Shot size for turkey. No 5 or 6?

[bigbore442001]

In my weekend jaunts I found a gunshop that is selling bags of lead shot. They have some no 5 and no 6 chilled shot.

What size of shot do you prefer for hunting wild turkey with the muzzleloading shotgun?

I am leaning towards no 5 and have killed a bird with no 5 but I am also thinking of a denser pattern with no 6 within normal turkey hunting ranges.

I intend to use a plastic shot cup made by TC for hunting.

Any replies are appreciated.

 

[gonpce]

Whichever shows the best pattern. You might also consider mixing both. Good luck

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Yes whichever has the best pattern. Then test that at your max range by shooting an empty tuna can standing on its side with the bottom toward you. If some of the pellets don't penetrate, you either need more powder (and will need to check the pattern when you "up" the powder then test again with a new can) or you need to get the bird closer. The "steel tuna can" test seems crude, but is remarkably easy and works as a gauge of penetration.

LD

 

[George]

I've never used anything but #6 chilled shot for turkeys and have never had a problem, using both cylinder and choked bores, from 15 to 35 yards. In my experience, they aren't hard to kill if you hit them. Head shooting turkeys offers a fairly small target, so I've opted for a dense pattern. If I decided to use #5 shot I'd increase the amount a bit to up the pellet count.

Spence

 

[silly goose]

I follow Spence's doctrine.

 

[Bretwalda]

Try Ballistic Products #5.5 nickel plated shot! :thumbsup: It is not free, :shake: but the nickel coating helps with penetration and maintaining the round integrity of the pellet by reducing abrasion on the barrel wall. :grin: I have used it more in conventional guns then BP, but it seems to be a deadly combo on all small game! :hatsoff:

 

[roundball]

Any replies are appreciated.

For what its worth, I've now been fortunate enough to have experimented with / killed longbeards with lead #7.5s / #6s / #5s and #4s. And as you know, the same volume measure of different pellet sizes effect pattern density of course...so as I went down to larger and larger pellets sizes, I added an extra 1/8oz per change in pellet size to help keep the pellet count up some...and actually came to prefer the larger heavier pellets because their extra weight let's them bore on ahead a little further before beginning to flair off....helps pattern density, helps with penetration, etc.
(Been using member DaveK's Tuna Can suggestion for penetration testing since he posted about it years ago)


Speaking only for myself, my experiences:

I've also tried 4s / 5s / 6s and 7s that were copper plated or nickel plated and IMO, when compared to the older "real plated" shot pellets like Winchester Lubaloy from decades ago, todays versions of so called copper and nickel plated shot are junk.
1)
They aren't really "plated" at all...they are simply run through a thin wash not a plating process...just pour some back and forth from one coffee can to another and you'll see the wash flake right off exposing the lead.
2)
They don't even use hard shot to begin with, just cheap soft shot.
3)
To maintain the correct pellet size after adding the outer color, they have to start with a smaller size lead pellet to begin with, which makes the final result lighter than a normal lead pellet of that size.

I have left over bags of today's "plated" 5s / 6s / 7s from Ballistic Products and won't risk use them for turkey hunting.
Just my personal viewpoint on the plated shot being manufactured today...other's mileage may vary.

 

[Jason Lewis]

i like nickel 6's.

 

[Spikebuck]

i like nickel 6's.

My understanding is that nickel plated is actually two coats...first copper, then nickel over that. Is that correct?

I would imagine that perhaps any given brand could be higher or lower quality as well? I see that Lawrence brand copper-plated also has a wax coating? What's that for? As you can tell...I'm not a shotgun/shot guy..just really getting into it.

 

[Jason Lewis]

correct, two coats.

i think the wax just lubricates the pellets.

 

[bigbore442001]

Also, do you think a filler such as Grex or cornmeal would help out with patterns? Or do you believe it isn't worth the added work.

 

[majg1234]

I used a mixture of 4-6 shot this year with good results.A large load by volume for a 20 bore but you are not constrained by a shell!!previously I've used 4-5-6,4-71/2 and 6.All seem to work well but each load had some development to it.For my centerfire suppository guns I've settled on #5.It has been effective to 60yrd with the SP10 and 45+ with the benelli SBE.You will need to pattern the gun and see what it likes and what load of shot and powder are effective.heavy powder charges seem to open up the pattern in my ML guns YMMV.The Tuna can test is good to go :grin:

 

[Jason Lewis]

Also, do you think a filler such as Grex or cornmeal would help out with patterns? Or do you believe it isn't worth the added work.

not worth the effort at all. cornmeal and grex just clump up and there is no way to get any filler distributed evenly in the shot column.

 

[mnbearbaiter]

Ive always wanted to try a duplex load but am kinda unsure how to do it :hmm: Do you put smaller shot in first/last, mix em, or even put an os card between the different size shots? I suppose i could just go out and experiment Either way any advice would be appreciated.

 

[silly goose]

Testing would be best, no doubt, but I'd think the heavier shot should go on top, as it would, or should, lose velocity at a slower rate. Maybe a shot card between. Again, testing would be best. I only have 6's so won't be able to try it and report back.

 

[Skychief]

I've killed them with loads of straight 6's.

My last two birds were shot with "Triplex" loads of 7 1/2's on the bottom, 6's in the middle, and 4's on the top.

The birds all died quickly and cleanly, maybe because I tinkered at the patterning board A LOT.

That's part of the fun, finding a load that YOU know will work with YOUR gun. :thumbsup:

Best regards, Skychief.

 

[dbutch]

#5 hard lead.
#6 Nickel plated lead.
#6 Hevi-shot where required...Non-toxic.

Work up a consistent pattern.

 

[Maestro]

I use #5's in my 11 gauge fowler jug-choked full.

 

[majg1234]

my method is real scientific :bull: I take equal measures of each shot size in a small paper cup put them in a larger container....shake shake shake then measure by volume from the container into shot cartridges ala OhioRamrod OP wads are very thin portions of a thick fiber wad or overshot cards (depends on the gun) then pattern tests 'til I get a good pattern.The 20ga "Mz Maureen" gets 1 7/8 oz or 2oz shot with 100-110 gr ffg goex for turkey.Not so much for Tree Griz dove and bunnys' :hatsoff: Botten line lots of smoke and fun finding what worked for my SB 12, 56, and 20ga

 

[Joel/Calgary]

1)
They aren't really "plated" at all...they are simply run through a thin wash not a plating process...just pour some back and forth from one coffee can to another and you'll see the wash flake right off exposing the lead.
2)
They don't even use hard shot to begin with, just cheap soft shot.

I agree partly. My limited finding with B.P. copper "plated" #5s is that the wash may possibly give less feather balling from a smoother surface, but it definitely doesn't harden anything. Ballistic Product's specifications give the same alloys for the equivalent sizes of their magnum and copper "plated" shot and that appears to be the case for the one lot each of magnum and plated #5s that I got.

Regards,
Joel