Turkey Loads (Best bang for the buck)

[PA Bandit]

The last few years I have been on a budget and have been shooting mostly Remington Nitro and Winchester Double X (5 Shot) which I feel are more of the "cheap" brand of shells on the market.

I have been evaluating Hevi Shot's array of shells and also looked in to reloading using ITX products but was looking to maybe get others opinions on products that ya'll may have seem to find to be good quality.

I have nothing against Nitro and Double X shells and have killed my fair share of turkeys with them but I have also done the walk of shame many times wondering how the bird didn't die.

 

[bowhunter1023]

I'm still burning through Nitros for the time being. What I know from waterfowl hunting is that there is a huge difference in ammo and I have yet to apply that to turkeys. Sooner or later I will try the Hevi-Shot or Kent FiveStar. Kent Fasteel shoots best from my Benelli for waterfowl and I use my Benelli for turkeys, so I may try Kent ammo due to that. I've shot Hevi-Shot for waterfowl and it patterns just as well, but costs more, so I went with Kent.

 

[teej89]

I love the hevishot blended 3.5". Joe brought them up last spring and I ended up buying a box, they're kinda expensive tho, I got them for $25 but got $10 back from the mail in rebate.

 

[Schu72]

I'm trying the Winchester Longbeard XR loads this year. Ten rounds for $18.99 which is less than half of what most of the "heavier than lead" loads are selling for.

 

[bigten05]

long beard xr

 

[Carpn]

I used to love the Winchester supreme extended range . They had a non lead pellet and shot great . They quit making them . I picked up a box of the Winchester XR last yr and killed a bird with them at 45 steps . I've killed several others farther than that with the HTL Winchester loads .
If your looking for a cheap shell I'd go with the Winchester XR . If ya don't mind spending extra money get hevi shot .

 

[PA Bandit]

Thanks for the input so far guys.....is there a certain Hevi-Shot load I should be looking into as I see they have an array of products?

I shot an HR Pardoner Pump with a Carlson's Dead Coyote choke (.665 constriction)

 

[aholdren]

Im old school and still shoot Federal copper plated 3inch 4's .

 

[jagermeister]

Hevi shot all the way

 

[antiqucycle]

just find some boxes of 3 inch 2 ounce loads of #5 shot at a garage sale or flea market.
The $20 to $40 a box loads are just designed to empty your wallet

 

[Carpn]

The way I see it I'm gonna shoot twice a yr , or maybe 4 times if I hunt KY . I don't mind spending money of shells cause a box of 10 will last awhile .
I'd probably shoot straight 5 or 6 shot in hevi shot.

 

[huntn2]

The way I see it I'm gonna shoot twice a yr , or maybe 4 times if I hunt KY . I don't mind spending money of shells cause a box of 10 will last awhile .
I'd probably shoot straight 5 or 6 shot in hevi metal.

X2!!! It is a one shot game in my opinion!

 

[Schu72]

Now that I have used a few rounds of Longbeard XR I don't think I'll be changing anytime soon. Prior to season starting I shot it out of my factory turkey choke tube and my jellyhead. Although I had heard ported chokes may not produce the desired results, my jellyhead produced outstanding results. Both gobblers I shot this year went down without any flopping. Shots were around 25 and 35 yards.

 

[rsmith]

Patterned my winchester sxp with a factory full choke with Winchester double X 12g 3in #5 and it patterned great out to 45 yards which is more than enough for where I'm hunting

 

[Kaiser878]

I think a choke tube is more important than the ammo... buy a few doff boxes and whichever patterns the best from your choke tube is what I'd use.

I watched my wife roll one from 35 yds with a 20gauge with winchester light field loads in 6 shot....

Then pattern from the gun is more important than what brand of shell your shooting

 

[aholdren]

I agree Zach, and the term "he hardly flopped" is hard for me to understand since I've shot their dang heads off and watched them flop half way down a hill.

 

[Kaiser878]

In all honesty.... any shell out of any shotgun with a factory full choke will kill a Turkey at 30 yards.

 

[Boarhead]

I use an undertaker choke out of my 12 gauge 3 inch mag.
I use Winchester Extended Range 6 shot and it knocks the crap out of them when you dont miss.lol
Killed one today at 47 yds and never flopped.

 

[Mao]

I am shooting Long Beard XR #6 largely cause they were fairly cheap and patterned better than the standard Federal and Winchester loads. I would like to try other ammo, but do not want to pay to sample Hevi Shot and others for my gun since it is new.

 

[ohio mossy oak]

Longbeard XR 6s patterned well at distance out of my Mossberg 835/24in ported barrel/gobble stopper extreme ported choke.Inside 20 yards was tight as hell though..