Choosing the Correct Load for Turkey Shotgun Shells

The perfect Turkey shotgun shell and the load may render or break your next gobbler hunt, whether you're an experienced hunter going for the Grand Slam or a novice looking for your first gobbler. 

Shotgun shell producers continue to increase the alternatives that are accessible to waterfowlers, turkey chasers, and upland bird hunters as a result of continuously improving performance due to the enhanced shot material of the turkey ammo at the top of shotgun shell developments that enable us to analyze the ideal loads to take into account for the following successful turkey hunt.

 Knowing About Shotguns And Shells

A shotgun is a weapon that fires a pattern of "shots," which are pellets most frequently made of lead, a lead that has been copper- or nickel-plated, a lead that has been bismuth- or tungsten-plated, or steel. Although "slugs," solid lead projectiles used for big games, are another sort of shotgun load, the dissemination of these shots renders it easier to shoot targets that are moving like birds or small game. 

 Shotguns are available in various gauges. The gauge measures the bore, much like rifle or handgun calibers do. The two most popular shotgun gauges for hunting turkeys are, in order, a 12-gauge and a 20-gauge shotgun. Compared to a 20-gauge, a 12-gauge has a bigger, wider barrel.

 Shotgun gauges are categorized in the following manner. Imagine a round lead ball that's the exact size to fit into the barrel of a 12-gauge shotgun (0.729′′). To correspond to a pound of lead, 12 lead balls that size would be required. Given the smaller diameter of a 20-gauge size shotgun barrel (0.615′′), 20 lead balls would be needed to equal one pound of lead. What distinguishes these firearms' various sizes. Additionally, shotguns are available in 10-gauge, 28-gauge, 16-gauge, and the smallest bore shotgun, 410. 

 The shotgun gauge and shotgun shell diameter should be the same. The rounds' lengths will range from 2 12" for most small-bore firearms to 3.5" for long-range 12-gauge shots. 

 A #1 shot is bigger than a #4 shot in the inverse naming scheme used to classify shots. By deducting the shot-size value from 17 and dividing the result by 100, one may determine the diameter of the shot. As a result, the diameter of a #6 shot would be.11" (17-6 = 11, divided by 100). 

However, to further complicate matters, there are shots with a diameter larger than #1 designated as B, BBB, BB, TT, T, and FF. However, the typical shotgun round range for bird and turkey hunting is from #1 for distant ducks to #8 for doves, ducks, pigeons, and quails.

These loads are typically used for medium- to large-sized games, including whitetail deer and home defense. These loads come in a variety of shot sizes, from #4 (.24" diameter) to #000 (.36" diameter). It's also important to remember that "buckshot" has a diameter considerably bigger than the shot described above. 

 A 2 12" shell for a.410 can hold eight #4 buckshot pellets, whereas a 3 12" shell for a 12-gauge could hold 41 of identical size #4 buckshot pellets. Changes in shell sizes are dependent on gauge, length, and shot.

 Chokes and Shotgun Patterning

 An accessory known as a shotgun choke is a tube normally fastened to the last few inches of the barrels preceding the muzzle. Older shotguns might have fixed chokes, but almost all modern shotguns can accept various chokes and a variety of standard chokes are frequently included when buying a shotgun. 

 A choke's main function is to restrict the shot to variable degrees, giving the gun the highest chance of hitting the target with the greatest number of pellets at various ranges. They were created around three centuries after shotguns, in the middle of the 19th century.

 "Patterning" refers to shooting through various chokes on paper targets. It involves comprehending the size and shape of every shot in a shell when it strikes a target from multiple distances. This is a special tip for turkey hunters on the best shotshell and chokes combination and the pattern you should strive for.

 Before continuing, we should discuss another element crucial to selecting the proper load: the specific shot's substance and density. 

 Every type of shot, including tungsten, steel, and lead, has unique qualities that determine its payloads, pellet count, and velocity. 

 Density plays a role in the number of pellets and payload in each shot; therefore, choosing the correct shotshell is important. 

 Manufacturers can add more pellets to the payload as density rises since everyone can be smaller while still achieving the same weight. Greater inertia from heavier weights results in better-ranged velocity, which enhances penetration as well as terminal performance. 

 It's nice if you locate the proper load, but nothing is certain. The most important thing is picking an economical, readily available load tailored to your choke(s). Additionally, it is a load that you feel confident firing at your maximum effective range.