For the past seven years, the online database has given those who cap their own cartridges the chance to research potential loads using the entire arsenal of the powder manufacturer’s products. It’s hard to imagine how Hodgdon could improve on the RDC, but it has.
The Kansas-based company upgraded the database recently, giving it a clean new look and making it more compatible with tablets. But Hodgdon has done more than tweaked the fonts and colors of its online database. The company has made it more user friendly.
The handiest upgrade is how data is presented. Once the different load variables are selected, the data is laid out in easy-to-manage drop-down menus, cataloged by bullet weight. This knocks down a lot of the clutter of the old version, which — with a large amount of data — had all the charm of an actuarial table.
The RDC has also kept current with all of Hodgdon's products. For instance, data on the company's brand spanking new Copper Fouling Eraser line of propellents is already available. And given the database's history, expect the company to stay up on such pertinent information.
Diehard users of the RDC will be happy to find many of the little tricks they used to research loads and powders still viable. One of the slickest is choosing a type of powder, then discovering its compatible calibers. A propellent ubiquitous in a gun collection can save a ton of time, given more than one caliber can be loaded in a session without having to swap out powder from the hopper.
The RDC is far from just a tool identify Hodgdon products, it also provides the all data needed to build a cartridge. The database gives such vitals as minimum and maximum charges, velocity, chamber pressure, case overall length, trim length, among other data for rifle, shotgun and handgun loads. And the RDC's tips and tricks section is also worth a look; new and seasoned handloaders are certain to find its wealth of information useful.
The RDC has its limitations, the first is it obviously only deals with Hodgdon products. If you don’t fill your hopper with Hodgdon, IMR or Winchester powders the database might be superfluous. And while there is a wide spectrum of bullet makes and styles represented, by no means is the catalog exhaustive. Honestly, though, what reloading manual could ever cover every base?
Hodgdon's RDC is as good as it gets when it comes to free reloading tools. And with its recent update, the online database has gotten a little better.
TriStar Arms has had great success with its Raptor ATAC personal defense shotgun. Now the company has taken aim at the sporting world, offering the 12 gauge in a turkey hunting model.
Depending on who you talk to, Turkish-made shotguns are either the bane of all scatterguns lovers' existence or are solid-performing firearms at a great price.
Overall, TriStar Arms' Raptor ATAC seems to have earned the latter reputation. The Turkish-made semi-automatic personal protection shotgun has been around for a couple years now and has won its share of kudos from value-minded shooters.
It should come as no surprise that TirStar has aimed to build off the gun’s success. The Kansas City, Mo., importer has introduced the tactical shotgun to the sporting world with a model tweaked for turkey season.
The Raptor ATAC Turkey shotgun is built around the same receiver as its defensive cousin, but it has a number of features meant to make it easier to bag a long beard.
The 12-guage shotgun is patterned in Mossy Oak Break Up camouflage on its stock and foregrip, to keep it stealthy around the jittery birds. It features a 24-inch barrel and chambers five 3-inch shells extending its reach to make the long shot. And it has a removable choke that is fitted with Beretta Mobile threads and comes with one extended turkey choke tube.
The gun comes with all the standard features of the Raptor line, including Picatinny rail for the easily addition of the optic of your choice. But the shotgun is ready to shoot out of the box, outfitted with a ghost ring sight. The chamber and barrel are also chrome lined, prolonging the firearm's lifespan and making it easier to clean. The MSRP on the Raptor ATAC Turkey Shotgun is $489.
To be certain, the Raptor might not be the first choice for seasoned turkey hunters, whose tastes might run more towards legacy guns that will be handed down to the next generation. But for someone looking to see if they have the taste for the sport, the relatively inexpensive gun appears to be an option.
The question of what a cartridge's name means is not as clear today as it was back in the good ‘ol days.
Wild Bill Shakespeare tells us that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Meaning, I guess, that the names of things aren’t as important as their essence.
Ha! Try telling that to cartridge manufacturers. Quantum physics is a game of Candyland compared to figuring out our American “system” of cartridge names. It wasn’t always so bad. Before the era of self-contained metallic cartridges, life was sunny and shooters hadn’t a care in the world.
From left to right, the .32 Short, .32 Long and .32 Extra Long. The .32 Extra Short (not shown), for example, was a .32-caliber cartridge that was, well, pretty damn short. The .32 Extra Long (right) was pretty damn long. The .32 Long (middle) was just kinda average.
After all, if you knew the approximate caliber of your rifle, all you had to do was to dump a palmful of blackpowder down the bore, stuff in a spit-patched ball or conical bullet, cap ‘er up, and let fly. Life was simpler then. The sky was crusted o’er with bluebirds. Dan’l Boone wore a big toothy smile, and injuns grinned and waved as he shot them.
Things were almost as straightforward when the combustible paper cartridge briefly superseded loose powder and shot during the Civil War. Used in guns such as the Sharps carbines and infantry rifles, the combustible cartridge was nothing more than a powder-stuffed paper tube tied to a bullet.
These paper rounds looked like scaled-down Dutch Masters panatelas and smelled almost as good when they burned. You distinguished one from another pretty much by pointing your finger and saying “this one” or “that one.” But they worked just fine, though they sometimes got wet, fell apart, or obstinately failed to combust.
But the paper cartridge was obsolete before it even got started. Years earlier, in the 1840’s, some anonymous European tinkerer had stuffed a .22 round ball into a percussion cap, and voila! the metallic cartridge was born. It was a monumental technological step forward, but before long the waters had become hopelessly muddy, especially in regard to distinguishing one cartridge from another. The only way to do that was with a name, and therein lay the rub.
Many of the earliest metallic rimfire cartridges, all of them by necessity blackpowder, bore honorific names indicating the inventor of the rifle for which they were chambered. These names were always informative but rarely memorable, to wit: .44 Henry Flat, .56 Spencer, .58 Miller. If you carried a Miller rifle, you needed a Miller cartridge, and that was that. You were safe as long as you could read a cartridge box.
Other early rimfires bore bland dimensional names that gave you a rough idea of their relative length and hence power: .32 Extra Short, .32 Short, .32 Long, .32 Long Rifle, .32 Extra Long. Some of these latter cartridges might have reached a length of several feet had the supply of adjectives held out. What these early names lacked in romance they made up for in meaning.
The .32 Extra Short, for example, was a .32-caliber cartridge that was, well, pretty damn short. The .32 Extra Long was pretty damn long. The .32 Long was just kinda average.
But such simple nomenclatural logic started falling apart in the mid-1860’s when bottlenecked cartridges were invented. Because many of the early lever-action repeaters were restricted to fairly short cartridges, the only ways to cram more powder behind a bullet were to blow out the case shoulder or squeeze down the case neck, both of which also improved headspacing and feeding.
The 56-56 Spencer. The first number referred to the caliber of the original straight case; the second to that of the necked-down derivative case. Or something like that. Photo by Hmaag.
Thus when Christopher M. Spencer necked down his original straight-cased .56 Spencer rimfire to .46, he thought it proper to call the new smallbore round the .56-.46 Spencer, combining both its names in the hyphenated style so common nowadays in chic yuppy marriages. The first number referred to the caliber of the original straight case; the second to that of the necked-down derivative case.
So far, so good. But Spencer soon realized that folks might confuse the .56-46 with his original .56, so he took to calling the earlier round the .56-.56 Spencer. This retroactive christening may have enlightened some shooters, but it left others looking in vain for a bottleneck that wasn’t there. To alleviate some of the mess he had created, Spencer helpfully referred to the .56-.46 cartridge as both the “#46” and the “46/100” in his catalogues. Good old #46.
Realizing that his supply of numerals was virtually inexhaustible, Kit Spencer fell victim to a mad frenzy of bottlenecking. Before the end of the decade, you could buy a Spencer rifle (the gun you “loaded on Sunday and shot all week”) in .56-.56 Spencer, .56-.52 Spencer, .56-.50 Spencer, or .56-.46 Spencer. And those were just the fifty-sixes! Within a few years, Spencer’s bottleneck fever had spread to a promising upstart, former shirt manufacturer Oliver Winchester, d/b/a Winchester Repeating Arms, Co.
Ever the innovator, Ollie Winchester modified B. Tyler Henry’s .44 Henry Flat rimfire into a centerfire in 1873, crimped on a tiny bottleneck, and gave the world the .44-40 Winchester (aka .44 WCF). He was just getting warmed up.
Flinging his cravat to the floor and hollering, “Don’t stop me, boys!” Winchester then bottlenecked the already-bottlenecked .44-40 even further, which resulted in the .38-40 Winchester (aka .38 WCF). Now shooters had to digest a new nomenclatural pattern quite unlike Spencer’s, one in which the first number (e.g., .44 or .38) referred to caliber and the second (e.g., 40) to the cartridge’s black powder charge expressed in grains.
Over the years, Winchester and his minions begat a brood of hyphenated cartridges (.40-65, .40-72, etc., etc., etc.) that still leaves us scratching our heads today. The last known outbreak of bottleneck fever ravaged New Haven, Connecticut, in 1882, leaving the .32-20 WCF and .25-20 WCF in its wake.
The .45-70-405 Government cartridge of 1873 combined a 405-gr. .45-caliber lead bullet with 70 grains of black powder.
Confusing as they sometimes were, at least the old blackpowder cartridge designations meant something. They had to. Back in those days, you couldn’t just saddle up Ol’ Bo and gallop over the ridge to the nearest Wal-Mart when your rifle ran dry.
You had to handload your ammunition, pilgrim, and you better know how to do it. Many of the old blackpowder cartridge designations were really just cheat-sheets that told you how to put together a given load. The .45-70-405 Government cartridge of 1873, for example, combined a 405-gr. .45-caliber lead bullet with 70 grains of black powder.
The .45-90-405 was a longer version of the Government with an extra 20 grains of blackpowder. The massive .50-140-3-1/4 Sharps of 1880 threw together a .50-caliber bullet, a whopping 140 grains of blackpowder, and a 3-1/4”-long brass case. I assume you hired someone to fire it for you.
Things got a little gray in 1895 when the first American smokeless cartridges, the .30-30 and .25-35 WCF, hit the stores. Judging by name alone, you might think that these were old-formula blackpowder cartridges like the .44-40 and .38-40, but not so. The “-30” and “-35” represented the grain weight of the cartridges’ smokeless powder charges.
Not that the industry actually encouraged anyone to go out and reload the new smokeless cartridges. William T. Lyman, in his Ideal Handbook, implied that the new-fangled powder was only a little less touchy than nitroglycerin. Everybody was ignorant about the new “whitepowder,” as it was called in those early days, and cartridge manufacturers had nightmares about Farmer Brown over in Zanesville topping off a .30-30 case with Dupont smokeless shotgun powder and blowing his durn fool head clean off.
Anyway, the smallbore, fast-twist .30-30 and .25-35 rifles became hopelessly clogged with fouling if blackpowder was used in them, so Winchester hit on a happy idea that no doubt tickled Bill Lyman: the .32 Winchester Special of 1895. The .32 WS was a smokeless cartridge meant to be reloaded with blackpowder. It’s still a good deer cartridge, especially (as Frank Barnes says) “for those who don’t believe that smokeless powder is here to stay.”
In those waning days of the 19th century, two commandments governed the firearms industry:
I)Thou shalt not underbid a government contract. II)Thou shalt not put a competitor’s name on thine own product.
When the .25-35 Winchester of 1895 (left) appeared to be enjoying healthy sales, Marlin jumped into the fray with their own version, the .25-36 Marlin (right). (That “-36” was supposed to fool everybody.)
For this last reason, every successful new cartridge was viciously knocked-off by the competition, usually in slightly modified form to avoid charges of plagiarism.
For example, when the .25-35 Winchester of 1895 appeared to be enjoying healthy sales, Marlin jumped into the fray with their own version, the .25-36 Marlin. (That “-36” was supposed to fool everybody.) The Marlin round’s case dimensions differed enough from the Winchester’s that the two were not interchangeable, as some oafish shooters discovered when their rifles wouldn’t feed or eject properly.
Remington, which didn’t offer a lever-action design, had to sulk in its corner until 1906, when they introduced a rimless version of the .25-35 in their famous Model 8 autoloading rifle. The new Remington cartridge, called (surprise!) the .25-35 Remington—later the plain old .25 Remington–was one of three Remington rimless clones of well-established Winchester rimmed rounds, the other two being the .30-30 and .32 Remington. A fourth chambering, the .35 Remington, appears to have been original.
Sometimes fin-de-siecle smokeless cartridges were named to avoid confusion with existing blackpowder cartridges. We’ve seen that the .32 Winchester Special really was special, in a dumb kind of way, but ever wonder what’s so special about the .38 Special?
Today, it doesn’t seem very remarkable at all, but when it was introduced in 1898 it seemed, well, special when compared to the shorter, slower .38 S&W blackpowder round introduced in 1871. (To make matters worse, the .38 S&W itself later became known as both the .380 and the .38/200. Take your pick.)
Similarly, the .45 Colt cartridge of 1873 used to be called the .45 Long Colt, at least in non-military circles. The “Long” distinguished it from its “short” counterpart, the .45 Schofield, which was chambered in the huge S&W Army Model top-break revolver designed in part by Major George W. Schofield.
Later, the “Long” seemed a conversational necessity to avoid confusion with the shorter, smokeless .45 ACP, first chambered in a subdued form in the 1905 Colt Automatic Pistol, and the .45 Auto Rim, chambered in the no-nonsense 1917 Smith & Wesson and Colt army revolvers.
Wildcat cartridges have some of the niftiest names. Take Bill Eichelberger’s 10-caliber or 14-caliber wildcats, for example. Shown next to a factory 25 ACP case are the 10 Eichelberger Dart, and its bigger brother, the 14 Eichelberger Dart. The little brother can send a 10-caliber, 7.2-grain bullet to over 3000 fps; the larger sibling pushes a 14-caliber, 10-grain projectile to almost 3000 fps. Photo courtesy Cartridges of the World, 11th Edition.
Flowing through this verbal muck was the curious convention that the term ”.45 Colt” always referred to a cartridge while “Colt .45” always referred to a gun. But which gun? The Colt 1873 Single Action Army, the Colt 1878 Double Action Revolver, the Colt 1917 Army revolver, or the Colt 1905 or 1911 automatic pistols?
The term ”.45 Colt” always referred to a cartridge while “Colt .45” always referred to a gun. But which gun? The Colt 1873 Single Action Army, the Colt 1878 Double Action Revolver, the Colt 1917 Army revolver, or the Colt 1905 or 1911 automatic pistols? Photo by Hmaag.
Such ambiguity could have caused endless confusion in the trenches of No Man’s Land: “Quick! The Hun’s coming over the top, private! Toss me that Colt .45! No, not that one—that one! No, not that one! That one! No, that one! Now throw me that box of .45 Colt. No, not that one–that one! No! Not that one, you idiot!—whoops!” It’s a wonder we’re not all speaking German, nicht wahr?
After the end of the first War to End All Wars, talented tinkerers began wildcatting existing rounds into cartridges offering superior performance or greater efficiency. With forgivable vanity, these ballistic cowboys often stamped their own names on their latest creations.
Today everyone has heard of the competent .25-06 Remington, but who remembers that it first saw the light of day in 1920 as the .25 Niedner, named after its inventor, A.O. “Pop” Niedner of Dowagiac, Michigan?
Possibly to compete with the wildcatters, the major ammunition manufacturers toyed for an all-too-brief period in the ‘30’s with jazzy, art-deco names for their latest creations: .22 Hornet, .220 Swift, .219 Zipper, .218 Bee. The last great cartridge name of this sort was the .221 Remington Fireball (1967), chambered in the Remington XP-100 bolt-action pistol. None of these stylishly-named cartridges set any sales records, however, and manufacturers have since reverted to humdrum proprietary names such as the .416 Remington and .450 Marlin. Yawn.
Savage seems to have been something of an iconoclast when it came to naming new cartridges. One of the very few manufacturers to break the Second Commandment when it chambered its Model 1899 lever-action in .30-30 Winchester, Savage had a knack for giving its proprietary cartridges rather sexy names.
In addition to the High Power and the Imp, Savage was responsible for the .250-3000 Savage. This was not a .25-caliber case crammed with 3000 grains of powder (oh, don’t be silly) but an excellent .25 that blasted an 87-grain bullet out the spout at the unprecedented velocity of 3000 feet per second. Later, when velocity dropped below 3000 fps with a 100-grain bullet, Savage emasculated the name into the plain old .250 Savage.
Of course, if one name doesn’t work out, you can always try another. Case in point: the .244 /6mm Remington. When Remington introduced the .244 in 1956 to counter the .243 Winchester, they assumed that its primary use would be as a varmint cartridge in their slow-rifled Model 740 semi-auto rifle. Winchester, on the other hand, marketed the .243 as a combination varmint/medium game cartridge and rifled their guns with a slower 1:12 twist to stabilize the .243’s longer deer and antelope bullets. Voting with their wallets, the shooting public favored the .243 ten-to-one over the .244.
Calling time-out and going into a quick huddle, Remington decided to re-rifle the 740 for the more forgiving 1:12 twist. By that time, however, the .244 had gathered considerable unwanted PR baggage, so Remington decided to change the name of the cartridge to the 6mm Remington. The rest, as they say, is history.
Remington must have felt a bit of deja-vu in regard to their excellent .280 Remington. Twenty years after its 1959 introduction, Remington’s marketeers decided to capitalize on the 7mm craze by relabeling the .280 the 7mm Remington Express.
The .218 Bee — a jazzy, 1930s art-deco name if ever there was one.
The wisdom of this strategy was no doubt incontrovertibly proved in reams of corporate memos and white papers. When sales of the Express began to smell bad, Remington wiped the egg from its face, did a few months’ penance, and reintroduced the Express as—ta da!—the .280 Remington. Which just goes to show that, as Emerson said, it’s funny how things work out sometimes.
Even the most dull-witted shooter, among whose ranks I occasionally number, realizes that a cartridge’s given caliber designation needn’t bear any relation to the actual diameter of its bullet.
The .357 Magnum is just a long .38 Special, which is pretty much a 9mm, which is actually a .356-caliber, which dimension is also applied—now, keep up with me here—to the .356 Winchester rifle cartridge, which uses the same size bullet as the .358 Winchester, the .35 Remington, the .350 Remington Magnum, and the .35 Whelen. But don’t you dare confuse any of these thirty-fives with the .351 Winchester Self-Loader, which was, surprisingly, actually a .351-caliber. Somebody in New Haven must have got himself fired for that one.
The .308 Winchester is considered a .30-caliber, as are the .30-30, the .300 Winchester Magnum, the .300 H&H, the .300 Weatherby Magnum, the .300 Savage, the .30 Carbine, the .30-40 Krag, the .30 Remington, the .30 Mauser, the .30 Luger—but also the .303 Savage, the .307 Winchester, the 7.5 French MAS (how did that get in there?), and of course the .32 ACP, which is also known as the 7.65–not to be confused with the 7.62, which is just another name for the .308 Winchester, which is where we started in the first place. If this makes sense, you may have a career in the ammunition industry.
Lately, in the pre-dawn hours when every paranoid fantasy seems not only plausible but imminent, I’ve been waking up in a clammy sweat, fresh from nightmares about hideous wildcats. The .50-140-3-1/4/.38-40 Sharps-Winchester. The .45-.45-.45/.38/.32 Colt & Wesson. The .58/.25 Henry Miller Gallager Spencer Sharps Winchester. The 7.65/7.62/7.5-.458 Necked-Up Magnum.
I’d chalk it up to indigestion if it weren’t so close to the truth.
In this Taurus CTG29 review, the author found the carbine to be both fun and ideal for home defense.
Chambered in both 9mm and .40 S&W, the newly released Taurus CTG29 carbine is a combination of rugged synthetics and alloy steel that seems tough enough for all kinds of endeavors, from tactical competitions to plinking and home defense.
The Taurus CTG29 carbine is chambered for the 9mm and the .40 S&W cartridges, and is a combination of alloy steel and synthetic that should be right at home in tough climates. Easy to field strip, the CTG29 comes apart pretty much like an AR-type rifle.
Hitting the scale at 6.6 pounds empty, this new semi-automatic carbine has a full-length Picatinny-type rail on top with detachable front and rear high-profile sights, ambidextrous safety switch, a pair of 10-round detachable magazines, 16-inch barrel and synthetic skeleton stock. The rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation, and features both peep and square notch with white outline apertures.
The carbine also comes with a sling and rugged hard carrying case with interior foam padding, plus a hefty cable lock for security. You will also find a cable cleaning tool with brush and slotted patch jag.
The case has four latches and may be locked for travel.
The CTG29 features a straight blowback-operated system and fires from a closed bolt position. The cocking handle is on the left side of the gun ahead of the main receiver, above the barrel when it arrives, but it is reversible to allow charging with the right hand instead. As a right-handed shooter, I just left it where it was.
There is also a molded rail at the bottom of the forend handguard, which is designed for mounting additional rails on either right or left side. I have never seen the need for tricking out an urban carbine with all kinds of accessories. They add weight to the firearm and it is not clear what other tactical advantage that they provide.
Rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation, and features both a square notch and peep apertures.
One might fit a laser on one side and a flashlight on the other for work in the dark or subdued light, of course, because a lot of shooters utilize those things.
Because of the weight of this carbine, recoil is negligible to non-existent. I fired a fair amount of ammunition through one of two test rifles, and frankly, I cannot recall noticing any recoil at all. It’s probably comparable to a .22 Long Rifle semi-auto, though certainly louder.
One thing I noticed after several rapid-fire drills was that the breech and muzzle smoked pretty well. That may be a result of different propellants in the ammunition I used.
Out to 100 Yards
Because the 9mm and .40 S&W are capable of longer-range effectiveness, it would not be out of the realm of good sense to shoot at a target out to 100 yards, and since mounting a scope is possible with the new Taurus, it will not be surprising to see someone do this.
Disassembly is accomplished by sliding out (from right to left) the rear-retaining pin that holds the top end of the receiver to the bottom. The top pivots forward as on an AR platform, and the bolt assembly is withdrawn at the rear.
Front sight is a simple post with white dot protected by a synthetic ring.
My test gun was chambered for the 9mm round, and the gun went along with me on an early October big game scouting trek in central Washington’s Cascades. It rode around on some pretty bumpy roads and ate a lot of dust, and that didn’t seem to bother it.
My judgment is that this carbine would be a good fit for someone in need of a tough little gun to have in an emergency, and since ammunition supplies are beginning to loosen up a bit, keeping the CTG29 running should not be a problem. It will be even less a problem for anyone who reloads.
For home defense in both rural and urban settings, one could do worse than a carbine that fires either the 9mm or .40 S&W cartridge. There is a variety of ammunition available in either caliber, and my guess is that it will all cycle, as I ran this gun with both hardball and hollow-point 9mm rounds. I’d also suggest that the longer carbine barrel should get the most out of either pistol cartridge.
Ergonomically, this is a well-designed firearm, with a textured grip surface on the front end of the extended magazine well that allows for a non-slip handhold. That didn’t impress me as much as the ample magazine release, which is a rather large toggle confined in its own little space behind the magazine well. Positioned this way, it should be nearly impossible for the magazine to be accidentally released.
Shooting the Taurus CTG29.
The buttplate is grooved to help prevent slippage on the shoulder, and it is pretty tough. Overall length of the G2 is 36 inches, and one thing I quickly learned about it is that the sight radius can be changed a bit from its factory-set 12.6 inches. I ran the rear sight back to 15 inches by simply pressing upward on the keepers on both sides of the rear sight housing and working it back along the rail.
Tight Groupings
At 25 yards, I was able to pull in a couple of pretty tight groups using nothing but the factory sights. No doubt with a scope on this gun, one would be shooting one-holers all day long at twice that range, and probably not bad out to 100.
Out on the trail, I opened up on a pumpkin at 50 yards with a couple of rounds fired off hand and popped that orange blob both times.
One thing I noticed was that the double-stack magazines get pretty stiff to load as you top them off with the ninth and tenth rounds. That’s why it might be a good idea to invest in a magazine loading tool.
Before anyone thinks these are merely pistol magazines, guess again. They appear to be proprietary to the carbine. They are tough, made from steel with bright yellow followers and flat base plates, and may be disassembled for cleaning.
For predator control, the 9mm or .40 S&W both pack a punch, and that goes for predators of the two-legged variety as well as coyotes and other varmints. Because of its short overall length, this carbine will swing well in tight spots, fit in any truck or SUV, and ride along virtually anywhere a firearm might be needed.
The author plugged this Birchwood Casey target using factory sights.
The owner’s manual includes a complete schematic and parts list so the home gunsmith can tinker with this Taurus. If you have the chance to fire one of these guns before buying, take it for a test run. You just might be surprised.
Solid preparation helps ensure success during turkey season.
Because the main tool of turkey hunting is a shotgun, some hunters get the false impression that it produces a large pattern of shot, making it easy to hit a target. So, they tend to skip shooting practice. But with fine-tuned barrels and high-tech shotshells designed to take down gobblers beyond 40 yards, that way of thinking is far from reality.
Be Sure Your Gun Will Deliver
The first task is to ensure that your shotgun setup produces the best shot pattern possible. Whether you prefer a 12- or 20-gauge, or a 3½-inch or 2¾-inch shotshell, the golden rule for choosing a turkey shotgun is to select a gun that you’re confident in and comfortable shooting.
A Helpful Sight
Weaver Kaspa VZT Turkey Scope.
Tight patterns delivered by constrictive turkey chokes mean you’re trying to hit a baseball-sized head with a basketball-sized swarm of small pellets at long distances. An upgrade in shotgun sights will improve your success rate. There are many turkey-specific sight systems available. Rifle-style peep sights and electronic red-dot-type sights are popular choices among turkey hunters. A magnified scope with a turkey-specific reticle might be the best option because it lets you fine-tune your shot pattern. Using the scope’s elevation and windage turrets, you can move the gun’s point of impact so the densest part of the pattern is at the point of aim.
Advanced Ammo
Vary your shot sizes and brands from several distances, and stick with the one that gives you the most consistent pattern. That said, it’s next to impossible to get good long-range patterns out of inexpensive lead loads. Products that incorporate advanced technology and high-grade shot produce the best results. For example, Federal Premium Heavyweight turkey loads feature the innovative FliteControl wad, which helps ensure tight patterns downrange. This is coupled with Heavyweight pellets, made of an ultra-dense tungsten alloy that is 15 percent heavier than lead to provide greater downrange velocity and knockdown power.
A Tight Choke
Typically, too much choke constriction causes the pellets to become deformed and inaccurate. Too little choke can throw your pattern too wide, leaving little density in the kill zone. You might find something that delivers better results. In general, more open choke constrictions are better suited for larger pellets, such as No. 4s. The tighter chokes in the .640- to .655-inch range are designed for smaller shot, such as size No. 7. Don’t be afraid to keep experimenting with various choke and shot size combinations.
The National Wild Turkey Federation, among others, suggests the ideal pattern for turkey hunting is 100 pellets in a 10-inch circle at 40 yards. Note that it’s also important for this pattern to be spread out consistently. Large gaps within that 10-inch circle could cause a miss.
Don't just spend time shooting off a bench.
Practice in Realistic Scenarios
Ditch the shooting rest and make your practice sessions as realistic as possible. Step away from the shooting bench, and practice while sitting on the ground with a solid backstop behind you, just like you’re sitting up against a tree during a real hunt. You should have at least one practice session wearing your hunting clothes and vest. If you plan on using specialized accessories, such as a monopod or a padded shooting rest that attaches to your knee, you need to practice using those, too.
Practice Your Shot Repetitively
To become proficient at other shotgun sports — such as trap, skeet and sporting clays — athletes take thousands of practice shots before competing. Turkey hunters can benefit from repetition, too. Master the physical acts of flipping the safety, accurately placing your aim, steadying your shot, taking a deep breath and properly squeezing the trigger.
For repetitive shooting practice grab a box of clay targets and less expensive target ammunition. Standard clay targets are roughly the same size as a gobbler’s head, about 4 inches in diameter. For a greater challenge, choose mini-sized clays that are about 2 inches in diameter. The simple way to set up stationary clay targets intended for turkey training is to sharpen the ends of several 2-foot sticks, shove them in the ground and hang the targets from them. Try putting some brush or other obstacles in front of some of the targets to make for more realistic hunting scenarios.
Train and Condition
Turkey hunting is a physical activity that you should train for just like other athletic sports. You should train and condition yourself to be in good physical condition before hunting season, because to make a good shot, you need strength and endurance. During shooting practice at the range, pack your favorite mouth call. Sound off a long, loud calling sequence until you’re huffing and puffing, and then take aim at a distant target and squeeze off a shot. Run a few short sprints in the parking lot, knock off a dozen pushups, or jump rope for a few minutes until your heart is pounding and you’re breathing hard, and then immediately sit down and practice your shot.
Whether it’s a day at the range or an afternoon plinking tin cans, Americans love to shoot.
That isn't news, especially for anybody taking the time to read this post. What might come as bit of surprise, however, is what sort of money American's shell out to thumb off a few rounds each year. According to a new report by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, it’s no small potatoes.
When just the retail aspects of target shooting are calculated – guns, ammo, range time, etc. — it turns out Americans spend some $9.9 billion annually – more than the NFL’s yearly revenue. That's pretty impressive, but it is dwarfed by the sport's overall scope in the economy. If the total amount of spending that occurs in the economy as a result of target shooters’ spending is taken into account — what is known as the multiplier effect — the numbers become somewhat mind boggling:
As target shooters’ dollars exchanged hands, $23 billion in economic activity was created, producing $3.5 billion in sorely needed state and federal tax revenues.
The report estimates target shooting supported 185,402 jobs across the United States in 2011. When hunting is included the monetary and employment impacts of gun sports go through the roof:
Collectively, these two industries generate $110 billion in economic output and support 866,339 jobs. That’s more jobs than the combined employees of IBM and McDonald’s.
Target shooting is a strong economic driver in America.
Some other notable points from the report:
The average target shooter spends 22 days in the field or at the range.
Nebraska target shooters spent the most time thumbing rounds off with 38 days of participation each. Arizona and Oregon spend the second and third most time shooting, 36 and 35 days respectively.
Californian shooters spent the most, shelling out $843 million annually. The next two biggest spending states are Texas ($812 million) and Pennsylvania ($483 million).
The average spent per shooter each year is $406; the top three categories for spending are firearms ($194), ammunition ($58) and range fees ($35).
When it comes to target shooting, rifles and handguns are roughly tied as the most popular firearm.
LaserMax set to give a year's supply of ammo.Those familiar with LaserMax know what the company brings to the table — some of the shooting world's most innovative laser sights. But the company might soon be known for something else — ammo.
No, LaserMax is not expanding its reach into the shooting world by manufacturing ammunition. But in celebration of its 25th anniversary, the New York-based company aims to give nearly a factory-worth of ammo to some lucky shooter.
LaserMax's will award the winner of its Spring Ammo Sweepstakes a year's supply of ammo, which is a prize any gun owner can get excited about, given its short supply as of late. But the company has more reasons than the tight market in selecting ammunition as the award. LaserMax sees keeping shooters shooting as emphasizing the importance of training in maintaining the skill at arms.
“There is simply no substitute for getting adequate trigger time,” LaserMax spokesperson Celia Crane said. “The high prices and limited availability of ammunition has created a barrier to live fire training, which is crucial for the development and maintenance of a shooter’s firearm proficiency.”
LaserMax manufacturers a number of different styles of laser sights for handguns and rifles, including rail-mounted, and guide rod and frame mounted models. The company also has a full line of accessories that work in conjunction with firearms outfitted with laser sights.
LaserMax's Spring Ammo Sweepstakes ends June 20 and a winner will be chosen at random. For more information on the sweepstakes, please visit LaserMax.com or the company's Facebook page.
Piers Morgan (Photo via Newsbusters.org).Larry King hosted his CNN show Larry King Live for a lengthy 25 years before stepping down. In just three short years, his replacement, Piers Morgan killed it with plummeting ratings and his persistent diatribes against the American right to bear arms. In the end, not just gun owners, but Americans in general wisely tuned out.
In a New York Times interview, even Morgan admitted it was his push for Britain-style gun laws in this country that proved his undoing.
“It’s been a painful period and lately we have taken a bath in the ratings,” he said. “Look, I am a British guy debating American cultural issues, including guns, which has been very polarizing, and there is no doubt that there are many in the audience who are tired of me banging on about it.”
“If only I didn't care so passionately about guns, perhaps I wouldn't have chased away a grand American audience,” The Guardian quoted him as saying in another article.
However, in addition to his repeat attack on American gun owners, Morgan has to place some of the blame on his self-pity coupled with his boorish behavior when he couldn't get guests to agree with his views. He resorted to calling one of his guests “a very stupid, stupid man” reminiscent of the childish Pee-Wee Herman scene where Herman says “I know you are but what am I?”
America's overwhelming distaste for Morgan has been echoed beyond the canceling of his show by a White House petition to have the show host deported. It’s more symbolic of America’s distaste for the former show host than something that is ever likely to happen, but to date, more than 109,000 people have signed the petition.
Recommended AR-15 Resources
Thinking about buying an AR-15 or decking yours out with all the bells and whistles? Then you need the Gun Digest Book of the AR-15 Series Set! Author and gunsmith Patrick Sweeney gives you an in depth look at the modern sporting rifle, helping you get a grasp on all of the AR's iterations, accessories and advancements. Make sure you get everything you want out of your AR-15 with this series. For more resources on guns, shooting and gun collecting check out GunDigestStore.com.
The Glock 42 holster from Sneaky Pete looks like a smartphone or tablet cover and yet keeps your defensive handgun concealed and within easy reach.
The company makes an entire line of custom-fit CCW holsters, which are available in a variety of materials including the new ballistic nylon leather holster.
Clearly a step up from the original concealed carry fanny pack mode of carry, these business-looking leather jobs include kydex interiors and are held securely closed with neodymium magnets.
The MSRP on these unique concealed carry holsters list from $39.95 to $59.95 depending on model and material.
The living dead just have a way of livening up a 3-gun match.
At least it seems that way when it comes to the May 30 to June 1 Zombies in the Heartland shoot at the Grand Island, Neb., Heartland Public Shooting Park. The competition is entering its third year and its zombie-Apocalypse theme appears to be red meat to shooters from all over the Great Plains.
It really isn't difficult to figure out why people have devoured this match. How often do shooters get to make head shots on the living dead from broken-down buses or while traipsing through a cemetery? Not to mention, thumbing off rounds at reactive — sometimes explosive — targets also has a way of getting the competitive juices flowing.
The above video from the Grand Island Independent gives a pretty solid idea of what the event is all about.
If the zombie shooting aspects of the 3-gun match aren't enough to float your boat there are always the shooters themselves. As the video from the Outdoor Channel shows below, the shooter themselves are truly the spooky aspect of the competition.
Check out the Zombies in the Heartland website for more information on the 3-gun match and to register for the competition.
The air rifle just got a little quieter with Hatsan's new line. The Turkish manufacturer has outfitted its new series of guns with suppressors, making their reports nearly inaudible.
Hatsan has made a name for itself with hard-hitting, highly accurate air rifles.
The Turkish manufacturer has especially won high praises for its line of pre-charged pneumatic rifles, which can tear out a bull's eye from 75-yards down range. Precise as these guns are, they have earned the unusual reputation of being noisy. But this is a problem the company has aimed to overcome.
Hatsan has introduced a new line of its popular PCP rifles outfitted with some extras that are certain to make them whisper quite without loosing their zip. The Quiet Energy Series are outfitted with full-length barrel shrouds that tapper into metal and plastic baffled suppressors. The result is an air rifle 32-percent quieter than its unmodified counterpart.
Certainly this gives shooters an advantage when picking off flighty game, such as crows or starlings. But the real benefit of Hatsan's innovations goes to the backyard target shooter. With a barely audible report, the Quiet Energy Series avoids rising the ire of neighbors with sensitive hearing or ones who might not be keen about close-quarters marksmanship.
The QE modifications have been incorporated into Hatsan's BT65 and AT44-10, giving shooters the choice of rifles that pushes high density lead pellets up to 1250 feet per second. The air guns also come tricked out with all the extras shooters have come to expect from Hatsan.
Both rifles have Quattro two-stage, adjustable match triggers and each are available in three calibers — .177, .22 and .25. Each rifle is outfitted with precision rifled steel barrels and come with adjustable synthetic stocks, easily modifying the length of pull and cheek rest. The guns also come with built-in pressure gauges, allowing shooters to keep an eye on when it's time to recharge the air cylinder. The PCP rifles come with easily re-loadable magazines that hold 10 .177 or .22 pellets or nine .25, as well.
Hatsan has also outfitted its piston-charged Torpedo 150 for shooters who do not want the hassle of refilling air cylinders.
Air rifles have come a long way and from the clunky versions many cut their teeth on as little shavers. They are now precision instruments, but ones certain to bring the kid out in anyone who gets behind the trigger — whether it be in the field or in the backyard.
New Turkey Loads 2014—These new optimized turkey loads hit strutting toms like a Mack truck and do so with astounding efficiency. Don't go after longbeards this season without some of these turkey loads in your vest.
Federal Mag-Shok Heavyweight
With all the marketing hype surrounding magnum turkey loads, you’d think it was nearly impossible to kill a turkey with anything less than a howitzer round. The engineers at Federal Premium know differently and have proven it with a 2¾-inch turkey load that hits hard downrange, yet is nearly 50 percent easier on the hunter side of the shotgun compared to a similar 3-inch round. It is filled with 1¼-ounces of tungsten-based Heavyweight shot packed into a pattern-producing Flitecontrol wad atop optimum loads that deliver up to 1,300 fps at the muzzle. (federalpremium.com)
Remington High-Velocity Magnum Turkey
Magnum charges can play havoc on lead pellets, deforming them in the shot column and creating scattered patterns with holes big enough for a turkey to escape unscathed. To help reduce the chances of that happening, Remington fills its high-velocity loads with buffered, copper-plated shot that resists deformation and uses a specialized piston-like wad to absorb some of the initial blast at ignition. The result is a tight wad of shot that exits the muzzle at 1,300 fps and retains that energy to produce a turkey-killing pattern well down range. (remington.com)
Winchester Long Beard XR
Winchester’s newest turkey offering hits the market hard with perhaps the most innovative, and certainly the most hyped new load to come along in years (see review on page tk). And with good reason—independent testing has shown Long Beard XR is truly capable of pushing the killable range beyond what most folks thought possible. The unique secret is a resin that bonds the lead shot together in the shell, yet shatters upon ignition, creating a buffer that essentially eliminates any shot deformation. This results in tight, turkey-killing patterns at, dare I say, up to 60 yards. (winchester.com)
Spectra Shot White Lightning
Continuing the trend of downsizing loads, yet optimizing performance, Spectra Shot packs White Lightning turkey killers with just 1 5/8 ounces of shot. That, along with a special blend of all-weather Hodgdon powder that pushes a muzzle velocity of around 1,200 fps, makes these shells lighter on the shoulder, but the dense, uniform nickel-plated lead shot still retains plenty of energy downrange to ruffle more than just the feathers of a strutting tom—it also puts them down hard. The manufacturer also claims the lighter load allows for tighter choke constrictions, something both turkey hunters and competitive target shooters can appreciate. (spectrashot.net)
Gun commercials, for the most part, are a new phenomenon. Firearms and gun accessories manufacturers and retailers have typically relied on print advertisements in such fine publications as Gun Digest the Magazine to get their message out. But the times are changing. With the rise of cable TV and the Internet, gun commercials are becoming more and more common.
With gun commercials in their infancy, there are quite a few that have yet to hit the mark when it comes to thrill factor. But then there are others that are way ahead of the curve. Here are five gun, ammo and accessory commercials that caught our eye and we're pretty sure will catch yours too.
Smith & Wesson kicks it off with this short and compelling spot for its M&P products. The company squeeze a lot into this short video and doesn't have to say a word to convey the versatility and reliability of its firearms.
In the American auto-loading shotgun market, Beretta has invested its money and marketing pretty heavily into the waterfowl side of the business, but its new A400 Extreme is just as capable of tagging a tom as it is a big honker.
That’s especially the case if you stuff the tube full of 3½-inch magnum strut stoppers, which the Extreme version of the A400 is capable of handling with aplomb. If the thought of shooting off such a shoulder-bruising load makes you wince, consider that the Beretta is fitted with a third-generation Kick-Off dampening system that uses hydraulics built into the stock to reduce felt recoil by what the Italians claim is 60 percent.
Still not convinced? That’s okay, because the A400’s Unico designation signifies it’s designed to function without a hitch using a wide variety of loads, from those thumping 3½-inchers to a standard, low-brass field load.
You’ll really appreciate that on the patterning board when you’re dialing in your sights before season. The Blink gas-operated action is also fast and reliable, thanks to a cylinder and piston design that vents excess gases and scrubs itself clean with each pull of the trigger.
By very definition the spring turkey woods can be dripping wet. However, the A400 shrugs off moisture and its harmful effects with what Beretta calls Aqua Technology, which includes stainless steel or plated components to resist corrosion. Of the two camo versions available, I’d opt for the Optifade version with a 26-inch barrel. ($1895; berettausa.com)
Browning Maxus All-Purpose.
Browning Maxus All-Purpose
While owning a separate shotgun for every outdoor pursuit is great for gun manufacturers, it can be hard on the average hunter’s gear budget. Better instead is a one-gun mentality that handily takes a hunter throughout the season, like something along the lines of Browning’s aptly named Maxus All-Purpose.
When the original Maxus was introduced a few years back, Browning loyalists raved about the Power Drive gas system’s ability to swallow anything they fed it, and the All-Purpose should be just as reliable. Expect it to cycle light field loads and heavy, high-brass magnums, including those 3½-inch loads serious turkey hunters have grown so fond of.
The Power Drive system, along with a Vector Pro forcing cone, should also reduce recoil to tolerable levels under those heavy loads, and the extended cone reduces the likelihood of lead shot deformation and the resulting scattered patterns that so often result in a miss.
Because Browning expects hunters to carry the Maxus All-Purpose from spring to fall, it packages the autoloader with four Invector-Plus chokes, including an extra-full tube for the turkey (and coyote) hunter.
Slings that are so handy in the turkey woods are often shunned by waterfowl and upland hunters, but thanks to a unique Speed Lock system, straps can be quickly removed, as can the composite forearm for easier cleaning. Both the forend and stock are finished in Mossy Oak Infinity and featured a textured surface for a sure grip. ($1,679; browning.com)
Mossberg FLEX 20-Gauge
Mossberg FLEX 20-Gauge
While there are a lot of turkey hunters clamoring for bigger, faster, harder-hitting ways to reach out and touch stubborn toms at previously unheard of distances, there’s a just-as-passionate part of the market that likes calling turkeys in as close as possible.
It’s open to interpretation as to who of the two is the masochist, but one thing the latter group doesn’t have to worry about is a separated shoulder, as they often reach for smaller-gauge guns when they head into the woods.
Once such option is the Mossberg FLEX, now available in a 20-gauge version that the company just released to the public earlier this year. Like the 12-gauge FLEX, the 20 is built on a venerable and reliable Mossberg 500 receiver with all the same adaptive capabilities the LEGO-like system is known for.
Don’t take the toy reference to mean this Mossberg isn’t up to the tough task of turkey hunting. Instead it’s in reference to the system’s ability to build your gun just about any way you like using all the available FLEX accessories, including sliding and standard, fixed stocks, pistol grips and Picatinny-fitted pump forends—all without the use of tools. Just snap and go. No other manufacturer offers such a customizable option.
The FLEX 20-gauge is currently offered in tactical and hunter versions, both of which would truthfully be perfect for turkey hunting, depending on the user’s preference.
Me? I’d carry the FLEX Hunter, which features a standard, straight stock covered in Mossy Oak Infinity and OD-green receiver and barrel, which happens to come in a short, 24-inch barrel with an X-Factor ported choke tube screwed in. ($484 & up depending on model; mossberg.com)
Remington Versamax Sportsman Turkey.
Remington Versamax Sportsman Turkey
I’ve written about Remington’s reliable Versamax in this space before and it continues to be the gun I turn to the most when I head into the field. My favorite feature is its soft-on-the-shoulder attributes, even when firing heavy magnum loads, thanks to the unique gas system and a proprietary SuperCell recoil pad.
The Versamax remains what I consider the softest recoiling autoloader on the market, although Benelli’s new Ethos does give it a run for its money.
Much has already been said about the gas operating system’s shot-after-shot performance with every shell on the market, so I’ll leave the specifics of that to the rest of gun scribes still playing catch-up. Instead, let’s talk about what the turkey-specific model offers hunters heading into the woods this spring.
Compact from the barrel back, the Versamax Sportsman Turkey is fitted with a short, 22-inch vent rib barrel that swings easy in the thick, tight brush of late spring.
It also eases the weight to a manageable 7.4 pounds, something runners and gunners will appreciate. Up top, Remington’s rifle sights put the payload on target, although it’s worth noting the receiver is drilled and tapped should a hunter want to mount optics for even more precise aiming.
The extended choke tube is of the extra-full variety. The entire package is camouflaged in Mossy Oak Obsession. ($1,025; remington.com)
Winchester Super-X Turkey Hunter.
Winchester Super-X Turkey Hunter
Woodsmen wanting a dedicated turkey gun without shelling out a grand for an autoloader would do well considering Winchester’s pump gun—the Super-X Turkey Hunter.
Everything about this slide-action is designed with taming spring thunder, including a 22-inch barrel that’s been back-bored at .742 inches to combine with the Invector-Plus Extra Full Turkey choke for patterns that stay tight, even at extended ranges.
Of course, the receiver is capable of handling 3½-inch magnum loads, proving that pump-gun hunters don’t need any wussy auto-loading actions to tame that kind of recoil.
That said, Winchester did consider shooter’s shoulders by adding an Inflex Technology recoil pad to soften those blows somewhat. The innovative design pushes recoil slightly down and away from the shooter’s face to ease the sharp kick.
For faster follow-up shots, the inertia-assisted slide action gets a boost from the recoiling shotgun and slams back into battery solidly and securely thanks to four-lug rotary bolt.
Built to withstand the rigors of a fickle spring, as well as a lifetime of wear and tear, the Super-X features a chromed chamber and bore that resists the corrosive effects of burnt powder and moisture.
The composite stock features a textured grip for a secure grip even when wet or muddy. Rifle-like sights are fully adjustable to dial in just the right windage and elevation to put an early end to any tom’s spring fling. And it features Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity camo. ( $520; winchesterguns.com)
Since World War II, Gun Digest has been the gun book by which all others are measured.
“The Gun Digest is dedicated to the millions of American sportsmen who love guns. It is our sincere hope and belief that this book will bring to its readers a greater enjoyment of hunting and shooting—and a deeper appreciation of fine guns and gun lore.”
The year was 1944 and the above words were included in the dedication of the first edition of Gun Digest. It was not exactly a good time to be shopping for a new gun.
World War II was in its third year and many consumer products were being rationed or restricted, including guns, which were being made exclusively for the military or law enforcement. But even though they couldn’t walk into a store and buy a new gun, hunters and shooters could feed their thirst for knowledge about their favorite hobby by way of the written word.
Few books or magazine articles were being written at the time that included a wide spectrum of information for the serious gun enthusiast. Follett Publishing Co., a former book publisher in Chicago, recognized this void in the marketplace and came up with the idea of Gun Digest.
The editor was Charles R. Jacobs, who perhaps should get credit for creating the book. It’s also likely that the timing was to take advantage of the predictable surge in firearms interest that would follow the end of the war.
That first edition sold out quickly. Among the contributors was none other than Jack O’Connor, the leading shooting writer of the generation. His article was “Choosing the Big Game Rifle” and given the cartridges that were around in 1944, O’Connor’s advice is still good today.
Interspersed throughout that first edition were catalog excerpts with specifications and prices as they were at the beginning of the war—for instance, a Winchester Model 70 for $78.25, a Parker VHE double at $140 and a Colt 1911A1 at $44.75. Those were the days, remember, when $55 a week was the average income.
In 1951, the 5th edition introduced editor John Amber. For the next 30 years he would be Mr. Gun Digest. Amber is best remembered for his devotion to the American custom rifle and for establishing the section in the book that to this day honors the craftsmen who build the world’s most beautiful firearms.
Some readers may wonder about “70 years of Gun Digest” and why the 2014 book is the 68th edition. It’s because the second through the fourth editions were bi-annual. The first 1944 edition was followed by 1945/1946, 1947/1948 and 1949/1950. Starting in 1951, the book became an annual publication.
The 68th edition is now in bookstores and here are a few highlights. It’s always a pleasure to work with Phil Schreier, senior curator of the NRA’s National Firearms Museum.
In this 68th edition, Phil writes about President Teddy Roosevelt’s love affair with Winchester lever actions, including superb photos of the ones on display at the museum.
Other articles cover Mannlicher-Schoenauer rifles, custom Ruger six guns, online gun auctions, wildcat cartridges, behind-the-scene looks at Hodgdon and Norma, and much more.
Before you load up and hunt, you must know the maximum effective range of your gun, choke and load combination. That can only be accomplished by spending time at the range.
Critical aspects of bringing home a long beard happen way before the start of turkey season. Testing to discover the maximum range of your gun and the most effective combination of choke and loads are preseason musts.
Killing turkeys at longer distances is possible with today’s plethora of ammunition and choke tubes. A critical factor, of course, is the hunter’s personal ethic and comfortable kill zone. For some, that’s within 30 yards. For others, it might be farther. That’s part of the hunting process we have to decide and must live with.
Maximizing long-range efficiency with your shotgun and ammunition requires trial and error at the range.
Ammunition and choke tubes are expensive, so combining efforts with fellow hunters is a good way to spend time learning about which setup works best for you. Three or four hunters chipping in, bringing chokes and ammo and spending a few hours patterning loads is paramount to discovering what works best so you’ll be comfortable in the woods.
“At 40 or 50 steps, or any range for that matter, I want to get 10 hits in the kill zone of a life-size turkey head target with an even pattern that surrounds it,” said Brandon Wallace, a 33-year-old Alabama hunter and founder of Wallace Custom Calls. He’s chased turkeys for two decades.
“It only takes one hit in the bone of a turkey head to put it down for the count. Lots of guns and loads do this at 30 yards, and many will also do it farther. Everyone likes the holy grail of 300 pellets in a 10-inch circle, which is awesome, but it takes a special load, choke and lots of range time to do it.”
Know Your Limitations Hornady's Heavy Magnum Turkey loads. Wallace noted that, “Some guns might be 30-yard guns, and some might be 50 and beyond,” which is why range time is so critical. Clark Bush, founder of AllAboutShooting.com, has spent hundreds of hours at the range testing chokes, shotguns and ammunition through the years, and he agreed that knowing your setup’s efficiency — and limitations — makes all the difference.
“I buy butcher paper by the rolls and spend a lot of time at the range,” Bush said. “I shoot everyone’s chokes, guns and ammo. There’s no way to know how a gun patterns until you’re at the range.
“I’m not into numbers (of pellets) as much as I want to see a good, even core density within a 10-inch circle at 40 yards, or a 14-inch halo around it and good density. It’s not subjective. If it has a gap in it of more than 2 inches, I don’t find that acceptable. The problem I see with that is (hunters) pattern these in the middle of summer, and we hunt mostly in spring and autumn. Those patterns are affected greatly by ambient temperature and density.”
Time or financial constraints might keep hunters from getting to the range several times a year in various seasons. But Bush believes it’s necessary to shoot in different seasons and weather conditions to truly discover what your gun and ammunition can do.
Turkey hunters dream of gorgeous spring days, warm temperatures and sunny skies. But the reality is we might have a late winter, hotter-than-normal temperatures or a late cold front that blows in. If you have only patterned your gun in summer, those cold temperatures could alter the dynamic of the shot pattern.
Pick The Right Choke Mark Bansner spent years designing and refining choke tubes for hunters and competitive shooters, working in thousandths of degrees of constriction to create maximum downrange patterns.
Today, Bansner is out of the choke business and instead focuses on designing custom rifles from his company headquarters in Pennsylvania. He’s applying his knowledge of shotguns and accuracy to rifles, and believes turkey hunters can do the same to maximize their success.
“I think the No. 1 thing is to have a gun with a barrel that’s 24 inches long,” Bansner said. “I think that’s the optimal length for a shotgun barrel. Shotgun powders burn extremely quick and are exhausted by the time the shot column gets to about 22 or 23 inches. Anything longer than that actually slows it down. I proved that more than 25 years ago by cutting barrels in 1-inch increments and chronographing it.
“After hundreds of rounds, I determined … there’s no real difference between 18 and 24 inches, but 21 to 24 inches is perfect. From a power and velocity standpoint, the barrel should be 21 to 24 inches. From a patterning standpoint, in the old days, copper-coated was king, and I was an advocate of using a larger pellet. But with today’s alloy loads and heavier loads, like tungsten polymers, their No. 5 shot is equivalent of the penetrating qualities of No. 4 lead.” Patternmaster Code Black choke Wallace noted the Nitro combos, such as the 5-by-6-by-7, and other turkey loads today are combinations of different shot sized or souped-up polymers. Some turkey hunters stick with lead pellets — for tradition, finances or both — as their top performer. Whatever the load, Bansner said matching the choke tube to the ammo is keenly important to get the best results.
“Pellet size is critical,” Bansner said. “You might shoot 6s or 7s and get 40 or more pellets in the head (area), but you might not be doing anything with them if the energy isn’t there. Knowing the limitation of your gun is important. Once you figure that out, the choke systems today, and even the ones we were producing years ago, will help.”
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
