Here in North Carolina we have only a spring gobbler season. Shotgun only, no rifle or handgun and no gouge restrictions. Does anyone on the forum have any experience using a 54 smoothbore for turkeys? Thanks in advance.
Smooth bore Turkey hunting
- Thread starter Pilgrim
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No sir but I take pheasants with a .45 smoothbore.
What's the question?
What's the question?
I used my TC 56 smooth bore on my turkey this spring.
Looking for comments good or bad about using a 54 smoothbore for turkey.
Sounds like it was a success
Brokennock
Cannon
I use a 20 gauge, or .615 bore Fusil des Chase or a smoothrifle of the same bore size. It is what I have and my state's legal minimum.
Your .54 should be okay, if you can get a good enough pattern, if you can get that pattern with enough energy (don't keep adding shot until the pattern is full but add so much weight that you loose effective velocity), and if, you can have the self discipline to pass on shots that are not within the effective range of the load you have developed.
Definitely read up on and try the Skychief load.
Do remember that you just won't be able to load 20 gauge shot loads, much less 16 or 12 gauge loads.
DRT. 1oz of #6 shot, 70gr of fffg goex, and a 58 cal felt wad over powder and shot. Simple and effective. My shot was about 20yds.
Roundball2319
40 Cal
No experience with a 54 caliber smooth bore.
But here is the one from this spring. Called it in with a wing bone call that I made from my very first turkey. Shot it at 20 yards. 56 caliber muzzleloader with 7/8 oz of #4 shot and 55 grains of 2f powder. 8 inch beard. First bird with the smooth bore and first with a wing bone call.
But here is the one from this spring. Called it in with a wing bone call that I made from my very first turkey. Shot it at 20 yards. 56 caliber muzzleloader with 7/8 oz of #4 shot and 55 grains of 2f powder. 8 inch beard. First bird with the smooth bore and first with a wing bone call.
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Roundball2319
40 Cal
I will be using smaller shot next year for a higher shot count. # 4 was all I had on hand this year. Work up a load and call the bird in to 20 or less yards.
All I use for turkey 54 smooth bore. Killed 2 in the last 3 years. I slightly jug choked mine and use skychief loading method. 65 gr. 2f and 1 1/4 ounce mix 5&6 shot.
I've been told by old timers that they and there fore-fathers used #8 shot and went for the head and neck area. The denser pattern made for more certain kills.
I have not hunted turkeys in a while, but use #6 and do try for the head-neck but that
is a small area. My reason is that we eat the birds and as I dress it out, I do not want to
take so long getting out the pellets of lead. Now a friend hunts with steel shot. He uses
one of those coin detectors to clear the bird and remove steel pellets--which I think is safer
for loved ones since lead is toxic.
is a small area. My reason is that we eat the birds and as I dress it out, I do not want to
take so long getting out the pellets of lead. Now a friend hunts with steel shot. He uses
one of those coin detectors to clear the bird and remove steel pellets--which I think is safer
for loved ones since lead is toxic.
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In 2014 I put together a French Trade Gun kit from Clay Smith with a 28 gauge (.54) barrel. My turkey load is 60 grains of 2F, 1 and 1/8 oz of #6 shot with a ball of sisal fiber both over the powder and over the shot. I think my count so far is 9 turkeys with this combo.
Right up to the day he misses a steel pellet and a loved one smashes a molar!
Won't be much love about then buddy!
Gas and radioactivity are toxic but nobody minds that!
Folk have been swallowing lead pellets and pooping it out the next day for many years.
Is there a confirmed death from lead shot case for me to study up on?
Lead shot is slowly morphing into the 4f thing!
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Brokennock
Cannon
You beat me to it.
Turkeys need head shots, when using loose shot, to go down reliably anyway. Body shots may work reliably with an arrow or bullet/roundball, but, it is amazing the shot that all those feathers will stop, or at least decelerate enough to be non-lethal.
Why mess with steel that has less energy at a given yardage, and I'd you do get one in the meat of something and miss it in the cleaning process, will most likely ruin your day but improve the scholarship find of your dentist's kid.
GrandLakeHunter
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Get a decently tight pattern and you can do it with even smaller calibers. So yes, 54 will do it just fine if you respect range limitations. Get a few different hard shot sizes and wads and hit the paper or cardboard patterning targets until you're happy with one of the loads. PS, Be sure non-toxic isn't now required for hunting on public land or even statewide like in Kalifornia.
GrandLakeHunter
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There are lead studies of confirmed life long lead using hunters that show no issue with lead levels. I personally have never worried about using lead plus lead is easier on the dentist bill than steel !
GrandLakeHunter
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PS, I know some have tried one piece nylon wads and had much tighter patterns from unchoked or lightly choked bores. I seem to remember BPI had some magnum wads (deep shot cups) that were around .545" diameter. Call them and ask first to see if they have exact dimensions. IIRC they are in bags of 250ea and not very expensive.
Agreed, all of my experience in Turkey hunting has been head/neck shots only. The breast has too many feathers and fat to make a clean kill.
Lead can definitely kill you. Grand dad carried three German machine gun slugs in him from WW1. Killed him deader'n hell 50 years later!
