what is an exceptable pattern?

[thelaw]

just patterned a benelli nova for the upcoming opener here in east texas. with winchester 3.5" supreme #6's i was getting about 15-20 pellets in the head/neck area at 40 yards. at 50 yards about 8-10. i know all it takes is one pellet, as i've witnessed before by a friend's first eastern turkey, but is this an exceptable number of "kill" pellets?

[kisatchie]

I believe you have a very good thing going for you with your set-up.  I know folks here in Louisiana that have patterns with half that amount and they are sucessful, I just purchased a Charles Daly 20 ga. pump (very in-expensive gun, I paid $125.00 brand new at Wal-Mart on clearence) and I armed it with a Carlson extra-full tube and Heavy Shot 3" #5's. I have a pattern at 30 yds that is one big cluster and at 40 yds I had 28-30 pellets in the head and neck area.  I could not believe it and I was so happy with my little 20 gauge.  Now I just need to try it out  on an old Tom.

[varmit_master]

hi i think if you will try the 6' shot in Hevi shot you will better off i seen a piece of tin shot at 40 yrds one with Win high vel 5 12ga  there was a feel that went threw it almost most of them didnt and i seen another piece shot at the same place with Hevi shot '6 almost all of them shot with them i seen out that ANDRSON Custom Choke's Monday 2 guys one had a Mossburg and one had a BPS 12ga both 3 1/2 mag both shooting New Win Hevi Shot in 6's @ 40yds in a 10 inch circle the Mossburg put 215 pellets inside the 10 in circle and the BPS put 191 pellets inside the 10 inside the 10 inch circle i had my M1 Benelli 12ga with a 21 inch with a .650 custom choke and Remington hevi shot in 6's in a 3 inch mag mine put 144 pellets it would have put more if i had the Win hevi shot because it had more pellets in it but i am happy with the 144 pellets out of mine I have a Rem SP 10ga and a new box of Rem Hevi Shot 6' i havent tryied out yet VM

[htrjv]

Looks like 50 yards would be the max range for your choke/shot combination.  We teach our students not to shoot at a range where they cannot put a min of 8 pellets in the head/neck area.  Good Luck to you this season.  Joe

[JPSaxMan]

I've heard you should get a minimum of 5 pellets within the kill zone at your max range. I've managed to do this with a plane jane 870 Wingmaster; mod choke; Rem Turkey Loads (prolly be switching to the Express) at 40 yards. I thought that was pretty good. I got more than that obviously at 30 and 20 yards. I tried to see if I could get my barrel threaded for choke tubes (older barrel...80's maybe), but the gunsmith told me there wasn't enough 'meat' on the barrel to thread it for choke tubes. Bummer. Hopefully it'll kill me a turkey this year!  

[dukkillr]

i've heard 8-12 in the kill range.  it's important to remember that not every pellet that size will be fatal, particularly in the neck.  Some pellets also won't have enough energy to penetrate the skull even though they did go through the paper.