Turkey

[billrquimby]

What do you all use to hunt turkey? What type of ammo?

 

In the spring I use my 20 gauge Charles Daly o/u with No. 6 shot and go for head shots out to 35 yards on gobblers responding to calls.

 

When I used to hunt in the fall (we could buy tags over the counter then) I loaded reduced loads with heavy bullets for my .22/250. All my fall turkeys were running away and meat loss ranged from minor to serious, depending on where I hit them.

 

I took a friend who had drawn a fall permit out and he shot his turkey at 40 yards with a .22 hornet last week. Don't know what type of ammo but there was minimal meat damage with a body shot.

 

Bill Quimby

[m gardner]

I've shot turkeys with rifle, bow and shotgun. I prefer shotgun as it ruins less meat. A 12 gauge with 1 7/8 ounce of no. 6 buffered hardened lead is my choice. The choke is up to you. Test it and be sure you get good consistent patterns . Especially the density at the center. The edges don't mean much. Sight the gun in to center the pattern. Know where it shoots at all ranges. It has a trajectory. I made my own choke and killed birds out to 47 paces with it.

Mark

[drcarr]

Hunted Turkeys in 12A last weekend. Saw two large flocks of birds on Friday and four smaller flocks by 1630hrs on Saturday. Through the binos the flocks appeared to be mostly mature toms. Just could not call them in closer than about 50 yrds (too windy and not enough hunting pressure to scatter the birds). Finally swapped the Shotgun with 3" high base #4's for a .22 mag Rifle stoked with PMC "Predator" 40gr. jacketed softpoints (has a very large meplat). That 40gr. load dropped a nice tom in it's tracks at approx. 60yrds with minimal meat damage and full penetration. Several years back, a very young lady used that same rifle/load to take a javelina with full penetration across the shoulders (approx. 40yrd shot and it almost dropped in it's tracks too).