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Want to use our 16ga for a spring turkey hunt.

Federal lists a 2 3/4" 1 1/4 oz #6 load.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks

Guest

Put some choke in the gun and pattern it, that is the only way to know for sure.

I shot a turkey last fall with a 1 1/4 oz. #5 at 35 yards or so, with a mod choke.

Member Joined: 18 May 2008 Posts: 13 Location: CO

I've been working on the same thing. The tightest I've come up with so far is- Fed Hull, 25.0 Blue Dot, Fed 209A, Rem SP16, 1 1/4 Copper Plated lead
#4, 16.0 gr. BP buffer, (reduced from load published in Lyman 4th). Through my fixed full choke, I 'm real confident at 35 yards. I need to try Nickel plated shot for better performance, but I am all out. In the 12 ga. the NP shot really makes a difference for me. Dogchaser is right, spend the time at the pattern board.

First question is do you reload ???

Regards Charles

Joined: 21 Jan 2008 Posts: 29

I'm not the original poster, but yes, I reload and plan on using my 16 for turkeys. I still need to pattern my 1953 870 though. I have some 1 1/8oz Fiocci's #6 to try out. Any pet handloads you want to share? I used my 1939 A-5 last year, but being a cherry, I didn't see any birds, just the biggest friggin rattler I've ever run across. The A-5 turned his head to jello!

Regards, Augustus

Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 224

I've been trying to make a real turkey load for the 16 for some time now. I'm getting closer, but I still haven't gotten the patterns I want. I have a bunch of loads to pattern, just as soon as I have time. When I do get a load I like, I plan on sending it to Tom for testing, and then submitting it to the LPG...assuming everything is ok.

So far I have had my best results using the multi-metal wad and a cheddite hull. I have a few loads worked up using a rem. hull and the new WAA16 wad, and a 20 ga multi-metal that I hope turn out to be good.

I do all my patterning at 40 yards, using a turkey choke. I've managed to get some tight patterns, but they are not very even...so I keep trying.

Really, you can kill a turkey with a .410 if it is close enough...but I want a 16 ga. turkey load that will rival what is commercially available for a 20 and 12 ga.

Folks I have shot a ton of turkeys and will have to say that your not looking for the greatest pattern , your looking for one that has consistancy , will it place enough shot in a 8" pie plate forget the rest , shoot for the neck where the beard sets on and you will cover the head and neck .

Shoot smaller shot to fill in the blanks , pickup the velocity and enjoy the birds on the dinner plate .

We were sitting at the Missouri State Trapshoot and Ole Ben ask Mike Jordan of Winchester this following question .

Mike now I know you done looked at this in the lab , What is the best Turkey load that Winchester ever came up with ???

Mike looked to each side then told us that the load was a doozzeeeyyy but was not marketable , the load in question with out any doubt in the world was a 1 OZ load of 7.5's buffered at 1400 fps .

But being as everyone in the world knows you cannot kill a turkey with 7.5's the load never made it to market .

Folks I am going to take the loads that I am sending to Bill Hanus the 3/4OZ of #9's this spring , want to bet that I post pictures of birds ??

I will shoot 40 yards with these loads and never think anything about it .

Regards Charles

Appreciate all of the input.

Yes we reload however it is for the 308 not the 16ga.

That is about to change.

Thank you

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

I wouldn't be afraid to use number 7.5 in hevi-shot, but in plain lead, you could be handicapping yourself. I would use #6 or 6 1/2 if you could get it!

But no smaller. Sure, you can kill turkeys with #9's, This morning I could have had my choice of three toms using #12 shot. BUT the fourth, and bigger tom, you would want #6's.

Same philosophy of using a small caliber rifle to hunt deer or elk. You can kill either with a .22 rim fire, but that isn't what I would take to the timber.

I dont take my 16ga shotguns to the turkey woods either, I use one of the 10ga doubles. Sometimes, yes I could kill the bird with a .410 filled with rock salt, but that is not what I am taking. Don't get me wrong, one of these days, maybe even this year, I will take one of the 16's.(I can shoot 3 this spring, and 2 pair in the fall, and I might slip into Kansas for a couple more)

Thank You all for your input.

Have been talking with TSS regarding a Tungsten #7 or #8 turkey load.

Appreciate the thoughts.

Bowbuilder

Which choke and constiction might you be using?

Thank You

I'm going to be taking my 105 yr. old Lefever 16 into the turkey woods this spring for the first time. I've never used anything but 12ga turkey cannons before (I still have one just in case), but it just seems like overkill, since my shots at birds have all been about 20-30yds. A .410 would work at that range. Come to think of it, I have a .410 single shot too. Maybe I should take it! Very Happy

Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 224

Member Joined: 11 Sep 2004 Posts: 27 Location: Olympia, WA

Well I use a circa 1921 Lefever™ Nitro-Special 16ga choked MOD and FULL. I use the Federal® Premium™ Magnum 1¼oz copper plated #6 (#P165 6) in my FULL choke barrel. My MOD barrel carries the same load in #2's (#F165) which sadly is no longer made. Sad

I'm fortunate however to have a horded stash that will last me far, far into old age (80+). The #6 Federal® Magnum gives consistent, even, dense patterns though my FULL choke barrel. I also use a handload of 1¼oz of #5 hard shot that patterns a close second. I limit my shots to 35yds or less. I've had to use the #2 loads a couple of times where I knocked a bird down and it got back up. Once that happens a head shot is out of the question! Shocked

I rolled a gobbler at between 45-50yds on a dead run w/#2's, they really do the job if forced to take a "body shot".

Member Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 129 Location: Alabama

Federal marketed a 7.5 turkey load for a while, and I've only got a few left out of the several boxes I bought. I generally saved them for deep woods or places I knew I'd have under 40 yard shots.....though I would feel confident to 50 yards with the copper plated 7.5s in the head and neck. That was a GREAT load. I wish you could still buy them. I'd love to have a case of them for my 12ga turkey guns. Those that think the 7.5 is 'iffy', I've killed a coyote at just over 30 yards (measured), with 7/8oz of 7.5s, at 1200fps cheapo dove load, from a 2 3/4" 20 ga., with a head shot...light modified choke. Very Happy