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What's "needed" to turkey hunt

Uncle Jesse

Uncle Jesse

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Turkey hunting, like anything else, has folks that take it very serious. They get caught up in the hevi nitro super tight jelly black eagle head extended flite ported red dot range hey look my shells are bulged at the crimp... mentality, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that but it can be overwhelming to a new comer.

I got caught up in it when Remington started selling Hevi shot. I bought 2 boxes of 3.5's and killed turkeys with it but I also missed several birds. The times I missed were the "easy" shots too. I live near a WMA and every year during turkey season I hear... BOOM, BOOM, BOOM like duck season is open. Knowing they missed at least twice and possibly all 3 times, I often wonder if it's due to a very tight pattern.

I have since gone back to basics with a single shot H&R with a fixed full choke shooting 2 3/4 #5 lead shells and wouldn't trade it for any other turkey gun out there.

The point I'm trying to make is that if someone wants to turkey hunt and they have a factory full choke that came with their gun, as most guns do, then some patterning with different loads is all that's needed. No trouble at all to get killing patterns out to 35 yards or more, but don't expect oohs and ahhs when you show your buddys the patterns. That's when you gotta shell out some money :grin:
 
I agree with ya 110%. Not that using the latest and greatest is neccessarily a bad thing, but for the most part its wasting money and trying to keep up with the Jones's...

I guess us Franklin Countians just like to keep it simple... :D
 
To each their own
My dad and his best buddy back in the 80's killed a ton of birds with a scratch box and a Remington full choke shooting super double x #4's. I am of the opinion if its legal I owe it to the bird to kill him as humane as possible. But yes its gotten crazy
I sometimes miss the old days where hardly anyone turkey hunted and now it seem every one does
 
well seems this is always the topic at hand for turkey hunting. Without a doubt what you NEED is very little and even to you that "keep it simple" have way more then you NEED so dont give me this keeping up with the jones stuff. You dont NEED a call, camo or a gun to kill a turkey...why not just use a longbow and jeans to kill them using a wingbone you found and mud on your face for camo.

to each his own is correct, but lets not get into saying people "wasting money" on stuff they enjoy to do and claiming it is part of a measuring stick.

The only thing i personally NEED to turkey hunt is TIME, other then that i like to play with chokes, guns and shells. I too have killed plenty using a 28" barrel full choke 870 back in the day with whatever shells i could find laying around the grandmas house, but that doesnt mean that is how I SHOULD HAVE to do it now. If i feel an aftermarket choke and good shells are worth the confidence and lead to a more clean kill then thats what i want to use. Just because something worked good yesterday doesnt mean something that comes out today is not better. I mean a rotary phone works just fine yet how many still have those things sitting around.

its a never ending topic it seems so i guess i just have to get use to it but 90% of all turkey hunters have more then they NEED to kill a turkey so lets not say one is "better" then the other.
 
Put your panties back on man! :D

I was just saying that people DO get caught up in it and a lot of folks want nothing more than to have the newest coolest stuff just to say they have the newest and coolest stuff. Just like with cars, homes, cloths, etc. Also, like I said (kinda indirectly), there's nothing wrong with it.

Now, I have to go get my feathers and loin cloth ready, and sharpen my spear. Turkey season is around the corner... :D
 
Baxter83 said:
Put your panties back on man! :D



Now, I have to go get my feathers and loin cloth ready, and sharpen my spear. Turkey season is around the corner... :D
Click to expand...

NOW your talking lol

I dont normally turkey hunt with a spear but when i do its nasty!

TheMostInterestingManInTheWorld_1426.jpg
 
In reality....

All you need is some comfortable camo with the right gun and appropriate combo of choke and shells

:)
 
I'd trade all the gaggets I take for permanone (sp?) and technu...no questions about it.

Even the experienced hunters on here that love their chokes/shell combo and testing admit that it is still more the indian than the arrow. I'd wager they could kill just as many with high brass squirrel loads. Hence my opening statement.
 
Roost 1 said:
My phiosophy is "You're only as good as your spot." You can have this or that but if you don't have birds the rest really don't matter. Imo!!!
Click to expand...

man so true, i have a bunch of buddies i hunt with that try to blow smoke up my (you know) about how good i am and what not because i kill birds every year but i ALWAYS tell them i am average to above average at best just have places that are full of birds. I know the birds and the land like the back of my had so it makes it much easier.

If you dropped me off on a WMA and gave me a week to kill one it may never happen lol. I put a bunch of time into it and consider myself a "good" turkey hunter but MOST of that is due to where i hunt.
 
i honestly contribute most of my success in the following way

50% preperation, knowing the land and where the birds like to go
10% calling - not the best at it but can hold my own
40% luck - right day, right time, right place and the thing didnt bust me lol

however i attribute 100% of that to the lord above for giving me the health and ability to be out there doing it.
 
The man that started me turkey hunting had a remington 1100 2.75" chambered fixed modified barrell. He used #6 shot. Carried one mouth call and sometimes a lynch box call on windy days. He owl and crow called with his mouth. He wore old army camo and brown jersey gloves. He was as basic as you could get but killed more turkeys than anyone I have known.
 
Baxter83 said:
I guess us Franklin Countians just like to keep it simple... :D
Click to expand...

One might say that I've gone to the extreme the other way and made it too simple, and that could be an accurate accusation. I'm not looking down my nose at the ones that have all the gadgets either. My goal here is to point out to beginners that a very tight pattern is not needed and, in my case, is not wanted.

I also know a feller that uses a Modified choke with 2 3/4 shells and kills turkeys every year. He knows his limits though.
 
REN said:
i honestly contribute most of my success in the following way

50% preperation, knowing the land and where the birds like to go
10% calling - not the best at it but can hold my own
40% luck - right day, right time, right place and the thing didnt bust me lol

however i attribute 100% of that to the lord above for giving me the health and ability to be out there doing it.
Click to expand...

So true, man.
 
Re: What's

Was looking for something else and found this. Decided to bump it up and let our new comers, if any, know that it is possible to kill turkeys with the full choke that comes with your gun. Heck I've now done it with a factory full 410 and lead shot

Had to get rid of my NEF single shot. It went off 2 different times before I pulled the trigger.
 

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