Getting ready for Turkey season

[Moose Guide]

14 toms and jakes in the field by my house today, season starts Apr. 15th.

 

[Scharms]

Saw a pile of turkeys during late muzzy deer season. I'm looking to buy a smoothbore for the spring season but might end up taking the c/f sxs or the longbow... :surrender:

 

[roundball]

Times running on...when does your season open?

 

[flyfisher76544]

Times running on...when does your season open?

Georgias opens this coming weekend on the 23rd..... but I have an event down in Darien

 

[Scharms]

There are four spring turkey seasons to choose from in IA, I'll probably go 4th as its the longest. Runs May 1st through 19th...

 

[Don Morgan]

Thinking of getting a 28 ga. smoothbore. Any recommendations?

 

[Dave K]

Just a curious question, I just wonder why you would choose a 28ga. over a 20ga, or 16ga. etc. I know this is not what you asked, but maybe it is. The big reason I ask, is every time we talk about rifles, it seems as if bigger is more. Look at a discussion about small bores and a guy wants to know if he should go with a 32, or a 36 or a 40. The bigger ball usually seems to get more support. Ask about bigger rifles and the same thing seems to take place. The questoin is should I get a 50, or a 54, a 58 or even a 62. The same support seems to go to the bigger bore. Then many times I see those who ask about smooth bores and they talk of a 28ga. Why would a person want less in a smooth bore, especially for shotgunning and turkeys, when in rifles it seems as if more is better? Again, not picking on you, just wondering why.

 

[hanshi]

I miss the longer Ga seasons. Think maybe I'll start the season off with my .40 flintlock; sorta whittle down the odds on the first pass. We start April 13 and basically go to May 18.

 

[roundball]

Just a curious question, I just wonder why you would choose a 28ga. over a 20ga, or 16ga. etc.
Again, not picking on you, just wondering why.

I had the same thought, particularly if it's a first ML smoothbore. If you're planning to use PRBs then it would be fine for that as well as shot loads for some small game like squirrels/rabbits...and will certainly kill a turkey, but you need to be able to call them in close. As DaveK referenced, a 28ga doesn't hold much shot, not like a larger 20, 16, and so on.

As info, a turkey head (brain) and neck (vertebrae) are basically the vitals involved with typical shot loads at a turkey...the brain is only about the size of a walnut and the neck vertebrate the size of a regular wooden pencil. Here's a life size target of a turkey's head/neck that shows them...awfully small parts once you get out at some distance to speak of.

Imagine setting this target out at 25yds and you get the idea...you need a dense pattern to ensure some hits, and a large shot charge to get that density. (another way of thinking about it is that modern turkey guns are usually very large gauges, use very large shot charges, use shot cups to hold the charge together further, and extremely tight chokes)

Think of it like: "Shot load turkey vitals are a walnut on top of a pencil"

 

[Scharms]

Just received my new to me T/C .56 SB, now I need to work up a load & pattern this rig... :grin:

 

[cynthialee]

Just received my new to me T/C .56 SB, now I need to work up a load & pattern this rig... :grin:

I got me one of those recently also.
Waiting on some really nice weather to figure it out.

 

[KyFlintlock]

Wow, that is nuts! I am taking a young man to try for his first weekend after next and can't wait!!!

:hatsoff:
Good luck!!
Wess

 

[Greenmtnboy]

I have been so frigging spent on gun control here in CO I haven't been focused to talk about hunting.
I am at yotie Joe's in a frigging blizzard, cocktail in hand waiting for the morrow to go scout fer turkeys in 12" of fresh CO mt rain.
Hey y'all know I'll be the first to post dead bird pics in two weeks.
this year my 8 yr old daughter is legal to set the record straight on kids an guns.
hell ya.. :stir:

 

[Lonegun1894]

Sounds like that is one young lady that is being raised right. Takes a good set of parents to do that. :hatsoff:

 

[Scharms]

Same here, need a break in the weather to figure out a good load & pattern the new gun.

 

[Razor62]

.


I'm currently in the final stages of building this:

26", 16 ga. Cyl bore Canoe Gun for lack of a better term. Hoping to have her up & runnin' by the opener here April 25th.
This is my very first flintlock not to mention smoothy.
Any suggestions on where to start with regard to a turkey load? I'm hoping for a decent pattern out to 25 yards or so in spite of the short barrel. Am I dreaming???

 

[bigbore442001]

My plan for the Massachusetts season is as follows.

Opening Day is April 29th. The plan is to take three vacation days to hunt central Masssachusetts heavy and hard to fill my two gobbler tags.

If it is dry, I plan to use my TC New Englander that has been converted to flint. If it is rainy, I will use the TC Black Mountain Magnum caplock.

I have discovered over my lifetime that if you don't get your bird or two within the first week, chances are you won't.

After that, the hunting will be on Saturdays and close to home. I can't really hunt before work like I did in the past. Just don't have the time to do it properly.

 

[Razor62]

I have discovered over my lifetime that if you don't get your bird or two within the first week, chances are you won't.

Agreed! My experience as well.

 

[gonpce]

In my 34 years hunting turkeys I've had as much success the 3rd week as the first.(we have a 5 week season in VA) We have also killed several birds on the last day. My son's first was the last day and 3 birds came in together.

 

[roundball]

That's kind of what I've experienced...I like the very front 1/3rd of our season here the best...then it seems as if things quiet down for the middle 1/3rd as the toms all get henned up.
But then towards the last 1/3rd of the season as more and more hens start sitting the nest full time, the horny toms go looking for more action again...LOL