Turkey

[JayCorleone]

Spring season is almost here, and all year the only turkey I've seen was in thurmont, a single hen.

I've spent loads of time in clearspring near blair vaalley lake hunting deer, squirrel and rabbit and never spotted any turkey,

Savage seems popular? Is It worth the drive?

 

[justsand]

had 2 jakes stand in the middle or the road Thursday afternoon in mt airy they are out there

 

[oupa]

Photo taken two days ago about two miles outside Clearspring.

Out of frame are 20+ hens and several jakes. The gobbler on the right is multi-bearded.

Just need to get out and do some scout'n!

 

[JayCorleone]

Sheesh. If that is on the wma, I'm pathetic. That looks pretty open too. Only found private land birds so far, posts likke that keep my hopes up

 

[Pablopac]

Quick turkey question please. I will be hunting them for the first time this spring. Long time deer hunter. I have an older Winchester 1300 turkey special (camo stock pump) with Win-choke tubes, and have an extra full. Hard to find turkey chokes for winchester, just not that popular. Will pattern this week.
1. Should I check at 30, 40 and 50 yards for pattern density?
2. About how many pellets should be in a 10 inch circle for reasonable use?
3. Any suggestions as to alternate choke tube, or should I stick with this?
Thanks for any thoughts.
pablopac

 

[JayCorleone]

A extra full or xxfull will work. I pattern 10-50. Sometimes you don't realize how tight your patterns can be. So a close range miss can happen. Google turkey pattern t*rgets, there is some free that are life size aand tell you how many pellets should be within the area.

 

[JayCorleone]

Just find out which shells pattern the best for you, all guns have different tastes.

 

[justsand]

Quick turkey question please. I will be hunting them for the first time this spring. Long time deer hunter. I have an older Winchester 1300 turkey special (camo stock pump) with Win-choke tubes, and have an extra full. Hard to find turkey chokes for winchester, just not that popular. Will pattern this week.
1. Should I check at 30, 40 and 50 yards for pattern density?
2. About how many pellets should be in a 10 inch circle for reasonable use?
3. Any suggestions as to alternate choke tube, or should I stick with this?
Thanks for any thoughts.
pablopac

Fyi win choke is the same as invector or same as accu choke just Google it i think Carlsons has a compatability page. I use a mossberg 535 it is the a invector choke also

 

[oupa]

What Jay said regarding patterning & targets. There are lots of targets showing the life-size outline of a turkey head, here's one, with brain & spine depicted These are worth their weight in gold for demonstrating effective patterning rather than merely counting density. Back it with a piece of 1/4 plywood or OSB or two sheets of HEAVY cardboard for an idea on penetration at the distance shot. Turkeys ain't that tough but frequesntly there is brush, even unseen brush between you.


Personally I DO NOT advise shooting at turkeys over 40 yds. Sure it's done effectively and with the proper choke and ammo combo can be done everyday. Few people take the time to find that combination AND have the discipline to know just the distance. A turkey is a huge bird, especially strutting but standing tall looking for a hen (or danger) he's pretty big to. They are notoriously easy to under-estimate distance on! Use those life-size targets to get used to size/range to.

Get some good targets and do some actual shooting at different distances - in the sitting position you'll be in when hunting - and see just how effective your gun/ammo combo is AND your shooting abilities.

I like Heavy Shot. I participated in pre-marketing field tests of it many years ago and the penetration and patterning was simply incomparable to anything then available. EVERY shotgun is different though. You cannot possibly know until you've actually shot yours on paper. Even (pattern center) point of impact can vary widely from gun to gun within the same model / ammo combo. Failing to pattern their gun - from your hunting stance - is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of new turkey hunters. ...while you're shooting, might want to try / practice left-hand shooting (for righties). If you don't, sooner or later a gobbler will teach you why I said it.

Good luck!

 

[Pablopac]

Great points, and thank you. I have the cardboard for backing and a 5 acre yard so I will know tomorrow! I really hope the scope is close or on. I don't want to change it as it is set perfectly for my slug barrel. It was drilled and tapped on the receiver before a cantilever was available. I don't want to start over in the fall.
Good luck to all for the spring season!

 

[oupa]

For many years I was one of the shotgun patterning instructors for the NWTF's "J.A.K.E.S" event held annually at Woodmont R&G Club west of Hancock. As then, I cannot recommend patterning with one of the graphic turkey-head targets, strongly enough to EVERY turkey hunter. Just as you'd (I hope) never think of going deer hunting without annually sighting-in your rifle, neither should you take for granted the zero of your shotgun/ammo/shooter combo. Especially if any aspect of it has changed since last patterning it.

 

[JayCorleone]

I know when I found those targets I immediately realized their usefulness. I tend to zero my rifles with optics anytime I plan on shooting. People talk about one box of turkey loads lasting x amount of seasons. I already blew through a few boxes of different brands. It's good fun...and practice. I've been shotgunning since a child and never realized the capabilities of removeable chokes, xxfull chokes and different turkey loads. Some tight patterns can be had, especially close, that's why I think practicing close is good also.

Thanks for finding those targets for him, hard to do from a mobile

 

[Pablopac]

Hi folks, Pablo again.
I tried older remington Duplex 4x6, hevishot 6 and 4s.
All using the stock winchester 1300 extra full choke.
Good to 30 yards, perhaps 35. After that I am down to perhaps 6 pellets in head and neck of turkey target. (about the same with all three loads)
Have read great reviews on the tru glo strut stopper.
Seems the longer tubes (all of them) keep it tighter.
The TruGlo is available for my gun (lots are not, the 1300 and I are both "older models...)
It can still be had with a choke diameter of either .643, .655 or .665.
I believe the .665 matches my extra full.
Hope to only get one, as after you pattern it you can't return it.
Go for the tightest?
Thanks again for the advice so far.
Long time deer hunter, first time for Toms.
pablo

 

[oupa]

Every gun/ammo/shooter combo is different. Forget what you read from people trying to sell you something! This includes writers or TV show hosts who are trying to please sponsors.

The only sure way is to actually shoot it. Yes, that gets expensive. IF however you have a combo that works - even if only to a specific range - USE IT and restrict yourself to THAT RANGE!!! That my friend is WHY the patterning is done! Just as you wouldn't shoot at a deer beyond your personal effective range, the same goes for turkeys. Instead of worrying about shooting to fifty yards, practice your calling. Even a mediocre caller should not have to shoot beyond forty yards. In fact 35 should be more than enough.

BTW - the goal is as many as possible but it only takes ONE pellet in the brain or spine. Six ain't so shabby!

 

[JayCorleone]

35ish sounds excellent my friend. I've been shooting the piss out of mine just to get used to these fiber optic sights, used to a bead. Until the 18th gets here just keep praticing, trying different combinations and scouting