What size shot is best at 40 yard range with good choke for 12 gauge.

4, 5, or 6 shot? and Why? Just curious on your opinions, thanks.

There are a lot of discussions that would answer this question in the archives section of the board. General answer is that much of the answer depends of the gun and shell models. Each gun has some shotshell load that will perform better than other shells in your gun and choke set up. . If you told us the gun you shoot, barrel length, chokes you probably could narrow the search a great deal from posters advice or old posts in the archives. Answer also depends on how much you are willing to spend on shells or choke tubes if your gun takes interchangeable tubes.

If "best" means best performing (measured by pattern density and individual pellet penetration energy), then the next question is what type shot?

Here are my top ten turkey shot sizes:

10) Lead #5s
9) Hevishot (Hevi-13) 7s
8 ) Hevishot (Hevi-13) 6s
7) HWT-13 6s
6) HWT-15 8s
5) TSS 7s
4) HWT-15 7s
3) HWT-15 7-1/2s
2) TSS 8s
1) TSS 9s

You can't no go wrong in anyway with hevi shot mag blends.

Yea, I used the Hevi shot magnum blends this year and they worked fantastic.... but they are not cheap!

It will all depend on what your gun likes and the choke tube your using. All I will say is that lead kills just as well as Hevi 13 and TSS and a heck of alot cheaper too!

I can testify that this is false. But my knowledge of the subject comes from actual, first-hand, real-world experience shooting turkeys with it and witnessing what happens. Not to mention hearing hundreds of second-hand detailed reports from others who have witnessed the differences in lethality. In short, don't believe everything you hear on the internet.

I don't believe everything on the internet, I have first hand real world experience with both lead and Hevi-13 and IMO I have not noticed turkeys dying any differently! I do not however have experience with TSS as I do not reload and I also am very economical and do not see the sense in paying the steep price for Hevi-13 anymore or jumping on the TSS bandwagon. I'm sure that those that choose to invest in TSS are very impressed with it. I will never know as I am way too cheap to buy it!

I was just addressing your first statement. Thanks for qualifying/correcting it.

Seems to me that has always been two groups of T hunters. One ones side, folks always said # 6 shot was THE BEST THING GOING. It's a head neck thing! Then on the other side, #4 shot was the ticket,you needed to pcak a punch on a wild turkey, he's a big bird, with tuff feathers to penetrate. So, I chose #5 shot, figured I'd split the difference and must say, I'm satisfied with my choice !
That was my thought process with my !2 ga. went with the same thought on my 20 ga. this year too!!!