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Pellet penetration

Started by Oconeeguy, February 13, 2015, 08:53:47 PM

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Oconeeguy

Shot a Win SuperX 3"-17/8-#6 at 40 yds through a Ventilator choke out of a 12ga. 11-87 Today. The target paper was against a loblolly pine. When I retrieved the target paper,  I noticed about 1/2 dozen pellets were imbedded in the pine bark but were still visible. In other words those pellets had barely penetrated into the bark!  This lack of penetration was disturbing. Maybe lead #5 would have penetrated deeper, at the expense of  number of holes in the paper.

Anyone else notice this kind of thing?

Gobble!

What about other pellets? Just bounced off?

Oconeeguy

Nope. They penetrated to an unknown depth. The fact that some were just below the surface was surprising though.

Bigspurs68

Momma said "Kill that turkey"

alloutdoors

I'll keep this in mind the next time I'm choosing a load for loblolly pine season...

Jokes aside, I wouldn't be concerned. Heck, the pellets you saw may have even been stacked up on top of other pellets that penetrated first.

Gooserbat

Lead is just lead, however it sure has killed a lot of turkeys.  I personally like tungsten over lead but in a normal hunting situation at practical ranges lead will always work.
NWTF Booth 1623
One of my personal current interests is nest predators and how a majority of hunters, where legal bait to the extent of chumming coons.  However once they get the predators concentrated they don't control them.

Bigspurs68

Yes, I agree with the posts above. No turkey, standing between your target and the tree would live to complain about the pellets that only marred the tree.
Momma said "Kill that turkey"

silvestris

Makes the "arbitrary" 40 yard "rule" begin to make sense.
"[T]he changing environment will someday be totally and irrevocably unsuitable for the wild turkey.  Unless mankind precedes the birds in extinction, we probably will not be hunting turkeys for too much longer."  Ken Morgan, "Turkey Hunting, A One Man Game

Bama turkey hunter

Yes it does if your shooting lead!!!
Tony

surehuntsalot

a turkey's skull and neck is not near as hard as a pine tree
it's not the harvest,it's the chase

zelmo1

 :OGturkeyhead: Do your part and be responsible, no turkey ever had pellets bounce off his noggin under 40 yards, any shot. Put 20+ pellets in the neck/head and go get your bird. Al Baker

Oconeeguy

Good comments. I realize that I might seem to sensitive to the penetration issue, but it's partially due to experience last year.

I Coerced a reluctant old gobbler into range after playing a subtle game of footsie for several hours. I shot him at about 25 yards with #6 Heavishot. When I cleaned him, I found a large copper plated lead shot, maybe #4 size, just under the skin on his lower neck. Even though I don't know the circumstances of how it got there for certain, it got me thinking more about not just how many pellets hit, but how the pellets perform when they hit.  But I agree #6 lead will kill turkey's all day. I just don't think they allow as much 'wiggle room' as HTL or larger lead pellets.

:camohat:

RutnNStrutn

Quote from: surehuntsalot on February 14, 2015, 08:30:29 AM
a turkey's skull and neck is not near as hard as a pine tree
Exactly!!! :z-winnersmiley:

Quote from: Oconeeguy on February 23, 2015, 10:22:28 PMEven though I don't know the circumstances of how it got there for certain
Also exactly. I wouldn't worry about it, since you have no idea if some idiot shot him from 70 or 80 yards out, and put a pellet or 3 under his skin, and educated him.
I'm not familiar with the loads you are talking about, but I shoot 3-1/2" Winchester Hi-Velocity #4's through a Ventilator choke, and have had no problems. My longest kill shot was 54 yards. So they might not take down a loblolly pine, but they work just fine on gobblers. ;D

K9Doc

Quote from: Bigspurs68 on February 13, 2015, 09:36:01 PM
Lead is lead.

Lead is for squirrels and such....LOL!!!
Why I shoot TSS and/or. HTL.
Be the type of person your dog thinks you are.

Marc

The surface tension of a tree is much greater than that of a turkey...  At 40 yards, those pellets you saw at the surface of a tree, would have gone right through the skull or neck of a turkey.

My advice would be "don't shoot any wooden turkeys." :fud:
Did I do that?

Fly fishermen are born honest, but they get over it.