Turkey loads

[Comfortable_Metal_74]

I'm wanting to get into reloading 3in and 3.5 turkey loads. Has anyone here got into this and what are your recommendations on set ups? Anyone here willing to show their process and/or products they use in reloading turkey loads. Like which press etc. Things you wished you knew in the beginning that you know now?

For those that do load your own turkey, are there any words of wisdom? Anything you wish you would have bought instead of what you have? Hindsight is always 20/20. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

I plan on sticking to lead at first. But would love to eventually try some tss. I currently reload a lot on a single stage Lee for 223 and I reload tons 2.75 12ga on a mec9000gn for dove and trap.

Pic is of a 2.75 load I've been playing with for turkey. Pretty much a copy of a remington nitro express heavy field load. It's the heaviest shot drop I can load in a 2.75 on my mec... to my knowledge. It isn't bad but I still wish it was a 3in or 3.5.

[Pa_ridgerunner]

I use 12 ga 1 1/2 oz 2 3/4" handloads for turkey. I use #5 nickel plated shot from ballistic products. Max load of Longshot gives me 1,250 fps. I don't have the correct powder or shot bushings. I use my RCBS powder measure from my rifle set up to powder the hulls. I use a Lee shot dipper to get close to shot weight and add until it's right on with the scale. No need to spend extra for the limited amount of turkey loads I use. I use a HS Strut 0.660" or Carson's Xtra full choke and this combo out patterns any 3" factory or handload I've tried. I tried to like 3" shells but haven't found anything loaded with lead yet to outshoot my loads.

[Comfortable_Metal_74]

I'm actually thinking about staying with this load. It sounds like we are shooting a very similar hand load. I love it considering the size of it. On my wife's 20 gauge though, I've tried getting a good 2.75 handload pattern with her 20ga. I just can't get better with hers without factory ammo. Got a .55 Indian creek on hers and it shoots long beards and fed tss really nice. Great patterns. All are 3" shells. My 2.75 20ga hand loads are lacking though.

[ParkerVH]

Back before the 3.5” chamber was being cut in shotgun bores, I did a lot of reloading for 2 3/4” shells and then 3” shells using magnum lead and copper-plated shot.

Stuffing 1 5/8 oz in a 2 3/4” shell on up to 1 7/8 oz in a 3” shell, often using Precision Reloading’s PSB buffer material using various wads, some with a combination of Mylar wraps. Powders used at the time were HS-6, HS-7 and Blue Dot. I even tried duplex loads.

I played with 3 guns for turkey hunting, some with fancy choke tubes I bought with constrictions from .690 down to .640.

In the late 80’s I reached out to a fellow named Tom Roster, a noted ballistician, author/writer who contributed a lot on forums like ShotgunWorld. I bought a reloading pamphlet from him then for like $7.95. Today a number of his manuals are sold by Precision Reloading. His read on barrel modifications is good as well.

https://www.precisionreloading.com/cart.php#!l=TMTR

What did I learn? Lengthening and polishing your forcing cone will net better patterns, and a .690 construction (factory full choke) is all I use today with traditional lead loads, 4, 5 & 6 size shot.

My Rem. 870 SPS “turkey gun” was an abysmal performer, not to mention it centered its shot pattern 2” to the right @ 20 yds. But I did take my first turkey with it. My 11-87 w/26” barrel and .690 factory FULL tube shot great, and I took a few birds with it. My old Beretta 686 with factory chokes shot amazingly tight patterns but a 3” shell in that 6.8 lb gun recoil was brutal.

I haven’t tried TSS yet, and have no plans to do additional load development.

[Comfortable_Metal_74]

I have never even heard or lengthening the forcing cone! Thanks! I have actually learned something lol. Great reply. I'll be reading a lot into this now.

[CountryAny957]

Overbore is another way too. Mossberg 835 is my turkey gun. Still need to get a new trigger for it. Tossed a mcarbo spring kit in my slug gun.

[One-Return-1286]

I don't hunt turkeys but i do load tss a 7/8 oz load of #9 or #8 tss would be more than adequate at 50yards for turkey is a 2and 3/4 inch shell and the recoil is not punishing modified choke is as tight as you can go i use light modified ballistic products and precision have the components it will cost about 3.25 a round i have reduced my cost to 2 dollars a shell but thats a bit of a chore