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Where do you aim on his head?

Started by Uncle Tom, March 21, 2022, 07:36:59 PM

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worth612000


Lcmacd 58


olemossyhorns

Base of the wattles is where I'm aiming

Lcmacd 58

Stack his head on top of your bead ....
Shoot em close ....

Jroddc


Happy

Eyeball, preferably at about 20-30 yards. No shot in the breast meat. I teach my kids to hold where the feathers end and wattles begin.

Good-Looking and Platinum member of the Elitist Club

Greg Massey

Feathers meet the skin in most cases. but it depends if he's bobbing and weaving ...  :fud:

Farmboy27

I always told my son, or any other new turkey hunter with me, that his head should be sitting on top of the bead.

ScottTaulbee

I like a big bead myself and I use the same bead on my duck gun as I use on my turkey gun. When the bead covers the head I shoot. When I used a scope, I aimed at the eye.


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Marc

Quote from: ScottTaulbee on May 04, 2023, 12:33:48 PM
I like a big bead myself and I use the same bead on my duck gun as I use on my turkey gun. When the bead covers the head I shoot. When I used a scope, I aimed at the eye.

Interesting...  I am the exact opposite.

I doubt I would even know if the bead was off while wing-shooting.  With wing-shooting I am doing my best not to be aware of the barrel or the bead.  If the gun is mounted correctly (and my head is down), my eye and gun (barrel) should be lined up, and the birds should fall or target should break.  Should fall...  My biggest issue wing-shooting is lifting my head...

For turkey hunting, I prefer a smaller bead so that I can focus on the target (aim small miss small).  The bead is simply a reference point to make sure the gun is lined up, and I am focused on the target...  I will admit to a preference for a center bead while turkey hunting though.  If the two beads are lined up (means my head is down), and my hold point is correct, I am NOT missing.

I will say that those turkey targets were very helpful for me to find my hold point.  Put that target out 10-15 yards with a tight choke and cheap target loads...  If I shoot at the head at those ranges, my pattern barely hits the top of the head on the target.  If I put it where the neck/feathers meet, his head comes off.  Different guns and shims might differ for different shooters (which is why we pattern).

When/if I miss it is vertically not horizontally.  The only shots I have missed (3 misses in my turkey hunting career) are when a bird is poking his head up (over a log, or rock, etc.), and I can only see the head...  And I miss over the top.

Another difficult shot is a lateral shot at a bird that is gobbling...  Head sticking out horizontal instead of vertical.  Had one of those this year, and there was some admitted relief with the connection on that shot.
Did I do that?

Fly fishermen are born honest, but they get over it.

ScottTaulbee

Quote from: Marc on May 06, 2023, 02:10:17 PM
Quote from: ScottTaulbee on May 04, 2023, 12:33:48 PM
I like a big bead myself and I use the same bead on my duck gun as I use on my turkey gun. When the bead covers the head I shoot. When I used a scope, I aimed at the eye.

Interesting...  I am the exact opposite.

I doubt I would even know if the bead was off while wing-shooting.  With wing-shooting I am doing my best not to be aware of the barrel or the bead.  If the gun is mounted correctly (and my head is down), my eye and gun (barrel) should be lined up, and the birds should fall or target should break.  Should fall...  My biggest issue wing-shooting is lifting my head...

For turkey hunting, I prefer a smaller bead so that I can focus on the target (aim small miss small).  The bead is simply a reference point to make sure the gun is lined up, and I am focused on the target...  I will admit to a preference for a center bead while turkey hunting though.  If the two beads are lined up (means my head is down), and my hold point is correct, I am NOT missing.

I will say that those turkey targets were very helpful for me to find my hold point.  Put that target out 10-15 yards with a tight choke and cheap target loads...  If I shoot at the head at those ranges, my pattern barely hits the top of the head on the target.  If I put it where the neck/feathers meet, his head comes off.  Different guns and shims might differ for different shooters (which is why we pattern).

When/if I miss it is vertically not horizontally.  The only shots I have missed (3 misses in my turkey hunting career) are when a bird is poking his head up (over a log, or rock, etc.), and I can only see the head...  And I miss over the top.

Another difficult shot is a lateral shot at a bird that is gobbling...  Head sticking out horizontal instead of vertical.  Had one of those this year, and there was some admitted relief with the connection on that shot.
I also rarely look at the bead when wing shooting or shooting clays. It's just a familiarity thing I guess. I Average 93% on trap and mid 80% depending on the course. I'm an outlier I guess on turkey hunting, I don't raise my gun until I shoot, other than that it's on the ground on my right side. When the turkey is in range and I get ready to shoot, I slowly reach over and ease the gun up, when the bead covers the head I squeeze the trigger.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Marc

Quote from: ScottTaulbee on May 06, 2023, 02:51:45 PM
Quote from: Marc on May 06, 2023, 02:10:17 PM
Quote from: ScottTaulbee on May 04, 2023, 12:33:48 PM
I like a big bead myself and I use the same bead on my duck gun as I use on my turkey gun. When the bead covers the head I shoot. When I used a scope, I aimed at the eye.

Interesting...  I am the exact opposite.

I doubt I would even know if the bead was off while wing-shooting.  With wing-shooting I am doing my best not to be aware of the barrel or the bead.  If the gun is mounted correctly (and my head is down), my eye and gun (barrel) should be lined up, and the birds should fall or target should break.  Should fall...  My biggest issue wing-shooting is lifting my head...

For turkey hunting, I prefer a smaller bead so that I can focus on the target (aim small miss small).  The bead is simply a reference point to make sure the gun is lined up, and I am focused on the target...  I will admit to a preference for a center bead while turkey hunting though.  If the two beads are lined up (means my head is down), and my hold point is correct, I am NOT missing.

I will say that those turkey targets were very helpful for me to find my hold point.  Put that target out 10-15 yards with a tight choke and cheap target loads...  If I shoot at the head at those ranges, my pattern barely hits the top of the head on the target.  If I put it where the neck/feathers meet, his head comes off.  Different guns and shims might differ for different shooters (which is why we pattern).

When/if I miss it is vertically not horizontally.  The only shots I have missed (3 misses in my turkey hunting career) are when a bird is poking his head up (over a log, or rock, etc.), and I can only see the head...  And I miss over the top.

Another difficult shot is a lateral shot at a bird that is gobbling...  Head sticking out horizontal instead of vertical.  Had one of those this year, and there was some admitted relief with the connection on that shot.
I also rarely look at the bead when wing shooting or shooting clays. It's just a familiarity thing I guess. I Average 93% on trap and mid 80% depending on the course. I'm an outlier I guess on turkey hunting, I don't raise my gun until I shoot, other than that it's on the ground on my right side. When the turkey is in range and I get ready to shoot, I slowly reach over and ease the gun up, when the bead covers the head I squeeze the trigger.

To be clear...  Not trying to argue...  For anyone out there...  If it works, keep doing it.

Like you, I also tend to mount and shoot turkeys a lot.  If I can set up before he comes around a tree or pops over a knoll, I will.  But if a turkey is in range with my gun down, I mount the gun and shoot him.  I tend to "aim" the gun more pre-mounted and ready, and tend to shoot more similar wing-shooting with a low gun.

I have taken people out, with a bird in range, and they were too afraid to mount and shoot a low gun, and we watched birds walk off.

I have actually found that the motion of pulling the gun up to shoot them, actually makes their heads come up briefly...  While I know it will happen, I have yet to have a bird take off during the mount, to a point I still was not able to get a clean shot off.

First bird of the season for me this year, I had a sandwich in my hand (instead of my gun) when the bird came in.  He still went home with me.
Did I do that?

Fly fishermen are born honest, but they get over it.

ScottTaulbee

Quote from: Marc on May 06, 2023, 05:30:37 PM
Quote from: ScottTaulbee on May 06, 2023, 02:51:45 PM
Quote from: Marc on May 06, 2023, 02:10:17 PM
Quote from: ScottTaulbee on May 04, 2023, 12:33:48 PM
I like a big bead myself and I use the same bead on my duck gun as I use on my turkey gun. When the bead covers the head I shoot. When I used a scope, I aimed at the eye.

Interesting...  I am the exact opposite.

I doubt I would even know if the bead was off while wing-shooting.  With wing-shooting I am doing my best not to be aware of the barrel or the bead.  If the gun is mounted correctly (and my head is down), my eye and gun (barrel) should be lined up, and the birds should fall or target should break.  Should fall...  My biggest issue wing-shooting is lifting my head...

For turkey hunting, I prefer a smaller bead so that I can focus on the target (aim small miss small).  The bead is simply a reference point to make sure the gun is lined up, and I am focused on the target...  I will admit to a preference for a center bead while turkey hunting though.  If the two beads are lined up (means my head is down), and my hold point is correct, I am NOT missing.

I will say that those turkey targets were very helpful for me to find my hold point.  Put that target out 10-15 yards with a tight choke and cheap target loads...  If I shoot at the head at those ranges, my pattern barely hits the top of the head on the target.  If I put it where the neck/feathers meet, his head comes off.  Different guns and shims might differ for different shooters (which is why we pattern).

When/if I miss it is vertically not horizontally.  The only shots I have missed (3 misses in my turkey hunting career) are when a bird is poking his head up (over a log, or rock, etc.), and I can only see the head...  And I miss over the top.

Another difficult shot is a lateral shot at a bird that is gobbling...  Head sticking out horizontal instead of vertical.  Had one of those this year, and there was some admitted relief with the connection on that shot.
I also rarely look at the bead when wing shooting or shooting clays. It's just a familiarity thing I guess. I Average 93% on trap and mid 80% depending on the course. I'm an outlier I guess on turkey hunting, I don't raise my gun until I shoot, other than that it's on the ground on my right side. When the turkey is in range and I get ready to shoot, I slowly reach over and ease the gun up, when the bead covers the head I squeeze the trigger.

To be clear...  Not trying to argue...  For anyone out there...  If it works, keep doing it.

Like you, I also tend to mount and shoot turkeys a lot.  If I can set up before he comes around a tree or pops over a knoll, I will.  But if a turkey is in range with my gun down, I mount the gun and shoot him.  I tend to "aim" the gun more pre-mounted and ready, and tend to shoot more similar wing-shooting with a low gun.

I have taken people out, with a bird in range, and they were too afraid to mount and shoot a low gun, and we watched birds walk off.

I have actually found that the motion of pulling the gun up to shoot them, actually makes their heads come up briefly...  While I know it will happen, I have yet to have a bird take off during the mount, to a point I still was not able to get a clean shot off.

First bird of the season for me this year, I had a sandwich in my hand (instead of my gun) when the bird came in.  He still went home with me.
I absolutely never took it as you arguing, you're one of the ones on here that I tend to agree with more often than not!. And I agree, most folks have the sit with the gun on your knees drilled in to them and they're scared to do anything differently


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76chevy


cwhitfield96

Most people say the wattles but are you meaning the caruncles at the base of the neck?