Federal 3rd degree

[bushangler]

A couple years ago I bought 2 cases of this stuff for very cheap. I have 6 20ga shotguns and probably 20 chokes and not one of them shoots a good pattern with this stuff, plenty good to kill a Turkey at 30yds but not near as good as many other shells I have tried.


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[Hobbes_mobile]

If it's the lead that I'm thinking of, it didn't shoot too bad from my 870 youth for lead. It was typical lead though and had a 30 yard Max from the 20. My daughter killed a tom right at 30 yards with it.

It seems like they had one that was some kind of HTL blend. I never shot that one.

[bushangler]

If it's the lead that I'm thinking of, it didn't shoot too bad from my 870 youth for lead. It was typical lead though and had a 30 yard Max from the 20. My daughter killed a tom right at 30 yards with it.

It seems like they had one that was some kind of HTL blend. I never shot that one.

It’s a htl load, 5-6-7 blend I think the 7’s a tss. Don’t know about the 5’s and 6’s.


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[Hobbes_mobile]

If it's the lead that I'm thinking of, it didn't shoot too bad from my 870 youth for lead. It was typical lead though and had a 30 yard Max from the 20. My daughter killed a tom right at 30 yards with it.

It seems like they had one that was some kind of HTL blend. I never shot that one.

It’s a htl load, 5-6-7 blend I think the 7’s a tss. Don’t know about the 5’s and 6’s.


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I've not shot that one. I've only shot the lead blend.

[Lacire]

I don’t think this load was made to hold a tight pattern for long range like a fully loaded all TSS shell, the 5 and 6 I thought were lead and the 7 was TSS with the 5 and 6 spreading out faster for short range and the 7 holding together for more distance.

[bushangler]

I don’t think this load was made to hold a tight pattern for long range like a fully loaded all TSS shell, the 5 and 6 I thought were lead and the 7 was TSS with the 5 and 6 spreading out faster for short range and he 7 holding together for more distance.

That was the design but in every gun/choke combo I’ve tried it shoots an awful pattern many with hotspots and holes.

I only shoot 30yds and still use mostly high brass plated 6’s for turkeys but I thought these would be perfect for me and I got them super cheap but they are certainly underwhelming in performance oh well, in this day and age it’s worth it to have them sitting on the shelf.


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[2nd100]

They shot horrible in half a dozen 12 ga. I wouldn't even try and rabbit hunt with them , much less Turkey hunt .

[joey46]

Didn't they do a wad change? Seem to remember one major aftermarket choke manufacturer even had a not recommended warning about the original wad. Probably still plenty of the old stuff around.

[MFL205]

Yes, there was an issue with the wads and it not “stripping” properly from the shot and there was a wad change. We had some and it patterned terrible, never bought the stuff again.

[bwhana]

I actually talked to the shotshell product manager at Federal after having major issues with these and TSS loads when they first came to market. These and the early TSS rounds had the original Flitecontrol wad that had a harder/brittle plastic that would not work in ported chokes and even had breaking issues in tighter chokes. They changed them to a softer plastic and changed the fins to supposedly work better, but wouldn't abandon those wads entirely. These were the worst shells I've ever shot, even the cruddy Hornady Magnum turkey loads out performed them. I also learned that they didn't test their loads with short barrel guns and it became a major point of concern for them right after they went to market with guys like me calling.

[KyKRAZEE]

I actually talked to the shotshell product manager at Federal after having major issues with these and TSS loads when they first came to market. These and the early TSS rounds had the original Flitecontrol wad that had a harder/brittle plastic that would not work in ported chokes and even had breaking issues in tighter chokes. They changed them to a softer plastic and changed the fins to supposedly work better, but wouldn't abandon those wads entirely. These were the worst shells I've ever shot, even the cruddy Hornady Magnum turkey loads out performed them. I also learned that they didn't test their loads with short barrel guns and it became a major point of concern for them right after they went to market with guys like me calling.

WOW!!! Now thats saying something.... that the Hornady magnum shells outperform the 3rd degree, because the Hornady rounds are THE WORST patterning shells I've ever witnessed. That said, I've also never seen or heard of the 3rd degree shells patterning good at all.

[KyKRAZEE]

My advice on your 3rd degrees...sell em' if ya can or shoot em' at crows.

[ICDEDTURKES]

My advice on your 3rd degrees...sell em' if ya can or shoot em' at crows.

Yeah sounds like helluva pheasant load

[decoykrvr]

As a former "product tester/evaluator" for Federal who was the beneficiary of their largess, I went round and round about the failings and problems of the dreaded FliteControl wad. It became apparent that too many people within Federal had too much time, money, and their reputations to acknowledge the obvious failings of the wad. It was a classic, "You see what you want to see and hear what you want to hear." A lot of other knowledgeable folks simply got fed up trying to advise Federal the they had a great shot, HeavyWeight, but a horrible wad which performed well only in the 20 gauge. Like a lot of others on here, I never found a choke combination which produced turkey hunting patterns w/ the 3rd Degree.

[253shotgunner]

Dang I have two boxes of 20g Fed 3rd degree but I haven't patterned them yet. Maybe I will set them aside and pattern them later for fall turkey season. Does this ammo work better with tight turkey chokes or something a little wider like a modified choke? Tks, 253sg

[MNGobbler]

Well, there is always an exception to the rule and I must be that exception. I have three daughters and a wife who all shoot Remington Youth 20 gauges for turkeys. Each of them have a Primos Tightwad choke on them and they all shoot 3rd degree in them with exceptional results. Patterning is great to 40yards and have killed several birds beyond that. I have had no problems with holes in the pattern or any other issues with the patterning of them through those guns. Maybe indeed the loads you purchased have the old wads not sure, but I have been shooting them through their guns for 2+ years and have nothing but great to say about them.

[paboxcall]

I ran 3rd Degree through a .555 IC and a Mossberg 500. Definitely a good 30-35 yard pattern. Held enough 7s together to be similar performance to 12 gauge Winchester red hull Supreme patterns I got in 4s or 5s lead many years ago and stock xfull chokes.

Shoot TSS straight 8s and straight 9s, but still have a a few 3rd Degree rolling around in the gun case, and load them up late season after everything is green and thick and things go down up close.

[Parshan]

Does 20g Fed 3rd degree work better with tight turkey chokes?
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