My first miss! Long Beard!

[ShootingABN!]

As a young man I loved the outdoors. I was blessed to have family members that took time to take me hunting.

So as a teenager my father loaned me his Mossberg 500. My uncle was a big time turkey hunter. He advised me to go and pick up some Winchester Double X 3" #4 copper plated. Back in the day they came in a white box 25 shells.

Well my uncle took me hunting several times. We finally got on a HOT bird. He set me up at the perfect location. My uncle dropped back and started calling. The bird came right within 20 yards. I was positive of it. That bird and moment will forever be in my mind.

I remember looking over the receiver lining up the brass bead. The Big OLD Gobbler was in full strut at twenty yards. I put the brass bead on his eye and said to myself squeeze. Boom!

The gun rang out. I had the most awful pain in my left knee. I had placed the open part where you load the shells on top of my knee.

I was awe stuck in miss belief as the bird jumped up and flew away! How? That bird was at 20 yards and with my 3" magnums he should be dead!   

My uncle chewed my butt for missing that bird.

When we got home I shot my gun and it hit 6" high. My uncle grabbed it and shot it to confirm. Yep 6" high. He said aim lower next time.

So from that day on... I made sure to pattern any gun that I shoot.

Good bless you all and stay safe.

[High plains drifter]

I hunt a lot, so my guns are spot on.I have only missed once,  and that was because I didn't have a choke in my gun. Shooting the bird. Is the easiest part of turkey hunting  imo.

[Gmed]

When I was younger and a novice turkey hunter, I was on the top of a ridge that ran for many hundred yards. Birds had gobbled some on the roost, but got quiet on the ground. The power company had cut a small access road out the ridge so I thought I would nestle in the left side of it and call. I hadn't made half of my first series when I looked down the road to my left and here comes a big gobbler right down the middle of it - at a dead run like he had never had a hen. The road had a dip in it about 50 yards from where I sat and when he ran into the dip, he disappeared from my view, dropped out of the road and came running up behind my right shoulder at less than 10 yards. Worst place to try a shot possible. The top of the ridge was steep on both sides and all he would have needed to do was take two steps off either side and I would not have been able to see him. I am sure, if I had just given him a second, he would have moved to the road and maybe have given me a better opportunity, but I was so amazed that I had called in a turkey, and he was right THERE, and figuring I had better shoot before he "got away". I tried to swing and slap off a shot. Of course at that distance, my pattern was tennis ball size and he was moving so even if that nice pine tree I tore the whole side out of with my pattern hadn't been there, I would have probably missed any way. That has been over 25 years ago, but every time I am out that ridge, I still see that pine tree and remember that hunt.

[High plains drifter]

I'll always remember that time I forgot to put a choke in my gun.I lined up on this big gobbler who my dog flushed up into a ash tree.I couldn't believe I missed!! Then I looked at my gun.No choke tube.

[Twowithone]

I missed a Gobbler a few yrs back that sucker still haunts me to this day he came in quiet and I let him get to close and the crap went downhill from there.

[High plains drifter]

I do a lot of pheasant and duck.I have to remember to change tubes!!

[MissLouHunter]

Great story!