Anybody thinking about going back to lead shot

[Killdee]

Amazingly one well known heavier than lead company is already selling mostly steel loads and promoting them as turkey loads.

Of course this same company also puts a few #5 shot in a shell mixed with other smaller shot and then promotes it as a 75 yard killer. double

Both of these seem to me to be about as unethical as shooting at a 60yd turkey with lead but I have yet to see anyone question their advertising ethics.

Are you a member at old gobbler,they, Hevi13, have been blasted tarred and feathered for that advertising over there. While I appreciate their 40 and under policy ethics there, they lost a bunch of reloading Gurus and a ton of great info when they eliminated their reloading section because of a few comments. I suspect it has been tossed about over here too and we missed it.

 

[gregg]

Human nature is to push the limits of things, so I'm inclined to think that there would be just as many wounded birds from folks shooting "other than lead shells" at just past the kill zone as those slinging lead beyond appropriate range. I know the effective range of my copper plated lead shells, and quite frankly I have no interest in shooting a bird beyond it.

 

[Nicodemus]

I hope the news about lead is wrong. Pure lead is the only affordable soft metal my flintlock is recommended to use.

As for as turkey shot loads, I never take a shot over 40 yards, no matter what gun I have with me at the time.

 

[trkyhnt89]

I shoot lead most of the time....get a wild hair and get the HTL loads sometimes.

 

[cowhornedspike]

[/COLOR]

Are you a member at old gobbler,they, Hevi13, have been blasted tarred and feathered for that advertising over there. While I appreciate their 40 and under policy ethics there, they lost a bunch of reloading Gurus and a ton of great info when they eliminated their reloading section because of a few comments. I suspect it has been tossed about over here too and we missed it.

Yes I'm a member there but haven't been there for a while...wasn't aware they had eliminated the reloading section.

I'm not a 40 and under stickler but I am a firm believer in patterning your gun and not shooting beyond its ethical range...that could be anywhere from <25 to >60 depending on your gun/shell/choke choice.

 

[Gaswamp]

If I can't get them within 40 yards I feel like I have not done my part. Not saying that is for everyone. Just the way I feel.

under 30 for me

 

[Brad C.]

Where is Hawglips and Brad C.?

This thread is doing fine without me.

I say shoot whatever floats your boat.

I'll stick with Hevi-13. I got a bunch.

 

[hotamighty]

Sometimes...but there is no way you can know it will every time...the rest of the time I guess y'all can just say you "missed".

I'd hate to think I'd let 4 or 5 dollars stand between me and a dead turkey...or worse, a wounded one. It costs too much otherwise to even get to the point of taking the shot. The wrong thing to be cheap on is the cost of the shells.

I don't "guess" when I shoot at a bird. I don't make a habbit of shooting birds over 40 yards but the 3 birds I did shoot at that were between 50 and 60 yards all died right there. Like you said, knowing what your gun, choke, and shell will do is one of the most important things to know when you shoot at a bird. I know what mine will do!

 

[mojo02]

This season I've swapped back from the Nitro HTL loads to their copper plated loads.

I may lose some penetration, but the pattern is about 10% better. I limit my shots to inside 40 yds and am more than confident with gun/choke/shell combo at that range and slightly beyond.

Shooting BPS 10 with Rhino and Nitro copper plated shot.

BTW, I know that I dont need a cannon to kill a turkey but I am quite fond of the 10's and it has served me well. I also have a 12 turkey rig and am working on a 20.

 

[Killdee]

This season I've swapped back from the Nitro HTL loads to their copper plated loads.

I may lose some penetration, but the pattern is about 10% better. I limit my shots to inside 40 yds and am more than confident with gun/choke/shell combo at that range and slightly beyond.

Shooting BPS 10 with Rhino and Nitro copper plated shot.

BTW, I know that I dont need a cannon to kill a turkey but I am quite fond of the 10's and it has served me well. I also have a 12 turkey rig and am working on a 20.

My buddy used to hunt with an Ithica auto 10, I used to tease him about toting a railroad tie on his shoulder.

 

[hawglips]

Some of you fellows would never go back to them big, heavy guns around once you get a taste of busting turkey heads with a 28...

 

[FOD]

2 3/4 lead #8's for me.$65 a case.

 

[Arrow3]

Picked up 3 more boxes of federal heavyweight 7s today.

 

[mojo02]

My buddy used to hunt with an Ithica auto 10, I used to tease him about toting a railroad tie on his shoulder.

Thats about right.

I cant explain it, but I've developed quite a fondness for the 10's. It is heavy and will rattle your fillings, but I keep on going back to it.

I have a Benelli Cordoba 12 that shoots real well (I didn't buy this for a turkey gun but set it up for my wife to hunt with) and a Benelli Ultra Light 20 that I am tinkering with now.

 

[cfuller6]

What load? What is your miss to dead bird ratio?

Supreme #5's, i have a box full of beards and only missed one turkey in 15 years. Not saying I regularly shoot at 60 yards, but more than once have folded them up past 50

 

[grouper throat]

A lead .223 bullet will kill them out past 100yds if distance is what you're after. Outsmarting him to 30 yds or closer is really what it's about anyway. My brother use to grab a handful of 3" #4 steel shot back when we were young and kill them because I knew my duck loads would be missing the first row or two at the top.

 

[hawglips]

Outsmarting him to 30 yds or closer is really what it's about anyway.

30 yards? Why not 25? It's actually really about getting him to 25 yards and then pretending that's the mark of a real turkey hunter.

 

[grouper throat]

I was just throwing out a standard ethical distance, take it how you want. Never claimed to be a real turkey hunter and if I had it my way, I'd be running dogs like we could up until several years ago. I only turkey hunt bc I cannot do anything else in the woods at that time lol

 

[cowhornedspike]

I was just throwing out a standard ethical distance, take it how you want.

That "standard ethical distance" is totally based on traditional lead shot. A more accurate REAL ethical distance is based on taking the time to pattern your shotgun/shell/choke combo so that you KNOW exactly what that true distance is...and any shots beyond that are unethical.

The fact that my gun will kill one out that far EVERY TIME doesn't mean I can't enjoy working him in closer...it just means I won't be risking wounding him if I misjudge the distance or can't get him any closer.

I'd venture to say that most folks claiming these long shots with lead 6's have no real idea what pattern they are shooting at that range...just that they got lucky and the turkey died.

 

[grouper throat]

Don't get you you panties in a wad about a simple number I threw out which is more or less a numerical placeholder 'X', shoot them at 80 yards if you're feeling froggy. I could care less.