Turkey Hunting with round ball

[brazosland]

Perfectly legal in Texas. Killed plenty with round ball. From the side I hit them right in the middle. DRT every time and don’t even touch valueable meat.

Not sure why folks here have trouble killing them…

 

[mtfishn]

Anybody do any turkey hunting with round ball in states that allow it? Thinking about going to WV this Spring and try it.

I've shot a few using a .45cal. RB ahead of 40gr FFF. I try to place the ball above the legs ...just under or breaking the spine. If the bird is headed away, I try to shoot higher so as to miss the breast, hitting the spine or breaking wings/lungs. This avoids losing much meat. I've tried head shots a couple times ....only worked once. The heads move around a lot!

 

[good ole boy]

Your right.To get a head shot is pure luck with a rifle with their head constantly bobbing around.Just not a good idea and just to risky on injuring the bird.

 

[good ole boy]

Especially if you are usin a flinty.

 

[mtfishn]

First bird I shot years ago was in a coulee (small draw) along with a bunch of his (?) buddies. Fall season in MT is either sex and rifles are allowed. Anyway, I sneaked down the draw on the opposite side of a fill and culvert. Spotted the turkey heads up peaking out of the draw...just across the fill ...spotted movement through the culvert. It was a turkey! So lined up through the culvert....maybe 25-30 feet long and shot, breaking the neck on the turkey! At least that one never saw me coming!

 

[Crow#21957]

To each his own but to me a round ball is just wrong. Don't be upset with me that's just me. SHOTGUN WITH 4,5,6,7 UP CLOSE
IS the way to do it. I've called in a few but no bird yet. LOL

 

[SciAggie]

To each his own but to me a round ball is just wrong. Don't be upset with me that's just me. SHOTGUN WITH 4,5,6,7 UP CLOSE
IS the way to do it. I've called in a few but no bird yet. LOL

I agree up close is exciting. I shot my turkey this year from 36 feet away with my .40. Not upset by the way; I just maintain that the gun used is a matter of choice and familiarity. My shotgun is a caplock. I wanted to use my flintlock. Here in Texas both rifles and shotguns are legal. I've shot a number of birds both ways. To each his own...

 

[Sidney Smith]

It's still legal here in Pa, but only for fall turkeys, and only using muzzleloaders. I contemplated taking my .32 caliber out but, the problem here is, you're sharing the woods with small game hunters, and archery deer hunters in the fall. For that reason, I only hunt turkeys in the springtime. At least then there are only turkey hunters about, so no squirrel hunters etc walking past your setup. I use my flintlock smoothbore with shot in the spring.