Turkey Shells for 12 Ga VHE

[6pt-Sika]

FWIW , I've got a 1 frame VHE 12 30" F&F I used Express 2 3/4" 1 1/4 ounce loads in for several years with no problems .

[Richard Flanders]

Express loads in a #1 frame? Can't imagine that's fun to shoot! I won't even shoot those in my 1-1/2 frame VH12. I'm sure it would handle them fine but I'm not sure I would.

[charlie cleveland]

that all my old ph 10 ga gets is those express loads at turkey the load is 4 3/4-1 5/8 ounce of lead..this old gun has had several 3 inch and 3 1/2 inch 12 ga loads in it useing gauge mates...charlie

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Richard Flanders

Express loads in a #1 frame? Can't imagine that's fun to shoot! I won't even shoot those in my 1-1/2 frame VH12. I'm sure it would handle them fine but I'm not sure I would.

That was a few years ago to be honest shall we say when I was younger and uhm not as experienced yeah experienced sounds like a good word .

But truth be told it wasn't bad but then again it was mostly for turkey and crows . So it wasn't like I was shooting a case at a time (that was when a case was a REAL case and held 500 shells).

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by charlie cleveland

that all my old ph 10 ga gets is those express loads at turkey the load is 4 3/4-1 5/8 ounce of lead..this old gun has had several 3 inch and 3 1/2 inch 12 ga loads in it useing gauge mates...charlie

My 10 gauge loads are 75% 1 1/4 ounce except for a few 1 1/2 ounce for turkey as well as the 730 grain slugs and a couple of my buckshot loads get over the 1 1/2 ounce range . But all are pushed with 30 grains of SR7625 .

When I get home in mid March I'm interested to see how my new to me EH factory 28" that's choked cylinder and "close" as the letter states will pattern my buckshot loads and group my slug loads . Also interested to see how well it'll do with the 1 1/8 ounce Red Dot puss skeet loads

[charlie cleveland]

the 1 1/4 ounce loads will be fine in any gun that is in good shape...this has been a standard loading for many years...i have shot my share of them...just remember to keep the shot at the turkey 40 steps or less...set decoys up at 25 steps this will give a little help it the distance of the shot...it aint long till we can be after these old birds....my load will be game bore black powder loads in 3 1/4 inch 2 ounce of shot....charlie

[Randy Roberts]

Originally Posted by Jerry Parise

RST makes a great 12 ga. 2 3/4" 1 1/4 oz. pheasant load that would be great for turkeys. I use #5s for turkeys and they work great. They usually have these available in shot sizes 6, 5 and 4. However, at this time of the year I do not know what their shot size availability is.

Ordered some of the 1 1/4 oz pheasant loads yesterday and only #4 was available. Also ordered some of the Paper Trap @ 1200 FPS with 1 1/8 of #5. Plan on patterning them with a V grade and waiting for opening day. Of course I will be in Sanford when the season opens here in IN so maybe the following weekend.

[Tom Flanigan]

I have killed many turkeys and never felt the need for heavier than 1 1/4 oz. loads. And those loads are not the typical high brass 3 3/4 dram equiv. loads. I load 3 1/4 dram equiv loads behind 1 1/4 oz's. This is the old pigeon load. I believe RST sells these.

I hunted ducks in Sasketechawan for two weeks every year for about twelve years. I experimented with different loads and settled on the 3 1/4 dram equiv. load. You can get a few lifetimes of experience hunting ducks and geese on their breeding grounds. The numbers of wildfowl around Debden, Sak. is incredible.

Frankly, I found that the 3 1/4 dram equiv. load kills cleaner and surer on the ducks and geese. The reason is that the typical 3 3/4 load produces a long shot string. This doesn't show up on the pattern sheets but certainly shows up when pass shooting and shooting over decoys. Many feel that the difference would be small between the two loads but in practice it really isn't. I can tell the difference. And the 3 1/4 load is nicer on the shoulder and on vintage guns.

Also, trying to stuff more shot than 1 1/4 oz in a twelve bore is an exercise in futility. I have patterned those loads to prove my point to a friend. The twelve bore handles 1 1/4 oz. of shot nicely. Patterns go to hell with heavier loads. The same is true of 1 1/8 of shot in the 16 and 1 oz. in the 20. It is also true with the 28 bore. My 28 patterns beautifully with 3/4 oz loads and terribly with the overstuffed 1 oz. loads.

For heavy loads, I believe it is better to use the amount of shot that a particular bore size handles efficiently. Over-stuffing more than a standard amount of shot in a particular gauge ruins patterns and is not good for vintage guns.

[Southpaw]

Tom I agree with you regarding pass shooting and several other points. I think so called squaring the load or maybe reducing the load mass sometimes is best possible option to help eliminate shot stringing. I think the brits had figured it out years ago since pass shooting is their predominant style, but they came to same conclusions you did through experience and then simplified it to a term of "squaring the load" (my thought no proof). A fella named Brister here in US tried to figure it out before slow motion cameras became more available and he became the foremost expert talking about shot stringing.

I brought up the same topic several weeks ago it got me to pondering and researching and to some extent came to somewhat same conclusion that others such as you had experienced, but I always want to know a little bit more as to the how and what. Bruce Day as well as many others are incredible brain trusts with their shotgunning and loads knowledge.

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthr...t=square+loads

To each their own when it comes to shooting a shotgun at a somewhat stationary target like a turkey though. Shot stringing is not a real issue there and I can think this is the only time where pattern boards are real significant to not only determine point of aim but to see density of patterns. I have a 12 gauge that can shoot 3.5 inch shells that use for turkey hunting and it also has sights. Using a 3.5 shell and loaded with 5 shot and a turkey choke it patterns very well. Same load with 6 and 4s sized shot in same setup patterns lousy at distance. Probably several factors at play but more or less shot sometimes is not better, its finding the sync between load, gun setup and shooter comfort.

BTW there is a fella playing with reloading using tungsten for turkey loads that are light loads and some of the loads they have setup have reported incredible ballistics and patterns out to long distances using about the same amount of shot and powder you described.

Fun and interesting stuff. BTW Jerry that was playing with the tungsten loads and using 9 shot just posted some interesting update and followup.

[Keith Sirmans]

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