“Body punching” turkeys

[Meleagris gallopavo]

To me, TSS with the higher pellet count can be more forgiving than Winchester Longbeards at close range.


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[WildTigerTrout]

Never body punched one however I have changed my POA to where the lower neck meets the body. Seemed to work fine for me.

Right where the waddles meet the feathers..

Right on!

[saltysenior]

After reading most of the replies , I feel I'm the only one who hasn't killed 500 turkeys..

[Southerngobbler]

I lived out west probably 25 years ago and shot my share of Merriams, it was easy picking back then. The local guys that showed me the ropes always used some sort of #5 or 6 high brass followed by several #1 buck shots. If they didn't kill their gobbler with a shot to the head on the first shot they would body shoot it with the buck shot as it was trying to get away.  Everything was done at much closer ranges back then. The followed up buck shot method worked pretty good and didn't mess up too much meat. It wasn't legal back then or now but that's how they did it. They were all good with a mouth call cuz they hunted elk as well.
Another thing is they always stressed not to shoot two birds on one sit, even though it was legal they wouldn't take a double. I still to this day have never shot a double, as I agreed not to way back then, where I hunt now its not even legal anyways.

[3bailey3]

i like to eat them with out the threat of breaking a tooth.

[Crghss]

I just tested out a new choke with TSS. Pattern was too tight at 25 yards. I would actually need too brace myself (shoot prone or against a tree) for the shot. No free hand shots. So I went back to my original choke which opened up more.

I'd never body shoot a bird. If I miss, I miss.

[aclawrence]

My brother shot one in the body this year.  I think it was unintentional. I ended up throwing both breast in the trash. They were full of pellets and I didn't feel it was worth the risk of cracking a tooth.  I tried for a while to get them out but it was a losing battle.


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[Paulmyr]

I don't even understand why tss would cause a close range miss.  My gun shoots a volleyball size pattern at 20 yards.  That's not tight.  Most people who shoot tss are not shooting 400+/10" but patterns similar to mine. If you are missing up close it's more likely a poi vs poa problem.

Under ten yards is like a slug. Hitting a moving target is pretty hard when it's the size of a turkey head. People are shooting patterns at 40 yards but if you shoot tss in a real tight choke your chances of missing a bird up close goes up the closer it is. A well sighted in red dot would help but like I said, hitting a moving turkey with something the size of a baseball is tough


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There is a better solution than body shooting a moving target. Don't shoot!!! Until they are standing still, head up, and neck stretched out. A cluck or 2 and they stop, and put their head up to search for where the clucks came from.
If they are heading out let them go. You owe it to the animal your trying to kill to take ethical high percentage shots. A running turkey is neither unless you've already hit him once.

[Howie g]

After reading most of the replies , I feel I'm the only one who hasn't killed 500 turkeys..

Wait ,  I thought that a minimum of 500 was a requirement to join this forum ?

[wchadw]

I don't even understand why tss would cause a close range miss.  My gun shoots a volleyball size pattern at 20 yards.  That's not tight.  Most people who shoot tss are not shooting 400+/10" but patterns similar to mine. If you are missing up close it's more likely a poi vs poa problem.

Under ten yards is like a slug. Hitting a moving target is pretty hard when it's the size of a turkey head. People are shooting patterns at 40 yards but if you shoot tss in a real tight choke your chances of missing a bird up close goes up the closer it is. A well sighted in red dot would help but like I said, hitting a moving turkey with something the size of a baseball is tough


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There is a better solution than body shooting a moving target. Don't shoot!!! Until they are standing still, head up, and neck stretched out. A cluck or 2 and they stop, and put their head up to search for where the clucks came from.
If they are heading out let them go. You owe it to the animal your trying to kill to take ethical high percentage shots. A running turkey is neither unless you've already hit him once.

I'm not saying shoot a bird in the body... I'm saying if you can't hit it in the head if they are close with what you are shooting you need a more open choke or don't shoot
Or
Buy an over under.


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[Cowboy]

Anyone intentionally shooting a Gobbler at close distance in the body with a shotgun has Sh#t for brains

X 2 !

[Marc]

I have shot birds at extremely close range.  It simply would not occur to me to body shoot a bird intentionally if they are in range.  Either I miss, or take his head off. 

TSS, Hevi-Shot, and other tungsten loads allow you to shoot a bit more open choke.  Missing a bird at close range is the shooter and not the shell or choke, granted there is a smaller margin for error.  But, closer targets are more easy to hit than further targets.

I have always let birds come closer if they are coming, but in recent years, there is a point where they are close enough that I shoot, even if they are still coming closer...  No need to let them come closer than 15 yards...

With a shotgun, the actual shooting of the bird, is the easiest part of the deal..  Finding birds, calling them, getting them into range, etc., is the difficult part.

[Gooserbat]

I don't even understand why tss would cause a close range miss.  My gun shoots a volleyball size pattern at 20 yards.  That's not tight.  Most people who shoot tss are not shooting 400+/10" but patterns similar to mine. If you are missing up close it's more likely a poi vs poa problem.

Under ten yards is like a slug. Hitting a moving target is pretty hard when it's the size of a turkey head. People are shooting patterns at 40 yards but if you shoot tss in a real tight choke your chances of missing a bird up close goes up the closer it is. A well sighted in red dot would help but like I said, hitting a moving turkey with something the size of a baseball is tough


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All I can say is that in the last 7 years (before tss became a thing) and setting up 5 guns, developing loads for another 4, shooting paper at ranges from up close to 60 yards, and killing around 40 turkeys at ranges from 10 steps to 73 yards, I have learned a thing or two about tss.  First thing is you have to try or get lucky to have a slug size pattern up close.  Second is if you can't hit up close it's probably a poa/poi problem. Next I've never saw any gun shoot under 6" at ten yards. And if the pattern is to tight use a factory full.

[wchadw]

I don't even understand why tss would cause a close range miss.  My gun shoots a volleyball size pattern at 20 yards.  That's not tight.  Most people who shoot tss are not shooting 400+/10" but patterns similar to mine. If you are missing up close it's more likely a poi vs poa problem.

Under ten yards is like a slug. Hitting a moving target is pretty hard when it's the size of a turkey head. People are shooting patterns at 40 yards but if you shoot tss in a real tight choke your chances of missing a bird up close goes up the closer it is. A well sighted in red dot would help but like I said, hitting a moving turkey with something the size of a baseball is tough


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All I can say is that in the last 7 years (before tss became a thing) and setting up 5 guns, developing loads for another 4, shooting paper at ranges from up close to 60 yards, and killing around 40 turkeys at ranges from 10 steps to 73 yards, I have learned a thing or two about tss.  First thing is you have to try or get lucky to have a slug size pattern up close.  Second is if you can't hit up close it's probably a poa/poi problem. Next I've never saw any gun shoot under 6" at ten yards. And if the pattern is to tight use a factory full.

My point is that this guy needs to know his setup. Pattern at 10, 20, 30 40 yards and know what his gun will do. If he can't hit a bird in the head at a distance, he doesn't need to shoot at it.
In my opinion it's worse ethically to shoot at a bird over 40 or 50 yards. Chances of crippling the bird go way up. I believe that while TSS loads are great, you still should make sure it's an acceptable range to shoot.
I see all these guys trying to get max counts in a 10 inch ring at 40 yards which is great but they need to know what that pattern looks like up close and make sure their poi/poa is on


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[guesswho]

I guess I'm confused as to why you can hit the body but not the head.