Can't figure out the no flopping argument.

[trkehunr93]

I have never had a bird not flop.  Shot lead for yrs. and then switched to Hevi 13 and now back to lead.  All were killed from ranges of 10 yrds. to 40 yrds. with both loads and I have never not had to put my boot on their neck.  Guess all mine just had a lot of fight still left in'em.

[Happy]

I have shot a few birds in my time and it doesn't seem to matter if it is lead or HTL shot. 95% of the time they flop. I think location of the pellet strike matters more than what type of shot, provided there is enough energy to penetrate. I shot one at less than five yards and he tore up more real estate than any other bird I have shot. I switch to hevi because of " the stunned shuffle" as it was put. And these where on 40 yard shots. I haven't had that problem with hevi. They are dead. Flopping maybe but dead.

[Gobble!]

Lmfao!!!  I have been wondering the same thing.

Anyone that claims "flopping" as an argument on how strong a load is instantly looses credibility in my book.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

agreed

[BINK McCARTY]

When people say "they never even flopped "it is not only BS but,most of the time a lie...FACT is....folks say it to make their story sound better.

[WNCTracker]

When people say "they never even flopped "it is not only BS but,most of the time a lie...FACT is....folks say it to make their story sound better.

This is my first season using HTL. I've killed lots of turkeys and they've  flopped, and it doesn't bother me to watch it either. Don't mind at all to break their necks with my boot or hands. I've Butchered chickens as well and they flop, unless you hang them upside down and bleed them out. Can't explain what I'm about to say but I killed 3 this year with Hevi 7's and none flopped. It was a first and I was quite surprised because I thought it was BS myself. Seeing is believing.

[Philippe]

When I see them flop around a lot its either from one or two things, 1. An unethical shot that was too far, or 2. They damn near missed the bird but enough caught it to take it down still. Now some nerve twitches I think are normal, but like others said it's a nervous system thing.

[WNCTracker]

I'm going back 10 years to gross neuro anatomy here but there are loops in the body that assist with things like reciprocal gait that bypass the brain. Like a hardwired tract that pass through the spinal cord. I'm sure they exist in animals and believe that they are likely present in the areas vital to a person/animals survival (legs/wings).  When the brain is out of the picture, neurons are still depolarizing and firing which could explain the flapping or kicking after being shot, or leg twitching in deer or people for that matter. I just don't think it's black and white to say a turkey flops because of an unethical hunter with bad aim, again consider the hatchet to the chickens neck concept.

[sevetts]

I remember a primos video several years ago when the nitro's they were shooting literally decapitated 2 different birds. Picked up the birds, then there heads. They flopped around like crazy. You cannot do more damage to a turkey with a shotgun than removing it's head. That being said I have seen several birds that never twitched. The first was with a win extended range 3"#5, it was the first time I shot a turkey with htl. Flopping is not the issue, and I can't argue that dead is dead. But I can say this hunt a year with htl and see if you notice a difference....

[WildTigerTrout]

I have only had ONE bird NOT flop. It was a nice gobbler I killed in 2000. Shot him at 25 yards with a 12 ga. Federal "Premium" 3.5" 2 1/4 oz. of #4 shot. He went straight down and never even disturbed the leaves he was standing on!! He is the exception though. Every other one I have ever shot has flopped around.

[decoykrvr]

I had killed a fair amount of turkeys w/ lead before I purchased my first box of Polywad tungsten turkey loads.  After I had shot a couple of birds w/ the HTL shells, I was on the telephone ( it was several years before cell phones) calling the turkey hunting crowd to report on the incredible effectiveness of the "new" loads.  I have evaluated all of the HTL loads loaded commercially and have never found a lead load which patterns like HTL w/ the terminal knock-down.  I've necropsied and x-rayed quite a few gobblers killed w/ HTL and the penetration/tissue damage is far greater than w/lead.  I deer hunt w/ a .257 Roberts Improved shooting a 100 gr bullet at 3200 fps and when possible take neck shots.  With a high velocity strike to the neck deer drop in their tracks and don't run or thrash around.  In my experience gobblers hit in the head and neck w/ HTL loads also drop in their tracks and the subsequent initial movement is substantially less than w/ lead which I attribute to the shock of HTL pellets.  When I shoot a gobbler, I generally straddle the bird w/ my legs and body until all the muscular contractions have ceased ( I think such a noble bird deserves more respect than a boot on the neck).  Yes, with HTL loads they still have "death contractions", but it has been so long since I've shot a bird w/ lead that I don't have a viable comparison anymore.

[Longshanks]

I definitely see a difference in shooting turkeys with HTL rather than lead. Shooting turkeys with lead it was standard procedure to jump up running after firing the shot and may result in a turkey rodeo. I have chased a many gobbler down. Not as much of an issue with HTL. This discussion about flopping is much to do about nothing. The goal for me is the turkey to go down and stay down..flop or not. I don't shoot past 40yds. 0-40yds HTL is devastating on the turkey. Win LB's have changed the game a bit with lead. They just increase your chances of missing up close is the only downside.

[Farmboy27]

I didn't start this thread to knock htl loads in any way. If you look at my original post I stated that I also use htl loads. But I have had birds flop with them as well and I never looked at a bird that didn't flop and think "wow these are deadly". I use them because they pattern well. A flopping turkey doesn't mean a turkey you have to chase. Most of the time a wildly flopping bird is a dead bird.  All I was saying is dead is dead. Some birds flop, some don't. And just because a bird flops doesn't mean it's a crippled bird that you have to chase down. Darn near took ones head off some years back that flopped 100 yards down the side of a ridge. Still dead when the load hit him.

[Longshanks]

You and I are both saying the same thing. Flop or not, the turkey going down and staying down is the goal. I have just had better success with HTL in accomplishing this goal.

[owlhoot]

You and I are both saying the same thing. Flop or not, the turkey going down and staying down is the goal. I have just had better success with HTL in accomplishing this goal.

x2. The stunned tom shuffle ? Which to me is a tom that can get his head back up or pull himself across the ground or try to spur you. Htl has been better for me also. I also have had less nerve flopping where the tom flops in place or a few feet max. Now better pattern may have something to do with it . Better penetration who knows ?
Some don't flop at all, guess will have to be called a lie  or lose some credibility 

[Philippe]

I definitely see a difference in shooting turkeys with HTL rather than lead. Shooting turkeys with lead it was standard procedure to jump up running after firing the shot and may result in a turkey rodeo. I have chased a many gobbler down. Not as much of an issue with HTL. This discussion about flopping is much to do about nothing. The goal for me is the turkey to go down and stay down..flop or not. I don't shoot past 40yds. 0-40yds HTL is devastating on the turkey. Win LB's have changed the game a bit with lead. They just increase your chances of missing up close is the only downside.

Let's be honest here, if you shoot a turkey and you need to chase it down you have either taken an unethical shot or damn near missed and got it with just enough to wound it or you have not taken the time to check the guns patterning capabilities and again took an unethical shot.