Turkey Hunting with your Parkers.

[George Lang]

Andy I would use the trojan and stuff it with 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #6's, if the GH has steel barrels that will work also. Another load that works well is the 16 ga short magnum with 1 1/4 ounces of #6.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Bruce Hering

Garry:

My question exactly. However, and dont shoot (the pun is intended) the messenger but.... I can see the wardens going nuts having to figure out the length and weight of a given 8 ga legal load just like when we changed to Non Tox for waterfowl. They would need a scale etc. and so many wardens now days dont come from hunting/shooting backgrounds that they dont even know about older shotguns and loads.

I suspect the various agency's would have to run workshops for their wardens/CPO's, and as you having been in the education business like I was for 37 years, I think that could be a cluster.

Let me state, I am all for it.

Bruce,

You are spot on that the devil is in the details, but we seem to have managed the non-toxic shot matter for waterfowl, even when guys are reloading shells from lead shot with something that meets the law.

I know that the move to ban lead in all hunting is percolating in the US. I've often thought that if we move that way we might consider "grandfathering" old guns (hmmm, maybe old shooters, too) so that their owners could use lead. We would reduce lead in the environment and keep those old guns alive. Yes, we can use non-toxic for all guns, but with the cost of those shells (even as reloads), you will very likely lose a number of hunters at a time when that's exactly what conservation does not need.

Where there is a will, there is a way.

[Dean Romig]

When Mr. Watson, owner of the Watson Egg Farm on property adjoining Davies’ Blue Rock Kennels, asked Davies and Foster in the late teens - early twenties, to change their “Shooting Round the Clock” layout because the shot was landing in his chicken yard, I wonder if it was for safety reasons or because his chickens were dying from lead ingestion....?





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[Tom Flanigan]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Right, and I like the smaller #6 shot for the denser pattern it provides.

Use #4 and larger only if you're taking body shots. Head and neck shots are not protected by dense feathers and the bones are pretty dainty and are easily busted up with #6 or #7 and the more pellets you put on that small target the better your chances of success.

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Sound advice in my opinion. I use #4's for fall birds and shoot for the body. But I just got an old bag of #3 from my friend Destry with a lighter for my pipe. Many thanks Destry.

Back in the day, I used #3's I got from Herter's for geese. I loved the way 3's patterned in my goose gun. Number 2's were all over the map. I plan to use Destry's 3's for turkey this fall. It will be good to shoot my old load again.

[Mike of the Mountain]

Originally Posted by Andrew Sacco

I have every intention of killing a turkey with a 16 SxS this year, something I've never done. Which gun?

VH 2 3/4" C/IC
Trojan 2 1/2" F/F
GH 2 1/2" M/F
aYa 2 1/2" M/XF

I'm just guessing you guys/gals won't be pulling for the aYa. It's an old coin finished rainy day gun. I have a hunch it's gonna be the GH I just got in. Just have to find a load in that length from RST now.

Andy, NO EUROTRASH!!!!

[Mike of the Mountain]

I usually use a 12g Remington Special pump with a red dot for turkey. I roll my own TSS shells and use #9 shot. I normally take my birds within 25 yards over decoys but occasionally I have one hang up. That TSS stoned a big Tom a few years ago at 65 yards. It dropped right there, flapped it's wings three times and was stone cold dead!! Usually I am fortunate enough to take two gobblers in the spring with an extra special spring turkey tag. Not sure what I will do this year? Will I use the tried and true pump? Will I use the SC trap gun loaded with lead 7 1/2s? Will I use a single shot .410 with a red dot and 3" TSS shells?? I'll know by Saturday, 1 May when our season opens.

[Dean Romig]

Shoot the SC and kill a longbeard monarch. Take some good pictures and write the story and submit it to Parker Pages. They might accept it... and then again, they might not. But rest assured, they’ll only accept it if you’re shooting a Parker.





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[Tom Flanigan]

I'm thinking I might use my SC Davis / Gitman gun for turkeys this spring. I'll just have to be careful not to shoot too high given the trap diminsions of the stock.

[Dean Romig]

Right! Pattern it before opening day.





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[Tom Flanigan]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Right! Pattern it before opening day.

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Exactly. I know it shoots 30 / 70 at 40 yards but I haven't patterned it yet with 6's. It should handle them well but you never know how a barrel will shoot until you pattern it. I don't use the turkey head targets but pattern my turkey guns using the 30" circle at 40 yards.