10 ga Turkey Loads?

[Jay Gardner]

Gents,

Hoping to get out this spring with my 10 ga DH and do a little turkey hunting. The old girl is fitted with 32" damascus barrels that are choked .31/.32. I have ask one of the gentlemen on this board to cook up some ammo but I need to give him a little direction. Does anyone have a recipe that will be damascus friendly and effective on big Toms?

Thanks,

JDG

[Dean Romig]

That's about mod/mod in a 10 ga. A dense pattern is key in turkey hunting so I would recommend #6 shot for whatever loads you use.

[Jay Gardner]

That's about mod/mod in a 10 ga. A dense pattern is hey in turkey hunting so I would recommend #10 shot for whatever loads you use.

#10 shot?

[Dean Romig]

Brain cramp...

...comes with age.

No. 6 shot.

First post edited.

[Jay Gardner]

Thanks, Dean. How heavy a load?

[Dean Romig]

A standard 1 1/4 oz. load of #6 is a deadly head-shot load out to 35-40 yards.

[scott kittredge]

hi, i've done some test with my 3 frame NH 32 in 10 with .035 choke and i found that 1 1/2 oz of 6# shot produced the best patterns in my gun. i was shooting 86%( 293 out of 340 at 40 yds) and at 30 yds it shot only a little better 94% 320 out of 340. 4's shot around 76% and would have killed him just as dead but i like hitting him with 25 in the head and neck instead of 6 or 8 with 4's. that is just the way my gun shoots this load. i use 209 win. primer , 34 grs of 4756, sp 10 wad,one .125 16 ga nitro card,10ga over card and roll crimp in a fed hull 2 7/8ths. i think it is around 7000 psi ,good luck and keep use posted:corn: scott

[Kurt Densmore]

Scott, What are you getting for velocity out of that load ?? That is pretty much the same as the Sherman Bell #82 or 84 load, with Bell's load using a 5 star crimp. He lists the velocities at 1167 and 1157 f/s with 7000 and 7100 psi. Sounds like a good load with nice low pressure.

change the powder to SR7625 and drop it to 32gr and it goes to 1191 f/s and 7600psi, I may just load up a few of these seeing as I have lots of SR7625 and no SR4756.

I have this listing in another book:
2 7/8" 10ga with 28.5 grains of SR7625 1 1/2oz SP10 wad 1145 f/s and 7980 psi

Jay, I think that my 10 has .035-.040 choke. Yours should work just fine as long as you don't try to take really long shots. When does your season start ?

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Why not just buy the 1 1/4 ounce of #6's that RST sells? They're plenty of medicine for anything with feathers.

DLH

[Dean Romig]

Good point Destry. One box would set a guy up for patterning his gun and keep him in turkey hunting ammo for a few years to come, so cost isn't an issue. But, like catching trophy trout or salmon on one's own hand-tied flies some guys just like to go the whole route. To each his own - me, I don't reload but I do tie and know the satisfaction.

[Harry Collins]

If you just want to order a box or so of RST shells try Classic Upland Supply www.classicusc.com They are Parker people as well. I use 4756 on heavy 10 gauge low pressure loads. Works well for the 28 gauge too.

Harry

[Pete Lester]

Why not just buy the 1 1/4 ounce of #6's that RST sells? They're plenty of medicine for anything with feathers.

DLH

Why not reload? Well for one it's fun as well as economical. More importantly it is the only way to develop specific loads that will allow a gun to shoot to it's full potential. Sometimes a change in shot weight, size, powder, hull etc can produce amazing changes with patterns increasing and decreasing in density by 20% or more with only a small change in the recipe.

[scott kittredge]

Why not reload? Well for one it's fun as well as economical. More importantly it is the only way to develop specific loads that will allow a gun to shoot to it's full potential. Sometimes a change in shot weight, size, powder, hull etc can produce amazing changes with patterns increasing and decreasing in density by 20% or more with only a small change in the recipe.

yes my shoulder still hurts from my testing :crying: i did find things just as pete stated, like 1 5/8 ths oz 6's shot 75% , 1 1/2 oz 6's 86 % , 1 3/8 ths 6's 82 % than i tryed a win hull and it opened up even more. rolled crimp better pattern than star crimp(that is why i rolled crimped my loads from Bell's chart on the 1 1/2 oz loads) and yes i load 100% of my shells for above reasons and it is nice to hunt with and old gun and your own shells! scott

[Dave Fuller]

I'm packing for turkey camp tonight and I'll be taking the 1-1/4 RST #4's for my 10ga hammer twist. I wish I'd ordered some 6's too. First time hunting Toms with a long-eared gun.

[Fred Preston]

Two mornings out without a sight or sound. A week ago, all kinds of noise at dusk. I think I got a little complaisant plowing the old ground again without a plan B. Those big birds will sucker a person if they get the chance. Plan B is being developed tonight.

[Dean Romig]

Fred, go out tonight and "roost 'em" with a predator call of some sort. In Vermont we use Barred Owl calls or coyote calls to locate their roosts. Get in about 50 - 75 yards from the roost trees before first light and .... the best is yet to come.

[Dean Romig]

Francis.... please, no more turker feathers. If all I tie for the rest of my life are muddler minnows I could keep several fly shops well-supplied and still be cremated with the remaining turkey feathers I have now.

[Rich Anderson]

I might just have to see if there are any left over permits. These things are everywhere. I have clients who don't keep a garden anymore because of the deer and turkeys. Have to get out the hammer 12 and go after them:)

There is nothing more satisfying for me than to drop a bird or big game animal with a load you have developed specifically for the task at hand.

[David Lien]

A few years ago I pass shot some coyotes with a NH that had .039 and .040 for choke. I shot #2 and BB size shot. I have since sent the gun to one of our better PGCA members on the east coast. I shot the same load as Scott and Kirk, However on a cold Idaho morning (around 0) I found that the 7625 powder worked the best, even trying to keep the 4756 loads warm did not seem to help. If you could hit him twice, these loads would kill Coyote's at some extreme ranges, I did have to run a couple down but did get all that I shot at. Good Loading and good Luck on the Turkeys David Lien

[Dave Suponski]

David,You should know that the NH is still being used for it's intended purpose in the turkey woods this past weekend...:)