# Turkey load



## juggerman

I have a Mossberg 935 ...can anyone tell me what's the best turkey load for this gun? To get the most effective pattern? And how far would I be able to effectively make a clean kill?


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## Muddy

There's more to it than that. Every gun/choke/load combination will pattern differently. You need to pattern the gun to determine what combo patterns the best and at what distance it holds a good pattern. Generally 40 yards is maximum effective range. Some guys may squeeze more range out with the right combo.


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## juggerman

Thankyou very much...just wondering do I you the choketubes that come with the gun or do I by a aftermarket one


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## fireline

If your gun came with a turkey choke try that first, some Mossberg factory chokes shoot very good. I am shooting Winchester Long Beard XR 6 shot with good results, but as Muddy said every gun/choke /load is different. After you get a load that patterns good at 30/35 yards try a few closer shots at 15-20-25 yards, sometimes your shots might be really close and with a golf ball/ tennis ball sized pattern its not hard to miss.


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## Muddy

Most guns come with IC M and F choke tubes. If it is a dedicated turkey gun, then it would have been sold with a turkey choke tube. If it was not sold as a dedicated turkey gun, it probably doesn't have an extra full choke tube with it from the factory. There are tons of aftermarket choke tubes to choose from.


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## Carpn

Hevi shot mag blend generally shoots well . It's not the cheapest but does kill birds


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## floater99

I had good success with no 5s


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## bobk

Been using 5’s for years with no problems. Much of the loads sold like anything else are to bag the hunter not the game. Full choke is fine as well. Like mentioned already go pattern your gun first before spending money you may not need too.


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## meats52

I have a Mossberg 835 ulti-mag that I bought strictly as a turkey gun. It came with a turkey choke tube already in it. I also have a Remington 870 that I put a Undertaker turkey choke tube in. I use 5 shot in both guns. Both guns have been patterned in at 20,30,40,and 50 yards, so I know how each gun shoots. Like everyone is saying pattern the gun at different yardages so you know how it shoots. If your not happy with the pattern there are several different turkey choke tubes that you can buy. I like the Undertaker choke tube but that's just my preference.


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## chuckNduck

Don't overthink it. A full choke with 3" #4, 5, or 6 shot will kill turkeys. If that's what you have, then use it. 90% of the turkeys I've killed have been 20 yards, or less. Killing turkeys with a shotgun is almost too easy when they're that close.


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## dsoy28

I shot my last turkey at 48 yds with the redhead blackout turkey choke on my benelli. Throws a pattern so tight it is either a kill or a clean miss. At 48 yds it still tore the head to pieces. Several different loads patterned the same.


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## ufaquaoiler

i have winchester supreme size 5 and 1 3/4oz and it patterns just fine out to as far as im going to shoot (30 yards) and doesnt break the bank doing so. that coming out of an old school single shot winchester 37 with a full choke


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## bustedrod

2 by 4 s copper plated buffered mags, my lanbar over under with x tra full choke, loves these ....


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## Bulldawg

Winchester Longbeard XR in #5 and a carlsons choke tube are a great combination . There are plenty of other choke tubes that work well also , but the Lonbeard XR shells are fantastic . Killed birds over 50yds with that combo .


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## STRONGPERSUADER

bustedrod said:


> 2 by 4 s copper plated buffered mags, my lanbar over under with x tra full choke, loves these ....


Where are you getting these? My 1187 with xtra full shoots these really well but I can’t find them anymore.


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## lawrence1

Bulldawg said:


> Winchester Longbeard XR in #5 and a carlsons choke tube are a great combination . There are plenty of other choke tubes that work well also , but the Lonbeard XR shells are fantastic . Killed birds over 50yds with that combo .


^^^this^^^ except Hastings .665 extended choke tube. End of discussion, lol.


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## Carpn

I guess I'm in the minority . I never really cared for the longbeard XR . 

My all time favorite we're the Winchester extended range XR in #5 . Since they quite making them the Hevishot Mag Blends have worked fine .


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## juggerman

Well I shot my Mossberg 935 3 1/2" with the new Carlson longbeard xr turkey tube --- with the Winchester longbeard #5 xr..was not impressed.. 30 yards15 pellets, 40 yards 7 pellets 50 yrs 3 pellets.... so to me my shots have to be 30 to maybe 35 yards.. bummed with 3 1/2" shells...


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## juggerman

YouTube showed that gun with those shells 3" to be able at 50 and 60 yards to shoot awesome..100 bucks later new tube and 2 boxes of shells feeling let down.


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## slashbait

I use extended range Winchester 5s. 2 3/4 shells with a modified choke and they pattern great at 40 yards. With that shot cup I find they don’t need a super tight choke. From what I’ve read that cup don’t need the tight choke. To keep pellet pattern tight. I believe that shot cup is the same on the LR load.


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## Templeton

You do have to pattern your gun at different yardages with the loads you choose, my Browning's pattern was high at close range and was not impressive at all in the 40/45 yard range with the "xtra full" choke, so I opened up to a modified choke and it threw a satisfactory pattern from 20 thru 45 yds. Experimented with Federal and Winchester ammo and Federal in my gun was better, I was doing this with my brother and his Mossberg did well with the full choke tube and his gun liked the Winchester brand better, we stayed with #4 shot on both 3" loads. My son shot his gobbler last spring at 15 steps so it does pay to look at your pattern at close range too.


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## meats52

Definitely should have been more than 15 pellets at 30 yards. My Mossberg 835 came with front and rear sights. Does your shotgun have front and rear sights. If it does they might need adjusted. I would get a 3ft. square piece of cardboard and put a circle in the middle then your can see where the majority of your pellets hit at 30 yards.


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## Deadeyedeek

meats52 said:


> Definitely should have been more than 15 pellets at 30 yards. My Mossberg 835 came with front and rear sights. Does your shotgun have front and rear sights. If it does they might need adjusted. I would get a 3ft. square piece of cardboard and put a circle in the middle then your can see where the majority of your pellets hit at 30 yards.


If you really think you need to kill a turkey from far away, my hunting buddy uses Deade Coyote loads, and I watch him kill birds from 50+yds..now me personally I wont shoot more than 30, like everyone says, every gun shoots loads differently..I use Remington 4-6Duplex, dont know if they make it anymore


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## Saugernut

Hevi shot all the way
Loads and choke
Hands down the best I ever tried in several guns


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## Carpn

Deadeyedeek said:


> If you really think you need to kill a turkey from far away, my hunting buddy uses Deade Coyote loads, and I watch him kill birds from 50+yds..now me personally I wont shoot more than 30, like everyone says, every gun shoots loads differently..I use Remington 4-6Duplex, dont know if they make it anymore


Aren't those dead coyote loads #4 buckshot ? I thought there was a shot size limit on turkey loads back in the day . They may have changed it in recent years tho.


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## Carpn

Like I mentioned earlier . I wasn't a fan of the Longbeard XR . Although obviously it must work for others as it has a following.
While it's a benefit to shoot a tight pattern turkey hunting there's also a limit IMO. You wanna be able to kill em at a reasonable distance , but you need to be able to kill em close too . And a tennis ball sized pattern makes it easy to miss em close . 
I don't turkey hunt to shoot turkey at 60 yds .


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## miked913

Many of the newer materials the shot is made of some times shoots better out of a not so tight choke, don't over look the factory full or modified even, try all the stuff you already have before going out and buying more tubes, you may be surprised and happy!

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


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## Flatty01

Would rather go to the dentist than pattern turkey loads! Lol.


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## M R DUCKS

I thought I* was gonna have to go* to the dentist after testing one load !


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## miked913

I bought a Mossberg 835. The 1st year they came out, that model is un-ported. I bought several different 3 1/2" shells and took off to pattern it. I made it through 6 shots, the last one didn't even hit the paper I flinched so bad! You couldn't have paid me to shoot a 7th time. I was black and blue from my ear to my elbow.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


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## floater99

I once shot a turkey so far away it took two days for the BBs to reach him


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## lawrence1

Deadeyedeek said:


> If you really think you need to kill a turkey from far away, my hunting buddy uses Deade Coyote loads, and I watch him kill birds from 50+yds..now me personally I wont shoot more than 30, like everyone says, every gun shoots loads differently..I use Remington 4-6Duplex, dont know if they make it anymore


Just what we need, some jacka$$ throwing buckshot. Puhleeeze tell your buddy to knock it off!!!


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## Steelheader88

My favorite combo is winchester supreme copper plated magnum 3.5 inch number 6s or 3 inch numbers 5s out of a Kicks gobbling thunder choke for rem 870. Baseball sized patterns at 30, basketball 50. The gobbling thunder....


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## musky 1

Steelheader88 said:


> My favorite combo is winchester supreme copper plated magnum 3.5 inch number 6s or 3 inch numbers 5s out of a Kicks gobbling thunder choke for rem 870. Baseball sized patterns at 30, basketball 50. The gobbling thunder....





Steelheader88 said:


> My favorite combo is winchester supreme copper plated magnum 3.5 inch number 6s or 3 inch numbers 5s out of a Kicks gobbling thunder choke for rem 870. Baseball sized patterns at 30, basketball 50. The gobbling thunder....


after having trouble finding remington nitro in 31/2 6shot i bought a box of the federal grand slam 31/2 6 shot patterning with my 870 supermag 20 yards it blew the center out of the target 30 yards got 24 pellets in the head neck area 40 yards 16 i think im going to stick with the federals from now on.was using a jelly head choke


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## Muddy

miked913 said:


> I bought a Mossberg 835. The 1st year they came out, that model is un-ported. I bought several different 3 1/2" shells and took off to pattern it. I made it through 6 shots, the last one didn't even hit the paper I flinched so bad! You couldn't have paid me to shoot a 7th time. I was black and blue from my ear to my elbow.
> 
> Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


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## Muddy

I had the same gun, was it like a green/black camo? It had a 24" barrel and gave me bloody noses several times while goose hunting. I sold it off pretty quick and never shot another 3 1/2" shell again.


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## miked913

Muddy said:


> I had the same gun, was it like a green/black camo? It had a 24" barrel and gave me bloody noses several times while goose hunting. I sold it off pretty quick and never shot another 3 1/2" shell again.


Yeah that's the same gun, I bought a ported choke for it and it helped a little. But I hunt with a 20 ga now and the turkeys a just as dead.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


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## Harry1959

I had used #5 heavy shot for years. Switched to Winchester long beards when they came out. They cost less than 1/2 the price as heavy shot and hold tight patterns as good or better than any load. I’ve shot them in mossberg 500, 835 and benelli sbe3. All used different types of x full chokes. After a lot of testing from my led sled, it’s my opinion that the design of the long beard shell trumps any other load/choke combination. They do have a down side though...... the pattern is extremely tight at 20 yards and in. # 5 3 inch long beards have leathel patterns at 50 yards in any gun we have shot them in. We shot some 3 1/2 long beards, they may have performed slightly better than the 3 inch, but not worth the extra recoil. If you haven’t tested the long beards, you should. I am curious if anyone who has tried them has not got great patterns? Like I said,the heavi-shots have patterned as good for me,don’t kick quite as bad, but cost twice as much.


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## jamesbalog

Personally i dont think you need specialized turkey chokes or big dollar turkey loads.

I shoot a factory full choke and reloads, patterns more than good enough to kill a bird


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## Harry1959

Nope, I don’t really need specialized ammo, choke tube, gun ect. But, I enjoy shooting, experimenting and getting the most I can out of my equipment. It’s fun! And it’s also nice to know that I can kill a bird at 5o yards, even though I’ve never shot at one that far.


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## big ducks

I tried the longbeard last year, shot it thru a kicks choke in a Beretta a400 and it patterns excellent. but at 20 yds it actually shot so tight the main part of the pattern was softball size or smaller. Actually to tight for me So I went back to win hv #5's and it throws a great pattern. Definitely don't need specialized chokes but I supposed you don't need rifles slug barrels and sabot slugs but if it helps why not.


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## crappiedude

I'm a little late on the discussion but I agree with the guys who shoot full and modified chokes.
I use either an old Steven single shot/modified or a Winchester 1200 pump/full choke.
In both guns I shoot 2 3/4" mag with #6 shot. I like calling the birds in close and won't shoot beyond 30 yards. If they hang up out too far I just sit back and enjoy the show.


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