275°F: crisp skin, same smoke
275°F is what most people should run, and the reason is skin. At 20 minutes per pound a 8 lb bird is done in about 2 h 40 m — a same-day cook rather than an ordeal — and the fat under the skin actually renders, so it crisps instead of going rubbery.
The old worry that hotter means less smoke does not really hold for poultry. A turkey takes on most of its smoke early, while the surface is still cool and damp, and that happens at any of these temperatures. What changes at 275°F is that you are out of the danger zone faster, which matters more on a bird than it does on a brisket.
An 8 lb turkey is small — often a hen, sometimes a young tom. It cooks fast and dries out faster, so start probing well before the estimate is up, and consider brining. At this size a bone-in breast is a genuine alternative: less waste, less time, and all the meat most crowds actually eat.
How many people does a 8 lb turkey feed?
A whole bird is only about 40% servable meat once the bone, skin and carcass are accounted for, so a 8 lb turkey gives you roughly 3.2 lbs on the platter — about 6 adults at a half pound each, less if the table is loaded with sides and more if you are counting on sandwiches the next day. Cooking for around 10? The turkey for 10 people page does the shopping maths, and the portion calculator handles kids, sides and leftovers.