It is amazing at the choke options in modern times. Now we see some new or beginner turkey hunters wanting to know if they can hunt turkeys with a full choke, lead vs. HTL , etc.
More often than not the immediate answer is that you have to use a custom choke at least XXX full ,blah blah blah, HS,TSS, Tung/Berillium/whatever the latest sen or illium there is...
Some people wonder how turkeys were ever killed using lead and fixed chokes whether they be extra full, full, modified ,or heaven forbid , an improved cylinder. In almost every instance this was all that was available or affordable at the time. There were poly chokes but nothing like what is available now.
The way most turkeys fell to these combinations was that the hunter called the turkey in to a distance so close that it didn't matter. The turkey was within range of the load and choke capabilities of the gun.
I called a turkey for a first timer back in the 70's and I could feel the ground shake when the turkey drummed. The gun , a 20 gauge O/U 2 3/4" fired and there was complete silence. I looked around the longleaf pine I was sitting against and there lay a beautiful gobbler with wings spread and the fan still working to a close and hens just staring at the fallen strutter. Never flopped. The choke selected was imp cyl for the six step shot using lead #6s.
A Browning 32"full choke , Win Model 12 30" full choke, Rem 870 30" FC , etc. were the turkey guns that were most familiar to me in the 60s and 70s era. 3" guns were not really common.Lots of 12 gauge 2 3/4" modified chokes with #6s were used. Most turkeys in the piney woods were shot at no more than 30 yards back then and perhaps the aim point may have been a little more at the base of the neck on the longer shots but this arrangement was very suitable for turkey hunting. The real enjoyment then was in calling 'em in close and enjoying watching them put on a show during courting and mating rituals.
So, can a hunter still kill a turkey using a fixed choke and lead loads? An emphatic yes from me but please do your home work and know the limitations of the gun, choke, load , and what the pattern is like on the gun you have before you hunt. Whenever a giant gobbler comes down the lane to you it can appear to be closer than it actually is. Use some point of reference from your position so that when it does appear you will be able to estimate the distance with confidence. I have never heard of anyone who stated that they thought it was 20 yards and it was actually 40. Finally , be absolutely, positively, without a doubt of your target and anything beyond it before shooting. Too many accidents are caused by shots into movement behind a tree or bush. Everything red or white in the woods is not a turkey.
There is no game animal on earth worth the risk of injuring or killing another person in the woods. It happens too often every year. Safety first , enjoy the outdoors to its fullest. There is something to appreciate and experience each trip.
