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20 ga. 2 3/4" Turkey loads

3K views 14 replies 5 participants last post by  ec90t 
#1 ·
20 ga. 2 3/4

I'm setting up an 1100 youth for my daughter.There doesn't seem to be alot of stuff avialable for 2 3/4 20ga. I ordered extra full choke from Briley and I'm going to load some copper coated 6's, 1oz Winchester wads, Win 209s, 17 grs of Universal Clays. Also ordered a sadle scope mount and going to try a 2-7 shot gun scope. Anybody else have any expierence with 2 3/4 20 ga?

Tim
 
#3 ·
20 ga. 2 3/4

Pheasantmaster I just looked at the Federal web site and didn't see 1 1/4 oz available. 1 1/8 oz is the heaviest that I've seen. I have some remington factory shells I've tried and I did some patern testing with remington full choke and also chronographed them I'm hoping I can tighten, and even the shot placement up with the Briley extra full choke. I suspect that velocitys might be down because of the short barrel on the youth model. My reloads seem to hit 1200 fps like the manual says but the Remingtons were a bit slower than what the box said.

Tim
 
#4 ·
20 ga. 2 3/4

Whatever you do, pattern the gun, choke and ammo, and see what the POI is.<br>
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The problem with the 20ga is that it cannot reach out as far as a 12ga for pattern density with turkey loads. 1-1/4 oz in a 20ga simply cannot compete with 2 oz in a 12ga.<br>
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You need to make sure the ammo you're using isn't overchoked in your turkey choke. Different loads have different degrees of sensitivity to this. Try both a full and your superfull choke.<br>
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As for the shotshells, they widely vary. Sometimes a premium shell with a bit less payload will work as good as or better than a cheaper shell with soft shot. I've found that some makes of even premium shells had a 10 yard difference for pattern density when put on paper. This was due to how soft the lead was under the copper cladding. One make opened up because most of the shot was crushed into cube shape, while its similar competitor resisted that and was round. There was a 10 yard difference in range.<br>
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And, the tighter the choke, the more critical aiming becomes. And I do not mean pointing - this isn't trap or upland hunting. It's turkey hunting, and it's best done with rifle sights. Look into the Tru-Glo rifle sights that stick onto the rib.<br>
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As for testing, I've made a link for a good turkey target. Unlike other turkey targets, this one shows the critical skull and neck bones. You must have penetration of these bones ensure a kill. Penetration of these bones means getting into the brain and spinal column. When you see how few pellets hit the skull and bones, you'll get a better appreciation for pattern density, range, and sights. Take a cardboard box and tape with you, a long measuring tape, and a marking pen, and pattern your loads and choke between 30 to 50 or so yards. In my experience, most 20ga loads are between 35 and 45 yards, and 12ga loads are between 45 to 55 yards. Do not worry about the overall pattern. You are only concerned with the pattern into the head, its density, and quality of the pattern. Anything outside of head counts for nothing.<br>
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After you're done testing, have your kid try it to see how the POA/POI works out (Point Of Aim/Point Of Impact). There are more fun targets for a kid to shoot at, including some on color. Google via google images for "turkey target".
 
#5 ·
20 ga. 2 3/4

PS - I missed the part about a scope setup. You may have to install a monte carlo cheek rest because the height of the scope bore may not allow her cheek to properly weld with the stock, increasing felt recoil. Brownells sells a product called Scope-Eze, which is a soft comb, that can be permanently installed or they have a strap on type. You can take along some extra targets and get some slugs to set up the initial POI. I've found slugs at shorter ranges are close enough to shot to get you into the ballpark, and are easier to adjust sight in with than shot.
 
#9 ·
20 ga. 2 3/4

Brian thats a great target I'll print that out and use it, thanks
Hap I shoot hevi shot in my 12 ga, stuff I have is Remington brand. I'll start looking for some for the 20 ga. There hard to find though I see that bass pro carries Hevi shot brand so I'll call there. While I was on there web site I read the Q&A part they say that the low volume of shots a turkey hunter would shoot would not hurt the barrel or choke. Has anybody ever riuned a barrel or choke shooting steel or hevi shot? Sounds like it just opens the choke up if anything. And what proof do you have of it?
 
#10 ·
20 ga. 2 3/4

m70win, I apologize as it was meant to be the 1 1/8 oz loading in the 2.75" load. I will be amazed if you discover negative results with patterning this load! The reason I favor these is the buffering which is difficult to incorporate into 20 ga reloading due to pressures.

Don't get caught up in the "all_I_can_throw" amount of shot in a load syndrome! My always 12 ga loading for turkey's is a 1 1/4 oz buffered load. Its all you really need if your a "hunter"!

I have not experimented with the new Hevi shells but will state that I was not impressed with the original! Good Luck if you experiment with these as I may too someday again. There has to be something to the "rave" about this shot that I evidently missed with my initial introduction and patterning results! With the Federal Premium loading I speak of above going towards the $18 per box price now, I'm sure I will experiment again :-}
 
#12 ·
20 ga. 2 3/4

m70win, I hope she doesn't have to take along shot either :-} But your definetly correct in your reasoning for patterning...

If your universal load doesn't perform with desired results, give HS7 a try. Start with 24 gr and work up to a max of 25.5 to get desireable performance. Please however verify these loadings before creating ammo. This is using win 209, waa20F1 with your one ounce in a AA case.

Are you going to be hunting public or private ground? Doesn't the area have a healthy population? Where are you from?
 
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