Say it aint so!

[turkey buster]

  here's mine since I've been eating  and enjoying.. Lol

First of all we all need to know what our gun will do. I've messed up and generally misjudged and killed a turkey at 52 yards once on a woods road with magnum blends. I would never never never wish to do that again. Could've been a lucky shot or my set up could be capable of doing it every time. Either way that's not how turkey hunting is. We dont gut shoot deer on purpose and when we accidents do sometimes we recover them but a lot of times we don't. So why take marginal shots at turkeys on purpose.

I get caught up in the 10in circle at 40 craze myself but most of my shots are less than 20 yards and seldom even at 30 at most. That's where I like to pattern my guns. Just like deer hunting and sighting in that rifle we owe turkeys the same with our shotguns. So know your gun!! It might even be too tight at 20 to be ethical.

Another good point is a sheet of paper (target) could have 500 holes in the 10 at 100 yards if your gun could do it. It's a sheet of paper!! A live animal is not paper thin! So don't think that numbers always equal kills.

Something else for the new guy. I work with a guy who according to him has killed several over 70 yards. That might be true but in his own admission he shot one of them 3 times and chased another one down and caught him, and another he had to track down. He also claims a couple has dropped dead at that range. He shoots Hevi 5's. Ok has he killed 5,6,7 at long ranges? Yea he says so. But don't sound to me it's ethical clean kills. I'd bet money he's got a few more stories he ain't telling of misses or wounded birds.  What's sad is him and his brother is 2 of the best callers in the area. Just don't respect the birds enough or lacks the patience to wait for a good close kill.

[Longshanks]

Experience in the woods will teach you that letting turkey's get inside 40yds will increase your chances of getting a high percentage shot and decrease your chances of crippling a turkey. Respect for the Wild Turkey.

[Ihuntoldschool]

Thanks for deleting that one post that popped up for a minute or two. I don't if he needs more time-out or what the problem is?

[deerbasshunter3]

Again, I have no intention of taking a shot at a turkey past 40 yards. I was just curious to see what people thought about #6 shot.

I am seriously thinking of patterning my gun with #5 just in case I do misjudge a distance.

[Old Gobbler]

Again, I have no intention of taking a shot at a turkey past 40 yards. I was just curious to see what people thought about #6 shot.

I am seriously thinking of patterning my gun with #5 just in case I do misjudge a distance.

it's cool , we're just doing the cabin fever thing

In my opinion 40 yards is the upper ceiling our outer reaches of what a lead#6 can do going 1200 muzzle velocity , I'm sure there is a slim margin of error "fudge factor , it's very easy to misjudge at 40 yards and find out you bopped one at 48 ,53 etc... but like mentioned and spoken well the lead#6 is no long range offering

Opinions are like elbows , everyone has one I think #6 lead will kill at 40 , but past( not very far) that a turkey hunter is pushing his luck

[BowBendr]

I'll give you some quick advice if you're open to it.
Quit reading the Internet and go find you some birds to kill. You are way over-thinking this thing and worrying way too much about mid-judging a birds range.
I've seen your patterns and you are ready to bust some beaks...even if you do mis-judge a wee bit.
Lots of guys drool over the patterns you've posted in this and various other threads.

Seriously brother, you are good to go. You are going to be pleasantly surprised when you get your chance to pop one.
Go get 'em !!!



Sent from Gobblers Knob, NC

[foxred1962]

I can remember the article that everyone is speaking of. I was 16 at the time and the new Black Winchesters had just came out at 1300 fps and won the NWTF shoot. They said to the best of my memory that #6 at 1200 or maybe it was 1145 lost their energy at 37 yds. #5's were closer to 45 and #4s were good 50+ but the pellet count wasn't near optimum.

I began using the black #4's and had great success. I went to Hevi 13 #6's and they amazed me shooting turkeys inside of 45 without flopping. I did however have one hunt with them that has made me a 40 yd guys. I bought into the claims of the 60+ and in frustration shot a gobbler at 64 steps. It is probably the worst memory I have chasing that gobbler across the field because I was ignorant to being ethical to the animal. I did get the bird but fro. That day on I have never shot over 45 and have even stood up and stepped off to where a gobbler was standing only to know he was actually in range.

So pattern your gun and know what it is capable of doing. I know a lot of people that use #6 shot for turkeys and they stretch the range. But after the well written article I read as a kid I am back to using #4 black Winchesters now the LB variety. You can throw a handful of sand in my face and scratch my eyes maybe but if you throw a handful of rocks in it that's gonna hurt so that reasoning and reading that article make me a #4 man plus I like to shoot the coyotes that come in as well and #4's have taken turkey off of several yotes menus for me.

[deerbasshunter3]

I'll give you some quick advice if you're open to it.
Quit reading the Internet and go find you some birds to kill. You are way over-thinking this thing and worrying way too much about mid-judging a birds range.
I've seen your patterns and you are ready to bust some beaks...even if you do mis-judge a wee bit.
Lots of guys drool over the patterns you've posted in this and various other threads.

Seriously brother, you are good to go. You are going to be pleasantly surprised when you get your chance to pop one.
Go get 'em !!!



Sent from Gobblers Knob, NC

Thank you.