Fed HW# 6 ?

[cohuttariverrat]

So Im struggling this year getting my hands on fed hw #7 without paying shipping. The fed rep at the convention said that basspro had good stock of them the fri night of the convention. Well saturday about 4pm the shelf was empty besides Fed hw #6. and 2.75 #7. So I picked up 2 boxes of #6. Can anyone give me a estimate of what to expect with the #6 if my gun was shooting in the 150's @ 40yd with the #7's?

[mossyoakpro]

Great question!!  I am considering giving the 6's a whirl myself....BPS was stocked up heavy on them Saturday.

[BandedSpur]

Just based on number of pellets in those shells, if the 6s shoot with the same efficiency as the 7s, you would be looking at 113. I would pay the shipping for the 7s. The 6s are a vastly inferior shell. They have a huge surplus of energy at the expense of pattern density.

[SCDieselDawg]

I walked this road last year. I found a surplus of HWT 6s locally and wanted to give them a go. My gun is a 26" 870. I searched around here on OG and was told to try the 6s with a unported .575 Carlson.  I haven't spent much time patterning this setup but I have shot it some. I've had it go 130-140 at 40 yds.

[owlhoot]

Have to just try them.
I have a box too so just warm up and give them a shot.
Have 160 in  the tens with the 7's. Probably wont do that good with 6's.
But if they pattern good in the ten with that density they would be nasty.

[owlhoot]

Well then 130-140 with these should work good 

Sorry SCDD , should have took the warning a checked the post.

[cohuttariverrat]

Thanks guys! Suppose to get up to 67deg this weekend here so maybe this nasty winter is coming to an end.  I will continue the search for 7's just can't justify paying $15 to ship 2 boxes. Don't understand why basspro doesn't stock the 3in #7's online. This month they are offering free shipping also

[stringtalker]

There are more ammo than the federal #7's. My 20 gauge shoots the heavy 13's #5's better than the federal #7's. If you have a good even shot count in a 10 inch circle at 30-40 yards, then shoot it. the larger shot packs a mean punch anyway, but i went back to lead shot, the HTL loads aint woth 5 dollars a round, its just crazy. 98% of my turkeys are killed within 30 yards if you can call even just a little. There is no reason to try to find a gun that shoots at 40, 50 60 yards. We are shooting shotguns not rifles. Good hunting

[mightyjoeyoung]

I walked this road last year. I found a surplus of HWT 6s locally and wanted to give them a go. My gun is a 26" 870. I searched around here on OG and was told to try the 6s with a unported .575 Carlson.  I haven't spent much time patterning this setup but I have shot it some. I've had it go 130-140 at 40 yds.

130-140 at 40 yards with HW 6's is a REDICULOUSLY GOOD pattern for those shells in a 20 gauge and if I were you I'd buy up every #6 load in that I could find!!!  Even If you mis judge the range by a yard or...10, there isn't a turkey alive that will survive a load of those things. 

[SCDieselDawg]

I walked this road last year. I found a surplus of HWT 6s locally and wanted to give them a go. My gun is a 26" 870. I searched around here on OG and was told to try the 6s with a unported .575 Carlson.  I haven't spent much time patterning this setup but I have shot it some. I've had it go 130-140 at 40 yds.

I'll be honest that was one shell just to see if the choke was worth it. I need to shoot some more to check repeatability. I've got some new chokes and a bunch of these 6s. So it won't be long till I figure out something definite.

[savduck]

Ive got a couple of boxes of the fed 6s. At forty out of three chokes. I shot 110, 113, and 119.

Thats sumtoy, ssx, and pure gold tempest 570.


I love my 7s, but wouldnt hesitate to hunt turkeys with those patterns with the sixes. They were all very evenly spread. There are some states that dont allow 7s.

[surehuntsalot]

I walked this road last year. I found a surplus of HWT 6s locally and wanted to give them a go. My gun is a 26" 870. I searched around here on OG and was told to try the 6s with a unported .575 Carlson.  I haven't spent much time patterning this setup but I have shot it some. I've had it go 130-140 at 40 yds.

130-140 at 40 yards with HW 6's is a REDICULOUSLY GOOD pattern for those shells in a 20 gauge and if I were you I'd buy up every #6 load in that I could find!!!  Even If you mis judge the range by a yard or...10, there isn't a turkey alive that will survive a load of those things.

I have shot some of the HW 6's through my .575 Carlson in a 21" barrel 870 youth model  putting up 110-120 (very good hunting patterns)

[mightyjoeyoung]

I walked this road last year. I found a surplus of HWT 6s locally and wanted to give them a go. My gun is a 26" 870. I searched around here on OG and was told to try the 6s with a unported .575 Carlson.  I haven't spent much time patterning this setup but I have shot it some. I've had it go 130-140 at 40 yds.

130-140 at 40 yards with HW 6's is a REDICULOUSLY GOOD pattern for those shells in a 20 gauge and if I were you I'd buy up every #6 load in that I could find!!!  Even If you mis judge the range by a yard or...10, there isn't a turkey alive that will survive a load of those things.

I have shot some of the HW 6's through my .575 Carlson in a 21" barrel 870 youth model  putting up 110-120 (very good hunting patterns)

We have the same setup, so I just might have to pick some up!  If I could get 110+ I'd buy up every round I could find and if I could get 130-140+, they's go with me on every future western hunt I ever went on!  Lol  I found a TON of the 6's at a local sporting goods store for super cheap but didn't pull the trigger on them...yet and I think Dunn's has a butt load of them too for way cheaper than the 7's.  Hmm...go figure...

[savduck]

The kinetic energy of the sixes is unreal. 110 to 120 is a sledge hammer. I'd shoot them all day long and never skip a beat.

[Captaintopwater]

My 26" 870 with the ssx loves the HW 6s, but so far has just been so so with the 7s.