Diffusing?Debunking the "Long Range" Marketing Hype

[Tail Feathers]

Rifles are legal in a few places already.  I stressed they should be able to make a clean kill at their chosen distance.
I too, would like to see the NWTF stress the safety factor of long range shooting.   

[Tbrady835]

I have never understood why rifles are legal anywhere for turkey I mean dosent that defeat the purpose, kind of crazy to me but what do I know I'm an alabama redneck lol

[Longshanks]

Rifles are legal in a few places already.  I stressed they should be able to make a clean kill at their chosen distance.
I too, would like to see the NWTF stress the safety factor of long range shooting.

I agree with you that clean, high percentage shots is what the objective should be. The problem with shooting 50-70 yds at turkey is that a much larger percentage of turkey's are wounded and crippled. Over the years guiding I have seen turkey hunters take long shots at turkey's with high tech guns that would eat a target up at 50-60 yds. Problem is in the woods there are allot more factors than just shooting at a peice of paper off a rest. Inside 40 yds produces better results regardless of the the gun/ choke/ shell.  40 years experience in the turkey woods hunting and guiding has proven this to me time after time.

[Neill_Prater]

I don't agree with the marketing by Hevishot, and posted about it as soon as I saw one of their Magblend ads two years ago. That said, here is my take on things. Some guys get a thrill fighting 12 inch trout caught on dry flies using a 2x tippet. Others enjoy hanging a bait half that size on a 300 lb test trotline in hopes of snagging a 50 lb catfish. I don't knock either one, as it isn't my place to tell either guy how they should enjoy the outdoors.

Fifty years ago, everyone bowhunted with a recurve, because that was the best thing available. Most people had to practice at length to make 25 yard killing shots consistently. Now, with compound bows, carbon arrows, advanced broadheads, releases and sights, most guys willing to put in a little time shooting in their back yard can make 40 yard kill shots all day long. If you don't like that, fine, then buy yourself a recurve and start slinging arrows.

I read on this forum and others many complaints as to how the longer range abilities of the latest shells and choke combinations are ruining the sport of turkey hunting, but I can't recall anyone saying they are going back to a modified fixed choke gun loaded with high brass lead loads from the 1960's. I have a huge problem with people shooting beyond their maximum killing range and keeping their fingers crossed in hopes they get lucky, but, honestly, if a guy who is lucky to be able to hunt one morning a week is confronted with a broadside tom with his head looking like a WWII German periscope in an open field at 50 yards, and knows his rig will put his beak in the dirt pulls the trigger, I have no problem with that. It is not my place to decide what others consider a successful hunt and outdoor experience.

[Longshanks]

If we are going to diffuse and debunk the long range marketing hype we are going to have to diffuse and debunk the long range shooting hype.

[K9Doc]

"Drury Brothers". What a JOKE!  I hunt MO a lot and know folks where they grew up.
---Hole. Kills Big Deer that others have scouted and located for months and he shows up to kill.
Refuses to pay.  Takes all the credit.  They are a joke.
He started out as a great turkey caller and winning contests. Now he is turning a blind eye to
The true sport of Turkey Hunting and calling
He is ONLY concerned about endorsement money.

[BowBendr]

I don't agree with the marketing by Hevishot, and posted about it as soon as I saw one of their Magblend ads two years ago. That said, here is my take on things. Some guys get a thrill fighting 12 inch trout caught on dry flies using a 2x tippet. Others enjoy hanging a bait half that size on a 300 lb test trotline in hopes of snagging a 50 lb catfish. I don't knock either one, as it isn't my place to tell either guy how they should enjoy the outdoors.

Fifty years ago, everyone bowhunted with a recurve, because that was the best thing available. Most people had to practice at length to make 25 yard killing shots consistently. Now, with compound bows, carbon arrows, advanced broadheads, releases and sights, most guys willing to put in a little time shooting in their back yard can make 40 yard kill shots all day long. If you don't like that, fine, then buy yourself a recurve and start slinging arrows.

I read on this forum and others many complaints as to how the longer range abilities of the latest shells and choke combinations are ruining the sport of turkey hunting, but I can't recall anyone saying they are going back to a modified fixed choke gun loaded with high brass lead loads from the 1960's. I have a huge problem with people shooting beyond their maximum killing range and keeping their fingers crossed in hopes they get lucky, but, honestly, if a guy who is lucky to be able to hunt one morning a week is confronted with a broadside tom with his head looking like a WWII German periscope in an open field at 50 yards, and knows his rig will put his beak in the dirt pulls the trigger, I have no problem with that. It is not my place to decide what others consider a successful hunt and outdoor experience.

Outstanding post !

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

If you have spent the time at the range, done the work to your gun and you shoot HTL or TSS in patterns that exceed 100 pellets in a 10" circle at 50 and 60 yards there is no ethical argument against killing them that far.

Ill just go ahead and debunk that for ya right here and right now?

[Izzyjoe]

I also personally will call 40yds the max, and that's about the max I can get from what I have, but times they are changing, ethics, morals! What's that, there is not much of that anymore these days, don't believe me just watch tv, even the basic channels are smut. The last few times dad, and i was fishing somebody with a big ole flashy boat had to blow right up where we was fishing! Absolute no respect for others feelings and peace!  Anyway big ammo makers want all you're money, they could care less how they get it, if it's telling people that you can shoot a turkey past xx yards then they'll do, if you buy into it, that's you're game, not mine!  Using a high power rifle for turkey hunting is like using a 50 cal. Barrett for jackrabbits, it will get the job done, but severe overkill! I enjoy getting a gobbler up close, and will teach my kids the same ethics, and values, and hopefully they will pass it on to there's. If they don't come in close, you didn't earn it, and if you didn't earn it ain't worth having!

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

I'd love you to expand upon the not earning them aspect of your argument.

Getting a gun to shoot well at extended ranges takes far more investment than screwing a choke in and imposing a 40 yard limit on yourself.
It takes a couple hours to polish a barrel, it takes a lot of money to purchase the chokes and loads to experiment with, it takes a lot of time at the range to actually shoot and pattern those choke load combinations.  There is also a sense of satisfaction achieved when you have refined a gun to shoot that well because you have earned the right to roll that bird standing at xx yards.

Furthermore, my personal experience has been that I have higher investments in the turkeys I have shot in the 50-60 yard ranges.  I shot one last year coming to me at 50 yards on a dead run because I was in so much pain from the position he had me tied up in before he finally broke.  I would've killed him at 15 steps but my body simply couldn't endure it.
Several years ago I crawled in an open field with my face buried in the dirt for 3 hours with a strutter and his flock before the shot materialized at 55 yards. The pants and shirt were ruined after that stalk and to this day after almost 100 turkeys that hunt still quickly comes to mind as a bird I worked exceptionally hard for.
I don't remember $hit about the turkeys that I shoot in the 20-30 yard range. It's the ones at extended ranges where my gun and persistence allowed me to be successful or the ones at point blank range. 

You haven't earned  a d.a.m.n. thingjust because you only shoot birds inside 40 yards, except the right to get on the Internet and act like the ethics police by making broad generalizations and sounding like a moron by rejecting the lethality of HTL and TSS at the ranges being discussed in this thread.

[Old Gobbler]

The point being made is....Marketing by large firms ( read ...for profit enterprise ) are making some over the top claims , a very common and reoccurring trend in the the business community , we know of folks in high rise office buildings sitting at conference tables making outlandish  claims to make money , and I know of people in small operations doing the same

People take pride in their ability , turkey hunting is a skill orientated endeavor , it takes years often a lifetime to get halfway good at it , only to realize you don't know squat ....lol ...better cultured hunting circles that know how to handle themselves on a swamp bottom would never take a ridiculous shot and them come back to camp and brag about it -I would be ashamed to shoot at a turkey at rifle ranges with a shotgun or rifle , and I would never associate myself with people engaged in that activity not only for morality purposes , but for personal safety issues I don't want to be around anyone taking those way out shots , and no .....no I'm not in the mood for the 40.5 yard jokes we are talking the way....way  out there garbage

I know of some turkey hunters that I grew up with that used 3 inch guns with a fixed choke , ratty U.S. issue camo , if I knew for a fact they were working the the area , I would bet my 401k plan that he would come back to camp with a gobbler , long before someone with rifle shooting ability

Skill...

[surehuntsalot]

as I have said before, there are turkey hunters and turkey shooters, there is a big difference between the two

[drum817]

as I have said before, there are turkey hunters and turkey shooters, there is a big difference between the two

Agreed!!!!  It's really this simple gentlemen!!!

[drum817]

as I have said before, there are turkey hunters and turkey shooters, there is a big difference between the two

Agreed!!!!  It's really this simple gentlemen!!!

[jason5.9]

Another issue I have with the TV shows about "LONG RANGE" hunting is that, they only show you/us the highlights, they never/rarely show the gut shots and if they do they dont usually show the 6, 12, 24 hours of tracking the animal which is suffering and dying.  In 30 years I have made one questionable decision hunting, I shot a 6 pt with a muzzleloader from 245 steps, and the second I squeezed the trigger I regretted it (animal was recovered, after a follow up shot).  I have never shot a deer with a bow over 30yds (34 to be exact) nor a turkey at more than 38 yds.  If I cant call him in any closer then he wins this round, I will get up tomorrow and go back after him again (thats why they call it hunting and not just killing).