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1.) Swamp Fox - 02/25/2015
What are you using (gun, load and choke combination) and what's your effective range? I'll try to dig up some choke restriction/shot size guides from my archives...which may have been destroyed in the last year by an exploded water heater or my own stupidity, depending on which box they were in.

I'm playing with a Rem. 870 Turkey Predator Super Mag 3 or 3 1/2 inch SPS to see how it compares to my trusty tricked-out 3-inch 11-87. It (Big Boy) is not seeing a lot of action on coyotes and other pests, which is what I bought it for, so I thought I'd see if I could make a vast improvement on The Vigilante for gobblers.

Now, I figure if you can't hunt a turkey to within 35 yards, you might as well murder it with a rifle and just go home to help the wife with the vacuuming. So it makes no never-mind to me to actually MAKE this vast improvement, but I'm willing to try it in the interest of, you know, SCIENCE.

Here are two loads I'm going to throw into the test grinder, assuming I can find some to purchase before turkey season goes out:


[url]http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2013/11/daniel-zimmerman/ammo-review-winchester-long-beard-xr-turkey-loads/[/url]


[url]http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2015/1/8/tested-federal-premium-3rd-degree-turkey-loads/[/url]
2.) Triton Rich - 02/25/2015
[B]I will read your report with some interest because, well, it sound pretty cool but I have a question. What type of shotgun ammo do you like for coyotes? It would be a 2 3/4" shell. Sorry to be a bit off topic but you did mention yotes and I won't be turkey hunting this year :-)[/B]
3.) Swamp Fox - 02/25/2015
Big coyote hunter here...LOL...Hardly ever see them...The winter got past me again this year, too. But I think I have other opportunities for this gun even if I prefer---and this seems to be the case so far---my beloved 11-87 for gobblers. A comprehensive head-to-head will tell if that's just sentimental or performance-based. I think The Vigilante will hold its own, but we’ll see.

I carry No. 4 Buck for pests of the variety we are discussing, and have to say that's all I've shot out of this gun so far. I know it will do the job, and I tested both 2 ¾- and 3-inch Federal and Remington loads of various flavors for pattern. I recall everything shooting close to equally well out of the Turkey/Predator choke, which I'd have to look up the specs on. Some folks seem to have better luck from more open chokes with buckshot, but you'd think Remington knew what they were doing when they issued the T/P standard with this gun. So far, I have no reason to quibble.

I'm going to go back and play a little more with predator loads and chokes while I've got Big Boy out for turkey testing, so if anyone has any suggestions, ideas or questions for either predator [I]or[/I] turkey loads, drop them in the box and I'll see what I can do. Yes, I will shoot 3 1/2-inch to at least see if the punishment is worth it, but I can't say how much I'll shoot, LOL. This gun does have a good recoil pad and the raised cheek piece is supposed to help a bit with felt recoil. Shooting 3-inch buckshot, I was pleasantly impressed, considering it's a pump gun and relatively light in the hand.

Also, since this is a short, light and pretty handy little gun, I'm not sure my decision to name it Big Boy is etched in stone, especially since it's far from clear that it will ever fire 3.5-inch magnums in anger after the initial testing. However, Big Boy sounded right at the time it came to me.

One day, though, after some lubrication of the proper sort induced the proper sense of relaxation and contentment, I had an epiphany: Maybe "Ugly Betty" would be a better name. It certainly matches my initial impression of the gun, though I have to say the thing has grown on me, largely because of the handiness factor. If any of the five of you out there have any naming suggestions, I will take them under advisement. Maybe we can have a contest to liven things up around here, LOL.







There is one thing I would fundamentally transform about this gun (beyond the cosmetics of the big ol' thumbhole, which I'm stuck with until something prettier comes along) so I think it's fair to say that I don't LOVE it. I do like it, though, and if the stars align properly I would consider investing in an upgrade to the red dot sight. It should wear a waterproof model. The Vortex Sparc II is the leading contender right now, but I have the money committed elsewhere. The standard-equipment TruGlo is functional but I wouldn't trust it in a frog-strangler, not that I want to hunt in those conditions, but sometimes it's not up to me. Plus, it's a little clunky-looking.

So, I hope that gets everyone's morning off to a good start. Feel free to leave your thoughts, suggestions, criticisms and insults in the box below.
4.) Wild Bob - 02/25/2015
I prefer the ones that kill. :wink
5.) Deerminator - 02/26/2015
Most of the heavy shot loads are good

Mag 2's or 4's even.
6.) Swamp Fox - 02/26/2015
I put Hevi Shot to a pretty rigorous run through the wringer one or two years after it hit the market. In my 11-87, through various barrels and chokes, and with various shot and charge sizes, it wouldn't pattern worth a damn. I probably went down to a modified choke in my test, but I can say for a fact I was unimpressed with it in fulls and extra-fulls.

I still have a handful of HS rattling around and I might shoot them in this gun for S&G's but I'm not expecting much from the turkey/predator choke. Maybe I'll screw something else in there just to see, but I know I'm not bothering with them out of the 11-87.
7.) BULLZ-i - 02/26/2015
LISA HAS THAT SAME REM 870 12G, AND I PUT ADJ FIBER OPTICS SIGHTS ON IT AND GAVE THE P.O.CHIT TRUGLOW TO THE TRASH. FUN, LIGHTWEIGHT AND ACCURATE. RED DOTS BELONG IN A TAXICAB NOT A SHOTGUN.

WE LOAD OUR OWN #4,5,6's OR 7" (DEPENDING ON WHAT WE HAVE) FOR YEARS AND CALL THEM MUTT LOADS WHERE HEAVY SHOT HAS TAKEN NOTICE OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS (MAGNUM BLEND) AND NOW REMINGTON OR MAYBE FEDERAL IS FALLING IN LINE TOO I HAVE HEARD. FUNNY, BEEN SHOOTING THEM FOR YEARS AND HAVE WORKED LIKE A CHARM OUT TO 70 YARDS WITH A 2 3/4" ON RABBITS, SO I WOULD PROLLY USE A 3" FOR TURKEY.
8.) BULLZ-i - 02/26/2015
COULD BE THE WAD THEY USE AS TO YOUR CRAPPY PATTERNING.
9.) Swamp Fox - 02/26/2015
The Federal 3rd Degree load highlighted in the Amer. Rifleman link above is like your mutt loads. I'm not that worried about a long-range load, but I'm interested in what it does (spreads bigger than a golf ball, LOL) at 10 and 15 yards despite providing above-average performance at 40 or beyond. So, even though you get longer range performance, you reduce misses at spitting distance.

I figure the only hope Hevi-Shot has for me is in a more open choke, but I'm not about to spend a lot of time worrying about it.

I've used about every sight option on turkey guns there is (never used a ghost ring, lol) and for me, a red dot is optimal.
10.) Swamp Fox - 03/03/2015
Put in your special requests for turkey loads you want me to shoot. From 2 3/4 to 3.5. I'm most interested in 5's and 6's and mutt loads myself, but I'll shoot 4's if there's a demand.

Of course, if there are some predator loads you're more interested in, let me know and I'll work that in.

I'm going to put in an internet order by Wednesday, so let me know asap if you're interested.
11.) BULLZ-i - 03/03/2015
THE WAD + CHOKE / WEIGHT OF SHOT USED AND AT LONGER DISTANCES AND UNDER DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURES IS WHERE AND WHAT WILL GIVE YOU YOUR CLOSED OR OPEN PATTERN. THE UNFORTUNATE THING ABOUT IT ALL IS THAT MANUFACTURERS DON'T ALWAYS USE THE SAME LOADING DATA, THEY HAVE LOADS FOR A FEW DIFFERENT KINDS OF POWDERS AT SUCH.

STAY WITHIN COMFORTABLE LIMITS, AIM AND SHOOT. ALMOST LIKE ARCHERY

[URL=http://media.photobucket.com/user/tihz_ho/media/Emc2.jpg.html][/URL]
12.) Deerminator - 03/03/2015
:tu: