# duck shot for turkey hunting



## aj.hiner (Feb 22, 2014)

might Be A Stupid Question But Why Wouldn't A Load For Geese Hunting Be Absolutely Devastating On A Turkey? I'm Not A Die Hard Duck Hunter And Know Nothing About Loads For Duck Hunting But It Seems To Me That When I Can Kill A Goose Flying...At 40 Or 50 Yrds That This Load Would Be Awesome For Turkey Hunting? Anyone Tried This? OR Got An Opinion? Thanks


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## icdedturkes (Feb 22, 2014)

Uh No.. While every goose hunter should attempt to put the shot string in a gooses neck and head, the nature of the game does not allow for that 100 percent of the time.. Thus larger shot 2 and bigger is typically used in steel which allows for the shot to penetrate the vitals and or CNS.. 

Due to the open nature of the goose hunting environment the birds that expire from lung and heart hits and or crippled are easily found and dispatched the same cannot be said for turkeys in forested cover.. 

Plus there are much better options than steel shot for turkey..


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## Curtis-UGA (Feb 22, 2014)

Steel shot is terrible. I don't even shoot ducks with it.


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## blong (Feb 22, 2014)

The htl duck and goose loads are fine for turkey hunting.


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## mauser64 (Feb 22, 2014)

Yea, the steel shot is awful but I've killed turkeys with heavy shot 4's cause I grabbed the wrong bag while running out the door on one hunt. They seemed to be just as dead as any of the others I've killed with "turkey" shells.


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## sman (Feb 22, 2014)

Imagine they would work, maybe just not as tight as a pattern due to the buffers used.  Heck my grandpa used what ever he grabbed.   4,6, and 7 1/2 high brass.


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## Killdee (Feb 22, 2014)

I suspect your Grandpa knew how far to shoot too. When I started turkey hunting everybody knew 30-35 steps was about all you could shoot for a clean kill.


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## birddog52 (Feb 24, 2014)

I agree and thats still my rule 40 steps at max. Have killed couple at 50 but thats streching it afraid this hyp on those new winchester shells will have folks shooting and crippling alot of turkeys this spring. Kinda like the sky busters duck hunting using steel you may hit them at 40 & 50 yrds but alot of those birds fly off and die else where


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## Bucky T (Feb 24, 2014)

Had a good friend go with me on opening morning some years back.

He had his O/U. He also hadn't killed his first bird at the time.

We setup on a hot bird.  I was sitting next to him.  He had the angle on the bird I was working.  Then...  another bird started sounding off over my right shoulder.  I turned my head to look and my buddy says, "He's right here and 
it's a gobbler.." I say, "Kill him!"  Boom!  I turn around and sure enough there is a bird flopping 25yds away!

It was a jake too.  Lol!  We were fired up!  Well..  he broke open his gun and out popped a 2 3/4" #2 steel hull!  He said that's all he could scrape up at the house.  Not ideal, but it worked.  Lol


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## hawglips (Feb 24, 2014)

aj.hiner said:


> might Be A Stupid Question But Why Wouldn't A Load For Geese Hunting Be Absolutely Devastating On A Turkey? I'm Not A Die Hard Duck Hunter And Know Nothing About Loads For Duck Hunting But It Seems To Me That When I Can Kill A Goose Flying...At 40 Or 50 Yrds That This Load Would Be Awesome For Turkey Hunting? Anyone Tried This? OR Got An Opinion? Thanks



You'll "miss" a lot more turkeys with duck and goose loads, generally speaking.

A dove load is a decent turkey shell if you choke it right and stay within 30 yds.


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## 4x4 (Feb 24, 2014)

I dont think you are supposed to shoot stel out of a ultra full choke anyways


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## SC Hunter (Feb 24, 2014)

hawglips said:


> You'll "miss" a lot more turkeys with duck and goose loads, generally speaking.
> 
> A dove load is a decent turkey shell if you choke it right and stay within 30 yds.



Funny you say that I forgot my little "fanny pack", I hate calling it that, one morning at the house. I had 2 mouth calls in the truck and a box of high brass dove load in the tool box of my truck. I killed a bird with one shot of 7's at 25 yards. Not something I'd want to try all the time but its all I had.


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## bucktail (Feb 24, 2014)

I was thinking the exact opposite. I was going to try out different ranges of turkey loads on geese in a field. No, I don't shot lead.


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## Will-dawg (Feb 24, 2014)

Maybe off the subject but I saw some Hevi-Metal turkey loads the other day being put out by Hevi-Shot. Isn't that what they use for their duck loads?


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## icdedturkes (Feb 24, 2014)

bucktail said:


> I was thinking the exact opposite. I was going to try out different ranges of turkey loads on geese in a field. No, I don't shot lead.


I used to shoot rem hevi 4s on geese and ducks exclusively.. Years ago when Rem discontinued hevi I found a pile of #5 and #6 turkey loads.. I use them time to time in the goose field and no different than a turkey, you square things away on head and neck and they are devastating. 



Will-dawg said:


> Maybe off the subject but I saw some Hevi-Metal turkey loads the other day being put out by Hevi-Shot. Isn't that what they use for their duck loads?



I cannot speak for the Hevi Metal turkey but the "hevi shot" in Hevi waterfowl is only 10 g.cc.. 

Hevi Metal turkey rivals Kent 5 Star Penetrator as quite possibly the stupidest turkey load ever developed.. Dunno both concepts are just plain stupid.


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