How far guys, Really

[Yoder409]

Maximum of 40 +/- the margin of error.......but I carry a rangefinder, so that's generally a pretty darned small margin.

One of my turkey guns has an absolute maximum effective range of about 65-70 FEET.  I ain't much into shooting a bird I have not MORE than sufficiently beaten at his own game.

Probably 15 years ago, I calculated my lifetime average shot distance across all harvested birds, spring and fall.  It was 28 yards.  Pretty sure it'd be less than that, now.

[Dougas]

I have made 2 yardage errors that were over 40. 52 and 58 yards. Clean kills. I have made many yardage errors to the other side. I have passed quite a few that I thought was over 40, when in reality, when I stepped it off, it was between 35 and 45 yards. They were in my effective range, but for what ever reason, they seemed further.

[makestomstremble]

I prefer 20-30 but will shoot out to 40. I have a good choke and a red dot sight that I really like, shooting 12 ga. 3" lead #6's.

[bwhana]

35-45 yds is my normal shot here. I've only taken 4 less than that. The open woods are the main challenge here and it is rare to get one that tight on public land without a terrain feature that forces it. As stated by others, I thoroughly pattern my guns and they are capable far beyond 40, but I choose to keep them to that range. When I went to SD, I would have reached out more with their wide open terrain.

[Dougas]

The average range I have killed turkeys is 15 to 25 yards. The further out, the more chance of fliers hitting the body and tss shot is hard on teeth and #9s are easy to miss.

[Marc]

The average range I have killed turkeys is 15 to 25 yards. The further out, the more chance of fliers hitting the body and tss shot is hard on teeth and #9s are easy to miss.

Honest question, and not tryng to be a jerk...

At 15 to 25 yards, just about any shell will work consistently (even cheap lead target loads), and lead #6's in a quality load even further...  So why pay the expense and go through the hassel (and potential dental problems) of dealing with and patterning TSS?

[joey46]

I'm leaning this way in my 12ga.  TSS not needed in it.  My ,410 will always shoot TSS or stay in the safe.

[ybuck]

I prefer 20-30 but will shoot out to 40. I have a good choke and a red dot sight that I really like, shooting 12 ga. 3" lead #6's.

same