Can You Use Buckshot for Turkey Hunting?

Turkey hunting with a shotgun is a popular spring tradition for many hunters across North America. The wild turkey is a challenging and wily game bird that demands skill and patience from hunters. When pursuing these birds using the right ammunition can make all the difference between a successful hunt and going home empty-handed. But can you use buckshot for turkeys?

Buckshot is not an ideal choice for turkey hunting for several reasons. Buckshot consists of large lead pellets approximately .24 inches in diameter. A standard buckshot shell contains around 9-12 pellets. Compared to smaller lead birdshot loads containing hundreds of smaller pellets, a buckshot pattern has significant gaps that make it less effective on turkeys.

Why Buckshot is Not Ideal for Turkeys

There are a few factors that make buckshot less than ideal for hunting wild turkeys:

• Limited Pellets With only 9-12 pellets in a buckshot load, there are not enough projectiles to create a dense pattern This increases the likelihood of pellet gaps and missing the vital head and neck area of a turkey.

• Large Pellet Size The .24 inch pellets used in buckshot are relatively enormous compared to the #4, #5 or #6 birdshot commonly used for turkeys. The large surface area of buckshot limits penetration of a turkey’s feathers and thick skin.

• Wide Pellet Spacing: The fewer, larger pellets in a buckshot load spread out rapidly. This creates a pattern too dispersed to consistently hit a turkey’s small head and neck kill zone past 15-20 yards.

• Insufficient Energy: Buckshot lacks the velocity and energy at range to consistently anchor a turkey. The thick feathers and bones of a turkey require dense shot patterns and knockdown power.

Effective Turkey Loads

For reliable turkey kills, most experts recommend using lead loads of #4, #5 or #6 birdshot or specialized turkey loads using tungsten-iron pellets. Here are some effective options:

• Lead #5 Shot – A standard lead load of #5 shot with a payload of 1 1⁄4 to 1 1⁄2 ounces is a popular choice for turkeys. The smaller pellets create dense 40-yard patterns.

• Tungsten #5 Shot – Loads with tungsten or tungsten-iron pellets in #5 or #6 shot sizes pattern tighter than lead and retain energy downrange. These shells are lethal on turkeys past 50 yards.

• Copper-plated #4 Shot – Some hunters prefer copper-coated lead pellets in #4 shot for increased penetration. The pellets are heavier than standard lead, but fewer in number per shell.

• 3-Inch Magnum Loads – Magnum turkey loads with extra shot push velocities over 1,200 feet per second. The added power extends effective range.

No matter what type of turkey ammunition you use, patterning your shotgun on paper at various yardages is important. This allows you to establish the effective range of your gun and load combination.

Special Considerations for Buckshot

While buckshot is not ideal for turkeys, that does not mean it cannot be used successfully. Hunters have to consider a few special factors when using buckshot on turkeys:

• Extremely Close Range – Within 15-20 yards, a tightly choked buckshot load should contain enough pellets to kill a turkey with a head/neck hold. Any further than this and pattern density becomes questionable.

• Careful Gun Selection – Older, full choked pump or double barrel shotguns with Damascus barrels may pattern buckshot tighter than a modern shotgun. The right vintage gun could make buckshot more effective.

• Heavy Payloads – Some hunters report success using magnum loads of 00 or 000 buck for extra knockdown power at short range. However, the large shot size limits penetration through feathers.

• Turkey Vital Spots – To kill a turkey with buckshot requires pinpoint precision. A shot must destroy the brain, spine or major arteries of the neck. A body shot will likely result in a lost bird.

• Expert Shotgun Handling – The shooter must have the skill to make a very close, well-placed shot on a turkey’s head or neck area. This is much more difficult than patterning the body with small shot.

While it might be possible to kill a turkey with buckshot under the right circumstances, most experts do not recommend it. The limited penetration, large pellet spacing, lack of pellets, and energy downrange make standard buckshot a poor choice for turkeys compared to Number 5 or 6 birdshot. With the right turkey loads and choke tubes, hunters can humanely and consistently harvest wild turkeys past 40 yards – no need for buckshot.