Tru Glo vs Carlsons

[dmac1175]

The thread title may not be appropriately named but anyway yesterday a buddy and I done a little shooting with interesting results. Both of us have 835's. Mine is 24" and his is a 20" barrel. The Redhead Blackout .675 made by Carlson's out performed the .670 tru glo ssx in his gun but the tru glo done better in my gun by far. I'm talking about at 60 yards. I didn't shoot very much because of the high cost of Hevishot. I was curious how my gun would pattern at 60 yards. With hevi 13 3.5" 2.25oz. #6 my Carlson's only put 32 in a 10" circle. The Tru Glo put 50 in a 10" circle at 60 yards.

I have some questions.

1. Is 50 in 10" circle at 60 very good? Is it an ethical turkey shot?

2. How is the penetration at this distance with hevi 13 6's?

Also, my buddy shot some Winchester long beard 3.5" 2oz. #6 that patterened awesome even at 60 yards. (Don't know exact numbers). So at 60 yards will lead penetrate enough to be ethical?

[DocHolladay]

I have seen several good patterns with 835's using a .680 choke...... doesn't matter the brand.

[ICDEDTURKES]

The thread title may not be appropriately named but anyway yesterday a buddy and I done a little shooting with interesting results. Both of us have 835's. Mine is 24" and his is a 20" barrel. The Redhead Blackout .675 made by Carlson's out performed the .670 tru glo ssx in his gun but the tru glo done better in my gun by far. I'm talking about at 60 yards. I didn't shoot very much because of the high cost of Hevishot. I was curious how my gun would pattern at 60 yards. With hevi 13 3.5" 2.25oz. #6 my Carlson's only put 32 in a 10" circle. The Tru Glo put 50 in a 10" circle at 60 yards.

I have some questions.

1. Is 50 in 10" circle at 60 very good? Is it an ethical turkey shot?


2. How is the penetration at this distance with hevi 13 6's?

Also, my buddy shot some Winchester long beard 3.5" 2oz. #6 that patterened awesome even at 60 yards. (Don't know exact numbers). So at 60 yards will lead penetrate enough to be ethical?

1. No IMO no shot at 60 is ethical even with a gun equipped to do so.. I am not going to get into the close game ethical argument of this.. But at 60 yards regardless of pattern alot of things can happen.. That little jerk of the trigger is magnified.. The effects of wind on shotgun pellets especially at that distance is amazing when you look at the figures and your pattern would be starting to drop.. 50 in a 10 inch is NOT ethical IMO.. Anywhere your gun fails to place 100 even pellets in a 10 inch circle you have overstepped your bounds.

2. It probably is sufficient but on edge, see answer to #1

3. Lead 6s are good to around 48 as the very end of the necessary penetration for a lead 6. Regardless of pattern I will not knowingly shoot a bird with lead 6s past 40 yards.. Going to a larger pellet 5 or 4 is going to decrease your pattern density thus you may have the necessary penetration but not the necessary pattern density.. Do not believe the long range marketing of these shells.

As for the chokes that SSX is a great value in the 835.. Pull the targets back up to 40 for further testing.

[dmac1175]

Thanks for the replies. I'm definitely not wanting to open up a can of worms and cause conflict. I ask what may seem to be elementary questions because I truly don't know the answers. I have killed turkeys for years but the last couple years I have gotten interested in patterns, chokes, shell, etc. as I have wanted to get the most out of a turkey gun I possibly can. I travel and hunt and and don't want to miss an opportunity at a gobbler because of 5 or 10 yards. Its frustrating going through the efforts of time, travel, and cost and be under gunned and miss out on a bird. Sometimes turkey hunting is literally a game of inches. Some say hunting is about experience and not necessarily the kill. I agree to an extent but the bottom line is all of us at the end of the day want a dead bird in our vest. If we didn't we would be taking cameras and not shotguns. I really appreciate all the help on thus site.

[ICDEDTURKES]

Thanks for the replies. I'm definitely not wanting to open up a can of worms and cause conflict. I ask what may seem to be elementary questions because I truly don't know the answers. I have killed turkeys for years but the last couple years I have gotten interested in patterns, chokes, shell, etc. as I have wanted to get the most out of a turkey gun I possibly can. I travel and hunt and and don't want to miss an opportunity at a gobbler because of 5 or 10 yards. Its frustrating going through the efforts of time, travel, and cost and be under gunned and miss out on a bird. Sometimes turkey hunting is literally a game of inches. Some say hunting is about experience and not necessarily the kill. I agree to an extent but the bottom line is all of us at the end of the day want a dead bird in our vest. If we didn't we would be taking cameras and not shotguns. I really appreciate all the help on thus site.

And I was not trying to be snide.. I have watched turkeys be killed much further than we should kill them.. There has always been turkey hunters that take long shots.. Its just more and more turkey hunting has come to reflect the "Gotta have it now society" that we live in today.. Marketers of shotshells and chokes have taken advantage of this with everything revolving around shooting being "Long range" "Extended Range" " More pellets further" etc When what we end up with is an increased number of crippled turkeys.. Many new turkey hunters are very impressionable with TV and print add and believe this is how the game is played.. Its sickening, but it sells.

As for the camera vs shotgun thing, I truly HATE turkeys in the months of April and May I will kill everyone that Fish and game allows me too and still not feel satisfied but I truly try to hold my shooting to 40 and under.. I know what my guns will do at 40 and realize no one without a range finder is entirely perfect with guesstimation and I have a fudge factor of 5 to 10 yards.. Alot of times when folks choose to take the 60 yard type shots, not only the factors I mentioned above: Jerk, Wind, Drop, Pattern density, Penetration come into effect, but they are also knee jerk reactions out of frustration.. Most hunters go to the woods with intentions of killing them close but when that bird comes to 60 and goes and turns away they rush a shot, or he hangs up they get a now or never thought..

[dmac1175]

I didn't feel any sense whatsoever of a snide reaction. I did not take anything that way. I mean it when I say I truly appreciate the comments and replies. They have been extremely helpful as well as educational. And I appreciate the generosity of sharing knowledge that has taken years to attain.
I also can relate to the frustration of modern marketing stragedy. I also am a very avid waterfowler and waterfowl has definitely been exploited by the fads and gimics. I was a duck hunter years before I ever heard of duck dynasty. I deeply appreciate Phil's stand against A&E but DD has exploded the waterfowl industry. Which is not all bad as we need new hunters coming up in order to preserve our hunting tradition. But hunter Ed and ethics also need to be incorporated.