Where to Shoot and What to Shoot?

[SCGobbler]

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I have killed more than my fair share of turkeys with a gun so I am venturing into archery this year.

I bought some Rage 2.25" cut turkey broadheads this year for body shots.  I don't think I'm ready for head shots yet.

I have heard the term, shoot them in the drumsticks... is this correct for body shots?

I know this is a loaded question, but what broadheads are you guys shooting?  Mechanical vs. fixed, Brand vs. Brand?

I looked and saw a very old thread that seemed to favor the bullheads, but didn't see anything regarding body shot broadheads.

Take care all,

[fallhnt]

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You can't go wrong with Rage. If you have mutiple tags to fill you will be better off. When I look at a turkey broadside I look up the leg and shoot the upper third. I aim above the beard if he is facing me. I've seen some good anatomy  pics on web sites but I don't know where to find them. I think Mathews web site might have something with turkey anatomy for bowhunters. Good luck.

[kiltman]

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 If he's facing away from you, shoot him in the A__! Your find the link below useful.
http://www.americanhunter.org/article.php?id=20560&cat=4&sub=0
 
 Mike

[MAKEemQUIVER]

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Plan on trying the Magnus Bullhead's, but not sure how to make sure they fly good. Can someone tell me how to take a practice shot with this head or are they supposed to fly true?

[alloutdoors]

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A lot of guys like to use the largest cut expandable head they can find. There's not really anything wrong with that strategy, and from what I've seen of guys using archery equipment on turkeys on TV, going that route has saved the day for a lot of those morons who would have otherwise lost birds. Honestly, I think probably 75% or more of the body shots taken with a bow that I see on TV are absolutely terrible placement. Usually it's because they hit low or too far forward, and it's almost always because they decide to take a 30+ yard shot. You may be able to make a 40 yard shot on deer all day long, but turkeys are not deer. There is much less margin for error. When you see birds hobble off and get recovered later off camera, it's because they made a bad shot, not that they will admit it. The large heads have more forgiveness because they can potentially create a lethal wound even if the hit is outside the main vitals area, but it's not something I would want to rely on.

I personally like to use the same fixed blade heads that I use on deer, but I also like to get them in close where I have pinpoint accuracy. I won't take a bow shot at a turkey at more than about 20 yards, and I much prefer to have them at 10 or less. Your point of aim should be straight up from the legs at a height more or less equal to where the beard comes out of the chest. Put an arrow through that spot and it doesn't matter what head you have, that bird is going to go down fast.

This is what a well placed body shot will do to a bird.
Broadside strutter
Head on

In the illustration below I would move my point of aim just slightly back from where it is shown on the broadside strutter, otherwise this is pretty much spot on in my opinion.

[MAKEemQUIVER]

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Alloutdoors thanks for the help. Great videos as well. On a broadside shot would you rather be a little low compared to a little high?

[alloutdoors]

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The height shown in the image I posted is pretty much perfect. Ideally I don't want to be more than an inch high or low of that aim point. If I'm going to miss that ideal spot and I get to choose whether the arrow is going to go high or low, I would choose high because a little high should take out the spine and a little higher than that should just pass through feathers. Miss low and you are going to hit breast meat or thighs. The shot may be fatal, but unless you break the legs the bird may go far enough that you never find him.

I don't remember where I first saw it, but the phrase that sums it up perfectly is "Hit 'em high watch 'em die, hit 'em low watch 'em go."

[Dtrkyman]

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I like the shot placement listed above, I do however prefer large expandables and 3 blade blade over 4. I shoot a mix of heads, 1 3/4 or 2 inch 3 blades, meatseekers and grim reapers and also guillotines and bullheads.

I usually carry an arrow with a bullhead/guillotine and three with expandables.  All outdoors is correct that placement trumps everything, but the devastation of these large expandables really shines on turkeys.

I have taken probably 25 birds with a bow and any that are hit with the shot recommended above are not going anywhere, that said I really like a straight away shot at a standing bird, easy acces to vitals and a lot of spine to hit!

[csgrizz]

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I am an avid bowhunter and have bowhunted turkeys many times but have not taken many birds, mostly because I respect the game so much I didn't want to lose birds....to solve that issue, I now shoot my expandable broadheads at the head and get them in close.  It is a clean miss or a dead bird.  I am 2 for 3 since attempting this and my longest shot was 14 yards.  The bird I missed, I killed an hour later with my shot gun...(long story).  That way I don't have to change anything from my deer set up.  I practice on a ping pong ball glued to a string and hanging in front of my target, the slightest breeze moves it around like a turkey head.

[boomer]

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Plan on trying the Magnus Bullhead's, but not sure how to make sure they fly good. Can someone tell me how to take a practice shot with this head or are they supposed to fly true?

I use the victory arrows with the bullheads. I just sight the bow in with 125gr head. Once its sighted in with that I put a bullhead on. I just hang a pillow put a dot on it to aim at. So far never had to adjust from field point to bullhead been good to 40yrds.

[Dan Mallia]

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Plan on trying the Magnus Bullhead's, but not sure how to make sure they fly good. Can someone tell me how to take a practice shot with this head or are they supposed to fly true?

I use the victory arrows with the bullheads. I just sight the bow in with 125gr head. Once its sighted in with that I put a bullhead on. I just hang a pillow put a dot on it to aim at. So far never had to adjust from field point to bullhead been good to 40yrds.

This^^^^^^

I shoot them into cheap pillows packed in a black garbage bag. Have to replace the garbage bag every 30-40 shots but the pillows keep working. Magnus recommends making sure the blades are tight after each shot.  Once I started doing that I noticed the broken blades I had went down significantly.

They are a great Broadhead. I took four turkeys this spring with the bullhead. Dead on contact, clean miss or clean kill. No chasing birds. And it's cool seeing their heads fly off