mobow

strut, perhaps I did the same and I am sorry also. I was actually surprised by the results myself.

RedAllison

mobowhunter I think I know what you are trying to say but you aren't fully correct. YES a #whatever sized shot of whatever material traveling at 1200fps will ALWAYS produce the same energy and penetration regardless of what size shell it is fired from for what gauge gun was used. Whena bird gets hitin the head/neck with a#6 pellet doing 1200fps it doesn'tmatter (and the bird would'ntknow thedifference) ifthat pellet came from a 10ga or a 20ga or anyother size shotgun.BUT where you are wrong is in saying that the 2 3/4", 3" and 3 1/2" guns produce equal knockdown. That is simply wrong, a 1.5oz load doing 1200fps isn't going to have nearly the knockdown of a 2 1/4oz load doing the same velocity. Sure you aren't going to get all the shot onto your target, but the entire theory/reasoning behind heavy loads and mags is to start out with more shot (at equal velocities) which will put MORE shot onto a target downrange. The 3.5" gun shines because it has the powder capacity to drive that load too desireable velocities. I have some old 2 1/4oz 3" loads but they were so slow they weren't that good at longer ranges because of velocity loss so that extra 1/4-1/2 oz of shot (over normal 3" turkey loads) was really just wasted and not able to perform too its potential like it would from a faster 3.5" gun.

If having larger guns is of no value then we would all still be shooting 2 3/4" guns!
RA

mobow

Red, you bring about a good point that I surely hadn't thought about. I was looking at it in terms of each individual shot pellet, not the total # of pellets making contact. With that thought in mind, I suppose 15 pellets would have more energy than 6 pellets. Good point.

I've thought about that some more.....questions come up....I hate when I think....[&:]

Let's say 6 pellets with 100 foot pounds hit the bird. You add that up and get 600 ft pounds. Now, let's say 15 pellets hit making 1500 ft pounds. This I can see, but each pellet is still the same. So then, if each pellet only carries 100 ft pounds, why would you be able to kill them from farther away? Because as I understand this, with the velocity the same, and the shot pellet weight the same, it creates the same KE....correct?

nchawkeye

First off, let me say...I don't care what anyone else uses, as long as you pattern your gun and shoot within that guns limitations....2nd...Federal also makes a 2 oz load for 3 inch...thats what I shoot...in a 12 gauge 3 1/2 shell the load is 2 1/4...So we are talking about 1/4 oz more pellets...If you want to shoot 2 1/4 oz of pellets....I believe you would have a denser center pattern with a 10 gauge...Because you have a wider bore, less pellets are on the outside of the pattern (next to the barrel)..these are the pellets that would be on the outside of your pattern...And if you have patterned your gun and know where it shoots...these are not the lethal pellets...In other words what you want is a good, dense, center pattern and be able to deliver that pattern to the head and neck of a turkey....the same as patterning buckshot for deer....

With my 3 inch Browning B-80...I put 12-16 or so pellets into the head and neck at 40 yards, using Federal Premium 2oz 5s...and a Hastings .665 choke...I got lucky, I tried 4s, 5s, and 6s in both the Winchester Supreme and the Federal Premium turkey loads....with todays guns (I don't care if its a 12 gauge or a 10) If your gun wont place at least 10 pellets into the head and neck area of a turkey target at 40 yards then you have more work to do.....Heck, I have a 12 gauge double 2 3/4 that will put 8 pellets into that area at 40 yards using plain old Remington #6s...It accounted for at least 10-12 turkeys back in the late 70s-early 80s...

For my purposes 40 yards is far enough, thats why I've never spent my money on Heavy shot, etc...If I limit out too early, the wife seems to find more yard work to do...