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After shooting a few rounds of 5 stand yesterday, I patterned my H Lefever, choked ic/m, with a new low pressure 1 1/8oz. #5 pheasant handload I worked up using the new cheddite paper hull with factory primer, 23grs. Longshot, SG16 wad, and a bit of flour as buffer. The low pressure group lists the same load with the cheddite plastic hull at approx. 1,250 fps and only 7000 psi. The paper hull shouldn't be much different, and I'm not too worried about another 1-2000 psi either way anyway. I just don't want to shoot golden pheasant's in my gun, which are about 11k psi.

Anyhoo, what surprised me was the effectiveness of the pattern out to 40yds. with the mod. left barrel. With that in mind, I drew a turkey head and neck on the board, and at 40 yds. I was getting 15 hits in the head/neck, at 30 yds., about 22-25, and at 20 yds. about 30-35 hits. I was also getting quite a few body hits at each range. Wow! Shocked

I hadn't thought of my Lefever as a turkey gun before, but this changed my mind. Going down to #6's would also improve hits by about 10% i'm sure. I also brought and patterned a new H&R single shot 12ga. turkey gun with 2 3/4" 1 5/8 mag #6's, and of course the patterns were very dense and lethal with the x-full choke, with about 45 hits at 25 yds. It also kicked like a mule, but that's ok. Regardless, though, it begs the question, how many hits on a turkey is overkill? It doesn't take that many to bring one down does it? I've never shot one past 25 yds anyway. I'm not really sure I need the single shot now, and I hope to encourage anyone to use those vintage guns and leave the modern stuff at home!

Hello hello .... is anybody out there? Man, this is a tough crowd! Laughing

Any one old enough to appreciate a Lefever is in bed by 7:51 on a Monday
night. A hot toddy at 7 gets me recliner bound, and by 7:30, my wife leads
me to bed, tucks me in, and I never miss a shot in my turkey-hunting dreams, patterened or not!

Patterning a shotgun is the way to go. Sometimes the results are surprising.

Member Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1257 Location: Nebraska

UDF,
I think I got 6 or so hits on the only turkey I've shot. Flushed her from pretty close, .003" of choke and a heavy load of Fiocchi 4's did the job. Got a few shot in the neck, a couple into the body and it was enough. If ever I go intentionally out for spring birds, that'll be a good reason to do more precise patterning!

kgb

http://www.16ga.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2176

Any pics of the board? I'm wanting to put a load together similar to the one you speak of.

Chopper