How close is too close?

[BHhunter]

I'm going to be patterning my new 935. I have a .675 SumToy on the way. I have seen all the different 40 yard patterns, but very few 20-25 yard patterns. My question is, with these chokes how close is too close to take the shot? I have a scope on my gun, so that will cut down on some of the error. If he's under 30 yards do you raise a finger to get him to run off a bit before shooting?
I know this is an opinion question, just curious on your thoughts.

[gob09]

i'd say if you know your gun and if you pattern your gun for those up close shots and know what it will do plus you have a scope
i'd think your golden
as long as you can find the target in the scope thats the peoblem i had with scopes

[chatterbox]

I find even 25 yards to be pretty tight on a turkey rig.
Think about when you setup your gun. You fire one round at 12 or so yards to see where it is hitting. The pattern is as tight as a baseball at that distance. You move back to 40 to see where the bulk of your pattern is hitting, then adjust your scope to hit where you aim.
No matter what, when we setup our shotguns to give us good numbers at 40, our closer patterns really pinch down. I missed a gobbler 2 years ago at about 15 yards because I wasn't holding spot on to the bird.
I guess the message I'm trying to convey through my ramblings is when they are close, or sneak in closer than you realize, lock that elbow on your knee, and aim hard for the neck. With these new chokes and loads, there is NO margin for up close and personal shots.
I don't really bother with the 25 yard numbers. If I know if he's below 40, put the crosshairs tight on the neck.

[Gobble!]

inside 20 its pretty tight
I actually perfer my shots at 30

[fountain2]

Depends who you ask on here....there must be an appropriate "range" to shoot one. ...my avatar pic was frowned upon

Call em in s close as thy will come, hold on em tight and squeeze it off and watch head flop...know

It always helps to shoot 20-25 yards while patterning just to know what you have as well as the 40 patterns.

[allaboutshooting]

It's really all a matter of personal choice and knowing your gun, load, choke, etc. I prefer to shoot birds at 20-25 yards and won't knowingly shoot at one over 40 yards. Inside 20 yards has not been a problem as far as patterning but turkeys just tend to see you when they get that close, regardless of camo.

I did some work a couple of years ago and published some pictures of a 20 yard pattern beside a 40 yard pattern. The differences were a tighter center core on the 20 than on the 40 but both had good dense 10" patterns with an outer fringe pattern that would still allow for some shooter error. It really all depends upon the choke tube and shell you shoot. If your choke is shooting a baseball pattern at 20 yards, it's a high risk shot due to the normal excitement that happens when that big bird is out in front of us.

I don't have any experience with the Sumtoy chokes so can't really be of any help to you with that one. If you find it shoots too tight for you at 20-25 yards I'd recommend not taking a shot at that distance but I would not try to get him to run further from you. I'd just wait him out or not take the shot. That becomes a part of our decision making process each time we go out to hunt any game.

Lastly, congratulations on your new 935. It's a great gun that should give you lots of excellent service.

Thanks,
Clark

[savduck]

I shot one at about 6 steps one time in some TiTi bushes...blew a perfect circle through his head. blew him straight backwards and made him do a flip. He busted a wing and then went to flopping. blood was spewing everywhere. I dont normally like to get that close, but I had been after this bird for several weeks, and he wouldnt come out the thicket so I had to go in and settle the score.

Hold tight on them....it will be the size of a golf ball at 10 yards or closer....size of a softball 15 to 20. Everyone would probably agree 30 yards would be a perfect pattern and distance, but I take em how I can get them.

[davisd9]

As long as he is in front of the barrel and not behind it then I will shoot.  I have my gun set up for those closer shots with a pattern of around 185 at 40 in 10.  At 15 yards it is pretty tight but I would feel comfortable shooting much closer than that if need be.

[SumToy]

This is funny.  I just test fired your your choke looks like.  I will try it a 25 to just see for how it does.  I post both pic up for you before I mail. If it needs to be more open we make a change on it.    I know the 835/935 is a bad boy.  I have pic of 31/2 y's from last year that almost blow a hole at 30.     

[BHhunter]

This is funny.  I just test fired your your choke looks like.  I will try it a 25 to just see for how it does.  I post both pic up for you before I mail. If it needs to be more open we make a change on it.    I know the 835/935 is a bad boy.  I have pic of 31/2 y's from last year that almost blow a hole at 30.     

William,
Now that's service, pre shoot and check the pattern, Thanks!
I think tighter would be better for me, it's pretty open in the pines here in the Black Hills so longer shots are the norm. I just posted this out of curiousity as to the thoughts of others. There has only been one time I shot a bird at under 25 and that was on the prairie and I could have let him go as far out as I wanted. I just had a gun at the time that max range was about 35 yards. That instance I had probably 40 birds in front of me and had to wait for them to spread out so I didn't hit multiple birds. Had one tom came within 10 yards of me.

[fountain2]

Bh... in all seriousness,  set the gun up for you hunting style.  For myself I like a tighter pattern out to 40 because I get excited and once they get within 40 as soon as i get an open shot...im shooting.  As bad as I wanna let em get close, I just can't seem to do it!  Therefore I want the best patterns I can get to 40 with room for error.   I hunt open pines too, so that is another reason I set up the way I do.

Setting up the gun for the hunter/hunting style is often overlooked it seems to me...but I look at it as being important

That 675 is nasty at 40 with the 7s and tight 20 and in.  

[gobbler74]

Too close is if the gobbler pins you down with a spinning toe hold and asking you to say uncle. I like em close..If I miss, my fault. 

[SumToy]

Too close is if the gobbler pins you down with a spinning toe hold and asking you to say uncle. I like em close..If I miss, my fault. 

  I like it. We going to some calls built and on the glass it will say call em and blow em up.

[anthonyjhallen]

To me there is no such thing as to close.  Thats the name is the game for me, trying to get him as close as possible.  If I could get him to put his beak in the choke I would. 

[FullChoke]

Hmmm. Would it be considered baiting if I were to tie a corncob to the end of my barrel and shoot him when he comes over to peck on it? Maybe start a company called Silver Queen Choke Tube Co.?

Cheers 

FullChoke