The Best 20 Gauge Turkey Loads, Range Tested and Reviewed

Last turkey season I made the switch from 12 gauge to 20 gauge and killed gobblers near and far. I loved carrying the lighter platform through the woods and by pairing my gun with the best 20-gauge turkey loads, I didn’t sacrifice much in terms of patterning performance — at least at reasonable ranges. 

To back up that statement, I recently tested a sampling of the popular 20-gauge turkey loads through my gun. As you’ll see, most of these loads turned in excellent patterns that would easily and ethically kill turkeys at 40 yards and beyond. I focused mostly on loads that use tungsten super shot pellets since those are the most effective. If you’re going to shoot a sub-gauge for turkeys, it’s wise to shoot TSS, or strictly limit your range. 

Patterning Results

I shot each load at 40 yards through my Retay Gordion Turkey with a Jebs Headhunter choke (.565). I shot four patterns with each load. Then I counted the number of pellet strikes within a 10-inch circle around the core of the pattern. Lastly, I averaged the patterns for the data below.

Best 20 Gauge Turkey Loads: Reviews & Recommendations

Best Overall: Boss Tom

Key Features

• Average 40-yard Pattern: 301
• Cartridge Length: 3 inches
• Payload: 2 1/16 ounces
• Shot Size: No. 9
• Velocity: 1050 fps
• Price: $60 (per box of 5)

Boss holds the title for loading the heaviest 20-gauge turkey shell on the market with its 3-inch Boss Tom that’s packed with a 2 1/16-ounce payload. For reference, a lot of 12-gauge turkey ammo has a 2-ounce payload. Boss says that the No. 9 version of this load holds 747 pellets.

So it’s not surprising that in my range testing Boss Tom threw absolutely devastating patterns. The 301 average was not only the best in the test, but it’s better performance than many 12 gauge turkey gun/choke/load combos will produce. Considering that about 100 pellet strikes inside a 10-inch circle makes for a consistently lethal pattern, I suspect this will be a killer load at 60 yards (but you have to confirm with your own setup, of course).   

The only possible downside to Boss Tom is that I could see it being overkill at 15 yards and in. Even at 40 yards, my pattern was impressively tight. So if you’re hunting in thicker woods where you know shots will be close, you might consider going with a more open choke.  

Hardest Hitting: Federal Heavyweight 

Key Features

• Average 40-yard Pattern: 200
• Cartridge Length: 3 inches
• Payload: 1 5/8 ounces
• Shot Size: No. 7 and No. 9
• Velocity: 1000 fps
• Price: $65 (per box of 5)

Some turkey hunters prefer No. 7 TSS pellets over No. 9s for the extra penetration they offer (more on this shortly). But the problem with choosing No. 7s in 20 gauge is that there are much fewer pellets per shell, which can lead to sparse patterns at distance. 

Federal has solved this with its Heavyweight TSS load that stacks No. 7 and No. 9 pellets. I cut one of the shells open and counted approximately 100 No. 7 pellets and 370 No. 9 pellets.

In my pattern testing these loads delivered great results at 40 yards. I suspect those patterns would also hold up just fine out to 60 but you’d definitely have to confirm with your own setup. 

To get an understanding of just how much more energy No. 7 pellets carry, you can dive into our podcast on the truth about TSS. In that episode I interviewed Federal engineer Adam Moser who shared an example of penetration energy generated from 1200 FPS muzzle velocity at 40 yards.

• No. 7 TSS pellet: 535 ft-lb/in²
• No. 9 TSS pellet: 374 ft-lb/in² 
• No. 5 lead pellet: 241 ft-lb/in² 
• No. 6 lead pellet: 205 ft-lb/in² 

As you can see, those No. 7 TSS pellets smoke other popular turkey pellet sizes and materials in terms of penetration energy. 

Most Consistent Patterns: Apex Next Level Ninja

Key Features

• Average 40-yard Pattern: 244
• Cartridge Length: 3 inches
• Payload: 1 5/8 ounces
• Shot Size: No. 8.5 and No. 9.5
• Velocity: 1175 fps
• Price: $65 (per box of 5)

Apex Ammunition is largely to thank for popularizing TSS turkey loads. The veteran-owned company out of Mississippi has introduced a few new turkey loads recently and the Next Level Ninja just might be my favorite. The 20 gauge version holds 608 pellets in No. 9.5 and No. 8.5 pellets. The original Ninja loads, which are still available, are packed with all 8.5s. So the obvious advantage here is more pellets on target while maintaining penetration energy. 

While many other turkey loads had a large variation in pattern density from shot to shot, Next Level Ninja did not. The worst pattern I shot with these loads was 239, while the best was 254. Compared to the other loads which had swings of 30 pellet strikes or more, that is excellent consistency. 

That goes to show the quality with which Apex loads are made. If you’re looking for consistent and dense patterns at all ranges, Apex Next Level Ninja is the way to go. 

Best Mid Range: Apex Mossy Oak Greenleaf

Key Features

• Average 40-yard Pattern: 259
• Cartridge Length: 3 inches
• Payload: 1 5/8 ounces
• Shot Size: No. 9 and No. 10
• Velocity: 1175 fps
• Price: $63 (per box of 5)

Apex’s Greenleaf load combines No. 9 and No. 10 pellets to deliver an impressive 774 pellets per shell. The concept behind this load is that those little No. 10 pellets fill in gaps around the No. 9s creating ultimate pattern density. 

In my pattern testing these loads did throw the second densest patterns (behind only Boss Tom) and I suspect they would do even better if I experimented with more choke options. Initially I shot them out of my Jebs Headhunter .565 choke and they shot some great patterns and some poor ones. So I swapped in my factory full choke and saw much better performance and consistency. I have faith that these loads could produce even better results based on the data I’ve recorded with them for other gauges. They delivered the best patterns in my .410 turkey load test and the 12 gauge version put 439 pellets in a 10-inch circle out of my Remington 870. 

What I liked most about the Greenleaf patterns is that the pellet strikes were spread consistently over the target. There wasn’t one solid mass in the middle and then a lack of density at the fringes. This is important because in a real-life hunting situation we often don’t get the very center of the pattern on the gobbler’s head. This is especially true when shooting moving birds or taking snap shots. With the Greenleaf load there were plenty of pellet strikes on the fringes of that 10-inch circle to ensure that even a marginal shot at 40 yards would lead to a stone-dead tom. 

Best for Full Chokes: Hevi Shot Hevi 18

Key Features

• Average 40-yard Pattern: 239
• Cartridge Length: 3 inches
• Payload: 1 1/2 ounces
• Shot Size: No. 9 
• Velocity: 1250 fps
• Price: $65 (per box of 5)

I hunted with Hevi 18 last spring and killed several gobblers with it (the longest being at 50-plus) so this load gets a few extra bonus points from me. In terms of patterning performance, it did not do very well out of the Jebs choke (averaging below 200 pellet strikes in the 10-inch circle). One unsubstantiated theory was that the increased velocity (compared to the other loads) through the tighter choke was causing issues. 

So I swapped in my full choke (which is what I had hunted with last year) and saw excellent pattern performance averaging 239 with my best pattern scoring 269. 

So if you haven’t thrown down for an aftermarket turkey choke, and want to shoot No. 9 TSS through your factory full choke, then I think Hevi 18 is a good place to start. That combination proved to be very successful for me at the patterning board and in the field. 

How I Tested 20 Gauge Turkey Loads

I did a standard 40-yard patterning test on a chilly day in early March. I shot all the loads through my Retay Gordion Turkey with a Jebs Headhunter choke (.565). I shot four patterns with each load. Then I counted the number of pellet strikes within a 10-inch circle around the core of the pattern. Next I averaged the patterns for a total. Since there is often significant variation in pattern density from one shot to the next, shooting multiple patterns and averaging them is key for getting an understanding of how a given load performs through a given choke. 

In some cases, when I suspected the tighter choke might be blowing out the patterns, I also shot loads through the factory full choke (I did this with Hevi 18s and Apex Greenleaf loads and saw better results). 

A Note on Prices

For the price specs you’ll see in this story, I went with the figure that seemed to be common among online retailers. I simply searched around the web for each load and then linked to the site with the best availability and price. 

Other 20 Gauge Turkey Loads to Consider

Federal 3rd Degree: This load is stacked with No. 5 and No. 6 lead pellets and No. 7 TSS pellets. In my patterning test, the 20-gauge version proved to be a fine choice at 35 yards and closer, but not suitable for longer distances. It throws a large, consistent pattern of heavy pellets. This would be a great choice for young turkey hunters whose aim might be a little shaky with a gobbler in range.  

Hevi Shot Hevi 13: This is a denser than lead load offered in No. 6 or No. 7. This is a great option if you want to shoot a pellet material that is superior to lead but you don’t want to pay more than $10 per shell. You’ll find these loads for about $30 per box of five.

Remington Premier TSS: This is a quality TSS load that is widely available. Unfortunately, this load did not pattern very well through my Jebs choke or my factory full choke. However other writers and folks on forums have had good success with this load shot through other chokes. 

Read Next: Best Turkey Loads, Tested and Reviewed

Final Thoughts on the Best 20 Gauge Turkey Loads

Consider my patterning results in this story to be an example of what these 20 gauge turkey loads can do, not necessarily what they will do. In some cases you might find that your gun/choke combo shoots superior patterns to what I was able to turn in. In other cases your setup won’t be able to match mine. The best thing you can do is pick a load that is optimized for your rig and hunting preferences. Then do some simple patterning work to confirm that you’ve made the right choice.