Crystal Mistress vs Schaffer Mad Hen?

[StruttinGobbler3]

Which call do you think is superior? I'm stuck between these two. Last year I finally took delivery of a strut buster from Steve Reeves that I thought would be the ultimate call, but quite honestly I was underwhelmed. Thanks for any advice.


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[neal]

Crystal mistress would be my choice out of those two.


Neal


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[KYHeadhunter02]

That's a hard question. Everyone else may like a different sound than you. The best thing to do would be to purchase both of them and try them out. Not just in the house either, take it outside and record both calls. Play it back and pick one. Sell the one you like the least OR hunt them both and let the turkeys help you decide. I think people get to hung up on the sound they like instead of what the birds actually like and what sounds best to them. Just my opinion though. I will say Jimmy Schaefer makes a hell of a pot. I feel like the stuff David Halloran puts out now days is in the middle of a custom call and a mass produced call. I've owned a few and the laminated green slate pot almost felt like plastic. I would guess he spins them on a cnc. Also, just my opinion of course! They sound pretty good though and at the end of the day it's whatever that works I suppose.

Best of luck.

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[fmf]

I haven't run a mad hen so I can only speak about the crystal mistress.  Out of the roughly 20 custom pots that I own that call is probably the best sounding to my ear.  There's not a single thing about the call that I can fault.  It is super consistent, easy to run loud or soft, just a great call.

[Crghss]

crystal mistress is one of my favorites.

Know nothing of Schaffer calls

[Happy]

Only you can answer that. When choosing calls I find it very difficult to recommend or set one call over another. There are too many variables such as playing styles, pressures, choice of striker ect. There are certain calls and callmakers that one person raves over that another won't be so impressed by. I have run some of Jimmies pots and they are good pots and he has always treated me exceptionally well. I have also run the crystal mistress and have nothing bad to say about David Hallorans calls. That being said the one pot call I would take to the woods with me if I had to kill a Turkey is not made by either of them. And that's not inferring that either call is inferior. I just found a call and striker that works really well for me and has given me confidence. And that may not be the same call that works out to be the best for you.

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[Bowguy]

If someone has never heard a call how could they compare? I have both, they're both great calls. I have the mad hen 2 btw. Not sure which mad hen you're referring to. I also have an older crystal mistress.
I'll be honest, they're both good calls but they aren't similar. Very dif sounding. I don't know what kind of sound you prefer either.
I am friends w Jimmy. He's a good guy. He'll give you all the time in the world n than some. He'll run calls on the phone for you and if you were close enough I'm sure he'd let you stop by.
David's calls are good too. If you can do as advised n get both calls, run em n see that'd be your best bet.
If not call Jimmy, he's really easy to talk to. Have him run a some for ya. If you order from him, grab an Atomic 13 at the same time. Great call.
Good luck

[TauntoHawk]

I dont own a mistress currently but have killed more then a few birds with both a twisted sister and a mad hen I. They have a fairly different sound to me, the mad hen is much more mellow and deeper sounding. I don't really keep a large stack of pot calls in my arsenal nor do I carry many at one time but I have both firmly in my top 3 or 4 pot to carry.

Of the times I've killed with 1 could I have worked the same bird to the same effect with the other. Maybe I don't know


To my ear I like that high front and hard break into the rasp of the Halloran but the mad hen has been very successful in the woods on some tough birds

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[Wigsplitter]

Crystal mistress is my go to call it's the one I have confidence in BUT .... I have a Shaffer crystal that is right up there - I can promise you jimmy will treat you above and beyond on customer service and stand behind his calls ! He is a great call maker imo!! Good luck!!

[WV Ridge Reaper]

Crystal mistress is my go to call it's the one I have confidence in BUT .... I have a Shaffer crystal that is right up there - I can promise you jimmy will treat you above and beyond on customer service and stand behind his calls ! He is a great call maker imo!! Good luck!!

X2 Jimmy is great to deal with awesome calls will talk turkey with ya etc

Halloran doesn't make a bad pot,all his calls are easy to run,sound awesome.


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[Spitten and drummen]

Thing about it is you can take half a dozen of each call and play them all. They will all sound a little different. Callmaker can make 10 out of the same blank and get one really great one , a few really good ones , a couple ok and one that needs to go in a fire pit. The grain of the wood varies even in the same board. My money says that they will all fool birds but you have to have confidence in it or it wont get a fair shake. That being said , I have a twisted sister and a mad hen one. I hunt them both and they both sound different. Turkey calls are like bass lures , they catch more fishermen than fish. We are all in search of the holy grail of turkey calls but it does not exist. What may sound bad to us may make a gobbler trip over himself. Thats the beauty of this sport. You get to continuosly search for the holy grail and in the end its up to you to figure out which call it will be for that day.

[Bowguy]

Thing about it is you can take half a dozen of each call and play them all. They will all sound a little different. Callmaker can make 10 out of the same blank and get one really great one , a few really good ones , a couple ok and one that needs to go in a fire pit. The grain of the wood varies even in the same board. My money says that they will all fool birds but you have to have confidence in it or it wont get a fair shake. That being said , I have a twisted sister and a mad hen one. I hunt them both and they both sound different. Turkey calls are like bass lures , they catch more fishermen than fish. We are all in search of the holy grail of turkey calls but it does not exist. What may sound bad to us may make a gobbler trip over himself. Thats the beauty of this sport. You get to continuosly search for the holy grail and in the end its up to you to figure out which call it will be for that day.

Perfectly said