Turkey hunting : are we taking shot patterns too seriously?

[vpsalin]

Dont' get me wrong, patterning your turkey gun is super important but are we over focusing on how tight the pattern is? Take these two examples. Both these turkeys would be dead. Do we really need so much lead in the meat? I don't know about you but I rather cook and eat the turkey on the left. lollll. I'm not saying to go out with your .410 for turkey hunting, but I don't think you need 10 gauge 3.5'' shells to kill turkey and you don't need 120 pellets in the vitals either.

 

[horseshoe]

The ones that are more dead taste better.

 

[BP7]

if the one on the left is shot with lead shot, and the one on the right is shot with peppercorns, i'd take the one on the right.

 

[thump_rrr]

Is that one of them unicorn turkeys that I've been hearing so much about?

 

[horseshoe]

if the one on the left is shot with lead shot, and the one on the right is shot with peppercorns, i'd take the one on the right.

Mmmmm. Pre-seasoned.

 

[be2man]

Pattern on the left is approximately the average lead load through a full choke at 30-35 yards. Pattern on the right is approximately a heavier than lead load through a custom turkey choke at 30-35 yards. The pattern on the right will still reliably kill birds at 45 yards given another 10 yards divergence. Pick your poison.

 

[vpsalin]

Pattern on the left is approximately the average lead load through a full choke at 30-35 yards. Pattern on the right is approximately a heavier than lead load through a custom turkey choke at 30-35 yards. The pattern on the right will still reliably kill birds at 45 yards given another 10 yards divergence. Pick your poison.

You're right, but at 45 yards, in most/many situations If the birds are not strutting, you cannot tell the difference between male or female, jake or tom, etc. Any how I bet you most hunters cannot tell the difference at that distance. Your average hunter is marketed all these hotrod guns, chokes and ammo and at 45 yards and beyond, I bet you if he shoots a bird; he will be keeping his fingers crossed that it actually has a beard because you usually cannot tell from that far away. I'm not saying that 45 yard shots are unethical, I'm just saying they are best left to experienced hunters who can tell jakes, toms and hens apart from their body language and behaviors alone.

And what do you do if the tom pops out at 25-35 yards away? You will seriously pepper him with shot I imagine.

Another consideration is that the patterns I posted compare typical number 6 shot. If you want to stretch the pattern on the right to 45 yards you might want to switch to 4-5 shot to keep energy numbers up, in which case that pattern seriously starts to open up and sort of voids the whole idea of long range shooting.

 

[be2man]

Hotrod gun here. 870 Max Gobbler. Indian Creek choke tube. Eotech holosite. Winchester Xtended 6's. Closer? Shoot 'em in the head more. If you can't clearly see a Gobbler's beard at 45 yards some vision correction may be in order

 

[jordanmalmal]

Anzio 20mm will kill and cook your turkey in 1 shot.

 

[jjohnwm]

...but at 45 yards, in most/many situations If the birds are not strutting, you cannot tell the difference between male or female, jake or tom, etc. Any how I bet you most hunters cannot tell the difference at that distance. Your average hunter is marketed all these hotrod guns, chokes and ammo and at 45 yards and beyond, I bet you if he shoots a bird; he will be keeping his fingers crossed that it actually has a beard because you usually cannot tell from that far away. I'm not saying that 45 yard shots are unethical, I'm just saying they are best left to experienced hunters who can tell jakes, toms and hens apart from their body language and behaviors alone....

This is such a ridiculous statement, and implies such a lack of experience and knowledge, that you pretty much invalidate anything else you might have to say on the subject.

 

[canadian hunter312]

You're right, but at 45 yards, in most/many situations If the birds are not strutting, you cannot tell the difference between male or female, jake or tom, etc. Any how I bet you most hunters cannot tell the difference at that distance.

That may be true for you, but even my dad in his 50's can easily tell the difference between a tom and hen at 100 yards simply due to the color and a beard over 3-4" is usually visible, depending on the background. If you can't tell the difference between a tom, Jake, or hen at 45 yards your eyesight is likely poor enough that you shouldn't be using a gun...

 

[canadian hunter312]

This is such a ridiculous statement, and implies such a lack of experience and knowledge, that you pretty much invalidate anything else you might have to say on the subject.

This ^^^^

 

[skhunter]

Dont' get me wrong, patterning your turkey gun is super important but are we over focusing on how tight the pattern is? Take these two examples. Both these turkeys would be dead. Do we really need so much lead in the meat? I don't know about you but I rather cook and eat the turkey on the left. lollll. I'm not saying to go out with your .410 for turkey hunting, but I don't think you need 10 gauge 3.5'' shells to kill turkey and you don't need 120 pellets in the vitals either.

If both turkeys were shot with the same load at the same distance, where did the rest of the shot go on the turkey on the left. I am assuming into the body. I would much rather eat the one on the right.

 

[diemaco]

I was using super duper turkey loads and chokes and didn't get a single pellet in the meat on either turkey this year. If you shoot 'em in the head....

 

[Mount Sweetness]

Turkey hunting in general can get a little carried away, grab a shotgun and go hunting.

 

[Adrian J Hare]

A very tight turkey gun will shoot a pattern like right on a spot and still not get shot in the body of the bird. Now I know that all that replied should have been able to give you that advice too before me. A super tight pattern not only kills a bird faster but also gives you a little more distance and allows you to take shots that you may not be able to with a more open and less denser pattern. Pattern is most important in turkey hunting...

 

[Home3]

Turkey hunting in general can get a little carried away, grab a shotgun and go hunting.

Thank you! Finally a voice of reason.

 

[brybenn]

An arrow thru the wing joints works just fine to. I use 7 / 8oz #4 or #6 in a custom .650 choke for 12ga when calling. I also use 2-1/4oz #5 flite control loads in 10ga for late season. Never have I found a pellet in the breast meat.

 

[tracker]

I have a 3.5 12 gauge and also a 10 gauge which is my number one goose and turkey gun. Both are fitted with $100 dollar chokes and if I could buy a $200 choke that shoots a tight pattern at 100 yards I would. Its not how dead you kill any game, " its he who has the most toys when he dies, wins".

 

[Waterfowler]

You're right, but at 45 yards, in most/many situations If the birds are not strutting, you cannot tell the difference between male or female, jake or tom, etc. Any how I bet you most hunters cannot tell the difference at that distance. Your average hunter is marketed all these hotrod guns, chokes and ammo and at 45 yards and beyond, I bet you if he shoots a bird; he will be keeping his fingers crossed that it actually has a beard because you usually cannot tell from that far away. I'm not saying that 45 yard shots are unethical, I'm just saying they are best left to experienced hunters who can tell jakes, toms and hens apart from their body language and behaviors alone.

And what do you do if the tom pops out at 25-35 yards away? You will seriously pepper him with shot I imagine.

Another consideration is that the patterns I posted compare typical number 6 shot. If you want to stretch the pattern on the right to 45 yards you might want to switch to 4-5 shot to keep energy numbers up, in which case that pattern seriously starts to open up and sort of voids the whole idea of long range shooting.

How many turkeys have you shot?