turkey hunting

[Dean Romig]

Rick, I have never found it necessary to use anything heavier than 2 1/2” or 2 3/4” standard velocity 1 oz or 1 1/8 oz of #6 shot. Every turkey I have shot at, except 1, have gone down with 1 shot. That 1 that didn’t was apparently a clean miss.





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[Harold Pickens]

I agree with Dean. I loaded 1 1/8oz 7's to shoot my Grade 2 hammer gun turkey..
Yesterdays bird with the 870 was 1 1/4 oz 7 1/2's. I have had great success with smaller shot on turkeys, The dense pattern on those head shots is devastating--of course you have to watch your range.
With my 16 ga, I settled on RST 7 1/2 in the right barrel and 6's in the left--both 1 oz loads.
I remember a TV show with Wayne Fears, where he shot at a turkey with a 3 1/2" magnum--knocked him flat on his back,and he is a big guy--he swore he would never shoot another! More is not always better. In regards to your mishap, I am so surprised, those guns are built like tanks.