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#4 shot???

Started by Trad1, March 05, 2016, 07:25:45 PM

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Trad1

Any no.#4 shot shooters out there??I am old-school and have taken a good bunch of birds all with 4s.Never had all this great turkey stuff like custom loads ,and chokes back when I chased birds.always the bigger was better.Now with the modern tech its endless.Don,t get me wrong if it works for you go get them...............................

bbcoach

Fortunately or Unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, technology has increased so much over the last twenty years that we have TOO MANY choices to hunt turkeys.  The invention of the 3 1/2" shell, tighter chokes, heavier than lead shot and tight turkey loads has caused us to believe more is better.  I killed my first bird at 29 yards with a 2 3/4", 1 1/2 oz. load of number 5's that I had reloaded on my MEC.  Since then, I bought into a 3 1/2" 835 with Hevi 7's and a .670 Pure Gold choke.  They both kill, just as dead, to 40 yards so do we really need this added technology?

Farmboy27

Haven't used it for awhile but back in the day I used #4s a lot. Back then I'd buy whatever 3" magnums were cheapest(in 25 round boxes) at my local sporting goods store.  I'd use them for turkeys (spring and fall) fox, coyote, and any thing else I thought needed extra power.  I never used to pattern any shells and just assumed that if it was a magnum it would be deadly out to 30 yards or so.  And they usually were!

Trad1

Isn,t it crazy how we go with the flow, I never would think about shooting turkeys 40 yards and beyond back in the day.The true game was to call them in close.Has the modern teck made us lazy hunters?????????????

maytom

I use to use #5 shot in lead all the time. Then along came Hevi-shot, and I jumped onto the bandwagon as well, complete with a new choke tube to handle that new shot specifically. But the cost factor for those shells is way up there compared to "normal" turkey loads. I paid $100.00 at the NWTF convention for a box of 25 of those custom made Nitro Company shells. Still have about 5 left. Now with the new Winchester Longbeard shells out on the market, I decided to switch to using #4's and bought another choke for those loads. Sticking with this set-up for now....

silvestris

4s, 5s. 6s lead. 7s heavier than lead, whatever floats your boat and gives good patterns at "reasonable" range.  The game used to be 40 yards and closer with NO DECOYS.  My how things have changed; callers have become somewhat obsolete for many and many seek to brag about how far.  Whatever.
"[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

Cottonmouth

I've probably killed more turkeys with the old 3" Federal premium #4 than any other load. Now I shoot 3 1/2 Nitros 4-5-7. Why? I guess I like getting the snot kicked out of me. :z-guntootsmiley:

owlhoot

Stacked up those pasture and field turkeys with the Federal Grand Slam 3 1/2" 4's.
In the woods the old Remington 4x6's did their job. Well 1/2 4 shot anyway.
Always liked a gun that patterned the 4's well. Real good gobbler slammers.
Now it is Hevi or mainly heavyweight.

mikejd

I have killed 90% of my turkeys with good ol #4 shot and I plan on going back this year. Going to play around with long beard 4's and my collection of chokes. If i get 100 or more in the 10 I will be going back.

Flounder

I have built myself a 20 gauge this year, in an effort to lighten the load some. I still want to feel confident in a last minute situation I have something for him at 30 yards.
Nothing will ever change my mind and give me the.rush of him making the.ground shake at 20 or less.
No matter what weapons I have.

rem 300

i really like the Winchester Longbeard #4's

Spitten and drummen

Killed a bunch with #4 lead and copper. I made the change to a 20ga with #9 tss shot. That stuff patterns awsome and packs more punch than lead at 40.
" RANGERS LEAD THE WAY"
"QUEEN OF BATTLE FOLLOW ME " ~ INFANTRY
"DEATH FROM ABOVE " ~ AIRBORNE

VaTuRkStOmPeR

Why would anyone still shoot lead 4's when hevi 6s hit with the same amount of kinetic energy and give you 25% more pellets?

Cutt

Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on March 05, 2016, 10:54:47 PM
Why would anyone still shoot lead 4's when hevi 6s hit with the same amount of kinetic energy and give you 25% more pellets?

I agree, always shot 3in lead #5's, as to me it was a good compromise, more bb's than 4's, but more knock down than 6's. Now I shoot 3.5 hevi 6's, why? Probably as much knockdown as #4 lead, and way more bb's. And I only increased my effective down range by 5 yards, as I don't like anything over 45 yards, although it's capable. But with more bb coverage I get more room for error within my effective range and I 'll gladly take that.

Cleveland48

I think I killed my first 8 turkeys with the Remington duplex 4x6's. I actually really liked that load. It shot well out of my setup back then. Now I only use a 20 gauge so it's #7's for me.


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