Loading Data for Turkeys

[Razor62]

I don't know why but I always have a difficult time using the search function on this forum. Maybe some of you are better at it than I am. I know that there's lots of usefull info here but I'll be damned if I can retrieve it.
I'll be hunting turkeys this spring with my 16 ga flinter. I'm looking for info regarding recommended loads, ways to tighten up patterns and so forth. Any help with this subject would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance...

Kevin

 

[ohio ramrod]

For my 12 gauge I use 1 and 1/8 ounce #4 over 75 grain FF. In my 28 gauge I use 3/4 ounce over 55 grain. So a Sixteen would be closer to the 12 gauge.To tighten up the pattern I recommend a paper shot cartridge made out of three thickness of newsprint wrapped around a wooden dowel rod tied with kite string, filled and then folded over and tied shut. I load the shot cartridge over two leather over powder wads and no over shot card. The folded over end serves as the over shot card. :idunno:

 

[Patocazador]

My 12 ga. has cylinder chokes.(= none) I use a power piston plastic cup and cut off the bottom part. Then I scotch tape the petals together and fill with ~1 3/8 oz. of copper-plated #5 shot. It gives tighter patterns up to 30 yards.

Not historically correct but more effective.

 

[azmntman]

So folded end loaded in first? Does the tied end burst open to release shot at ignition? Thanks, still thinking the shot cups thing through.

 

[nit wit]

Find a dowel a bit smaller than your bore. Wrap brown grocery bag paper around the dowel and make a tube,push the dowel up a bit and fold over the end, use the dowel to press it down.You can even glue it, fill with 70grain of shot per volume and trim and fold the top.Use 70 grains of powder and then a fiber wad, your shot tube and a thin wad on top. Devastating.
NW

 

[nit wit]

:thumbsup:

 

[Shine]

Your Stroh gun is devastating on them. That gun shoots tight. How many times do you wrap the paper around the dowel? Do you rip of the top of the cartridge before you put the wad on top? What shot size?

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

Found this link and seems to be very informative, just click on the "articles" tab on the left hand side.

Plenty of information to get started on.

 

[aeatwood]

At least as small as 12 bore, 1F is your friend for good patterns.

 

[ohio ramrod]

folded end loaded last so it serves as the over shot card. :idunno:

 

[azmntman]

and no need to open up the tied end? It bursts at ignition?

 

[Razor62]

Thank you everyone for the info. It appears that most folks agree that some sort of "shot cup" is benneficial to good, tight patterns. I'll preform some experiments as soon as I can walk around outdoors without breaking my neck from slipping on the ice that just doesn't seem to want to leave my little corner of New England. :wink:

 

[Rifleman1776]

It appears that most folks agree that some sort of "shot cup" is benneficial to good, tight patterns.

:shocked2: I wouldn't put that into the "this is the gospel" category quite yet. :shake:
Methinks the response here are not representative of what smoothie shooters do in general. I'll betcha 99.999% of smoothie shooters just use wads and dump for loading and get good patterns. My Brown Bess patterns very nicely that way, as does my JB 20 ga. fowler and as did my pasta version of a SxS when I had it. Never used cups of any kind, no desire to and no need.
Test and find out for yourself wat works best for you.

 

[2172]

Iuse some of the fibre window insulating tape Balistol soaked and cut a pair of strips about 2 inches long, I crisscross them on the muzzle and push down about2 inches with a homemade short-starter I pour in aload of shot in thecup so formed and add a cardboard overshot wad and Ram rod it home I like the idea of the paper cartridges Good hunting to all hank

 

[MikeEasy]

Google still seems to work. I assume that the site's robots.txt file still allows Google to search and index the muzzleloadingforum website.

Anyway, use Google's "site:" search command in your Google search line. Here's a sample:

shotgun turkey loads 16 site:www.muzzleloadingforum.com