I have a bunch of #4, #5, #6, 4x6, and 4x6x7 Lead Turkey loads put back, but I must confess that I always carry both HTL and Lead shells with me when I go to the woods in the spring time.
How many intend to stick with Lead, for as long as it's a legal option? Are you ever tempted to jump on the HTL train, by all the awesome patterns people constantly post with HTL?
I'll probably only carry HTL next spring, but I'll use lead in the fall...in case the occasional pheasant or quail jumps up. :)
I have picked up some HTL loads here and there,I use them,but I also find myself still caring lead loads to the woods also(big stockpile)
My plan is shoot HTL early season while the timber is still open. Also HTL in the Midwest in the wide open. Gonna shoot lead in the timber once it greens up. Little easier to get them closer for me after it leafs out. Kinda nostalgic to put em down with lead. :icon_thumright:
QuoteMy plan is shoot HTL early season while the timber is still open.
That plan makes perfect sense to me.
QuoteI also find myself still caring lead loads to the woods also(big stockpile)
Roger that.
i have a lot of the old win XX #6's copper/lead shot, not going to spend more money on HTL ammo. I get a big stockpile of them xx on sale every year after turkey season 1/2 off.
pat
:chucknorris:
I have enough Pb turkey loads on hand to last the rest of my lifetime (61); even if I live to be 100 LOL! I'm cleanly harvesting spring gobblers out to 40yds with my 20ga gun(s) and Pb ammo. What HTL (Remington® & Hevi•Shot®) ammunition I have I use for waterfowl hunting. I forsee that I will not be buying any more shotgun ammo for the rest of my life.
QuoteI have enough Pb turkey loads on hand to last the rest of my lifetime
Roger that.
QuoteI'm cleanly harvesting spring gobblers out to 40ys with my 20ga gun(s) and Pb ammo.
Consistently good patterns at 40 Yards with a 20 Gauge and Lead shells is difficult. What is your secret? Can you post a pattern picture or two?
When I switched over to a 20 I gave away all my 12 ga. lead. Only HTL for my 20.
Quote from: 3" 870 Shell Shucker on November 06, 2011, 06:55:57 AMConsistently good patterns at 40 Yards with a 20 Gauge and Lead shells is difficult. What is your secret? Can you post a pattern picture or two?
Here you go......(http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m150/dawei851/20ga%20Turkey%20Load%20Patterns/Moss_Swarm_Win_Sup_4_Pb.jpg)
LEAD ONLY DO YOUR JOB AS A CALLER AND GET THEM IN CLOSE
I use both lead and HTL shells. The choice just depends on where I'm hunting, and the setting. I use HTL when covering a Corn field, and use HTL for the tighter stuff where a 25-30 yard shot is the farthest you can see.
I've got a pretty good stockpile of lead Turkey loads, but they'll work just fine when the Zombies attack.
QuoteI've got a pretty good stockpile of lead Turkey loads, but they'll work just fine when the Zombies attack.
I actually have so many 3" Lead Turkey loads, that it's plum silly of me to buy any more HTL. Not to mention that I have a couple dozen 3" HTL loads to hunt with. At some point, a man has all he'll ever need anyway.
well im going to pattern some hevishot next week for my 10 ga . 1 3/4 oz #6. reason why lead here for winchester HV is 22$ box of 10 . and hevishot is 33$ box of 10 . i can put 102 #4 leads bbs in a 10" @ 40 yards
with the HV loads . but for 11$ box i got to try the heviloads
I vacillate on this topic all the time.
However, this time I must confess I'm jumping on the HTL train. My new 835 shoots the 3.5 shells very well, so I'm gonna get some 3.5-2.25-6 Hevi-13 to feed her.
I like the ability to smash a gobblers head if they won't budge from 50 or so yards. I cannot do the same with Pb.
I can think of at least two occasions that I could've shot had I had the HTL. I just wouldn't pull the trigger with the lead.
I think if I handloaded I could get the desired results with premium Nickel plated pb loads but I dnt at the moment so im going to try the hevi6s
I normally load up HTL when I go to the woods, but I must confess that I'm still buying Lead Turkey Loads whenever I find a deal. I have a stockpile of:
PMC 3" 2 ounce 4's
WIN 3" 1.75 ounce 5's
PMC 3" 2 ounce 6's
REM 3" 1.875 ounce 4x6's
3" 1.875 ounce 4x6x7.5's I rigged up myself
I have a lifetime supply.
I use both. I do believe my kill ratio is better with lead, just because I know I'm not Superman while shooting them and let the "long shots" pass.
:smiley-patriotic-flagwaver-an
I have some HTL but have a lifetime supply of lead so will more the likely still use the old fashioned lead. Never had a problem killing them with lead.
I carry both now. No need for me to burn a $5 shell in the woods here when you are lucky to get 35 yards.
Have used lead from day 1 and intend to stick with lead until something better that what is available now.
I'm sticking with HTL due to having a good stock pile. If the prices of Hevi keep rising, when I run out, I'll be going back to straight lead.
I have enough lead loads to last me the rest of my years on this earth,and my son,and grandson
I made the jump to Hevi in '06 and haven't looked back but now that I am needing to restock I cannot justify the price anymore and ran across 11 boxes of Win. Supreme HV 3.5" #6's and 4 boxes of Win. Supreme HV 3.5" #5's for $8.00 a box and grabbed them all up, that is $0.80 a shell versus's $3.19 a shell for Hevi 3.5" after the mail in rebate. I killed alot with lead before '06 and I figure I can do just as good with it once I run out of my stock of Hevi-13 I have now.
Quote from: frank1969 on November 06, 2011, 08:00:45 PM
LEAD ONLY DO YOUR JOB AS A CALLER AND GET THEM IN CLOSE
I agree with that. Lead for me, again this year. I want the turkey to be close enough where I can know for sure that he's a gobbler and where I know my shot column can deck the bird with no chance of escape. If other hunters want to hunt further out than 35 yards, that's their choice. I want to hunt my turkeys "old school" the way my grandfather and great-grandfather did: up close and personal.
Lead shot works fine for that, just like it did for Charlie Elliott, Archibald Rutledge, and all the other classic old-time turkey hunters.
Quote from: MossRem on February 13, 2012, 12:41:09 AM
Quote from: frank1969 on November 06, 2011, 08:00:45 PMLEAD ONLY DO YOUR JOB AS A CALLER AND GET THEM IN CLOSE
I agree with that. Lead for me, again this year. I want the turkey to be close enough where I can know for sure that he's a gobbler and where I know my shot column can deck the bird with no chance of escape. If other hunters want to hunt further out than 35 yards, that's their choice. I want to hunt my turkeys "old school" the way my grandfather and great-grandfather did: up close and personal.
Lead shot works fine for that, just like it did for Charlie Elliott, Archibald Rutledge, and all the other classic old-time turkey hunters.
100% Spot On!
Quote from: dawei on February 13, 2012, 01:03:19 AM
Quote from: MossRem on February 13, 2012, 12:41:09 AM
Quote from: frank1969 on November 06, 2011, 08:00:45 PMLEAD ONLY DO YOUR JOB AS A CALLER AND GET THEM IN CLOSE
I agree with that. Lead for me, again this year. I want the turkey to be close enough where I can know for sure that he's a gobbler and where I know my shot column can deck the bird with no chance of escape. If other hunters want to hunt further out than 35 yards, that's their choice. I want to hunt my turkeys "old school" the way my grandfather and great-grandfather did: up close and personal.
Lead shot works fine for that, just like it did for Charlie Elliott, Archibald Rutledge, and all the other classic old-time turkey hunters.
100% Spot On!
+1. Sometimes I wonder how we ever killed turkeys before HTL came about :lol:
I jumped big on the HTL train. Wasn't going to, but I found some deals and put off buying the SX3 at least until next year so I am running the 20 again this year.
As far as calling them in, I have killed 29 toms and only shot 4 over 40 steps. Just because people run HTL doesn't mean they shoot at unethical distances - some do, but not all. I do not intend to change anything I am doing as far as hunting other than shooting more dense patterns with a harder shot.
If I sounded scornful about hunters who use HTL, I never meant to. What I said in my post was that if people wanted to shoot turkeys past 35 yartds, that's their choice. I was not out to insult anyone or their ethics in shooting turkeys.
I don't find anything unethical about a hunter taking a 40 or 50 yard or more shot if they can pull it off and don't wound turkeys. I just said that this type of hunting is not my "cup of tea".
I don't want to take chances, shooting a hen, as I said. Having the turkey in chose enough means there's little doubt that I'll make that mistake.