Bout to throw my gun in the lake

[catman529]

Beard buster glad to hear someone else had the problem and fixed it. I'm gonna shoot turkey loads at targets but not squirrels, I used to but got a 22lr so I don't have to pick pellets out of squirrel meat any more. I think I need to develop a habit of slowing down, aim and squeeze and do it enough that I don't have to think about doing it.

Like I said, I don't always have this problem, sometimes I stop and think about the shot and make it count - the bird I killed 2 weeks ago I took my time on that shot, I thought it through, and I plastered him at roughly 40 yards, the farthest I will shoot a turkey with my gun. Then the next bird I shot, I pulled so bad I hit a tree. Both birds I missed this year came in strutting and drumming, I'm wondering if that gets me more tore up than a bird silently walking in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AT Hiker]

I know range time helps but from reading your post it seems like you take questionable or low percentage shots.

Keep at it and dont shoot unless you feel 100% about it. I pass turkeys al the time if things do not line up perfectly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[catman529]

I know range time helps but from reading your post it seems like you take questionable or low percentage shots.

Keep at it and dont shoot unless you feel 100% about it. I pass turkeys al the time if things do not line up perfectly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have taken some iffy shots and I've passed some iffy shots. This one was ok, I had full view of the turkey and his stretched out head, but when he started to putt putt I got panicked and shot, thinking he'd dip below the rise at any moment. Guess it would have been better to take 5 extra seconds than to watch him fly over the hollow.

He hasn't gobbled since yesterday morning an hour after I shot. I hoped to wake up to hear gobbling this morning, but it's been quiet. I did hear a faint gobble way out across the lake, but within minutes I heard a shotgun blast from the same direction. Debating whether to keep fishing or get in the boat and find a spot to try and strike a gobbler.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Beard Buster]

I know range time helps but from reading your post it seems like you take questionable or low percentage shots.

Keep at it and dont shoot unless you feel 100% about it. I pass turkeys al the time if things do not line up perfectly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have taken some iffy shots and I've passed some iffy shots. This one was ok, I had full view of the turkey and his stretched out head, but when he started to putt putt I got panicked and shot, thinking he'd dip below the rise at any moment. Guess it would have been better to take 5 extra seconds than to watch him fly over the hollow.

He hasn't gobbled since yesterday morning an hour after I shot. I hoped to wake up to hear gobbling this morning, but it's been quiet. I did hear a faint gobble way out across the lake, but within minutes I heard a shotgun blast from the same direction. Debating whether to keep fishing or get in the boat and find a spot to try and strike a gobbler.

Just remember to keep it fun
If it becomes more like work you will press and make mistakes
Misses happen to us all
Heck I shot and missed a bird and an hour later called him back in a dropped him
Just stay positive


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[catman529]

Was thinking I was about to pull in the lines and head out looking for a bird. Then the fish started biting, caught a 19 and a 30 pound carp...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[deerchaser007]

Nice fish!

You got some great advice here on shooting. And it's all correct. No one is making fun of you or putting you down for your misses, but encouraging you to become better. We all have to go thru it. I made my misses, and had to become better. I did it by my breathing. It takes only a few seconds to inhale, and as you exhale sqeeze the trigger. It made a HUGE difference in my shooting.
I still say the best advice with a turkey shotgun is paper with the loads you are gonna shoot. Unless your shooting 3.5. If your shooting a 3.5 and miss a turkey, you pulled it badly, or it was to far or to close and the pattern was to tight. With a 3", paper is a turkey hunters best friend. I know my limits because of paper. This year I had to watch a gobbler gobble at 60 yards for 20 minutes. Just stand there, gobble, triple gobble, spit and drum, what a great show. But I knew better than to make the shot, to far.
Good luck to ya, and keep us posted. Always enjoy your post. Reminds me when I was in my 20's running and gunning. Your post brings back some of my old memories.

 

[catman529]

Thanks deer chaser. I guess enough people have said to shoot paper that I'm gonna have to shoot a lot of paper. I hope I can grab a handful of boxes from Walmart on clearance before they sell out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TheLBLman]

Since this has turned into a very long thread, mainly just highlighting what I thought was some great advice.

Nice fish!
No one is making fun of you or putting you down for your misses, but encouraging you to become better. . . . . . your post. Reminds me when I was in my 20's running and gunning. Your post brings back some of my old memories.

Very true! :tu:
Hey Deerchaser007, some of us old farts are stil running & gunning, with about our only change being carrying a lightweight 20 gauge!

Not bashing you at all just seems you haven't really corrected the issue and it's still ongoing at a pretty high rate.

x 2 ----- Keep this in the forefront . . . . . .
Also, many of us posting on here are old enough to be your grandfather, and have made many of the same mistakes. We're just trying to help you learn from ours rather than repeat so many of them.

You are trying too hard to get the kill. Relax and enjoy the hunt.

IMO, this is the #1 thing you're doing wrong --- too focused on limiting out, rather than focusing on being an ethical hunter, enjoying the hunt. You, Sir, make a good case for lowering the spring turkey limit to 2 birds, exemplifying the collateral damage resulting from a 4-bird limit coupled with a very long turkey season. You may actually be causing more like 6 to 8 to die each spring, when you bring home four.

I'll agree that shooting paper is nothing like shooting an animal. But shooting paper has taught me a ton more than just sighting my gun and hunting would have. Yes, the repetitive nature but also trying to focus on a 1" dot or turkey printed out makes the real deal that much easier. . . . . And confidence in my weapon is another bonus.

The more you shoot, the better you shoot.

. . . . . . but the longer you practice bad habits the harder they are to break

Keep your head up, stuff happens and misses arise. A red dot like the Fast Fire might really help though.

IMO, and also focusing on what's restated above, at this point, nothing would help more than the single act of getting some kind of optical sight on your shotgun. This allows you to not only quickly shoot more accurately, but also makes it easier to have your poa and your poi in more accurate alignment. This also prevents you from having to align a front & rear sight with a turkey's head (imo, something you're likely often failing to do before pulling the trigger). So when it comes to "sighting", you replace a 3-step process with a 2-step process of simply aligning a single "dot" (or crosshair) on a turkey's head.

I know range time helps but from reading your post it seems like you take questionable or low percentage shots.

Keep at it and dont shoot unless you feel 100% about it. I pass turkeys al the time if things do not line up perfectly.

Exactly. This will always be the bottom line.
By taking seriously all this advice, you'll be better able to recognize questionable or low percentage shots, and hopefully become less willing to take those low odds shots you've been taking. And over time, you end up with about the same number of kills, just get to enjoy the journey even more.

 

[catman529]

I'd first bruise my shoulder on 30 shells than get optics for my shotgun...they seem very nice for aiming but I just don't really want that on my 12 gauge. The open sights work fine, but my shooting is bad.

Do y'all shoot year round, or just shoot often in the weeks leading up to turkey season?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[deerchaser007]

Thanks deer chaser. I guess enough people have said to shoot paper that I'm gonna have to shoot a lot of paper. I hope I can grab a handful of boxes from Walmart on clearance before they sell out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your welcome.

I wouldn't say ALOT of paper. If you buy 2 boxes of shells with 10 to a box, go out one day and shoot 3 times, once at 20, once at 30, once at 40. Inhale, then sqeeze while exhaling. Give it up for the day. Go back a week later, shoot once at 30 and once at 40. Same breathing. Then shoot once a week at 40 til you run outta shells. Go to local store and get cardboard they throw away, don't buy targets. Cardboard and a black marker makes great shotgun target.
I know you said you don't want a scope, but have you tried the fiber optic sites? My brother uses them, and many of my buds, they really like them ALOT. I got my dad's poor eye sight that's in our genes, I have to use a scope. But if not, I would use the fiber optic sites. They are nice!

 

[deerchaser007]

BTW, these are fiber optic sights that replace your open sights.

 

[TheLBLman]

. . . . fiber optic sights that replace your open sights.

No question about it, these fiber optic sights are superior to "open" rifle-type sights, or a standard "bead" front sight on a shotgun barrel.

But when it comes to accurately aligning poa with poi, and being able to consistently shoot accurately, nothing competes with an optical sight (such as a red dot, Burris Fastfire, or traditional scope).

IMO, it takes lots of regular shooting, consistently over time, to be able to consistently accurately shoot WITHOUT an optical sight. Using an optical sight greatly reduces the amount of time it takes to be and remain consistent, and considering most aren't willing to do what it takes in shooting that much, the optical sight becomes worth it's weight in gold.

 

[deerchaser007]

. . . . fiber optic sights that replace your open sights.

No question about it, these fiber optic sights are superior to "open" rifle-type sights, or a standard "bead" front sight on a shotgun barrel.

But when it comes to accurately aligning poa with poi, and being able to consistently shoot accurately, nothing competes with an optical sight (such as a red dot, Burris Fastfire, or traditional scope).

IMO, it takes lots of regular shooting, consistently over time, to be able to consistently accurately shoot WITHOUT an optical sight. Using an optical sight greatly reduces the amount of time it takes to be and remain consistent, and considering most aren't willing to do what it takes in shooting that much, the optical sight becomes worth it's weight in gold.

Yes sir, those fiber optics that replace factory sites are well worth the upgrade. No question about it. Like I said, my eyes are terrible, I've wore glasses since I was 6, and my eyes are as good as they gonna get. I been using the same tasco bantam 2.5x20 for 17 years on my 870. Tasco may be cheap, but it has took 17 years of recoil, falling of trees, crawling,bumping into stuff,etc., and still works and holds! I'm gonna miss it when it goes! I will never be without a scope on my turkey gun.

BTW, I can still gun, it's the running that gets me! I remember, like Catman, when one would gobble 3 hollers over I was off to races. I could be there before the hens. Now, the hens are laughing at me and flipping me off as they pass me by! LOL ! I just can't get thru these hills and hollars like I use to. But the memories are great! And catmans post and videos remind me of those good days when I could. I've got now where I'm much more patient. And find that I can be just as successful, especially now. As many say, birds don't gobble like they did 20 years ago, so patience as worked very well for me these past 5 years. I hate these new generation hunters will likely never experience the gobbling we did 20 years ago. It was magical, something I will never ever forget. But it's great to see our younger hunters still using our techniques of the yester years to be successful.

 

[catman529]

I have a ghost ring sight that has an orange ring on the rear and green fiber optic on the front. It's easy to aim with, much better than the bead, but still very simple.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk