From rock bottom to way up high!!

[dawgfrombama]

congrats!!

[g8rvet]

Way to go Jim. I knew somewhere Tom would die.  I know that sick feeling, I felt it this year when he just walked on by me, just out of sight and range.  Still can't believe he did that.  Glad to see ya still got it (the perseverance!). 

Let me know what you do with the scope.  I will recommend a good proctologist to the returns department at Cabelas when you let them know what they can do with the scope.   

[Dr Juice]

Congrats. Nice bird.

[TauntoHawk]

Glad to see a happy end! I always worry about my red dot getting off but so far the fast fire has been a beast at staying true.

My next gun if will go with a vortex reflex sight

[mgm1955]

 

[tomstopper]

Way to get it done. I hope Cabelas customer service is as good to deal with as it has been for me in the past. I have two of the truglo red dots (different versions) and knock on wood, have never had a problem. Good luck in whatever you decide to do about the scope and congrats on the bird.....

[Cut N Run]

Congratulations on a nice gobbler and adding North Carolina to your list, Jim. 

You ought to look into a Burris Speed Bead or Fast Fire.  I love mine and haven't had any problems with it since I put it on the gun 4 years ago. 

Jim

[Tail Feathers]

Congrats on a great bird!

Bummer about the scope.  I've been real happy with Bushnells for several years now.  They make one with a  green/red option too.  I have a TRS 25 on the new 20 but it's red only and I think I like the other longer style better.

[darn2ten]

Congrats, way to hang and get it done.

[RutnNStrutn]

Thanks guys!! It was great finally getting that monkey off of my back this season!!

My old scope gave up the ghost after 20 years, so I got this Truglo. I mounted it, sighted it in, and have been very gentle with it. I haven't bumped it, dropped it, nothing. It should have still been dead on, but it wasn't. Absolutely no reason for the scope to be out of alignment Spaightlabs. That's why I said it is the scope's fault, and why I am yanking that hunk of junk off and returning it!!

[kyturkeyhunter4]

 

This morning I worked a gobbler off the roost. I struck the gobbler on the roost with my owl call. He was HOT!!! He gobbled at everything, owl calls, hen calls, gobble calls, trucks on the road, crows, song birds, loggers a couple of hollers over, you name it. I fired him up on the roost with hen talk. He flew down and headed to his strut zone near where I was sitting. He gobbled at least 300 times, often triple, quadruple and quintuple gobbling!! Maybe the hottest bird I've ever worked.
Finally he broke strut and started coming in. I gave him a few soft clucks and he came in on a string. At 20 yards I dropped the hammer.........AND SHOT A FRIGGIN' TREE!!!!   I have NEVER done that before, ever!!
Not realizing what I'd done, but realizing I'd made a bad shot, I jacked another round and went after him in case he was wounded. In the process, I lost my aluminum striker that I'd stuffed in my boot.
I searched to no avail, went back and looked, no feathers. So I suddenly realized what may have happened. I went back and looked at the small tree I tried to shoot around. Sure 'nuff, there was the proof.
Totally my fault!! (or so I thought at the time) If I'd have just let him keep coming, it would have been a slam dunk!! But this was the first opportunity I've had in a month of hunting, and I rushed the shot.
It was an incredible hunt, and what a gorgeous bird!! But I was stick to my stomach, and still birdless in this season of misery.
Around 12:30, I was near the scene of this morning's fiasco, with a DSD hen out, doing some soft calling. I spotted a gobbler step out on the ridge trail. I clucked at him a few times, he turned and saw the deke, and popped into full strut!! He was absolutely gorgeous!! He slowly strutted down the trail making his way to my deke. When he was standing next to her at 20 yards, I put the green dot in the middle of his neck and dropped the hammer!!
To my amazement, he just stood there. I missed AGAIN!!!   He turned and took a few quick steps behind a couple of large oaks. I jacked another shell into the chamber, and aimed for the other side of the tree. He stepped out, and I put the dot on him and fired again. This time I hit him, but he did not go down. I jacked another round and jumped up as he started to run away. He tripped over a big log landed on the other side, and stuck his head up. I aimed and fired again this time putting him down for good!
I retrieved my bird, and his head appeared to be clear of any pellet impact. I noted that one shot impacted his left side, mid wing. That would have been my second shot. The first shot was a clean miss. The third shot also hit his body. Both wings and one leg were broken.
Apparently I did not shoot the tree this morning, the scope had been bumped out of alignment. That cost me one bird this morning, and almost another this afternoon!! Needless to say, that Truglo hunk of junk is coming off of my gun, and getting returned to Cabelas!!
Anyway, he was a really nice gobbler. 22 lb's 11 oz's, 10-1/2" beard, 1-1/4" 1-1/8" spurs, scoring 67.4375!!
Talk about redemption!! And I added another state to the list, N Carolina!!

Nice bird

[Phire Phite]

Nice staying after it.  That'd get me going something fierce too!

[Spring_Woods]

Congrats! Came together nicely. I could feel your frustration as I was reading!

[RutnNStrutn]

Nice staying after it.  That'd get me going something fierce too!

Oh, trust me, it still is!!!