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

[earlwb]

I would say 15 yards. But maybe a little farther in some cases. The birds are sure smart though. The ones that have survived being shot at won’t get that close to you.

 

[Thingamajiggy]

No, sadly this is not one of those instances. The part that I left out was that, while the bird appeared stone dead, he woke up as I was getting my gear together. I had only stunned him. I then had to chase the dang bird 200 yards across a pasture. The chase ended in the back corner amid a pile of slippery rock. I had attempted to grab him by the legs and the bird got me off balance and I fell on the rock. THe next few minutes we were battling 1 on 1 , and I'll tell you that a full grown gobbler is about an even match for a man on all fours.

Believe me. This was anything but a boast. What had happened was I was very intently watching two birds walking down the side of the pasture in front of me. I got my gun up as they both went behind a large tree. When they emerged, I shot. When they went behind, they were less than 20 yards out. What I didn't know was one of the birds had gotten hinky and run out into the field about 60 yards further out. I had my eye planted in the scope and couldn't see he was so far out.

The stun shot was 3 inch 2 OZ Federal #4 loads through a Carlson's Dead Coyote choke. The pellets went low and hit him in the breast and knocked feathers off, but didn't break the skin.

Yep, are strong and powerful birds. Definitely a handful if not dead. Have cannon netted turkeys for relocation several times and they truly beat you up trying to handle them and get them outta the nets. Gobblers especially, those spurs will tear you up if not careful.

 

[rkg1]

I have a Colerain turkey choke 20 ga and would not go over 40 yards.

 

[Sam squanch]

After reading some of the beatings you guys got from shot turkeys, if they ever lose their fear of man, we are screwed…..

 

[new2bp]

Rifles are legal fer turkeys here

Head or neck shot with anything reasonable or body shot with enough whomp behind it. And a 200gr pitol bullet being used as a 45 conical driven at 1500fps with 45ish gr 3f aint enough whomp when delivered center of mass. I would actually skip the body and be happy with head/neck (50-60 yards for me and by eyes and the poor irons on most percussion rifles)

That said Im going to try and pattern my ml shotgun this weekend (im a poor so sorry it is a inline but at least im using real black powder). If I can get 30 yards Ill be real happy, and even 20 yards gets me workable. I had toms from 5 feet to 40 yards last fallfall and this spring

 

[new2bp]

Rifles are legal fer turkeys here

Head or neck shot with anything reasonable or body shot with enough whomp behind it. And a 200gr pitol bullet being used as a 45 conical driven at 1500fps with 45ish gr 3f aint enough whomp when delivered center of mass. I would actually skip the body and be happy with head/neck (50-60 yards for me and by eyes and the poor irons on most percussion rifles)

That said Im going to try and pattern my ml shotgun this weekend (im a poor so sorry it is a inline but at least im using real black powder). If I can get 30 yards Ill be real happy, and even 20 yards gets me workable. I had toms from 5 feet to 40 yards last fallfall and this spring

Hit my buddy's place yesterday and we had a blast (haha! a pune, or a play on words!) with ML shotguns.

I was only able to get a decent pattern to 17 yards or so, and I had to go up to 1.5oz of #5 to do it. Based on what I was seeing at 20 and 25 yards it falls apart quickly and even squirrels would be problematic for a sure kill at 25 yards. Won't even mention what 30 yards looked like, but a barn door from the inside could be safe....

We tried the Sky Chief method - my problem is that my barrel has a full choke (.689 at the muzzle) and the thick fiber wads won't fit down without being broken apart, so I don't think I'm getting that good on-top-of-everything pressure, had poor patterns even at 15 yards. Got my best results with a 45-70 case full of 3f (Schutzen, 75.1gr by weight according to my scale), an equal volume of grits (I'm a southern boy, no cream of wheat allowed!), 1.5oz #5 shot, and 2 of the thin white stiff over shot wads. Gave me patterns equal to my Mossy 500 with a 1.75oz #4 load and extra full choke at 17 yards.

Buddy used similar loads in his percussion SxS (choked IC and M) but using 70gr by volume T7 and 1.75oz shot (the max his dipper would hold). In both of our cases, the Sky Chief method didn't prove out too well. Strangely, the load he settled on gave better pattern from the IC barrel than the M barrel, though both were capable to 25 yards.

Last fall and spring we had birds within 5 yards of us at times, I even took a small snooze and woke up to a rather perturbed tom sounding off about 10 feet away from me. So I think I'll be adding some 15 yard marks around our blind areas and use the tactical nap to my advantage this fall.

Hopefully it won't turn out like this -

 

[griffiga]

I sit in my blind and call them, I’ve never had to shoot more than 20 yards with either modern or black powder shotgun. At that range I use #2 or #4. Other than speed of loading, I don’t feel handicapped at all with my original BP shotguns, which I use most of the time. With my open choked original, I like to keep ranges to 20-25 yards, with my full choked pedersoli, I’d go another 10 to 15 yards. Thirty-five yards I consider my outside range, and part of that is probably my own inability to hit something out further.

 

[Trigger]

I was sold after seeing that video

Posted on wrong topic.

 

[tnek13]

20 - 25 yard patterns are workable in my trade gun beyond that it would be pure luck

 

[Jack Ryan]

I like to HUNT turkey. If all a person cares about is shooting one, get a frozen on at the store and see how far away you can shoot it. I'm not going to hope there is a golden BB in there some where. When I pull the trigger on a game animal, I already KNOW it is dead, I'm not wondering if it is or if I hit it.

Trick shots and experiments are games to play on a target range.

 

[shaman]

I was reading back through this and another thought came to mind.
A lot of our obsession with distance comes from the way we focus our intentions when we pick our setup.

I purposely do not set up where I can see all that far. My favorite setup is in a treeline with pasture to either side. The pastures both trail away from the treeline, and a turkey walking up the hill towards me cannot see me until he's under 20 yards from my setup.
In another set-up, I am overlooking a road's entrance to a field. The bird has a clear path out to the field, but he can't see me until he steps into the pasture.

What I mean to say is that when we go thinking about a 40 yard gun, we start planning 40 yard setups. It's normally just as easy to plan 20 yard or 10 yard ambushes; you just need to focus on it. With a limitation like a smoothbore flinter, it becomes all the more important.

One other thing: I've given up on blinds for the most part. It's not because I think they're unsportsmanlike. They just limit my options. This year I went 16 days without a gob honoring my call. Oh they were there, and they were close. They just didn't want to come away from their hens. On the very last day, I got a tepid response from a gob. I got up, closed 200 yards distance and put myself about 10 yards from a fenceline. That booger came out into the pasture, walked 100 yards down the way and was trying mightily to fit himself through the fence when I blew his head off. All I had was a 6 inch tree on my back and a 6 inch tree in front of me. My only regret is I'd put the Brown Bess up and gone back to my Mossberg.

 

[joevic57]

I was at a gun store the other day, and the manager was showing me the shot pattern out of some of the 410 and 20 gauge tungsten out at like 75 and 80 yards, they definitely punched paper, but I was wondering if they would really carry the kinetic energy to make a kill at that distance. He was desperate to sell me a box of 4 $80 shotgun shells. I understand the advantages of tungsten, but will it really effectively double your range?

I pattern my shotgun, but I generally use old pieces of cardboard, so I don't really know the penetration power either. I can get a little bit of information with milk jugs, but I don't know if the shot just barely punched through, or went all the way to the back and stopped, so I still really don't know.

Anyway, my direct question is at what range could I reasonably expect to kill a turkey. I have an improved and modified choke double barrel. I use a variation of the sky chief load, and it patterns fantastically, but I'm wondering at what range that pattern will still be effective. At ML velocities. I use pure lead #4 shot, the largest legal in my state.

I searched in other threads and found varying answers, but not with my choke and shot size.

Thanks in advance for any help.

I do not hunt turkey so, take what I say with maybe two grains of salt. There is something called "fair chase", and just for conversation's sake......I believe that a turkey out to fifty yards and even more should walk. What happened to calling them in close and then taking a shot? Has it come down to many that killing is the main thing at all costs with technology trumping skill? I just know that untold numbers of turkey have been bagged with old full choked guns and #6 high brass shells. But, sadly, that was in a country far, far away and long, long ago.

 

[tiklikker]

I set my decoys up at 30 yards. Shot this Jake at about 25 yds, and face planted him DRT. Used my 20 Ga. Fusil Fin C. The large holes in the target are one try with a .62 cal. round ball, the others the wad. I think I used 83 grains 2f and 1 1/4 oz. of 5 and 6 shot. It's a little challenge maneuvering that 42 in. barrel, but then it's a muzzleloader. Still only weighs about 6 1/2 lbs.

 

[Zutt-man]

I’ve shot the juiced up unmentionables with expensive chokes. Never tried beyond 60, but I know they at least work out to there consistently.

A few years ago I completely switched my philosophy on hunting gobblers and won’t shoot one past 40 yards anymore. Not because I can’t, but because I don’t want to.

I strictly use a ML on turkeys now. My pattern 25 yards is good at 35. This bird was shot at 12

 

[Mike in FL]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I've not killed a turkey while it was running or flying. That, and the lack of worry about distance is why I prefer a 36, 40, or 45 rifle. Of course that leaves me out of he is in thick brush, which they many times are. Most of mine have been taken by me walking the woods and trails until I startle a flock into flying away. Then I choose where I ought to set. After the birds start talking, trying to get back together, I make the "lost" call to lure one back to near where they flushed. When one appears, I'm already have the rifle ready and cocked. I've heard that doesn't work so well in the spring, but in the fall it works great even if my calling is not perfect.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Ok with my Browning Autoloader 10 gauge with XF choke I can cut a bumper sticker dang near in half with it at 45 yards. I have done a follow up shot on a turkey that was waddling away my buddy broke wing on and dusted him at 70 yards (again was a follow up shot- i'd never take first shot at that distance).
With my 20 gauge trade gun I am a rookie to it and just killed first turkey at 12 yards with it but had a great pattern at 25 yards and would maybe stretch it to 35 if needed its cylinder bore.

 

[Sparkitoff]

My most recent bird was shot at 33-yards. I was using a 1 1/4 oz scoop of 3f with a 1 3/8 ounce scoop of #4 lead shot. I normally shoot closer, but the bird turned away and took two steps in the opposite direction. Choke is labeled IM but patterns a little loose. Anyway, I am a little concerned and surprised at the effect. I found just one pellet in the neck, four in the breast that entered from the back, one in a leg (muscle) and one in the foot. So first, my shot went lower than I anticipated, second not that many pellets hit the bird, and third if I had used any size smaller would I have gotten enough penetration to kill this bird?

 

[waksupi]

My most recent bird was shot at 33-yards. I was using a 1 1/4 oz scoop of 3f with a 1 3/8 ounce scoop of #4 lead shot. I normally shoot closer, but the bird turned away and took two steps in the opposite direction. Choke is labeled IM but patterns a little loose. Anyway, I am a little concerned and surprised at the effect. I found just one pellet in the neck, four in the breast that entered from the back, one in a leg (muscle) and one in the foot. So first, my shot went lower than I anticipated, second not that many pellets hit the bird, and third if I had used any size smaller would I have gotten enough penetration to kill this bird?

A single pellet in the head kills them dead. Smaller shot for denser pattern.

 

[Sparkitoff]

A single pellet in the head kills them dead. Smaller shot for denser pattern.

I agree with that, but it goes right back to my scenario. I did not hit the bird in the head and there is no telling if a few more pellets of smaller size would have got the head. However, the smaller pellets may not have penetrated enough to bring the bird down, considering the #4 passed through the back and made it into or through vitals in a few spots. A lighter pellet may not have.

 

[Trigger]

5 hits is what most people go with for our min at max range.. we want them a little closer we hope, but you should know your max range...

one is a bb gun it's going to have to be right in there..

you might not get one in there good enough.. patten for pattern one to the next there not exactly the same every time. It's pattern

is 4 hits of #4... better than 6 number 6 .... or 8 number 7.5. Hits.