I cannot play this game in this thread. I have never shot a Turkey and I have no vintage guns. I will be watching the thread as time goes by, great to look at the pictures of others doing their thing....
Throwback Thanksgiving
- Thread starter SmallGameAddict
- Start date
SmallGameAddict
.308 Win
Absolutely
SmallGameAddict
.308 Win
Crunched the numbers (Omahamarian.org).Yeah, similar. I dont shoot a lot of magnums but my impression was the 3" turkey out of the Mossberg 930 I have is very similar to slugs out of my 870.
I don't mean to clutter up your thread tho.
Free recoil- typical 7.5 lb. 12 ga. pump, typical 12 ga. 2-3/4" 1 oz. rifled slug @ 1600 fps= 29.7 fpe
Typical "High brass" 1-1/4 oz. @ 1330 fps (3-3/4 dram equivalent)= 31 fpe
Traditional/typical 12 ga. magnum loads:
2-3/4" 1-1/2 oz. @ 1260 fps "baby" mag= 38.4 fpe
3" 1-5/8 oz. @ 1280 fps= 45.5 fpe
3" 1-7/8 oz. @ 1210 fps= 52.8 fpe
That's in "elephant gun" territory.
Not hard to see that if you wish to shoot a steady diet of lead magnums, a Remington 11-87 with a catalogued weight of 8-1/4 lbs. combined with gas-operated action would be your best friend.
A lot of these loads were designed to provide "10 gauge performance" in a 12 gauge. The huge advantage of a 10 gauge is a pump typically weighs in at 9-3/4 to 10 lbs., which balanced the load to reduce the recoil level from stupid, to stiff and tolerable.
Edit: added 1 more commonly used load for comparison
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S&W Fan
.450/400 Nitro Ex
I’ll be trying my luck with my Model 12 16ga. As well this year. The last two seasons I’ve tried my luck with a recurve Bow with no luck. I have been successful with my recurve , but only once and I chalk that up to pure blind luck.
SmallGameAddict
.308 Win
We'll have to compare notes at the end of the season. I want to pattern mine with the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant #5's, figure out my max range. I'll post the results.
Bustedknees
.308 Win
You haven't lived until you fire a H&R Topper 12 gauge slug gun.
S&W Fan
.450/400 Nitro Ex
In my younger days I owned an H&R model 176 10ga. Single shot , chambered for the 3 1/2” magnum . What a hoot !
Bustedknees
.308 Win
I had two of the H&R 10 gauge turkey guns, sold both of them. Can't remember the model numbers but the barrels weighed more than a small car.
Ive got a Stevens 9478 10 gauge made by Savage.
It says 3inch but I see no reason it couldnt fire the 3.5.....but I wouldnt try it.
It is old and has no cushion at all.
Its a special kinda hurt with the right....or um....wrong ammo.
SmallGameAddict
.308 Win
First I'd like to say that NO WAY would I ever shoot a shell that exceeded the chamber length of a shotgun.Ive got a Stevens 9478 10 gauge made by Savage.
It says 3inch but I see no reason it couldnt fire the 3.5.....but I wouldnt try it.
It is old and has no cushion at all.
Its a special kinda hurt with the right....or um....wrong ammo.
That said, that shotgun is the perfect candidate (assuming safe condition and hopefully proofed for smokeless 'nitro' powder) for an old school 10 ga. 2-7/8" shell. A classic goose/turkey load would have been with 1-5/8 oz. of shot, usually 4's (or 2's, since back then a body shot on a turkey would have been considered perfectly cricket).The 12 ga. 3" magnum with 1-5/8 oz. of lead shot brought out by Olin/Western/Winchester in the 1930's was designed to mimic this 10 ga. load performance for long range waterfowling.
A determined patient man with a 10 ga. shotshell loader could make it happen.
BDinPutnam
.475 A&M Magnum
Do old school shotguns *without* turkeys count?
We have my wife's grandmas bolt 12 gauge floating around. I know grandma shot her fair share of geese with that gun.
We have my wife's grandmas bolt 12 gauge floating around. I know grandma shot her fair share of geese with that gun.
SmallGameAddict
.308 Win
Well, I never gave that much thought. I purchased my 16 ga. to use for turkeys while I'm still able, because you can hunt them with lead shot. Then started wondering who else was using vintage guns for the extra challenge, or because it's what they had. These older guns (before about the mid-1980's) were not designed for steel shot, it will damage them.
Do you plan to use it for turkey hunting this season? Not sure what you're asking BD. If you want to post a pic of gramma with her gun and geese, go for it.
Kinda hoping that this thread will encourage others to dust off gram or gramps old shotguns and join the party.
Curious to know who's got what, and what they're using. Certainly not everyone's out there with the latest Benelli SBE3 and the newest $100 'turkey' choke.
BDinPutnam
.475 A&M Magnum
SGA I have the gun unfortunately no pics with grandma and the gun.
Maybe vintage shotguns and rifles should be its own thing- or i guess just in the main "rifles and shotguns" picture thread.
I have a little bit of OCD I don't want to get off topic too much.
Maybe vintage shotguns and rifles should be its own thing- or i guess just in the main "rifles and shotguns" picture thread.
I have a little bit of OCD I don't want to get off topic too much.
BDinPutnam
.475 A&M Magnum
Oh and my main deer gun is an 870 wingmaster that probably dates to the 70's but I don't hunt turkey with it and I don't consider it old enough to count in this thread!
SmallGameAddict
.308 Win
Dealers choice. If it's got a fixed choke it counts. Up to you.
SmallGameAddict
.308 Win
Assuming you had an appropriately choke barrel for it.
I wouldnt either but the 3.5 inch shells fit and it closes and locks.
Ive been told people do fire the 3.5 out of this paticular gun but I would never do it just because it doesnt need it.
I only use this gun for injuring friends shoulders. Its really useless with all my other options. The 10 gauge has no advantage over my other guns.
But hearing people whine is the only reason I keep it.
SmallGameAddict
.308 Win
They "fit" because shells are measured by their fired length. What if it comes unglued in their face? Then it's not so funny.
That powder burning is trying to push a wad and shot thru a restricted opening because the chamber is too short. You're taking a hell of a chance, with someone else's safety.
You did get the part where I said I WOULD NEVER DO IT.....correct?
Ive been around guns my entire life and have forgotten more than most know.
What Im saying is this paticular gun is considered overbuilt by alot of people who have fired 3.5 inch shells for years without issue.
AGAIN...I do NOT do this and NEVER WOULD.
Again....many people do....BUT NOT ME.
SmallGameAddict
.308 Win
OKAY. FORGET I SAID ANYTHING.
SmallGameAddict
.308 Win
Anyone using an old shotgun for turkey hunting this Fall?
SmallGameAddict
.308 Win
Ok so. My game plan for patterning my new 16 ga., choked Full. I'm expecting closer to real-life Extra Full, because these old shotguns were designed for paper shells with no shot cup to protect the shot from contact with the bore. Therefore, there was a lot of shot deformation and consequently chokes then were by necessity tighter than they are now.
I have what I feel is a great turkey patterning target. Times being what they are I want conclusive results but I also want to make efficient use of time and ammo. So, I think I'll measure out 30, 35 and 40 yards, marking the distances. Starting at 30 yards I'll fire one well aimed shot and check the results. If the results are obviously very satisfactory then I will move back another 5 yards and repeat. At 40 yards I'll probably stop depending on results. I'll be trying to determine my maximum effective range but there's a limit there somewhere beyond which I'm not willing to shoot.
When I reach the point where results are sketchy, I'll move back to the point where results were good and shoot 5 patterns to be sure that each time I pull the trigger there are at least 4 pellet strikes total in the skull and neck vertebrae.
Ima try the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant first, a classic "High brass" load for the 16 ga, which was 3-1/4 dram equivalent (1295 fps) with 1-1/8 oz. of shot. These are loaded with nickel plated #5 shot, no buffering however. Fiocchi actually lists the velocity at 1310 fps versus the 'standard' 1295 fps. You can decide for yourself how relevant the 15 fps difference is. Truth or marketing hype.
I'm hoping the #5's pattern well because I think they offer a good balance of pattern density and pellet energy. Hit harder than 6's, more pellets per ounce than 4's. Plus it's been my experience over the years that in most not all shotguns that #5's pattern better out of a full choke than #4's or #6's.
If they don't do well I have a case of the Brownings, an equivalent load of nickel plated 6's to try.
I'll post the results with pics.
Edited for accuracy.
I have what I feel is a great turkey patterning target. Times being what they are I want conclusive results but I also want to make efficient use of time and ammo. So, I think I'll measure out 30, 35 and 40 yards, marking the distances. Starting at 30 yards I'll fire one well aimed shot and check the results. If the results are obviously very satisfactory then I will move back another 5 yards and repeat. At 40 yards I'll probably stop depending on results. I'll be trying to determine my maximum effective range but there's a limit there somewhere beyond which I'm not willing to shoot.
When I reach the point where results are sketchy, I'll move back to the point where results were good and shoot 5 patterns to be sure that each time I pull the trigger there are at least 4 pellet strikes total in the skull and neck vertebrae.
Ima try the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant first, a classic "High brass" load for the 16 ga, which was 3-1/4 dram equivalent (1295 fps) with 1-1/8 oz. of shot. These are loaded with nickel plated #5 shot, no buffering however. Fiocchi actually lists the velocity at 1310 fps versus the 'standard' 1295 fps. You can decide for yourself how relevant the 15 fps difference is. Truth or marketing hype.
I'm hoping the #5's pattern well because I think they offer a good balance of pattern density and pellet energy. Hit harder than 6's, more pellets per ounce than 4's. Plus it's been my experience over the years that in most not all shotguns that #5's pattern better out of a full choke than #4's or #6's.
If they don't do well I have a case of the Brownings, an equivalent load of nickel plated 6's to try.
I'll post the results with pics.
Edited for accuracy.
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S&W Fan
.450/400 Nitro Ex
Wow, I ‘m looking forward to your results since I have the same shot shells for my 16ga. Model 12 ! I wish I still had a place to do this as I always like to know at what distance my scatter gun patterns the best. I used to do this with my dad when I was much younger and into water fowl and pheasant hunting. My dad was big into both when my brother and I were growing up. He taught us the importance of pattern testing.