How to Pattern a Shotgun for Turkey Hunts

Turkey hunting has quickly become one of my favorite outdoor pursuits, and I take my preparation each spring very seriously to ensure that the opportunities I work so hard for pay off. That begins with taking the time to pattern my shotgun before hitting the woods.  

Let's look at why that's an important task and how to pattern a shotgun for turkey hunts!

Why Patterning Your Shotgun Matters

There are a few reasons why patterning your shotgun for turkey hunting is critical to your success.

Primarily, from an ethical perspective, patterning your turkey gun gives you the knowledge and confidence that your firearm will perform its task effectively at a given range. Patterning your shotgun allows you to see exactly how specific chokes and ammunition will work coming out of your specific weapon. 

Uneven spreads happen, both with certain ammunition and chokes and each gun is different with how little or how much you will notice those issues. Turkey patterning allows you to troubleshoot those intricacies before venturing out after a live bird.  

With a properly patterned shotgun, you're more likely to bring home a bird with a well-placed shot.

What Gear Do You Need to Pattern Your Shotgun?

To begin patterning your shotgun, you'll need some specific gear. 

Your Shotgun

Of course, you’ll need whatever shotgun you plan to take into the field. Personally, I use a pump-action 12 gauge, but any shotgun will work as long as you know your effective range — which, of course, you will by the time you’re done patterning.

Your Choke

In addition to your chosen shotgun, you will need a full or extra-full turkey choke. These chokes are designed specifically for tighter patterns to make clean, ethical headshots on turkeys from as far away as possible. 

Shotgun Shells

Along with your shotgun and choke, it’s important to get a few different types of shotgun shells to trial through your weapon.

I like to get a few buddies together to pattern guns for this specific reason. Each guy brings a different type of shell and we all get to see which one works best through our firearm. What works best in your gun might not work for your buddies, but collectively, you’ll likely find something that works for all of you.  

A Target

Now that you’ve got your shotgun, choke, and shells, you’ll need to think about what you will need to start pulling the trigger and patterning your weapon. Of course, this begins with a target to shoot at.

Any large paper target will work. There are companies that make targets with life-size turkeys printed on them, but you can accomplish the same goal with a simple bullseye. The turkey is preferred because it offers a very clear visual of how your gun is working, but if you’d rather just shoot at a bullseye, I like to picture hitting something roughly the size of a tennis ball.  

A Good Foundation

When patterning a shotgun, you should treat it similarly to sighting in a rifle. That said, it’s important to have a stable place to shoot from, such as a table or shooting bench.

You need your gun to be steady to eliminate any chance of human error, so you know — without a doubt — how your weapon is performing.

Ears and Eyes

Finally, and probably most importantly, you’ll want to wear eye and ear protection. You’ll be firing multiple rounds, and it’s critically important to make sure that you are safe while doing so.  

5 Steps to Shotgun Patterning Success

Now that you have all the gear you’ll need, it’s time to begin the process of sighting in your shotgun. This can be done in five easy steps, and you will be hunting in no time.  

Step 1: Set Up Your Target

Place it somewhere between 30 and 40 yards away. This is a great distance to expect a shot when hunting in the turkey woods. 

When I hunt, I like to set my decoy at about 20 yards out from where I’m set up and waiting. Then, when the bird starts coming in, I can be ready to take a shot before the gobbler gets in too close. 

When you set your target at 40 yards for patterning your shotgun, you can guarantee you’ll be good to go at those longer distances.

Remember: When setting your target, as with any other firearm, know your target and what’s behind it. I always set my target up at the base of a hill so that there will always be a backdrop for my shotgun bbs to hit.  

Step 2: Take a Shot

Shoot at the target to establish your baseline pattern. This should be done from some form of steady bench or rest to eliminate the human error that can come with shooting freehand. 

When doing this, you should use a single type of shotgun shell to use later for comparison.  

Step 3: Inspect the Pattern

After taking the initial shot on target, you should inspect the shot’s pattern. 

There are a few things you should look for when you make that inspection.

• First, you want to look for the densest area of pellets around the targets center. For obvious reasons, you want to make sure that the densest amount of pellets is hitting the center of where you're aiming to ensure that you’re making a clean and ethical kill of your target.
   
• Next, look for gaps in that pattern that could potentially cause the bird to be wounded. Any space where you could miss the vitals, you’ll want to try to eliminate. 
   
• Finally, you’ll want to make sure that the shot pattern is hitting the center of where you’re aiming. 

If not, of course, you’ll want to make adjustments.  

Step 4: Make Adjustments

This step is, of course, only if you need to make changes to your sights. If your shots are hitting where you’re aiming, don’t worry about messing with your gun.

But, if you’re hitting off-center of your aimpoint, then make the necessary adjustments to hit dead-center.  

Step 5: Test Other Options

This is where having multiple options of shells comes in handy.

As I said earlier, I like having a group of buddies get together for this part to try to save some money on shells. Try a few different options, check the turkey choke patterns, see what one works best for your specific weapon, and use that one.  

You’ll know that you’ve found a good round by three things:

• First, your density should have at least 100 pellets in a ten-inch circle.
• Second, you want to look for even coverage of those pellets. There shouldn’t be any gaps to the pattern that could result in a bird getting wounded or missed completely.
• Finally, you’ll want to ensure consistent centering. Your shot should be hitting true center of your point of aim.  

After you’ve worked through those steps, you are ready to hunt. However, you can take other things into consideration to improve your set-up even further. 

What Else Can You Do to Improve Your Turkey Hunt?

There are always things you can do to have a better turkey hunt!

Year after year, you should be trying new loads to see if anything else might work best for your shotgun. I try to test one new shell every spring, even if my shell from the previous year worked perfectly. In the worst-case scenario, I end up with a new box of shells I can use for target shooting or give to a friend to test out. 

Maybe you’ll want to consider adding an optic, like a red dot sight, to your shotgun. My friend has a red dot on his turkey gun and he loves it. It greatly helps with accuracy and gives you a very obvious aim point.

Lastly, you should always look to adjust your effective shooting range. Maybe this is your first trip turkey hunting and you don’t want to shoot past 30 yards, or maybe you’ve hunted gobblers for the last several seasons and you feel confident out to 50 or even 60 with your weapon. 

Bottom line: you should test and retest your gun every year to understand what your effective ethical range is.

Practice Shooting in Scenarios

After my shotgun is patterned and ready to go, the last thing I do before hitting the woods to hunt some turkeys is shoot from situations I might find myself in while in the woods. 

I’ll sit up against a tree with the gun on my knee and fire a couple of shells, or I’ll lay prone in some brushy cover on the edge of the field and shoot that way. Changing your shooting positions and angles can greatly impact your accuracy, so it’s important to practice in practical positions.  

Pattern Your Shotgun and Grab HuntWise to Prepare for Successful Turkey Hunts

As the snow melts and the grass begins to green for spring, get yourself excited for turkey season by patterning your shotgun and gathering your gear. Use all the tools at your disposal to prepare for a successful hunt and give yourself the greatest opportunity to tag out. 

Along with getting your shotgun ready to fire accurately, planning your hunt is crucial! HuntWise is a great resource for finding food sources, strutting zones, and water sources that big toms need during the season. Use the app to scout these areas, mark potential turkey activity, and plan your set-up to lure a turkey into your sure-fire zone — so all the work you put into shotgun patterning pays off with a bird to bring home!

Get HuntWise and start planning — free — for your next turkey hunt!

Want more expert turkey hunting tips from hunting pro Ben Cole? Check out the new video series for FieldGuide⁺!

It's time for Tackling Turkey Prep.

Check out a preview of the series below. Then, use your HuntWise Elite subscription access to catch every episode — now playing in the app! 

Featuring Ben Cole of RootedTV, this exclusive video series for the HuntWise Elite app users gets you ready for a turkey hunt. You'll learn how a turkey thinks, choosing the best weapon for your hunt (including what Ben recommends), essential turkey hunting gear, decoy set-up tips, and more!