What is the reasonable distance to quickly kill a turkey with a muzzleloader?

Coinneach · Apr 18, 2024

Mike in FL said:
I once shot a turkey that was crossing the trail I was on. There were others with him but he crossed alone. My 20 gauge bird gun was an unmentionable. #6 shot, modified bore. Killed him at 20 yards. I could not find where he was hit. Back then, turkeys had to be checked and tagged at a game checking station. A game warden was there and examined the bird and never found an injury of any kind. He said I was lucky to have got him. My point is I've never turkey hunted with a shotgun since. Give me a small bore ml any day. I'm for every hunter using what they want. But me, I don't want to be restricted by distance. Lots of shotgun hunters seem to be really concerned about their patterns, wanting very tight patterns. I get that but but I'd much rather skip the pattern and distance concerns and just go hunting. Call them in, get one in your sights, shoot it. My little brother hunted with a revolver for everything. He used the same principles used by shotgun hunters and was very successful, except he never had any camo clothing nor any modern equipment. He has long since stopped hunting all together. WOW, did I get off topic or what? Sorry.

Off topic kinda but bear with me, we Aussie bush boys were generally taught Gun safety and Marksmanship with Bolt action single shot .22 cal Rifles; and that included being able to drop a wild Pig with a round placed just below their ear.

Of course that demanded good stalking and a reasonably close shot around 20 to 50 metres and an unstartled Pig.
Thankfully our confidence was always high with Granddad and/or Dad standing behind us with an old 44.40 Winchester or SMLE .303 at hand.
Stalking, Marksmanship and nil wasted Ammo was the expectation in those days, and we youngsters were blessed with it learning from what were the Masters.....Men who'd soldiered in two separate World Wars and well knew the essential value of Hunting with finesse and ethos.

Understanably I'm not aware of the indidual American States hunting requirements, but personally I cant understand why a small calibre rifle a la .22 is "verboten' for taking a Turkey.

Trigger · Apr 18, 2024

To many people and in camouflage...

Some states I do think allow rifle during the rifle seasons.

I heard one state is goes archery for them or Shotgun.. then rifle deer opens and turkey is still open. so they allow rifle for them during the rifle season. But your in orange then too I think

Trigger · Apr 18, 2024

Kinda a shot size distance story...

These 2 old timers.. one year had to buy ten gauge modern.. but the argument the same... group of 6 it was 30 min of back and forth shot size and velocity etc.. choke tubes they didn't understand at all and that was good I picked those.

I don't know why they thought it would shoot like 80 yards

they were not happy about the patterns at all. And they buy the heaveyst load in the store and then fight about that it's a waist of shot.

That turned into a bigger argument about who picked what that is no good... the shells no good.. the choke

I was like

Every year when someone missed it turned into that.

They told me It's all no good when the pattern disperses like that over distance.. it's no good.. and that I don't understand why. In all the confusion the ideas they had were all to get the shot to carry better not keep spreading and yea it opens fast 5 yards out changed from 25 and 30 we see it open

waksupi · Nov 9, 2024

The old rule of thumb for shotgun power, shoot a tin can. If the shot penetrates the can, you are good to go. If it just dents the can, nope.

Daryl Crawford · Nov 9, 2024

waksupi said:
The old rule of thumb for shotgun power, shoot a tin can. If the shot penetrates the can, you are good to go. If it just dents the can, nope.

Like he said, just be sure you don't use a thin aluminum can for your test.

springfield art · Nov 9, 2024

They say 30 yds. is ideal.

Taevers · Nov 9, 2024

waksupi said:
I believe it was Robert Rourke, African hunter, who said he was able to kill geese further with small shot, as it was more likely to put a pellet in the head.

Capstick

oldwoodchas. · Nov 9, 2024

Back in the early 1980's , I provided a friend with a copy of a Joseph Long .32 cal. longrifle. He took the rifle home , sighted it in , and went for a walk on the mtn. behind his home. He said he was walking down a logging road , a turkey walked out on the path about 30 yds. distant , and the new .32 put a single ball through the wing pinions. The bird was done , and didn't even flop. Dunno , Some guys have all the luck. I 'm still having a love affair w/ my .40 longrifle. Think it would blast a hole through a turkey out to 60 yds.. Guess I'll have to go to the range and rehearse killing a 60 yd. bird on paper.

Sam squanch · Nov 10, 2024

Some of us can’t hunt turkey with a rifle.

mikesto44 · Nov 10, 2024

It's very simple analysis. Your effective distance is where your best pattern is. I use a combination of number 4 an 5 shot.

What is the reasonable distance to quickly kill a turkey with a muzzleloader?

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