New shotgun - patterning questions

[ThomasB]

Hi: Picked up a nice NEF camo turkey gun the other day. I has a fixed full choke. I plan on patterning it
tomorrow or wednesday and have a couple of questions.
 I will be trying several different kinds of shells/shot sizes an was wondering if it would be advisable to swab the bore between shots to get a more accurate reading of what each type of shell is doing?
 This will be my first turkey hunt. Here in Wash. state we have a season that runs from April 15th through
May 31st. I've read alot about the new Hevi-shot and other premium turkey loads but the guy I'm going
with uses just #4 or #6 lead pheasant loads (same as he uses during pheasant season). They sure are
alot cheaper than the $4.00 a shell special turkey loads. Do they really make that much of a difference?
Thanks
Tom

[SHOOTALL]

don't worry about the critter named on the box get the shell with the heaviest pay load ! turkey shot in most cases has the most shot and cost reflects that . Lead has worked for a long time ! I use hevi-shot on waterfowl but haven't seen a need to spend 3 times the money to bag a turkey yet ! + in a full choke lead MAY pattern better .
i like #4 or #5 shot ( my choice you pick your own , but i have experienced better kills with those ) better on big birds !
pattern your gun like it will be shot ! if you clean it every time you hunt then pattern a clean bbl. if like me you clean at the end of a season or after some event that makes it necessary then pattern it that way

[ThomasB]

Thanks for the reply. I picked up a box of the Remington Nitro Turkey(#4's) and a box of the Federal Mag-shok
#5's and will pattern test those along with some #4 and #6 pheasant loads.
 The Federal Mag-Shok uses an innovative cup design that supposed to keep the shot in the wad longer for
a tighter pattern. Have you tried these?
  My turkey gun has a fixed full choke so I plan on patterning it at 30 and 35 yards which with my old
eyes is probably as far as I dare take a shot anyway. Hopefully one of those loads will give me a nice
tight pattern I'd feel comfortable with.
Tom

[dukkillr]

don't worry about the critter named on the box get the shell with the heaviest pay load ! turkey shot in most cases has the most shot and cost reflects that . Lead has worked for a long time ! I use hevi-shot on waterfowl but haven't seen a need to spend 3 times the money to bag a turkey yet ! + in a full choke lead MAY pattern better .
i like #4 or #5 shot ( my choice you pick your own , but i have experienced better kills with those ) better on big birds !
pattern your gun like it will be shot ! if you clean it every time you hunt then pattern a clean bbl. if like me you clean at the end of a season or after some event that makes it necessary then pattern it that way

The only thing I can add is that after the first time you pattern your gun, a box of 10 shells will last you several seasons.  Hevi-shot is better, and the cost is very minimal once you consider that you very rarely miss a turkey, and you can only kill a couple in a season.

[SHOOTALL]

No i haven't tried the Rem load , i use the Winchester supreme load ( lead )
or left over Hevi shot from water foul season ( dukkillr is right , but $ 40.00 a box here ).