shot size for 16 guage for turkey ?

longshooter338 · Mar 21, 2011

My son was given a winchester mod 1200 16 guage by his grandpa and he is bound and determined he is using it on his turkey this year. My question is it is only a 2 3/4 chamber and a full choke anybody have any experience with 16 guage im leaning towards #2 or #4.

'IT AINT EASY BEING ME'

Utah400Elk · Mar 21, 2011

Not great with turkey loads but here is what I did for my two turkey hunts. I purchased the remington "special" turkey loads. Only ten to a box but I have 6 left. I shot two patterning shots and two turkeys. They put a hurtin on the birds. Not sure of the shot size but they worked great. I think they were a mix of 6 and 4. I would try something along those lines. Hope that helps.

TOPGUN · Mar 21, 2011

I use a Model 1200 that I bought new in 1967 with a short deer slug barrel (smooth bore) and a 28" modified barrel for upland game. When I got into turkey hunting up here in Michigan back in the 90s I had the slug barrel threaded so I could use various chokes, but mainly tight turkey chokes for that sport. At that time I also had both the front and rear sights changed to fiber optics. It's a 12 gauge with a 2 3/4" chamber and I use either #5 or #6 Winchester Supreme Turkey loads with great success out to about 40 yards with no problems. A lot of states, including where I live, restrict shot size to #4s or smaller and my feeling is that #5s and #6s is best to get more shot into the pattern, even if #4s are allowed where you hunt. I kill an Eastern here every Spring and have also taken Rios in Texas and Merriams with it in South Dakota. I have several suggestions for him and the first is to not worry about it not being able to kill a turkey if it has a full choke barrel. What I would suggest is to try and find a rear sight for it and there are a number of them on the market. The reason for that is shooting a standing turkey with it is like shooting a rifle and you have a much better sight picture with a front and rear sight, since just a front bead is basically for shooting running or flying critters, rather than pointing at a small head/neck area on a standing turkey. Get some shells like I mentioned and set up some turkey head/neck targets and don't go any further back from them than what you can keep a dozen or more pellets in the head/neck area. You will probably find that the distance will be in the 35 yard range. Just don't push the distance on a bird because hits in the body will not kill him on the spot and you won't find him. You have to do major damage in the head/neck area for a good, humane kill. Hope that helps some!

ColoradoBob · Mar 21, 2011

I would try #6. Your target is the head & neck, the more pellets the better. It only takes 1 to break it neck or brain. CB

pookiebar · Mar 22, 2011

I am guessing you don't reload?

If you do reload you could do a mixed shot bag of #6 and #4 that would work great for you.

Or do a mix of #5 and #3 and that would get you a little more deep range.

No reloading, then I would go with a heavy load of #5 shot. You get more pellets then 4 and a little heavier with 6.

The most important thing is shot placement. I still hunt ducks with 2 3/4 #3 steel shot. 8 of 10 shots are head shots and i kill them out to 50 yards. Nice thing with turkeys is you are shooting at a grounded critters not flying. Just make sure to pattern your gun a couple shots before you go out.

CAelknuts · Mar 22, 2011

I'd shoot 4s, 5s or 6s, preferably in Hevishot. I don't know if Environmetal makes Hevishot in 16 gauge or not, but if they do it is a 'no-brainer' to use that stuff. It is the very best stuff I've ever seen for killing gobblers stone dead.

2s are a poor choice for turkeys, as you don't get nearly as dense a pattern, and as has been mentioned, you're not shooting the bird, you're shooting his head and neck. If your son isn't real experienced, tell him the best aiming point on a tom is right where his wattles are, at the junction of feathers and bare skin. Lots of inexperienced turkey hunters aim for the head, but that is a mistake, as you waste a large part of your pattern going harmlessly over the bird's head. Aim for the wattles, and you'll have pellets in lots of lethal places. Be sure to shoot when his neck is extended, not tucked down in strut position.

TOPGUN · Mar 22, 2011

LAST EDITED ON Mar-22-11 AT 12:55PM (MST)[p]Several very good points CA! That's the spot to aim for and definitely wait until he brings that head up! I may go to Hevishot when I run out of my Winchester loads. That's what a couple buddies use and they are flat out deadly and add about 10 yards to your effective killing range.

longshooter338 · Mar 22, 2011

Thanks for all the imput guys especially CA ! for the aiming point on a turkey i never really thought of that, I picked up some 2 3/4 1 1/4 ounce #4 lead federal premiums and they group fairley well with 5-6 pellets in the head and neck area at 35 yards but that was aiming at the head i will try the waddle and see if i pick up some shott i am also going to try to find some #5 and test them to. This would be alott easier if he would just use my rem sp10!

'IT AINT EASY BEING ME'

CAelknuts · Mar 22, 2011

You're doing the right thing by patterning your gun. I've shot turkeys with 5 or 6 different shotguns over the years, and most were fine...except one. I won a Winchester 1300 pump turkey gun at a DU dinner once. It was all tricked out in camo and had a nice short barrel with sling and all so I figured I'd try it out. Well, after wounding 3 or 4 birds, I finally wised up and patterned the gun. What a POS! It shot like 6" left at 30 yards. The birds I'd shot with it were an adventure to recover. Still have that POS shotgun if anyone wants a really good deal on a lousy turkey gun.

When you try Hevishot, you'll love it. Definitely the best stuff going these days for killing toms.