there are times when you can really underestimate what range that turkey's at. I could tell you a story where I underestimated in Kansas about ten years ago to where I thought a bird was a 40 yards and he was a 80 yards. This was in a big field. Bird jumped in the air a few feet and then ran away with about 10 Jakes he was hanging with. The fellow I was with (Vagrousehunter) looked it at me and asked what the heck I was thinking. I said, I was excited and guess I underestimated the range.

I truly never realized how far away he was until we stepped it off when we were following up the shot to make sure it was a clean miss.

I concur, if you want to shoot copper plated lead and plan on taking shots at 40 or closer then for me its #5's. I prefer Win HV or XX loads. I would shoot it at 40 cause that 20 is tight, I don't think I would blink either

Still gotta pattern at range and for lethal range if not done but looks like you got the scope dialed in real good.

Thanks guys for the tips and comments! I will say, I know that the pattern is very tight at 20 yards. It's one of the reasons I have a scope on it. Gobblenow, I do agree, I could probably spend a little less than I do, but I chose these rounds, particularly 3 inch #5's, because it seems like every turkey load I have ever shot out of my remington 870, 3 inch #5's always shoot better and pattern better! I shot alot of different type of rounds last year, 3 inch to 3 1/2 inch, #4's, #5's, and #6's, and my shotgun really shoots these longbeards the best. The 20 yard shot, was my sight-in shot... most of my shots on gobblers tend to be 25 yards to 40 yards, nothing closer, ever... not to mention, I have never tagged out in a single season, so i don't typically shoot alot during the season, lol!! That said, I'll post the pictures of my patterns at 30 yards and 40 yards! It's hard to beat!

30 yards ( i hit a little high on this one accidentally)


40 yards

jstchin71, those are great looking patterns at 30 and 40. I seen where you said your shots are between 25-40 yards but now that you said that, this year you will have 10 yard shots.

What I wanted to say was that a couple of my friends shoot that same load out of their guns, an 870 and Benelli SBE II. They have played around with various chokes and have found that a lesser restriction gave them good cemetrical, a little more open with plenty of hick up factor patterns from 10-40. They went from the .665 choke that is made for them shells to a .680 with great results. I think it is the resign poured around the shot that is making a big difference in tighter patterns. Thats not saying your gun would, but just for thought.

Although you are getting a tight killing pattern out to 40 with your set up and you got confidence in it, I would not change a thing now on it. The bold word is every thing one has too do well when shooting. Of course when we miss we want to sell our guns.
Also by your patterns it looks like you got your breathing control and all (trigger squeeze) under control to make good shots.

Did you have your trigger adjusted for a lighter pull?

What choke do you have on yours?

I believe those shells have just plain lead in them or are they copper plated lead?


Earl

Interesting thread to follow. I used too agonize over what load was best with what choke. Spent lots of money swapping out chokes and grabbing different loads and grabbing the lead sled and heading out to the range. Made a PVC stand that I could put an industrial roll of brown wrapping paper on where I could shoot one load and then go and check and roll up a brand new sheet, shoot again and start counting holes. I'd be searching for the Holly Grail of the most number of hits in the 10 inch circle at 40 yards.

What I discovered is there are a ton of loads out there that will deliver 90 to 100 hits in that 10" circle, and that any turkey is stone dead with any of them. I also found (like GN said) that things can be too tight. I killed three gobblers in that last few years that were under 10 yards away when I pulled the trigger. Not planned that way, but the bird came in from a different direction and I had to contort around in a totally unexpected angle where the bird suddenly popped up 10 yards away and it was either take the shot, or he would take two steps and be gone.

Full circle is I'm now toting a 20 gauge with Federal Heavyweight in size 7 and have killed my last 3 birds with that set up. Longest shot was 32 yards and the closest about 12 yards. On paper at 40 yards its circa 90 hits in that magical 10" circle. It does take a bit of restraint at times. A couple years ago I had a Merriams beast at circa 50 yards away and decided not to take the shot because I wasn't confident I could cleanly take that bird and watched him walk away and that was a "bucket-list" bird for me.

BTW, that is a great pattern you got at all ranges. I wouldn't change a thing.

confidence coupled with fact. as the man said.

Looks good at 30 and 40, plenty for him to step into if he moves left or right. I like to know what the 20-30 circle looks like when I pattern a gun.

I am extremely happy with how it's shooting, to this point! The turkey I killed last year was just about 30 yards and he flopped twice after I pulled the trigger, (regular bead sight at that time). I was also very pleased that i found NO stray pellets in any meat! I would say I am confident at this time in my gun, but as you guys said, it doesn't take but one miss to throw that confidence down the drain very quickly! Lol! Im hoping the scope added to my gun will help me focus even more as I'm getting ready to pull the trigger! After missing turkeys in the past, I've really tried to focus in my shot almost to the point, my target blurs out because I'm trying to get my head down as far as it can go, to stay on target! And I'm also hoping this scope will help considering how tight the pattern is.

Also, just wanted to say, that I appreciate the advice about how you different guys like a pattern to be. I get it! I really do, it makes perfect sense to have a more spread out pattern all throughout the shot 20 to 40 yards. I guess I can say, I got caught up in the new way (the prostaff, television hunters) of tighter the better... and thats how I setup my shotgun.. I never had a shotgun, choke and shell shoot this tight and good, so I didn't even think about it being too tight. But, now it is what it is, and I'm gonna stay with it this year,and next year maybe test out some more shots to accommodate a more open pattern.... especially if I jinxed myself and now turkeys will come into 10 yards instead of hanging up a little further out there!

Greyghost, I haven't made any adjustments to the trigger on the 870. I practice with dry fire all the time though with my service handgun (Im a corrections officer) and do the same with my long guns! I also practice breathing with my shots, and make sure its the best shot possible. A miss or 2 and my OCD kicks in and i try not too allow that happen again!! My choke is a simple tru glo gobble stopper .665 restriction. The round is also copper coated led. And I do believe they also have the resin in the shell as well to keep the patterns tighter!

Tut, that story is hilarious, I could just see your buddy's face when the gun went BOOM at 80 yards!! It happens, fields are tricky... heck, woods are tricky sometimes for me!! And I hear ya on spending a small fortune on loads and setups, its definitely fun but taxing, not too mention tough on a shoulder too!! Thanks for your comments and input!!

looks like you are all ready for MR Tom!!

Doug