#9 penetration ?

[-DIRTNAP-]

question for you guys...buddy shot a turkey around 50 yards with apex gt20 #9. when he was cleaning him we noticed that some of the 9 shot over spray that hit high breast barely penetrated skin (able to retrieve quite a few bb's). i know you hit him in the head to kill him but i have seen post where guys saying there shot goes clear through turkey. we were just suprised on this being tss. this is our first year with 20 gauges. honestly we thought the federal tss from last year out of our 3.5 12 gauge did penetrate alot farther in the meat. is this to be expected with 20 gauges?

[RapscallionVermilion]

Gauge doesn't matter. I've seen them go all the way through and rest just under the skin on the other side. It looks like poor penetration until you see where the shot came from. Another possibility is that the shot hit something else before hitting the turkey.

[Grumpy]

Were the ones in the breast fresh wounds or did some wanna be loser shoot it at a non lethal range before you killed (I don't harvest animals as I am a Republican) it.

[-DIRTNAP-]

Gauge doesn't matter. I've seen them go all the way through and rest just under the skin on the other side. It looks like poor penetration until you see where the shot came from. Another possibility is that the shot hit something else before hitting the turkey.

could be possible pretty open shot he said

[-DIRTNAP-]

Were the ones in the breast fresh wounds or did some wanna be loser shoot it at a non lethal range before you killed (I don't harvest animals as I am a Republican) it.

looked like fresh 9 shot to us

[BumbleFoot]

I often find TSS in breasts of turkeys I’ve shot, including some I’ve shot that were facing me and well less than 50 yards away. I have no doubt there was also shot that passed slap though and embedded 2” deep in a hardwood behind the turkeys.

My suspicion is that there are always a few flyers and laggards in each shell. If nothing else, as they jostle down range a few are going to lose velocity and energy more rapidly than others. Just a notion...

[Jstocks]

IMO.....
You need to know the velocity of that load to determine about penetration potential.

I see you asked specific about an Apex load. I’m not familiar with using them, but I think they advertise the velocity.

I’ve shot a turkey at 50+ yards with number 9’s that looked like you shot him in the head with a rifle from the blood splatter from the pass through that was well visible in the field he was laying in.

That particular load was Hal’s stubby xl with 9’s

I’ve never had any suspect lack of penetration with any of the loads I’ve shot, including some of the lighter loads.

[-DIRTNAP-]

I think they are 1175fps

[Jstocks]

Unless they go through large feather quills before hitting the skin, at 50 yards penetration shouldn’t be an issue

[GLS]

I've had #9's nestle just under the skin. But it has been on the off side of the side shot. Fooled me a time or two until I oriented the bird and direction he was traveling when I shot.

[-DIRTNAP-]

He was strutting facing him

[-DIRTNAP-]

It killed the Turkey without a doubt we were just wondering about it

[Gar Commander]

I have shot a few with 9's that when I peeled the skin back pellets dropped out and were visible everywhere. They don't all penetrate every time in every situation. I only shoot 8 and 7 shot now

[-DIRTNAP-]

I have shot a few with 9's that when I peeled the skin back pellets dropped out and were visible everywhere. They don't all penetrate every time in every situation. I only shoot 8 and 7 shot now

Ya might be what we do just to low pellet count in 20 gauge

[-DIRTNAP-]

I have shot a few with 9's that when I peeled the skin back pellets dropped out and were visible everywhere. They don't all penetrate every time in every situation. I only shoot 8 and 7 shot now

Ya might be what we do just to low pellet count in 20 gauge

[BumbleFoot]

I have shot a few with 9's that when I peeled the skin back pellets dropped out and were visible everywhere. They don't all penetrate every time in every situation. I only shoot 8 and 7 shot now

My experience as well. No matter if the loads are test rated at 1000 or 1250 fps, the turkeys are skinny or fat, tough or tender, near or far, shot from the front or shot facing away.

[GLS]

Some pellets may be embedding in the felt wads momentarily which could slow them down.

[-DIRTNAP-]

Some pellets may be embedding in the felt wads momentarily which could slow them down.

could be happening. Just seemed like quite a few

[-DIRTNAP-]

although after watching this t must be our guns lol....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwD4qzRbjYw

[spider316]

Holy funny crap, Best part was his face !!!

[RapscallionVermilion]

Yeah, funny video. Note that even at 70 yards, no lagging shot. They all went through. I'm sticking to the theory that if the shot just penetrated the skin and went no further, they hit something else first. My childhood BB gun could do that much. And if they were that slow, they sure would have dropped a bunch by 50 yards.

[-DIRTNAP-]

I'm thinking your right

[KyKRAZEE]

They are pellets folks....not kryptonite.

[Southern Sportsman]

IMO, you’re over thinking it. With just about every shotgunning application with every game and every shot variety I occasionally find a few pellets while other pellets pass through. Shoot something with a bow 10 times at identical velocity, some shots are pass throughs and some get less penetration. Angle of impact and numerous other factors play a roll. But if you’re skinning out the animal, the shell and shot did their job.

[bullethead]

I've had #9's nestle just under the skin. But it has been on the off side of the side shot. Fooled me a time or two until I oriented the bird and direction he was traveling when I shot.

Same findings here