MyOutdoorTV.com

Products You Need From This Tip

Which Shot? (Video Included)

Wade's World Hunting: Using the right load for his shotgun is important to every turkey hunter. Hunters should try to find a load that gives the densest, most uniform pattern at maximum ranges – 45 yards for most 12 gauges.

Today, all ammo companies make and sell high-quality loads that are specially designed for turkey hunting. Typically these loads contain buffered lead or tungsten alloy pellets. These loads are sold in boxes of 10, and they are the top-of-the-line shells for uniform density and maximum knockdown power.

I recommend no shot smaller than #6 and no larger than #4. My personal favorite load is Winchester Xtended Range #5 in 3-inch magnum.

Buy a box of these quality loads. Yes, they’re expensive (up to $3 per shell), but a box of 10 should last 2-3 years. (How many turkeys do you shoot at in a season?) Spending $3 per load isn’t too extreme for a trophy gobbler.

One final tip: before hunting with these loads, take them to the shooting range, set up a target at 40 yards, and shoot off a bench to test your pattern. Some gun/load combinations veer slightly off alignment. The proper time to learn this is before the season starts, not when you’re afield and a gobbler approaches within lethal range.