What gun... What formula?... How Far?

[SBK]

Winchester Model 1300 Ducks Unlimited Edition.
Nitro Express 4 shot with a extra full choke.
35 yards for a perfect pattern and nice gobbler.

[turkhunt]

i got a win 1300 with a h.s. undertaker choke with remington copperplated 5 shot, and recently got a jake at about 50 yards.

[MAK]

2 Rem 870's one with s Simmons 2X Prodiamond Scope and the other is Tru glo fiber optic for those foul weather days - both shoot 2 oz #4 shot of Winchester Supremes - through a .665 Kicks Gobbling Thunder or Brilley chokes, either can kill to 50 yards, my limit is 40; prefer 35 yards where I can see their eyes! 
 
Fall gun is a Valmet o/u 12 ga over .223 - 2 oz #5 Winchesters - 35 yards for the shotgun, I've never been tempted to try the rifle beyond 45 yards. It drives tacks at 100 yards.

[beardbuster]

also two rem. 870 both with reddots . one is the 870 supermag the other the new 870 shurshot. love both these guns 40 yards is my limit never tried it beyond that if the birds is over that he walks. wife uses a mossberg 500, 20 ga. with a kick's choke, the crazy thing shoots forty yards to.

[cuttin man]

I shoot a Beretta extrema 26'' in barrel,  I bought the gun custom done from ballistic specialties.  The gun has every piece of work done to it that can be.  I have a 1-4 power leupold scope on it and I shoot 3 1/2  #6 hevi 13 shells.  I get killing patterns at 60 yards, although my limit is 50.[:)]

[Magnumdood]

I carry a Remington SP-10 that has had everything done to it that I could possibly have done, including a trigger job from my rifle gunsmith.  I also had every piece of metal besides the springs cryoed.  I shoot Nitro 2.5 oz of straigh #4's.  I can still get 90 pellets in the 10" circle at 60 yards.  I don't know how far it will kill a bird at.  Below is a target I shot at 35 yards while playing around in between sighting my wife and daughter's turkey guns in.
 
35 yards
Nitro #4s
Remington SP-10
 

[charlie156]

Hey Guys,
                I am  new to trukey hunting first time was this spring. I carried a Ithaca mag ten must have weighed in at around 15 pounds or so. Did'nt get a bird but loved it. Anyway to get to the point I got a good deal on a Rem 870 super mag. I know I need to get a good recoil pad for the 3 1/2" But I am sort of stuck on a good choke to get and what brand of shells to go with. If  anyone has any ideas and/or suggestions I would love to hear them! Thanks!

[allaboutshooting]

Hey Charlie,

Welcome to the Turkey & Turkey Hunting site. I'm sure you'll enjoy it here and find lots of helpful folks who will be pleased to be of assistance.

Both my wife Doris and I shoot several Remington shotguns, including 870's. I'd make just a couple of observations and suggestions for you to consider.

Even though your gun has a 3.5" chamber, you may want to consider shooting 3" shells. For many shooters, the 3" shell witll pattern better than the 3.5" shell, it costs less and has much less recoil. The 3.5" shell certain has more pellets and may put more holes in the paper but in many cases, you'll have a more even consistent pattern with the 3" shell.

Remington shotguns use the magazine cap to help hold the barrel in the receiver and to keep it from moving at the critical instant of ignition of the powder. It's very important that the cap is very tight and is in the same position each time. Otherwise, the center core of your pattern can move, up to 8" in some of my Remington guns. I recommend that you hand tighten that cap and then, using padded pliers, tighten 4 more clicks and then mark the cap and the barrel band, so that you can get it back in the same position each time you take your gun down and reassemble it.

I'd also recommend that you really clean that barrel prior to shooting it for the first time. Some barrels are really sensitive and will only shoot at their best when very clean. Some barrels like to be a bit dirty and the only way to find out, is to start with a "squeaky clean" barrel and shoot it a bit at a patterning board, without cleaning between shots, to see what your gun likes.

I wrote an article, "Cleaning a Shotgun Barrel" that outlines the procedure I use and recommend. It involves using a good cleaner, a new or excellent condition good brass/bronze brush and a good bit of scrubbing.  I can direct you to that article if you'd like.

There are several good turkey chokes. I try to shoot them all, in every exit diameter and with all the turkey loads on the market. A good bit depends upon the turkey load that you use. I try to make recommendations that will yield the best patterns at the least expense.

I'll make one and doubtless you'll receive many others. One combination that will give you excellent turkey killing patterns at 40+ yards is your 870, the 3" Winchester HV (Black Shell) with 1.75 oz. of #6 lead shot through the Strut-Stopper Xtreme (SSX) Turkey Choke. Those shells can be found almost everywhere, are inexpensive, about $10.00 - $12.00 per box, proven, and have accounted for more turkeys than I can imagine over the last 10 years. The SSX is a proven, premium quality turkey choke, approved for all turkey loads, including all tungsten-based shotshells, yields excellent patterns and is priced very economically under $40.00.

Your 870 may have come with the R-3 or the new SuperCell recoil pad. Either way, I'd suggest that you use the Shooter's Friend Recoil pad over the factory pad. It's made of a very soft material that has a much larger "footprint" than the factory pad. It distributes the recoil over a larger area and the material helps to absorb it and reduce felt recoil by 70%. I've used these pads on my guns for years and really recommend them. Again, they are very inexpensive and you can transfer the pad from one gun to another.

I would be very confident taking the above combination to the turkey woods anywhere.

Lastly, whatever "combination of ingredients" that you choose, I'd recommend that you spend some time at the patterning board, get to know your gun and most importantly...have fun!

Thanks,
Clark


P.S. If I can help in any way, just let me know and I'll be of all possible assistance.

[mark hay]

hELLO CLARLIE. Icannot comment on the choke tubes that ALLABOUTSHOOTING mentioned , I haven't used them but the rest of his advice is DEAD TURKEY , RIGHT ON THE SNOOD accurate . Have fun !   ''OLD SCHOOL TURKEY TACTICS''

[eddie234]

I also have a win. 1300 bought it used at the pawn shop this spring for $150.00 and took my first gobbler.
Undertaker choke, tru glo finber optic sights, and winchester 3" HV #4's.