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bamaranger · April 15, 2011, 09:56 AM

When I was younger, the 16 ga was still popular and you could find "short magnums", which I think held 1-1/4 oz of shot. Not sure about that, 40 years ago ya know. I don't know if a short mag in the 16 is marketed today or not. I certainly have never seen any "dedicated" 16 ga turkey loads as are now the rage.

In a 16 ga, I would go with #6 shot as l-bill advised. A load of 1-1/8 of #6 or maybe even 1-1/4 if you can find them, will be plenty for a turkey head/neck shot to 30-35 yds. Pattern your gun, (it is FULL choke right?) and get a sense of what 30-35 yds looks like in the woods, and you'll be fine.

To me,and any gun of mine I've shot it through, #4 shot, even in 3" 12 ga mag, produces patterns that are a bit thin to my liking. The best gun I've seen for #4 was a buddy's Browning 10ga pump. It was formidable. It also weighed a ton, and was near impossible to keep mounted for an incoming bird, or tote all morning up and down trying to catch up w/ a ridge running turkey. Sorry, got off track.

For quite a few years, I turkey hunted with an heirloom pump cause it was all I had w/ a full choke (Savage Model 1921 12 ga) and shot either 1-1/8 or 1-1/4 oz of #6 shot. It killed birds fine inside 35 yds.

BTW what county in PA are you hunting? I killed my first turkey, lo those many years ago, in Blair county, with the above mentioned Savage, on a SGL near Tyrone, about 1976. You could hunt all season and never see or hear another guy.

April 15, 2011, 09:56 AM	#4
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,312	agreed When I was younger, the 16 ga was still popular and you could find "short magnums", which I think held 1-1/4 oz of shot. Not sure about that, 40 years ago ya know. I don't know if a short mag in the 16 is marketed today or not. I certainly have never seen any "dedicated" 16 ga turkey loads as are now the rage. In a 16 ga, I would go with #6 shot as l-bill advised. A load of 1-1/8 of #6 or maybe even 1-1/4 if you can find them, will be plenty for a turkey head/neck shot to 30-35 yds. Pattern your gun, (it is FULL choke right?) and get a sense of what 30-35 yds looks like in the woods, and you'll be fine. To me,and any gun of mine I've shot it through, #4 shot, even in 3" 12 ga mag, produces patterns that are a bit thin to my liking. The best gun I've seen for #4 was a buddy's Browning 10ga pump. It was formidable. It also weighed a ton, and was near impossible to keep mounted for an incoming bird, or tote all morning up and down trying to catch up w/ a ridge running turkey. Sorry, got off track. For quite a few years, I turkey hunted with an heirloom pump cause it was all I had w/ a full choke (Savage Model 1921 12 ga) and shot either 1-1/8 or 1-1/4 oz of #6 shot. It killed birds fine inside 35 yds. BTW what county in PA are you hunting? I killed my first turkey, lo those many years ago, in Blair county, with the above mentioned Savage, on a SGL near Tyrone, about 1976. You could hunt all season and never see or hear another guy.