How far can you shoot a turkey with 20 gauge? (2023)

What is the best 20-gauge shot size for turkey?

A standard 2 ¾-inch or 3-inch magnum tungsten load is more than enough for killing turkeys out past 50 yards. Additionally, the advantages of tungsten shells make 20-gauge shotguns indisputably effective turkey killers.

With 20-gauge ammunition, despite published accounts, it's best to keep it inside 140 yards.

That depends on the ammunition and choke. Small sized shot (#9-#7) may be effective out to 30 yards or so through more open chokes, larger shot is effective at longer ranges when shot through tighter chokes, maybe out to 50 yards. A slug can be pretty accurate to 100 yards and dangerous a good bit farther.

A typical premium 20-gauge, 2 ¾-inch sabot round starts with a muzzle speed of around 1,850 fps and delivers about 1,500 ft.

It's incredibly tough on turkeys and allows more versatility than most any other gun on the shelf. Look across the turkey-hunting community, and you just might find that the 20-gauge is the most popular shotgun in the turkey woods this spring.

There are several advantages to hunting turkeys with a 20 gauge versus a 12. First of all, most 20 gauges are a pound or two lighter than 12s, and as a result offer faster handling. Twenty-gauge shotguns are also more compact than 12s and usually have shorter barrels.

A 20-gauge shotgun produces between 11 and 19 ft-lbs of recoil energy depending on the load that is used. Most people find the recoil of a 20-gauge shotgun to be similar to that of a 6.5 Creedmoor rifle. The recoil is mild for any adult and most youth shooters.

The 20-gauge shotgun, also known as "20-bore", is a type of smooth-bore shotgun that fires a shell that is smaller in caliber (.615 in (15.6 mm)) than a 12-gauge shotgun (.729 in (18.5 mm)). It is often used by beginning shooters for target practice and for hunting small game.

For upland hunters who carry their shotguns over long distances, a 20 gauge might be the way to go. Plus, the close-range nature of most upland bird shots mitigates the 12's power advantage, and the lighter recoil on the 20 never hurt anyone's accuracy.

Well, it depends on the animal being hunted, the circumstances of the hunt, and the local hunting regulations. It is not legal to hunt big game with buckshot in many places, probably due to the fact that so many hunters wound and lose deer by shooting them with buckshot at too long of a range.

How far out is buckshot lethal?

Depending on the choke, buckshot loads in a 12-gauge shotgun can be effective against a human adversary out to 60 or 70 meters. However, in a cylinder-bore shotgun, the effective range of, for example, #00 buckshot is 40–50 meters. Beyond that range, the pattern is so wide that a reliable hit is not guaranteed.

The Dragon's Breath may be the coolest exotic shotgun rounds on this list. They may also be the most dangerous with a fairly high risk of starting a fire if used near anything dry and combustible.

Unmatched Long Range Accuracy

The SST^® Shotgun Slug delivers true 200 yard accuracy and you'll achieve sub-2" groups at 100 yards. No other slug gun ammo can come close to the performance of the SST^®.

The ballistic chart for one Winchester sabot lists a drop of only 2.2 inches at 100 yards.

Wild turkeys can run as fast as 25 miles per hour (and can fly as fast as 55 mph).

Pick suitable shot sizes

Shooters might use shot as small as #9 for very small birds like quail, or as large as #2 for large birds like geese and swans. For comparison, there are 585 #9 lead pellets in an ounce versus only 90 #2 pellets in an ounce. For turkey hunting, shot sizes 4, 5 and 6 will all work.

For a dedicated turkey rifle, though, the best choices are going to be in the lower velocity . 22- to . 25-caliber range, though there can be exceptions to that. High-velocity varmint calibers and bullets are made for explosive expansion on small game and can tear up a turkey.

What is the ideal barrel length for your turkey gun? Shorter barrels have become the general norm for turkey guns because they are more maneuverable and lighter to carry. Choosing a turkey gun with a barrel length between 21 – 24 inches will suit you well.

Full choke has tight constriction. The shot holds together even longer, making this choke good for squirrels, turkey, and other game shot at 40-yard and longer ranges. Turkey hunters sometimes use Extra Full or Turkey choke for even denser patterns at long range.

However, in general, the 410 will have around half to one-third the recoil of 20 gauge shells due to the 410 firing lighter payloads with smaller powder charges. Typical free recoil for a 410 is around 7-10 ft-lbs compared to 20-30 ft-lbs for a 20 ga.

What has more kick 12 or 20-gauge?

As 12 gauge shells pack a heavier payload of projectiles and powder they will always have more recoil than comparative 20 gauge ammo.

12 Gauge - Roughly 50% of shotgun sales in the United States are 12 gauge. It's the most versatile of all the gauges with a large variety of ammunition choices. The 12 gauge is powerful enough to hunt most types of game, yet it's not as heavy as a 10 gauge.

At close range, 20 gauge buckshot is typically just as effective as 12 gauge, but it can have a lot less recoil. Less recoil usually leads to better shot placement, and for a lot of people, it also means they are more likely to practice. Normally, I'm a big fan of this kind of thing.

410 is the bore diameter rather than the “gauge”. It's the smallest shotgun size with the next size up being the 28 ga at . 550 diameter. There is also the 9mm Flobert rimfire shot shell.

20 gauge is thicker wire than 22 gauge. Thick enough to be bold, but still easy to slip through your piercing. More minimalistic appearance. Both hoops are similar in ease of taking in and out.

Performance. Because a 12 gauge shotgun shell has more volume than a 20 gauge shotgun shell, it fits more powder and bigger projectiles. This means you will get a harder-hitting shot at a greater effective distance with a 12 gauge than you will with a 20 gauge.

000 buckshot, also known as triple aught buck, has one of the largest diameter pellet sizes found on the market today, making it great for both hunting and personal defense. When it comes to buckshot size, there are typically eight pellets with a diameter of .

A slug will generally penetrate deeper into a target than buckshot as it focuses all its energy into a smaller area. This can be a good or bad thing as shotgun slugs are known to over penetrate. For close range shots, buckshot is a better choice while slugs are more effective at longer distance shots.

While buckshot may not penetrate armor, the concussive effects would be devastating. Imagine what it would be like to be hit in the vest with eight to nine . 33cal rounds, My Hornady 8-pellet FTX 00 has a velocity of 1600fps, faster than most handgun bullets.

By spreading the sheets out, like in a home, we found that buckshot will penetrate 4 walls (8 sheets of sheetrock)easily. To see the results, please see, Rifles, Shotguns, And Walls. The slug penetrated all 12 boards.

How far will 000 buckshot travel?

I know that [#00 buckshot] penetrates a little more at 10 feet in the standard test, and for us, we verified that. It was about 14-ish inches on the #1 and around 18 on the #00. Then at 50, the #00 was penetrating about where the #1 was at 25.

As previous studies concluded, a truly lethal maximum effective range for an M885, 5.56 mm NATO projectile is about 200 to 250 meters (218- 273 yards).

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12 Gauge Rubber Slug (Extended Range)

12 Gauge Rubber Slugs are non-lethal wildlife control ammunition.

Maximum effective range is limited as much by the slug's rapid decay of energy and velocity as by its poor accuracy." Published in 1964, the "Fact Book" states that a typical 12-gauge, 1-ounce slug traveling at 1560 fps loses 60 percent of its energy at 100 yards.

A slug also becomes increasingly inaccurate with distance; out to 100 yards, it drops approximately five inches and has a maximum range of approximately 400 yards. In contrast, centerfire projectiles from rifles can travel anywhere from 300-1000+ yards. Shotgun slugs are best suited for uses over short ranges.

Slug guns must be zeroed (sighted-in) at a distance where the slug will impact the target while still in the supersonic phase of its flight. Most slugs become subsonic, travelling less than 1220 feet per second, slightly beyond a muzzle distance of 50 yards, thus making 50 yards the ideal zeroing distance.

Historically, the max effective range for an average shooter using a 12 gauge slug has been 100yards. Some accomplished shooters report ranges out to 250 yards.

What distance should I zero my shotgun?

Most slugs become subsonic, travelling less than 1220 feet per second, slightly beyond a muzzle distance of 50 yards, thus making 50 yards the ideal zeroing distance. Zeroing at 50 yards also cuts down, by approximately 60%, the chance of adjusting Windage error into your scope setting.

At 100 yards, the subsonic loads dropped more than 7 inches. The Stinger has about 50% more velocity and it only dropped two inches.

4 shot, with more than enough energy at then-accepted turkey killing ranges of 40 yards or less can glance off bone. Bourjaily goes on to write, “as a rule of thumb, lead 6s are reliable to 35 yards, lead 5s to 45.

Pick suitable shot sizes

Shooters might use shot as small as #9 for very small birds like quail, or as large as #2 for large birds like geese and swans. For comparison, there are 585 #9 lead pellets in an ounce versus only 90 #2 pellets in an ounce. For turkey hunting, shot sizes 4, 5 and 6 will all work.

It certainly will if you put the pattern around the head and neck of the bird. That should not be too hard to do seeing as how the bird will be somewhere from 10yds to 40 when you shoot.

Traditionally #6 lead is considered powerful enough to reliably penetrate a turkey's vitals out to 35, maybe 40 yards. Then it's time to step up to #5 or #4 shot. The downside to larger pellets is lower numbers of them in the swarm. Super tight turkey chokes can sometimes compensate for this, so try those.

But don't call too often – less is more. Calling every 15 minutes or so and starting off quieter and then getting more aggressive/louder as the day goes on are good rules of thumb. If you hear a hen, try to mimic her exact vocalizations.

When hunting wild turkeys with a shotgun, greater success is achieved when hunters shoot at the head and neck area of the bird. The most effective firearm shot for a turkey is to the head and neck. The preferred shot angle for bowhunters is broadside, aiming for the heart or lungs.

If you are using a needle injector you may have to use a coffee or spice grinder to make sure all dry herbs are small enough to fit through the needle and insert it into the breasts and thighs of the turkey. Inject each thigh and each side of the breast with 1/2 an ounce of marinade for every 5 lbs. of turkey.

40 yards is the typical shot distance for most turkey hunting scenarios, and so many turkey hunters start at this distance.

What time of day are most turkeys shot?

It's no secret that most turkeys are heard, seen, and killed in the morning. For some states, it's the only time you can hunt mandated by state game laws. But for those that are turkey hunting all day in the spring, the success can be great in the afternoons.

However, just because we... Given the state of turkey chokes and loads, we can now kill turkeys to 60 yards. However, just because we can do something doesn't mean we should, and the best range to shoot a wild turkey remains 20-30 yards.

5 lead shot will place about 100 to 130 pellets in a 10-inch circle at 40 yards. However, a 3-inch 12-gauge load with 1¾ ounces of No. 7 TSS shot will put about 200 hits in a 10-inch circle at 40 steps, and an equivalent load of No. 9 TSS shot will tally about 350 hits.

Tungsten and bismuth shot have taken the turkey hunting and waterfowling world by storm, and Federal TSS loads are among the best. Non-toxic loads began as an alternative to steel for waterfowl hunters but were quickly recognized for their lethality and long-range performance in the turkey woods.

It doesn't spread out as much and gets more shot on the target at longer ranges. Special turkey chokes create even a tighter pattern and ultimately increases the lethal range of the shotgun. For my tests I set my targets at 25 yards, about the average distance a turkey is shot in the spring season.