Custom Callls?

[chatterbox]

I see where you are coming from.
I have to admit, I have more confidence in my custom calls than I do with any production call I have run.
When I run a custom pot call from my collection, I don't have to look down to make sure I'm in the right spot. I have found that with mass production calls, there are more flat/dead spots on the calling surfaces.
That doesn't happen with my customs. Therefore, I feel more confident when I play them.

[ctwny1]

I make custom call and my two son, wife own 1UP Game Calls. Lets put it this way to answer your question. You can go out and buy yourself a fully equiped Cadillac. Great car, but if you don't know how to drive the car is worthless to you. Do I make my point?

[ncturkey]

I do not think you we ever find any one call that starts to bring you more sucesss. Turkeys do not work that way. I have called in a gobbler with $5:00 call I got a Walmart and I have called in gobbers with $40 pot calls. Plus I have called in gobblers with calls I have made myself. They all have one thing in common. They all sounded like real turkeys. To answer your question . No I have not found the so and so call that has brought more success. Because turkey are picky, they all do not like the same call evertime all the time. They like different hens whcih have different sounds. I can tell you this that if  I lost all my call on turkey hunting trip I would need no calls from Walmart to get me a bird. Cause I have the confinence in my woodsmanship and my on natural voice to call in a turkeys.

[joshua]

To me its more the fact that I'm buying from my fellow Americans. Also most calls can work at calling a turkey if the maestro running the orchestra does his part.

[tomanyturkeycalls]

I have quite a few custom calls.. but not all of them sound great.. have the maker play some of his calls for you before you purchase one... some sound worse than some store bought ones... and there are ones I wouldn't trade for anything...PM me and I will tell you some of my favorites... I have some that are 25 dollar calls which sound better than 100 dollar ones..

[unclerick]

i love my custom callers,
for one they aren't that much more money than mass produced callers. and two most of them are one of a kind no one else has one exactly like it. three they are made in America by craftsman. and four they usually sound much better than production calls . and have sentimental value to me because i have formed some good relationships with people that made my calls that other wise would not have happened.
it is woodsmanship and experience in calling that will get the long beard to come in when i first started i had a 20 dollar combo pack from H.S. strut with a small glass pot and killed three birds with it

Exactly

[TRKYHTR]

I'll chime in on this. I've been killing turkeys since the mid 80's and have used many different calls. From store bought mass produced to Neill Cost box calls and alot inbetween. You can kill turkeys with just about any type of call if you know what your doing. Heck you can kill turkeys without a call. Something I don't like to do much because I like to call. I even killed a turkey with a piece of rock slate I picked up off the ground and used a wood peg for a striker. BTW it had 1 1/4' SPURS. There are some on here that can kill turkeys with their natural voice. All that said I think there is a confidence with any call. Whether it's a store bought mass produced call or a finely made custom call. BTW I too have some custom made calls that I would have a hard time killing a turkey with it. If you feel confident in a call your going to use it. Most of the time it's because it worked in the past and you know how to use it well. If you don't know how to use a call thats your fault. Spend the time and learn how to use it. Most don't take much practice. It urks me to hear those guys who drive to wally world Friday before opening day and then spend all day out in the woods trying to learn how to use the call while turkey hunting and messing up my day. But hey they have just as much right to be out there as I do.
   Since I have now become a call maker I want to make a call that sounds like a turkey, easy to use, and very affordable. I want to make a call that most hunters can buy and use. I try not to price anyone out of a good sounding call. Most of that comes from the material you buy. If I make a trumpet that cost me 10.00 for material I'm not going to sale it for 100.00. Even though it might sound as good as some 100.00 ones. I had an old call maker tell me one time " we don't get paid for our shop time, and thats just about true. I make alot more money at my real job than I could ever make at call making. I do it because I like it and it keeps me thinking about turkeys all year long. Not that I didn't before but you know what I mean. I did just purchase a piece of wood that cost me 81.00 plus shipping and I'll only be able to make 2 calls out of it. I obviously can't sale that trumpet for 50.00. So to answer the question about whether a custom call is better or not, well,  THERE ARE NO CALLS OUT THERE THAT WILL KILL A TURKEY EXCEPT FOR CUSTOM MADE CALLS.
   I hope you realize I am kidding. Use what you feel comfortable with and that you can use well, as long as it is a MOTHER LODE TURKEY CALL. Lol!!!!!!!!!

TRKYHTR

[Longbeardfever4ever]

I use what sounds most like a hen turkey to me.  The awesome part of custom calls is that they are works of art, made in America, and much more personal to the owner.  But if it doesn't sound good.... Then it's worthless.

[WildTigerTrout]

The callers ability is much more important than the call IMO. The best custom call in the world will not make a bad caller suddenly sound great.

[West Augusta]

I carry and use both but the customs are usually the first out of my vest. A few makers have found a way to make a fuller tone in their callers. I have more confidence in them but will use mass produced calls when the customs don't work.

[MarkJM]

The turkey makes the rules, as to what he wants to do...

X10

[savduck]

NP......I absolutely think a quality custom calls is better than any ol call off the Walmart shelf. Ive killed plenty of birds with production calls, but the sound and ease of use is so much better on a good quality custom.

I only own a few customs that were over a hundred...they were boxes and trumpets, but I have no issue with a 50 to 70 dollar pot.

[catdaddy]

I have learned that custom calls are much like cigars or scotch whiskey. A $20 Cigar or a $100 bottle of scotch are not nessesarily better because they are more expensive. The only custom call I carry is a Mother Lode Slate. It replaced a Primos Power Crystal I had carried for 10 years or so.

[guesswho]

People are way harder to satisfy than wild turkeys.  When huntin I have as much confidence with $10 pot call from Wallyworld as I would with a top of the line custom, won't make one bit of difference in the outcome.    Now if I called in competition then I would lean towrds dumping the extra dollars for a top of the line custom simply because people are a lot harder to impress.

[ElkTurkMan]

Guys I have not read through this whole thread so if someone has said this already I apologize.   I started buying custom calls two years ago.  The main reason I did was inconsistancy of mass produce calls.  You can go to Bass Pro and buy two of the same exact call, and they may sound totally different.  That is what made me start buying custom calls.  I ahve learned that jsut because some calls there calls custom doesn't nessecarily mean it's a custom call. I won't buy a custom call without running it first.  Then I will insist upon buying the very call I ran.  I realize not everyone has the time or ability to go to shows and run some calls, but that is what has worked for me.