Shot size for Turkeys

[Pappy]

I have an 870 and it likes 6s the best but getting harder to find around here ,so most time I shoot 5s,it has a Hasting 640 [I think ]after market choke and will knock the center out of a target at 10/15 yards,you have to be careful at really close birds or you will miss,it's like shootin a slug at that range. also shoot 3 inch mags.
   Pappy

[Kpete]

Thanks all for the interesting posts.  One thing I have noticed is how enthusiastic some of you are about hunting turks.
50 yds is a long shot.
Pappy,  I guided some hunters for Merriams birds when I lived in Nebr.  They brought "turkey guns" with "turkey chokes". First morning one of them missed a dandy tom at 16 yds.   
When we patterned the gun at 16 yds the "hole" was smaller than a grapefruit.  They were astounded.  They had only considered the pattern at 35-45 yds and thought it would be 18 inches acrossed the pattern  from right out of the barrel to 45 yds.

[JW_Halverson]

I favor setting up so that as the turkey comes up the hill toward me he just plain can't see me until he is at the 20 yd mark.  Fewer turkeys seem to "hang up" when they can't see the hen, or lack of hen.  When they have to come across a large open area and they cannot find the hen that is calling they will park their butts at 75 yards and demand the hen to expose herself. 

I have no idea if my shotgun and shot shell choice would work on a turkey at 40 yds...never tried!  But at the 15-25 yd range it they think they been slapped with a Buick!

[DRon knife]

3" #4's For Me! I took down a coyote with that load,he thought my decoy was breakfast

[Bevan R.]

3" #4's For Me! I took down a coyote with that load,he thought my decoy was breakfast

Is that what you melted the drawknifes for? more steel shot?

[mullet]

JW; Hills don't work for us down here. The last two weekends we were calling and watching birds come in from multiple directions across a pasture for a half mile. And then one would put the screw to you by coming through thick brush over you shoulder. They ain't supposed to do that.

[FlintWalker]

Just for clarificaton...50 yards is not a shot I normally take.  But on those occasions when a fella just nearly misses and the bird gets back up and makes a break for it ...it happens.   That's when those heavier shot will come in handy.

[Kpete]

Flint,
Yep, sometimes it is helpful to know what   your gear will do when "pinched" into an abnormal situation.