Closest Shot?

[El Pavo Grande]

The closest I have killed was probably about 8 steps and it was almost a miss. 

The closest I have shot at and missed was about 6 steps.  I was laying on my stomach at a field edge in some tall grass.  I had 3 hens within about 5 steps and the gobbler came strutting in.  He was broadside in full strut and I thought no problem, but at that range it was a complete miss.  I am sure the poor gobbler was deaf on his left side after that debacle. 

[mnturkey]

About 10 feet.
I was sitting in some woods overlooking a field, sorta took a little nap, woke up and there was a hen and right behind her was a nice gobbler, he was walking right in and when the hen got out of the way, I shot the gobbler, he was a nice bird 10" beard.  My first WI gobbler.
I do try and duplicate the feat every year by taking a nap while hunting.

[BC]

About 6 inches from the gun barrel, and I DO NOT recommend that.

He snuck in on a logging road and gobbled maybe a foot behind me. I was sitting in a treetop with a very big pine to my left. My barrell was even with the tree and instead of storming the treetop he came around the pine. When he cleared the pine he was staring right into my barrell about 6 inches away. We locked eyes and I pulled the trigger. There was nothing but a red blob on top of his neck feathers.

Other than that I rarely ever let them get too close. Probably the next shortest shot after that one is 15 yards or so.

[chatterbox]

I shot one at around 15 yards.
I also missed one at around 12 yards, so I guess everything evens out!

[RemingtonRules]

10 yards

[joey46]

About 20' tops.  Came down the trail and caught me with nothing else to do but kneel behind the downed tree with the gun up.  He was strutting and drumming to a group of hens just off to my right.  They were just about to pop up onto the trail.  "Almost" too exciting.

[customgunsocks]

Speaking of footage, this would be a good time to ask it here, I have a chance to buy a .410 barrel for my Thompson Encore prohunter, 15 inch barrel handgun, how effective on turkeys?

[vaturkey]

  Sit down up against a big ol oak one morning just to enjoy the spring woods. Every 30 min or so I would yelp a little & scratch in the leaves. I knew there was a gobbler in the area cause the day before I had heard him fly down into a big pasture with a big group of hens. I had heard nothing on this day . As I sit there I dozed off to sleep. Not sure how long I had been asleep but I was awakened by spittin & drummin. I slowly opened my eyes & this big ole gobbler was in full strut 8 feet in front of me. My gun was laying across my lap & I dared not to move a muscle. This gobbler must of had a death wish cause he turned around and looked dead away from me. I ever so slowly raised my gun , eased the safety off and clucked. He spun around and broke strut & I nearly decapitate him. There was only about 1/4 " of skin holding his head on. 

[n2deer]

Shot one that was about less than 10 ft one time.

I was buried up in some weeds in Florida and had a long beard walk right up. I only saw him because of the red on his head. It was very thick but alot of turkey sign was there and it was my only go to option at the time.

I put the bead on his head and dropped down a little and squeezed one off. He never took a step and had a neat little 12g hole right under his wing. Didn't mess up the breast or the head.

Also miss one that was about 5 yards, I could see him until I saw his fan pop up right in front of me. He was just over the side of a hill and I couldn't see him. He slowly raised his head up to look over the edge and I aimed like I always do, putting the bead right under his head, where the neck would be if there wasnt a mound of dirt.

Shot and that joker may still be flying.

[Tail Feathers]

7 steps on my first longbeard.  Took the top of his head completely off.

He came in with another and they were so close I couldn't shoot at the planned place, I had to wait until they separated a bit.  It's a rush to get one that close but it is definitely not my preferred shot distance.

[RutnNStrutn]

My closest shot was 8 yards.

[mdtkyhntr]

About 10 steps. I was in Nebraska, he came in quiet and wouldn't clear the knee high pines. Finally put his head up in between two of them, and there wasn't much left of it after I pulled the trigger.

[ddturkeyhunter]

Twelve yards almost took his neck off his body that was the first turkey I had ever shot high pressured Public land.