70 yardish shot 835!?

[g8rvet]

Saw a post on another site where a guy was telling about him and his 10 year old son doubling on Osceolas.  I like good stories of a successful young'un, so I clicked it.  I wish I did not.  He then regaled everyone with how he called in 2 birds and they would not quite get close enough for his son, so he took one of them AT 60 YARDS!  He then tells his son, the other one ran off in to those pines, go see if you can shoot him while I run down and stomp the crippled bird and the 10 year old, by himself, ran over to the woods edge and shot the other gobbler in the palmettos.  So he showed his son some wonderful lessons on that hunt-you can decide which was terrible.  I was gonna chime in, but you can't really teach a grown man anything, so I did not bother.   Was disgusted by all the "great job" posts following it. 

I have nothing much to add to this thread, just thought ya'll would like to hear that story and this seemed like a good place to put it.

[Old Gobbler]

I'm familiar with a certain click of folks promoting those type of shots , I'll take a stab in the dark


There seems to be a pattern of these very people engaging in a pattern of promoting very long...long shots , ( elsewhere , not here ) they start up threads and prop each other up with "at a boy" posts congratulating each other on these long shot garbage threads  - it's bewildering , I look at them with astonishment , I would be so ashamed to admit I shot at a turkey at these ranges like they do , I've seen 83 yard jake shots , gobblers at 100 , 72 and so on if it's with a rifle , TSS , lead whatever  ,there is just no end to it , people see it......and repeat the stunts .....never seen a longest missed gobbler thread ....I've yet to see anyone print out a at shirt stating , " I shot a jake at 83 yards and I'm proud of it " and walk around at the Nashville convention with it proudly displayed -- and I did publicly issue out that challenge before  .....no takers yet.....the reason being is that on the internet people tend to twist and distort reality from fantasy , it's natural - girls put up their best picture of themselves from years past on dating sites trying to portray the most appealing public persona , and people do the same on forums when talking about points of interest -'I've actually seen people call them out like used to on other places and these 100 yard folks go all crazy on them attacking them publicly , they try and portray themselves off as very serious folks with all the best skills and equipment , and they only have a 100 yard turkey gun just for chits and giggles , but in reality they would be completely lost with out that special gun

Every single turkey hunter can take a shot further that they know is responsible , but the good ones don't , and we don't PROMOTE long shots , and persuade others to partake in the irresponsible activity - the best turkey hunters I ever met had one thing in common , respect for the turkey , promoting 100 shots at turkeys is perhaps the most irresponsible thing I am aware of in the turkey hunting world ....but people do it .....amazes me , people see this junk on the internet , and try the same stunts with their turkey gun ....


There are 2.4 million turkey hunters according to the Nwtf , that is 2,400,000 people 


I said that to lend perspective to the ( very small ) handful of folks fixated on promoting extreme long shots talking 60,70,80 I've seen 100 yards ....there is some that foolishly take factory ammo and repeat stupid things in the woods .....then there is some that buy the material and hand load it , and then there's the ones selling the TSS shot , and circulating their own formulas .....I and from the threads I've seen and filed away , the information is being carelessly circulated , hence the oblong shells , shells that don't go off etc... , I booted them straight off this site years ago after legal council , and it is perhaps the single best move I've ever made on the forum -- There is too many threads I've seen to mention, but don't worry ....when someone blows off their hands , just keep looking out that front window of your house for that mail man or deputy sherif to have you sign that certified notice from the lawyers office -

[longbeards]

Boys, not to cross the line, but it is important to shoot your gun and know its pattern at point blank to 40 yds. I shoot mine to 60, WHY? not that I plan on shooting one at that distance, but it happens if you hunt gobblers long enough, misjudging distance is a easy thing to do..and most of us will do it. With my M1 which I just shot at 40 yards with a RR .650, Win LBs, no 6 will consistently put 160 plus pellets in a 10 inch circle,,,and stones them...at 60 yds it will put 70 to 80 in a 10 inch circle....
But last spring I shot a Merriam that came in like a Kamikaze, at a dead run from a long way off,,,he crossed the a large flat I was on and only stopped to gobble,,and each time he was behind a tree!! I finally pulled the trigger just as he was about to go over the edge of the flat and out of sight...and stoned him! I about had the big one as I went to him and realized he was well beyond 40 yds,,I had no intention of shooting past 40 but had in the excitement of having him pass so close so fast I had..so my feelings are that it doesn't hurt to know your gun and ammo..I hope never to shot at that range again!

[Easton1986]

Boys, not to cross the line, but it is important to shoot your gun and know its pattern at point blank to 40 yds. I shoot mine to 60, WHY? not that I plan on shooting one at that distance, but it happens if you hunt gobblers long enough, misjudging distance is a easy thing to do..and most of us will do it. With my M1 which I just shot at 40 yards with a RR .650, Win LBs, no 6 will consistently put 160 plus pellets in a 10 inch circle,,,and stones them...at 60 yds it will put 70 to 80 in a 10 inch circle....
But last spring I shot a Merriam that came in like a Kamikaze, at a dead run from a long way off,,,he crossed the a large flat I was on and only stopped to gobble,,and each time he was behind a tree!! I finally pulled the trigger just as he was about to go over the edge of the flat and out of sight...and stoned him! I about had the big one as I went to him and realized he was well beyond 40 yds,,I had no intention of shooting past 40 but had in the excitement of having him pass so close so fast I had..so my feelings are that it doesn't hurt to know your gun and ammo..I hope never to shot at that range again!

You just opened another can of worms brother! I'm with ya on that! Couldn't of said it better myself! Hey I see this thread going another 10 pages now! Just because we "speak" of it doesn't mean we are going to do it every time, done, or going to do it! But people automatically assume we are in ethical hunters! You know what assume stands for right?

[DirtNap647]

I shoot my gun however far I want and will hunt the way I want ....but in all seriousness if you guys have guns that wont kill at 41 yds and up I would try a browning maxus it will

[Easton1986]

:Popcorn! Oooowwwweeeee this is getting good!

[Old Gobbler]

Like I've said .....people who willingly shoot at gobblers well  past 40 yards , will get burned one day , perhaps repeatedly burned until they learn the valuable lesson of learning how to turkey hunt properly -

Yes there is some folks working really hard into turning turkey hunting into a pot shooting experience , some would be best suited getting a .22 mag and get it over with , they seem just desperate to kill a gobbler , more like fixated on peer approval - perhaps turkey hunting isn't right for them - the kill becomes so anticlimactic when you partake in these activities , perhaps they should do all their hunting in the grocery store - willingly shooting at a gobbler at those kind of yard ages is not turkey hunting , and the folks promoting it ( in the real world )  are shunned in turkey hunting circles -

Any person who walked into my camp holding a jake and bragged he shot it at 83 yards , would be immediately escorted off the property - people like this are a danger to the sport , and if left unchecked will undermine the sport until there is nothing left

All to often in these days of instant gratification , young folks look for shortcuts on everything , they want instant this , and right away that , they don't want to wait for it , they want it now - turkey hunting doesn't work like that

the gobbler , he makes all the rules .....

[Longshanks]

I've hunted in leases all over MS, AL, MO, KY, IN, IA, IL, and TN and shooting long range or anything else unethical is not tolerated. Ive guided in a number of these states and outfitters don't put up with it. You shoot too soon and cripple a bird and your done and not allowed to come back. People are shown the gate. Hunting camps and leases that I have hunted would absolutely flip out if someone was shooting 70-100 yds with a shotgun. Not sure where these folks hunt but more and more leased ground and hunting camps are selective about who they let in. To get into our lease you have to be recommended by a longstanding member, fill out an application with references from where you have been hunting the last 3-5 years and hunt on probation for the first two years. People who hunt unethically will ultimately shoot themselves in the foot in any type of organized quality place to hunt. They will be left to hunt public ground and places with other people who hunt unethically. I rarely see landowners who want to allow people on their land doing unethical things and normally they are stewards of the land they own.  I'm just glad that I hunt in places where if someone stepped across the line in terms of ethics they are gone. People can hunt however they want but you can believe the majority of quality lands around the country..will not tolerate selfish, unethical hunting practices. They will be in the road.

*By the way..I've heard allot of talk about the Drury brothers on this website and I can tell you that turkey hunting is not something they get all excited about. They are hunting and harvesting Boone and Crocket deer. I've hunted all around their land in MO and IA. They do it to fill time on their shows and promoted Win LB shells for sponsorship. There are allot of good turkey hunters out there doing the right thing, Michael Waddell, Matt Morret, Chris Parrish, Stevie Stolts, Jimmy Riley, Preston Pittman, and the list goes on but I would be careful who you are listening too on these hunting shows. The final footage you see is not always exactly what happened. They film allot of what happens during the hunt after the turkey/deer is dead. Don't believe everything you see and hear.

[Ihuntoldschool]

I hope you are not suggesting that public ground is for unethical hunters.  Public ground has a great many very ethical hunters along with some idiots.  But you get them whether on public or private.         

[Longshanks]

I hope you are not suggesting that public ground is for unethical hunters.  Public ground has a great many very ethical hunters along with some idiots.  But you get them whether on public or private.         

    Public land has some of the best hunters in the country and I hunt in Mark Twain National Forest quite a bit myself.  The point is you get to hunt with allot of these hunters that get kicked out of hunting camps, leases, etc. They also hunt there because there are basically no rules accept for the age of the turkey and hunting in the right areas during the correct dates and times. They can walk all over other hunters without any consequence, shoot at any distance without being questioned and operate without allot of the rules that go along with quality managed private lands. For instance, if someone was hunting at our camp and parked their truck at a road and another hunter decided they were just gonna park at their truck and walk in behind them because they had scouted that spot. That man would never hunt at our camp again. That happens all the time on public land and hunters have no recourse. Sorry, but the ethical hunters hunting on public land have to deal with some of the most unethical hunters in the country.
       Hunting on public land I have had a hunter sneak in between the turkey and myself while I was calling and shoot the turkey within 50 yds of me and then thanked me for calling up the turkey. Dangerous as hell and the guy acted like there was nothing wrong. I've also been sitting at the base of a tree with a gobbler gobblin 75-80 yds away and had someone slip up and shoot the turkey out of the tree in the dark. That would never happen on our private leases.

*i don't even want to begin talking about the ridiculous things that have happened duck hunting on public land. Could write a comedy novel. 

[surehuntsalot]

I have said time and time again, you have turkey hunters and people shooting at turkeys that know NOTHING of the sport of turkey hunting