Oh my. Put a scope on a 11-87

ligonierbill · December 28, 2024, 06:21 PM

I decided to make a dedicated turkey gun out of my 11-87, so I mounted a TruGlo scope and screwed in a "turkey" choke. Laser sighted, which feels strange for a shotgun. I need to pattern this thing. Going all in on turkey next spring.

What is your favorite turkey load?

jmr40 · December 28, 2024, 10:10 PM

I always used 3" #5's when I hunted with a 12. The last few years I've been u using a 3" 20 with 1 1/4 oz of #6's. These are a mid-priced load, about $40 for 10 shells. They are good for 35-40 yards.

If I were going to that much trouble, I'd spring for TSS loads, about $70 for a box of 5. I've never used them but have read reports of 70+ yard shots.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1019776962?pid=304918

eastbank · December 30, 2024, 06:51 PM

i have used the tss #9 and with 7 shells i killed 6 turkeys, the longest shot was 47 yards, with that turkey dead now, now movement at all. i like them and with cost of everything from breakfest-gas-license ect, at 6.00 a shell(i did stock up at that price).

Ricklin · January 2, 2025, 01:24 PM

License, tags, transport, lodging hit the major cost categories for "going hunting" Just how many of those 7-8 dollar per shell TSS loads might we fire?
When the total cost of hunting is considered, the cost of the ammo can amount to a rounding error.

ligonierbill · January 2, 2025, 02:17 PM

I ordered some Winchester "Long Beard XR", and I have a few older turkey loads on the shelf. I'll pattern those first and get the gun sighted in (still feels strange for a shotgun). Then I'll try some TSS. Where I hunt (southeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania), it's unlikely a shot will be much more than 40 yards. But I sure don't want to lose a gobbler by saving a couple bucks.

bamaranger · January 4, 2025, 02:29 AM

Now you've donei it, you've got me talking turkey, and it's still deer season here in 'bama!!!!!

My favorite turkey load now since it's introduction in 2014 has been the Winchester XR. Specifically, 12 ga, 3-inch, 1-3/4oz of #5 shot. I use this load in both a Rem 870 w/ 20" bbl and Rem-choke superfull turkey tube, and a Moss 835 with 24"bbl, and a Colonial copy of the old StarDot .676" choke tube.

In my guns, this load patterns very well, (too well?) putting 200 plus pellets on a sheet of typing paper at 30 yds. Using a a simple sheet of paper to pattern turkey guns has been my standard measure for many years. The Remington set-up delivers very dense centers, the Mossberg will put the same pellet count on the sheet, but the pattern is more evenly distributed and thus a wee bit more forgiving. These shells, in my guns, will produce a higher pellet count with 1-3/4 oz of #5 shot, than 2 oz loads from years back using #6 shot!!!!!!! I will not cloud the air with the math numbers, but 2oz of #6 is a far higher pellet count pay load than 1-3/4 oz of #5. Yet the XR-#5's will deliver more pellets , heavier pellets, at higher velocity. They truly are a step ahead in lead shot and are quite possibly the best lead shot load on the market.

I have long advocated some type of sights on a turkey gun beyond the standard single bead and in recent years both of my turkey guns are now scoped. The reason is that shotgunning a gobbler is a lot different than dropping ducks. The target is small, the chokes are tight with super dense patterns and it is more akin to shooting a rifle......really. It is entirely possible to miss a gobbler with a tight shooting turkey shotgun at 30-35 yds......having done so myself, several times, in recent seasons!

One is working with a pattern not much bigger than a volleyball-basketball at those distances.....mash the trigger, shoot awkwardly from a cramped position, rush the shot...old 'Tom may well get to gobble another day!.

Interestingly, I am going to mount a base on the 870 this season. In years past I used a saddle type mount as my gun is old enough to not be drilled and tapped. The wonky saddle mount is susceptible to knocks and has cost me two gobblers. I really need to get that project underway....deer season or not.

One thing I'll add here about 'scopes. Turkey season in spring, in most states, includes ........RAIN and wet conditions. I run Leupold scopes on my turkey guns and recommend a good name scope on any shotgun headed to the woods for gobblers for that reason. Same with a dot.....get a good one, waterproof, tough and long battery life.

I have no experience with TSS shot, but read all sorts of incredible commentary on performance afield. It is all the rage here amongst gobbler hunters who will pay it and they sing it's praises loudly. Many hardcore guys have gone to 20 ga guns w/TSS 'cause they're lighter, kick less and still give gobbler killing performance at any decent range. There is no doubt that TSS shot is superior to lead.........but I am not sure that the extra yardage and penetration that TSS brings to the table is necessary, or worth the added substantial cost. I see it akin to using a .300 mag on whitetails. If you want to.....go ahead, but standard loads work just fine as well within reasonable ranges.

I will go out on a limb and claim that I am a big advocate of #5 shot in lead. There is a very convincing study done by a guy named Tom ROSTER (?), who shot game farm turkeys and turkey carcasses and did extensive x-ray and autopsy on same. Past a surprisingly short distance ( I want to say 35 yds but could be mistaken) #6 lead did not look so good at all. That study can still be found online, and I started a thread on it some months back.

Now.....#6 lead has killed a bunch of turkeys. I shot a 2-1/4 oz load (not a missprint) of #6 lead from the old shot shell maker ACTIV for about a decade. I killed a good many gobblers with it. That cloud of about 600 pellets (more math) would absolutely pepper a gobblers noggin.......but in reflection I found I had to stomp quite a few birds shot around 40 yds or so. When I switched to #5 lead I noticed immediately I was getting cleaner kills. In all my turkey guns, lead #4 has never delivered dense enough patterns to satisfy me. That said, I have never patterned the XR shell with #4 shot, which might be a different story. But I have had such success with #5 lead, and laid in such a supply, that at this point I see no need to change or experiment further.

December 28, 2024, 06:21 PM	#1
ligonierbill Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2007 Posts: 2,647	Oh my. Put a scope on a 11-87 I decided to make a dedicated turkey gun out of my 11-87, so I mounted a TruGlo scope and screwed in a "turkey" choke. Laser sighted, which feels strange for a shotgun. I need to pattern this thing. Going all in on turkey next spring. What is your favorite turkey load?

December 28, 2024, 10:10 PM	#2
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,974	I always used 3" #5's when I hunted with a 12. The last few years I've been u using a 3" 20 with 1 1/4 oz of #6's. These are a mid-priced load, about $40 for 10 shells. They are good for 35-40 yards. If I were going to that much trouble, I'd spring for TSS loads, about $70 for a box of 5. I've never used them but have read reports of 70+ yard shots. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1019776962?pid=304918 __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

December 30, 2024, 06:51 PM	#3
eastbank Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2008 Location: pa. Posts: 2,512	i have used the tss #9 and with 7 shells i killed 6 turkeys, the longest shot was 47 yards, with that turkey dead now, now movement at all. i like them and with cost of everything from breakfest-gas-license ect, at 6.00 a shell(i did stock up at that price).

January 2, 2025, 01:24 PM	#4
Ricklin Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Location: SW Washington state Posts: 2,392	Consider the total coast License, tags, transport, lodging hit the major cost categories for "going hunting" Just how many of those 7-8 dollar per shell TSS loads might we fire? When the total cost of hunting is considered, the cost of the ammo can amount to a rounding error. __________________ ricklin Freedom is not free

January 2, 2025, 02:17 PM	#5
ligonierbill Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2007 Posts: 2,647	I ordered some Winchester "Long Beard XR", and I have a few older turkey loads on the shelf. I'll pattern those first and get the gun sighted in (still feels strange for a shotgun). Then I'll try some TSS. Where I hunt (southeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania), it's unlikely a shot will be much more than 40 yards. But I sure don't want to lose a gobbler by saving a couple bucks.

January 4, 2025, 02:29 AM	#6
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,799	loads Now you've donei it, you've got me talking turkey, and it's still deer season here in 'bama!!!!! My favorite turkey load now since it's introduction in 2014 has been the Winchester XR. Specifically, 12 ga, 3-inch, 1-3/4oz of #5 shot. I use this load in both a Rem 870 w/ 20" bbl and Rem-choke superfull turkey tube, and a Moss 835 with 24"bbl, and a Colonial copy of the old StarDot .676" choke tube. In my guns, this load patterns very well, (too well?) putting 200 plus pellets on a sheet of typing paper at 30 yds. Using a a simple sheet of paper to pattern turkey guns has been my standard measure for many years. The Remington set-up delivers very dense centers, the Mossberg will put the same pellet count on the sheet, but the pattern is more evenly distributed and thus a wee bit more forgiving. These shells, in my guns, will produce a higher pellet count with 1-3/4 oz of #5 shot, than 2 oz loads from years back using #6 shot!!!!!!! I will not cloud the air with the math numbers, but 2oz of #6 is a far higher pellet count pay load than 1-3/4 oz of #5. Yet the XR-#5's will deliver more pellets , heavier pellets, at higher velocity. They truly are a step ahead in lead shot and are quite possibly the best lead shot load on the market. I have long advocated some type of sights on a turkey gun beyond the standard single bead and in recent years both of my turkey guns are now scoped. The reason is that shotgunning a gobbler is a lot different than dropping ducks. The target is small, the chokes are tight with super dense patterns and it is more akin to shooting a rifle......really. It is entirely possible to miss a gobbler with a tight shooting turkey shotgun at 30-35 yds......having done so myself, several times, in recent seasons! One is working with a pattern not much bigger than a volleyball-basketball at those distances.....mash the trigger, shoot awkwardly from a cramped position, rush the shot...old 'Tom may well get to gobble another day!. Interestingly, I am going to mount a base on the 870 this season. In years past I used a saddle type mount as my gun is old enough to not be drilled and tapped. The wonky saddle mount is susceptible to knocks and has cost me two gobblers. I really need to get that project underway....deer season or not. One thing I'll add here about 'scopes. Turkey season in spring, in most states, includes ........RAIN and wet conditions. I run Leupold scopes on my turkey guns and recommend a good name scope on any shotgun headed to the woods for gobblers for that reason. Same with a dot.....get a good one, waterproof, tough and long battery life. I have no experience with TSS shot, but read all sorts of incredible commentary on performance afield. It is all the rage here amongst gobbler hunters who will pay it and they sing it's praises loudly. Many hardcore guys have gone to 20 ga guns w/TSS 'cause they're lighter, kick less and still give gobbler killing performance at any decent range. There is no doubt that TSS shot is superior to lead.........but I am not sure that the extra yardage and penetration that TSS brings to the table is necessary, or worth the added substantial cost. I see it akin to using a .300 mag on whitetails. If you want to.....go ahead, but standard loads work just fine as well within reasonable ranges. I will go out on a limb and claim that I am a big advocate of #5 shot in lead. There is a very convincing study done by a guy named Tom ROSTER (?), who shot game farm turkeys and turkey carcasses and did extensive x-ray and autopsy on same. Past a surprisingly short distance ( I want to say 35 yds but could be mistaken) #6 lead did not look so good at all. That study can still be found online, and I started a thread on it some months back. Now.....#6 lead has killed a bunch of turkeys. I shot a 2-1/4 oz load (not a missprint) of #6 lead from the old shot shell maker ACTIV for about a decade. I killed a good many gobblers with it. That cloud of about 600 pellets (more math) would absolutely pepper a gobblers noggin.......but in reflection I found I had to stomp quite a few birds shot around 40 yds or so. When I switched to #5 lead I noticed immediately I was getting cleaner kills. In all my turkey guns, lead #4 has never delivered dense enough patterns to satisfy me. That said, I have never patterned the XR shell with #4 shot, which might be a different story. But I have had such success with #5 lead, and laid in such a supply, that at this point I see no need to change or experiment further.