Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

Since joining this forum I've been reading & reading new and old posts. The one name in pot calls that comes up over and over again is David Halloran. Almost every "list" or "killer" type post will have multiple posts praising his Crystal Mistress &/or Twisted Sister calls.

Obviously, there are a lot of quality call makers but can somebody tell me what difference you see in Halloran pots that causes them to be so successfully used? Does he have a special design? Craftsmanship?

Thank you.

It's the tone that everyone likes.

David simply makes a great sounding pot and he is consistent.  He won't be as personal with you as some other custom call makers simply because of how many he makes..but each call has that "pop", "ring", and "back end" that every one likes!

I agree with what everyone else already said and I'll add that they're user friendly, very easy running.

One thing I've noticed is that while other custom call makers allow for nearly unlimited options in wood combinations and surfaces that Halloran & Sneed only have a few options and build a lot of the same call. Maybe they prefer to perfect a few calls than offer so many options.

I got a crystal mistress this spring after hearing hype about them for years, it's one of the best calls I've ever ran, and I have a lot of custom calls. It was always my go to this year when needing to really reach out and touch one, and it accounted for the best spring I've ever had. Called in18 longbeards to gun range, more to sight range, and loads of hens!! It just has that turkey sound to it!

Quote from: Grey Owl on May 25, 2017, 09:28:23 AM
One thing I've noticed is that while other custom call makers allow for nearly unlimited options in wood combinations and surfaces that Halloran & Sneed only have a few options and build a lot of the same call. Maybe they prefer to perfect a few calls than offer so many options.

There's pros and cons to both.

Quote from: MDTOM84 on May 25, 2017, 09:09:53 AM
Don't over look David's ceramic, it's one of the best sounding ceramic pots on the market. Me personally I like the twisted sister a little better than the original crystal mistress.

Well said. This is 100 percent my thought as well.

Quote from: Spitten and drummen on May 25, 2017, 10:25:50 AM

Quote from: MDTOM84 on May 25, 2017, 09:09:53 AM
Don't over look David's ceramic, it's one of the best sounding ceramic pots on the market. Me personally I like the twisted sister a little better than the original crystal mistress.

Well said. This is 100 percent my thought as well.

Same here

Quote from: vt35mag on May 25, 2017, 11:11:11 AM

Quote from: Spitten and drummen on May 25, 2017, 10:25:50 AM

Quote from: MDTOM84 on May 25, 2017, 09:09:53 AM
Don't over look David's ceramic, it's one of the best sounding ceramic pots on the market. Me personally I like the twisted sister a little better than the original crystal mistress.

Well said. This is 100 percent my thought as well.

Same here

I'll echo the above



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You can't go wrong with any of davids pots. They are just flat out turkey killers. Like others have said, most of his pots aren't truly "custom", BUT they kill turkeys. His sugartown sweetness is IMO one of if not the best two siders money can buy and it can be had at a fraction of the price as a lot of the other stone cold turkey killing two siders. I don't leave home without the sugartown sweetness unless it's a downpour.


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His pot calls are outstanding.

His strikers are outstanding.

His box calls are outstanding.

His customer service ...
You decide.

I have talked to David at nashville and emailed him a few times.  He always came off as a stand up guy and seemed was happy to help.  Will buy more stuff as my budget allows.

   For me, it's how effective his CM is my turkey woods, I doubt many local hunters even know who he is never mind own his calls. My TS sounds so close to my CM I don't even carry it. I hadn't used a box call for years till my wife bought me his checkered short box for Father's Day a few years back and it killed a bird the first time out. Once again, it's different sounding than the production calls that 90% of locals run.

I have been running Davids calls for about five or six years now and there hasn't been year that one doesn't bring one to the gun. The first time I used the crystal mistress I was fortunate to get a bird. I met David down in Nashville this year and he spent a good amount of time talking to me and my friend about turkey hunting he's a nice guy to talk to. I can't personally say that there is a difference between his calls and many of the other great call makers out there, because by no means am I an expert but his calls work well in the field for me.

The quality and consistency sets them apart IMO.

I love the sound of them too.

man you been reading back in the archives... lot of good stuff.

Quote from: CharliesElements on March 11, 2021, 02:46:53 AM
How can I go about purchasing a David hollaran call?

From his website. www.davidhalloranturkeycalls.com


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Quote from: Grey Owl on May 25, 2017, 08:54:48 AM
Since joining this forum I've been reading & reading new and old posts. The one name in pot calls that comes up over and over again is David Halloran. Almost every "list" or "killer" type post will have multiple posts praising his Crystal Mistress &/or Twisted Sister calls.

Obviously, there are a lot of quality call makers but can somebody tell me what difference you see in Halloran pots that causes them to be so successfully used? Does he have a special design? Craftsmanship?

Thank you.

He makes great calls and his prices although a little higher now are still pretty good for the quality. I know this is about the pot calls but his Purple Heart and cedar box is the single best call I have. His old cherry and Purple Heart double glass is one I also love to hunt. I think I have 3 of his pots, 3 short boxes and one long box. They all sounds very good. Get one and I'm sure you won't regret it. I also hunt Dustin Jones, Lonzo and some by a local guy that's turning some of the best calls I've played.

I will give credit, David calls are pretty good but i like other custom call builders pots and boxes a lot better. I do own a few of David calls, the ones i feel are the better ones of his boxes and pots. Reason a lot people buy his calls is because he has website and it's pretty easy to buy his calls and have them within few days and most all will kill turkeys. Nothing wrong with his calls.

Halloran's Crystal Mistress is the only pot I have that would be considered a production call.  It's really good and I'm glad I have it.  If I hear enough good things from certain people about a call,  be it production or custom made, I'll try it out.  I hear his strikers are really good too as well as some of his diaphragm calls.


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His slates and ceramic are also top notch.

His bloodwood and ipe strikers are good ones too

I have quit a few pots with different materials and call makers.

But Halloran's Crystal Mistress is always in my vest!

Quote from: Meleagris gallopavo on March 15, 2021, 07:18:48 AM
Halloran's Crystal Mistress is the only pot I have that would be considered a production call.  It's really good and I'm glad I have it.  If I hear enough good things from certain people about a call,  be it production or custom made, I'll try it out.  I hear his strikers are really good too as well as some of his diaphragm calls.


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Curious as to why you say his CM is a production call ?

Quote from: WV Ridge Reaper on March 18, 2021, 11:11:28 PM

Quote from: Meleagris gallopavo on March 15, 2021, 07:18:48 AM
Halloran's Crystal Mistress is the only pot I have that would be considered a production call.  It's really good and I'm glad I have it.  If I hear enough good things from certain people about a call,  be it production or custom made, I'll try it out.  I hear his strikers are really good too as well as some of his diaphragm calls.


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Curious as to why you say his CM is a production call ?

I honestly thought that he didn't make all the calls himself.  When you questioned me I went to his website and found out otherwise.  His calls are custom made.


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I consider them borderline production calls in that they come off a CNC machine. That's not knocking them. That's saying that's the only way he can keep up with demand. The only box I hunt is a Halloran. For the most part the only crystal I hunt is a Halloran. I love his calls. But there's a big difference between turning individually on a lathe and pressing a button. What you get out of the CNC though is much higher consistency and much higher production. Regardless, custom vs. production is just semantics; his dimensions are dialed and I've liked everything I've ever gotten from him.


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Quote from: Meleagris gallopavo on March 19, 2021, 07:23:51 AM

Quote from: WV Ridge Reaper on March 18, 2021, 11:11:28 PM

Quote from: Meleagris gallopavo on March 15, 2021, 07:18:48 AM
Halloran's Crystal Mistress is the only pot I have that would be considered a production call.  It's really good and I'm glad I have it.  If I hear enough good things from certain people about a call,  be it production or custom made, I'll try it out.  I hear his strikers are really good too as well as some of his diaphragm calls.


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Curious as to why you say his CM is a production call ?

I honestly thought that he didn't make all the calls himself.  When you questioned me I went to his website and found out otherwise.  His calls are custom made.


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Custom can mean different things to different people... If you cut them on a CNC machine then you personally glue them up is that custom?
It really should only matter to collectors that just like truly hand turned calls, other than that if it sounds good then get one... I have two of his calls and I like them both.

Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on March 19, 2021, 08:56:08 AM
I consider them borderline production calls in that they come off a CNC machine. That's not knocking them. That's saying that's the only way he can keep up with demand. The only box I hunt is a Halloran. For the most part the only crystal I hunt is a Halloran. I love his calls. But there's a big difference between turning individually on a lathe and pressing a button. What you get out of the CNC though is much higher consistency and much higher production. Regardless, custom vs. production is just semantics; his dimensions are dialed and I've liked everything I've ever gotten from him.

Not even borderline production calls, at this point that is in fact what David's calls are. Like you are saying though, that doesn't mean his calls are bad, he has the dimensions plugged into his CNC that will get him consistently "good enough" calls, because he found hear dimensions through his years on the lathe.

The OP was eluding to it, but it was never answered, people talk about "looking for old Halloran's" vs. new ones, when David was still stamping the back of the calls, they were hand turned on a lathe and tuned individually. The quality/sound of the older calls as long as they were stored over the years correctly will be better than his newer calls with certainty.

Of the better call makers out there, it's often their earlier calls aren't as good as what you would currently order from them, because they developed their sound over the years and continued to improve. David on the other hand digressed and went the route of keeping up with demand rather than quality. Again, not saying his calls are bad, just definitely not the best, and that directly correlates to them being production calls.

Quote from: HookedonHooks on March 22, 2021, 08:42:08 AM

Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on March 19, 2021, 08:56:08 AM
I consider them borderline production calls in that they come off a CNC machine. That's not knocking them. That's saying that's the only way he can keep up with demand. The only box I hunt is a Halloran. For the most part the only crystal I hunt is a Halloran. I love his calls. But there's a big difference between turning individually on a lathe and pressing a button. What you get out of the CNC though is much higher consistency and much higher production. Regardless, custom vs. production is just semantics; his dimensions are dialed and I've liked everything I've ever gotten from him.

Not even borderline production calls, at this point that is in fact what David's calls are. Like you are saying though, that doesn't mean his calls are bad, he has the dimensions plugged into his CNC that will get him consistently "good enough" calls, because he found hear dimensions through his years on the lathe.

The OP was eluding to it, but it was never answered, people talk about "looking for old Halloran's" vs. new ones, when David was still stamping the back of the calls, they were hand turned on a lathe and tuned individually. The quality/sound of the older calls as long as they were stored over the years correctly will be better than his newer calls with certainty.

Of the better call makers out there, it's often their earlier calls aren't as good as what you would currently order from them, because they developed their sound over the years and continued to improve. David on the other hand digressed and went the route of keeping up with demand rather than quality. Again, not saying his calls are bad, just definitely not the best, and that directly correlates to them being production calls.

Anyone happen to know when he switched to the cnc? I have two twisted sisters that I bought from him in 2013. They aren't stamped on the back, but they also aren't signed like most of his calls. However, I also bought a short box from him at the same time and he did sign it, so maybe he just missed signing the pots. But come to think of it, I've never seen a stamped TS so perhaps they were always made with a cnc. They sound awesome and I've had one in the vest every season since, I was just curious.

I run the Twisted Sister with his one piece strikers. It just has a ring to it that sounds realistic. That being said there is no magic call just personal preference

Early stamped TS(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210322/70ef42ed37092d7809c51b332bbe6c65.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210322/e3b46993d8eca12ee70aea9fadc3dae7.jpg)

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Quote from: jamo on March 22, 2021, 07:48:25 PM
Early stamped TS(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210322/70ef42ed37092d7809c51b332bbe6c65.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210322/e3b46993d8eca12ee70aea9fadc3dae7.jpg)

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That's pretty neat, never seen one before...thanks for sharing! Any idea what year it's from?

Not sure of the year it was made, bought it from a member here, a couple years ago.

Nice TS.

I have one as well. Approx 9-10 yrs old. Lots of dead turkeys to its credit. Also have his laminate slate (not wenge walnut) ......unreal sounding pots! Never had any issues with any of his pots both CNC and one at a time pots. I have also never had any issues with his customer service. Thoroughly enjoy speaking with him and his family at the outdoors shows during the late winter.

Thanks,BTH I was thinking it wasade around that time frame, just wasn't sure.

Don't overlook his 1 piece strikers, I have 4 of them and intend to get more.

First custom call I ever bought was a twisted sister and it's still my favorite pot call, I also like his strikers, boxes, and mouth calls

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Quote from: jamo on March 22, 2021, 09:03:52 PM
Thanks,BTH I was thinking it was made around that time frame, just wasn't sure.

Yessir anytime. Those older pots definitely have a better "ring" to them IMO. Hope you are doing well.

I own what's probably considered to be a "newer" CM and I'd put it up against any of the older, mythical CM's. Bottom line is Halloran makes a fine pot call and I don't care what his process is for making them.

Being a CAD guy who occasionally dabbles with CAM, I laugh at some of the remarks made regarding calls made by CNC vs hand made. The same people who talk down on CNC-made turkey calls will likely brag about the fit and finish on their $1200 CNC-made shotguns. I get that you like what you like but seems awful ironic at the same time...

Quote from: Jbird22 on March 23, 2021, 02:11:40 PM
I own what's probably considered to be a "newer" CM and I'd put it up against any of the older, mythical CM's. Bottom line is Halloran makes a fine pot call and I don't care what his process is for making them.

Being a CAD guy who occasionally dabbles with CAM, I laugh at some of the remarks made regarding calls made by CNC vs hand made. The same people who talk down on CNC-made turkey calls will likely brag about the fit and finish on their $1200 CNC-made shotguns. I get that you like what you like but seems awful ironic at the same time...

  I have no complaints with his pot calls I own two of them. I've emailed him a few times with questions he has always gotten back to me in a timely matter. I would rather get a great call that works in a timely manner then be put on a list in hopes I get it before I die.

Quote from: Which Gun on March 23, 2021, 08:12:57 PM
  I have no complaints with his pot calls I own two of them. I've emailed him a few times with questions he has always gotten back to me in a timely matter. I would rather get a great call that works in a timely manner then be put on a list in hopes I get it before I die.

Absolutely

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does anyone have his phone number, I bought his ceramic call and the playing surface cracked. I messaged them and they told me to send it back, its been 2 months and haven't heard anything and cant get a response to my messages and cant find a phone number

(904) 710-0293

Quote from: OsceolaDreams on March 24, 2021, 02:06:13 PM
does anyone have his phone number, I bought his ceramic call and the playing surface cracked. I messaged them and they told me to send it back, its been 2 months and haven't heard anything and cant get a response to my messages and cant find a phone number

Must've blown up on his lathe  :z-guntootsmiley:

Quote from: Jbird22 link=topic=75079.msg1018501#msg1018501 date=i
Being a CAD guy who occasionally dabbles with CAM, I laugh at some of the remarks made regarding calls made by CNC vs hand made. The same people who talk down on CNC-made turkey calls will likely brag about the fit and finish on their $1200 CNC-made shotguns. I get that you like what you like but seems awful ironic at the same time...

Wouldn't it be safe to assume the aluminums and steels used in the CNCs have much less natural variation in the raw materials of the shotgun than say the wood used for a pot call? Bottom line, that's the reason CNC pots aren't as good as full custom pots, natural variation of wood. Pretty horrible comparison, in fact a comical one at best.

Since we're going there though, the old "mythical" Bottomland, Greenleaf, and Treebark 870's and 1187's are not even close in the quality of newer 870's and 1187's that have since been made with the aid of CNC. In fact those newer guns in which CNC were used are far WORSE than their predecessors. Similar to the gripe of many on Halloran's calls. Not saying the CNC is the issue in both cases but an interesting correlation, correct?

Seems to me the irony is someone who thinks people griping about CNC calls are off base, when they are the one off base. Again Halloran's calls aren't bad, just gonna put that out there one more time.

Quote from: HookedonHooks on March 27, 2021, 04:20:38 PM

Quote from: Jbird22 link=topic=75079.msg1018501#msg1018501 date=i
Being a CAD guy who occasionally dabbles with CAM, I laugh at some of the remarks made regarding calls made by CNC vs hand made. The same people who talk down on CNC-made turkey calls will likely brag about the fit and finish on their $1200 CNC-made shotguns. I get that you like what you like but seems awful ironic at the same time...

Wouldn't it be safe to assume the aluminums and steels used in the CNCs have much less natural variation in the raw materials of the shotgun than say the wood used for a pot call? Bottom line, that's the reason CNC pots aren't as good as full custom pots, natural variation of wood. Pretty horrible comparison, in fact a comical one at best.

Since we're going there though, the old "mythical" Bottomland, Greenleaf, and Treebark 870's and 1187's are not even close in the quality of newer 870's and 1187's that have since been made with the aid of CNC. In fact those newer guns in which CNC were used are far WORSE than their predecessors. Similar to the gripe of many on Halloran's calls. Not saying the CNC is the issue in both cases but an interesting correlation, correct?

Seems to me the irony is someone who thinks people griping about CNC calls are off base, when they are the one off base. Again Halloran's calls aren't bad, just gonna put that out there one more time.

Natural variation in wood will exist regardless of the tools used to manufacture the call, correct? The tool's job, whether CNC or manual, is to remove material, not to recognize variations in wood. If you're saying he's just making pots on the CNC machines without checking each one for quality then that's a quality control issue, not a CNC issue. 

Not sure where the 870 argument came from as I said $1200 shotgun. That's geared more toward the higher end guns like Benelli/Retay/etc... Don't forget the red dots and rails/mounts. Nobody ever seems to have a problem with them being made on CNC machines. (BTW, we both know the "mythical" 870's you mentioned are only "mythical" due to their camo patterns. I have a black syn SP Turkey 870 that was made the yr prior to the Greenleaf 870 SP Turkey being made. It's the same exact gun, minus the camo, and it wouldn't fetch remotely as much its Greenleaf brother. I own 3 newer 870's than the SP and they all function exactly the same. The aesthetics aren't as pleasing but the cost went down so something had to be sacrificed.)

I guess you'd have to do what I do for a living to understand my point of view. Either way, it's your money. Buy what you want and hunt with what you want.

Quote from: Jbird22 link=topic=75079.msg1019935#msg1019935 date=i
Natural variation in wood will exist regardless of the tools used to manufacture the call, correct? The tool's job, whether CNC or manual, is to remove material, not to recognize variations in wood. If you're saying he's just making pots on the CNC machines without checking each one for quality then that's a quality control issue, not a CNC issue. 

You answered your own question. The CNC can not recognize natural variation, and therefore does only what it was told to do. A human working a lathe can see variation in each piece of wood he is working his tool to as he slows his process down and takes time with each one. They have specs/measurements they're trying to get to for their call but will make minor adjustments between pieces that the the CNC would just plug for the whole run.

It's only a quality control issue because the CNC was used in the first place, and the less hand work put into each call the bar was diminished to a "good enough" level to where the CNC can hit that most times. The quality control at David's level or say Woodhaven is very cut and dry. A call is totally dead and gets pitched or it's "good enough" and gets packed up. Anyone would be crazy to think calls entered into comps or given to friends from these guys weren't given extra attention.

I use a lathe to make my call and the other day i didn't do a good job the the wood variation because that sucker came apart, after a couple hours of rest on the floor [knockout]  I didn't need any Band-Aids blood was all dried up cross my forehead ,neck, shoulder and chest. That sucker is quick, lol.  :newmascot:

Quote from: rodney gillikin on March 28, 2021, 09:27:17 AM
I use a lathe to make my call and the other day i didn't do a good job the the wood variation because that sucker came apart, after a couple hours of rest on the floor [knockout]  I didn't need any Band-Aids blood was all dried up cross my forehead ,neck, shoulder and chest. That sucker is quick, lol.  :newmascot:

Dang, buddy, I'm glad you're okay! Had a friend turning a large piece of wood for some furniture and the whole piece came flying out and busted the wall. If it'd hit him it likely would've killed him. Definitely nothing to play around with.


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Quote from: HookedonHooks on March 28, 2021, 08:58:26 AM

Quote from: Jbird22 link=topic=75079.msg1019935#msg1019935 date=i
Natural variation in wood will exist regardless of the tools used to manufacture the call, correct? The tool's job, whether CNC or manual, is to remove material, not to recognize variations in wood. If you're saying he's just making pots on the CNC machines without checking each one for quality then that's a quality control issue, not a CNC issue. 

You answered your own question. The CNC can not recognize natural variation, and therefore does only what it was told to do. A human working a lathe can see variation in each piece of wood he is working his tool to as he slows his process down and takes time with each one. They have specs/measurements they're trying to get to for their call but will make minor adjustments between pieces that the the CNC would just plug for the whole run.

It's only a quality control issue because the CNC was used in the first place, and the less hand work put into each call the bar was diminished to a "good enough" level to where the CNC can hit that most times. The quality control at David's level or say Woodhaven is very cut and dry. A call is totally dead and gets pitched or it's "good enough" and gets packed up. Anyone would be crazy to think calls entered into comps or given to friends from these guys weren't given extra attention.

Sorry, but I believe pot call makers try to achieve specific dimensions when making a call and don't stray from them due to perceived wood variations. If they analyze each blank individually and make dimension changes on the fly, then I have an even greater respect for their skills.

All things being completely identical (material and dimensions), you will not convince me that a CNC-made call will be inferior to one that's made by hand (band saw, lathe, drill press, router, etc...).

David had to make a decision that any custom call maker will face if they become that popular. He could either find a way to make more calls to keep up with demand or start a never-ending list and burn out before it's fulfilled. I believe his decision made far less people unhappy than the opposite decision would have.

When it's all said and done I'm left wondering why David's name needs to be dragged through the mud. He decided to build his calls a certain way to grow bigger and have his calls in the hands of more hunters because of their popularity.  Hunters buy them, hunt them and kill birds using them. How I or others view how he builds his calls is a moot point because he's been successful and has been accepted as a great call maker. Good for him. He followed a dream and made it happen and for that he gets my respect. Amazing how the same thing is done by a few top box call makers and nothing ever gets said about it. JMO

Quote from: callmakerman on March 28, 2021, 12:19:36 PM
When it's all said and done I'm left wondering why David's name needs to be dragged through the mud. He decided to build his calls a certain way to grow bigger and have his calls in the hands of more hunters because of their popularity.  Hunters buy them, hunt them and kill birds using them. How I or others view how he builds his calls is a moot point because he's been successful and has been accepted as a great call maker. Good for him. He followed a dream and made it happen and for that he gets my respect. Amazing how the same thing is done by a few top box call makers and nothing ever gets said about it. JMO

Well said Bill!!

Quote from: HookedonHooks on March 27, 2021, 04:01:33 PM

Quote from: OsceolaDreams on March 24, 2021, 02:06:13 PM
does anyone have his phone number, I bought his ceramic call and the playing surface cracked. I messaged them and they told me to send it back, its been 2 months and haven't heard anything and cant get a response to my messages and cant find a phone number

Must've blown up on his lathe  :z-guntootsmiley:

I too had an issue with lack of response to my e-mails. Finally did get a response and the lady answering the e-mail made a good point. They are super busy this time of year and it was only the two of them. She was very apologetic. I should have realized that. Suggest you either e-mail again or call. I am sure someone on here has their number.

Quote from: rodney gillikin on March 28, 2021, 09:27:17 AM
I use a lathe to make my call and the other day i didn't do a good job the the wood variation because that sucker came apart, after a couple hours of rest on the floor [knockout]  I didn't need any Band-Aids blood was all dried up cross my forehead ,neck, shoulder and chest. That sucker is quick, lol.  :newmascot:

Dang Rodney!  I told you not to give the wife any lip.  Sounds like your putting too much time in the shop!!!  BE SAFE!!!

I've killed 4 birds in the last 3 years, and all were killed using the CM.  It just has a great sound to it and the birds seem to love it.

Quote from: ugaDAWGS09 on March 30, 2021, 03:26:47 PM
I've killed 4 birds in the last 3 years, and all were killed using the CM.  It just has a great sound to it and the birds seem to love it.

I agree and I think the majority on this post also agree. I do not see this dicussion as dragging Mr Holloran's name through the mud. Good discussion only cements his reputation more as he is producing a top rate product. I currently have a CM and Metal mouth 2. If his box calls are as good I will have one of them also and will not worry about how or when it was made. I only care about its ability to speak turkey.

Once all this Covid stuff is over I hope to go to his shop, he only an hour and a half from me.

Quote from: mtns2hunt on March 30, 2021, 08:28:22 PM

Quote from: ugaDAWGS09 on March 30, 2021, 03:26:47 PM
I've killed 4 birds in the last 3 years, and all were killed using the CM.  It just has a great sound to it and the birds seem to love it.

I agree and I think the majority on this post also agree. I do not see this dicussion as dragging Mr Holloran's name through the mud. Good discussion only cements his reputation more as he is producing a top rate product. I currently have a CM and Metal mouth 2. If his box calls are as good I will have one of them also and will not worry about how or when it was made. I only care about its ability to speak turkey.

I rarely hunt a box but when I do it's his ebony/walnut. I've got some other really nice boxes. An Albert Paul I love. A Shoemaker I wouldn't trade for the world. But that Halloran box is meeeeeeean!


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May not have to go back as far as stamped vs cnc calls, but could it be the older calls sounded better (or perceived to) have more to do with the quality of the slate used for the soundboard, and less to do with how the pot was cut?
I know people have commented about how the grey/black slate from PA isn't what it used to be, or isn't as consistent.

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I have owned quite a few but have no opinion whether or not older is better. But assuming older is better could it be similar to a guitar getting better with age?

Consistent in tone and playability.  Metal mouth is a good one as well!


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Wondering how everyone is doing with the Metalmouth 2. I have found it to be disapointing. It sounds good but I can't buy a gobbler with it. His Cristal Mistress has brought in 6 goblers this season. Unfortunatly 4 came in behind me and I could not close the deal. The other two rode home with me. Maybe its just my area and they prefer the Mistress.

I had much better response with the mistress vs the metal mouth as well.

Quote from: mtns2hunt on May 11, 2021, 11:58:31 PM
Wondering how everyone is doing with the Metalmouth 2. I have found it to be disapointing. It sounds good but I can't buy a gobbler with it. His Cristal Mistress has brought in 6 goblers this season. Unfortunatly 4 came in behind me and I could not close the deal. The other two rode home with me. Maybe its just my area and they prefer the Mistress.

The CM has been one of my all time favorites too.  He makes very nice calls IMO

:OGturkeyhead: