| Posted: Thu Apr 12th, 2007 04:18 AM |
|
1st Post |
Gunrunner
Super Moderator
| Joined: | Thu Feb 3rd, 2005 |
| Location: | Burkina Faso |
| Posts: | 1470 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I shoot factory ammo | | My favorite chambering is:: | Whatever I'm shooting that day |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Hello all. I'm wondering how many of you are into hunting turkeys.
I recently went on my first hunt and got a jake opening day. That was mostly in part to having a seasoned turkey hunter as my guide. I think I've found a new passion.
Even though we were on BLM public land with a lot of other hunters somewhat close, my hunting pardner was able to call up a double column of 6 jakes. (As in coyote hunting he did very little calling, and mostly we waited.) I saw them as they approached about 40 yards over a hillrise, and they walked right up towards the decoy. At 17 yards the right side lead jake moved from the pack, stuck his head up and I fired. Dropped him with the one shot. (My pard got one too...nice double)
My shot was from a Remington 870 Express Super Magnum camo with super-full choke. Had a Federal 3" shell of 2oz of #4. I'm feeling the need for a new shotgun!
Who else is into finding the elusive bird?
____________________
"Get off your computer and go load some ammo"
Welcome to California. Press 2 for English.
|
| Posted: Thu Apr 12th, 2007 07:09 AM |
|
2nd Post |
| Posted: Fri Apr 13th, 2007 12:14 PM |
|
3rd Post |
sdb777
Board Founder
| Joined: | Sun Oct 16th, 2005 |
| Location: | Cabot, Arkansas USA |
| Posts: | 2145 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! | | My favorite chambering is:: | CRAP!! I can't pick just one |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
First day of spring season was last Saturday for the youth, and this coming Saturday for the adults....going to get rained out though. The store has been a turkey calling nightmare(don't mind turkey callin'-just don't like BAD turkey callin'), everyone there is just wishing it'd go away.
Reports for the local area here have been pretty bad. Don't think the Arkansas Game and Fish people actaully want the turkey's killed? Season has been getting later just about every year...seems the turkey's peaked on the gobbling about three weeks ago? Hope some kids got some last weekend-it was cold....
Scott (Kroger has out-standing turkey) B
____________________
"Handloadersbench.com, it's founders and staff, and UltraBB do not condone, and will not facilitate or otherwise aid in the commission of, any criminal act.
|
| Posted: Fri Apr 13th, 2007 02:58 PM |
|
4th Post |
The_Mountaineer
Board Founder
| Joined: | Fri Feb 4th, 2005 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 717 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | rifle | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
I'm pretty big on turkey hunting.
I reckon I've taken about 1-2 dozen in my lifetime.
I'm not a good caller but I can hold my own enough to fool a turkey I suppose. The biggest key to my success I believe is two-fold.
1. my hunting grounds (found a lot of mature timber, more or less acting as an island of tall hardwoods in a sea of younger forest)
2. I actually HUNT turkeys, I don't sit in the woods and call, hoping for one to come in. I strongly believe the best advice is to go into the woods and hunt turkeys as if you never even had a call to use. Knowing roosting, dusting, feeding, strutting and nesting areas will allow you to take a turkey without taking the wrapper off that new call. I "stand" hunt turkeys by positioning myself along travel patterns of turkeys where the topography and vegetative cover is going to dictate turkey movement regardless of calling or time of year. Requires a lot of sitting and patience but it has worked too many times just to dismiss it. Calling is of low importance to me as a turkey hunter - essentially a bonus trick to use.
____________________
Montani Semper Liber - Mountaineers are always free
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 15th, 2007 03:13 AM |
|
5th Post |
bea175
Board Founder
| Joined: | Sun Feb 13th, 2005 |
| Location: | Kingsport & Graysontown, VA, Tennessee USA |
| Posts: | 2232 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! | | My favorite chambering is:: | 270 Win ... |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
I will be at it Monday in VA. 
____________________
 
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 16th, 2007 02:27 PM |
|
6th Post |
birddogger
HB Full Member
| Joined: | Thu Apr 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | North West Nowhere, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 21 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Well, spring gobbler opens here on the 28th and runs to the 26th of next month. I have to admit my score over the years has been pretty solid; took one this fall and expect to score again this spring. However it's due to the fact that my neighborhood seems to be overrun with turkeys. I had a flock of thirty odd birds messing about in the corn stubble yesterday morning and another flock down in the plowed fields along about noon. This morning there was that same flock watering down at the spring behind my place on the neighbors farm. My tactics are to locate where the flocks are roosting at night and set up between there and a watering and feeding area; that cuts down on the amount of calling I need to do( I'm not great at calling, but I get by). Pa has alot of fall turkey hunters but spring the crowds are thinner. My biggest concern is the out of towners who wander around and seem willing to shoot at sounds; thats why I tend to look for areas that are pretty empty to hunt. By the way for those who have not heard back from me the pup is now a pony and really impressed me this last pheasant season; his total take was only limited by my wingshooting skills.
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 16th, 2007 03:58 PM |
|
7th Post |
wolfkill
Master Ballistician and Handloader
back to top
|
Any thoughts on the size of bird shot?
I know it should boil down to what patterns the best. But lets say it's a toss up, they all pattern pretty close in the gun your using.
Do you use #4 for the extra punch, #6 for the extra pellets, or #5 for middle ground?
What's your theory, what have you seen and heard in the field?
I've used Remington turkey loads in the past and there is a sale right now that seems fair, (ten pack of #4,#5, or #6 for $5.99) 
I mean is there some kind of super turkey load out there on the market other than reg lead turkey loads?
I've hit crow at 45-50 yards using Rem Nitro express #4 and the legs and beaks were blown off at that distance but the freaking turkeys seem to have lead bounce off them at that distance. Obviously I didn't slip a pellet into the central nervous system in the neck or head.
It's just a frustrating hunt. If a guy does have to take that long shot woulldn't the #4's be the best?
My goal is to keep it under 35 yds but at the end of day three and I have yet to take a shot, and a big fat Tom is sitting 50 yds out well...
Last edited on Mon Apr 16th, 2007 03:59 PM by wolfkill
____________________
Notice to womenfolk visiting my cabin...the following comments will be ignored:
"There's mice living in my mattress."
"The outhouse is full."
"I smell something dead under the cabin."
http://buckmountainchateau.com
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 18th, 2007 01:27 PM |
|
8th Post |
The_Mountaineer
Board Founder
| Joined: | Fri Feb 4th, 2005 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 717 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | rifle | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Wolf - I use #5 shot for the reason you specified. It's sorta middle of the ground between number of pellets and kinetic energy.
However, once I use up the #5 shot that I have I'll probably move on to #6 shot. I've come to believe over the years that the more shot you have out there, the better and a fraction of an inch difference in shot diameter isn't going to amount to much under the vast majority of circumstances faced while turkey hunting. JMO.
____________________
Montani Semper Liber - Mountaineers are always free
|
| Posted: Sat May 1st, 2010 01:12 AM |
|
9th Post |
joew
HB Pro Staff
| Joined: | Fri Jan 15th, 2010 |
| Location: | Solon, Iowa USA |
| Posts: | 80 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | rifle | | My favorite chambering is:: | 270 win ... |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Turkey season is in full swing here in Iowa, been hunting them for quite a few years, I get a couple of tags every year, one shotgun(20 gauge bennili) the other bow tag, have taken as many with bow as gun, the secert to me is a texas heart shot, prefer that shot over any other location with a bow. On the gun I use 4 or 5 shot, 3" nitro mag, beleive in a full or a turkey choke, used to use my browning but was told at the local gun a guy can not kill a turkey with a 20 gauge, so I purchased one and brought the turkey back the next day and said yes you can and laughed.
Early in the season a Tom decoy works well for me and the last half I put about 4-6 hen decoys out , call with the tom decoy and call very little the last half of season using the hen decoys. I beleive like in duck hunting a spread of decoy helps when the Toms are a bit more scared and have been hunted a bit. I have always hunted out of a blind, I beleive thew pre season scouting helps and try to get a handle on how they are moving in the area and at what time. In my area they seem to rotate the same pattern about every three days.
Turkey hunting the spring seems to help fill the void after winter and needing a fix after deer hunting. I always get a bow tag in the fall during deer season so when one wanders by I am legal to pop one.
|
| Posted: Thu May 20th, 2010 02:18 PM |
|
10th Post |
musclemustang83
HB Pro Staff
| Joined: | Mon Mar 8th, 2010 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 159 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | rifle | | My favorite chambering is:: | Rem.223 30-06 300WinMag |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
it just closed up for us this year. I hunter Oceola's nearly all my life and this was my first year hunting merriam's. I love how these birds just gobble non-stop. beautiful birds too. i have the same gun as wolfkill remington 870 supermag shooting 3 1/2" shells 4 0r 6 shot...doesnt matter there just as dead either way.
|
| Posted: Thu May 20th, 2010 02:19 PM |
|
11th Post |
musclemustang83
HB Pro Staff
| Joined: | Mon Mar 8th, 2010 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 159 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | rifle | | My favorite chambering is:: | Rem.223 30-06 300WinMag |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
here a pic of it this year.
Attachment: 2010 merriams 2.jpg (Downloaded 14 times)
|
|
