I'm looking to find some good turkey loads for my super nova in 3.5"

What do y'all suggest?

It’s tough to find turkey loads right now. I’d suggest buy a couple different loads that you actually find and patterning. Also, don’t forget trying different chokes and shoot from a bench if possible or at least sitting position.

Academy at Spring Green and 1093 had Turkey loads a couple weeks ago, George.

I would go with the Winchester standard turkey loads. They make them in all three standard lengths, just heavier payload of shot as you go up in size.

So I would just pick the payload I wanted to shoot from that and test #4, #5, and #6 shot and use the one that patterns the best in the factory full choke.

I am planning on just shooting standard high velocity steel #4 shot with factory full choke in my 835. Non toxic shot requirement near me, I stopped in to my favorite store and the man there told me he has been killing turkeys with steel #4’s ever since the non toxic rules came out up here.

Edit^ I was looking for some TSS. He told me he shoots standard steel #4 they didn’t even have any of it left on the shelf.

Local boys shoot that I guess. You can’t shoot anything larger than a #4 here plus non toxic shot requirement. My 835 really likes those high velocity steel #4’s.

Federal tss 3” #7s

Or

Federal 3rd degree 3,5,7 shot

Hand loaded 1 5/8oz 20ga TSS #9.5’s

Ounce and a half of #5 magnum shot, Longshot powder, Win 209 primer, in a 2 3/4” AA Hull is what I use.
For factory ammo:
TSS is the best available but it is spendy. Winchester Long Beard XR is good. Federal Wingshok upland is also buffered plated lead and is good. Lots of turkeys have been killed with an ounce and a quarter of # 5 or 6 lead. Pattern different stuff till you find something you are happy with.

Best reasonably priced factory loads IMO are the Winchester Longbeard XR #5s for 12ga-- shot very well in 3 different shotguns with 3 different chokes.

That said- I currently carry a 20ga and I run the Federal Heavyweight #6s and if I was looking for something even better I would try their TSS loads.

Neck shots out of the deer blind with 77 gr SMKs. Opps you said out of a Benelli nova, never mind...

Any 2 3/4 or 3 in TSS loads.

Good to know! Thanks, amigo!


Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions! I've always just grabbed whatever was around, but thought more about trying to find one that I can pattern and know well, and wanted to see what everyone was using. Cheers!

Gave in and tried the Apex turkey load for our 20 gauge. 1-5/8 oz 9 shot. Patterned it at 25 yards with a Rob Roberts T3 (all I had) and let's just say the turkey head was devastated.

My son took two birds with it and they went down right away.

I was skeptical because of the price, but didn't get good patterns from some of the Winchester turkey loads. I had tried some 3rd degree TSS loads in their 5,6,7 shot and it patterned okay. But the Apex was really impressive. Bought it at Rogers.

It's about $10 / shot, but didn't want to chance it for my son's first hunt.

https://www.rogerssportinggoods.com/Apex-TSS-Turkey-Shotgun-Shells_3