Show Notes:

When it comes to turkey hunting, a lot of mystique has developed around the shells, shot, and choke tubes used to get the best patterns to take gobblers at range. On this episode I break down the different types of shells, shot, and chokes, and what the advantages are of each to help you make the best decisions for your hunting style and budget.

Take Aways

  • Shells – There are four main categories of shotgun shells for this sport; target loads, high brass loads, turkey loads, and heavier than lead loads.
  • Shot – There is a balance between larger heavier pellets that go further and have more impact power and smaller more numerous pellets that improve your odds of hitting a vital area.
  • Chokes – Too often full or extra full chokes are branded as turkey chokes but they do not have sufficient constriction. A proper turkey choke for a 12 gauge shotgun should measure 0.68 or smaller. Anything from 0.68 down to 0.65 is ideal.
  • Range – Hunting turkeys beyond 40 yards introduces a host of problems with expectations of gear, the marksmanship of the hunter, and ethics of being able to consistently and humanely take game. It is hard to even see a turkey’s head and neck at long range. New hunters should limit their shots to 40 yards. Under 30 yards is ideal.
  • Testing – Every combination of shells, shot, choke, and shotgun will behave differently. What is perfect for one hunter may not work as well for another.  Testing is the only way to know what your setup is capable of and and how to evaluate it.
  • Listen – There is no substitute for listening to this episode learn about these components in depth.