Question about damascus barrels and turkey loads

[Dennis]

Quite a discussion among turkey hunters and I appreciate the information I am learning. I have only shot one turkey and it was years ago with a Remington 870 and number 6 shot. A friend called him in to about 35 yards. The turkey stuck his head up and I shot. He fell over dead. Forgive me and I realize I haven't the experience the rest of you have but I always wonder why in the world somebody needs a 3 1/2 inch 12 gauge magnum to kill a turkey. Ethical hunters shoot at the head and I agree with Dean about density of shot. Sure you can use buckshot, number 2's etc. but as I read above the head and neck is not made of steel. It is soft flesh and bone. I would think that within 30-35 yards a 20 or 16 gauge gun with a pattern that centers the head/neck should be ideal. I wonder what mega loads our forefathers with blunderbusses used. I wonder if they had a 3 1/2 inch style wheellock or flintlock back then. Probably not. If I had to shoot my turkey all over again I would be happy with a 20 or 16 gauge gun with an ounce of 6's. Again I don't mean to be offensive just wondering why everyone simply HAS to use a cannon to kill a bird IF aiming at the head.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Dennis V. Nix

I don't mean to be offensive just wondering why everyone simply HAS to use a cannon to kill a bird IF aiming at the head.

Because the shotgun and ammo manufacturing companies tell us we simply have to use these WMD's to get the job done... but nothing could be further from the truth. A good eye and a tight shooting gun coupled with a dense pattern centering the head and neck is all that one needs.

[Labowner]

I'm in Dean's corner on this...use #6's in your first barrel. I had a friend body shoot a nice tom with 2 1/4 oz of heavy shot #4's he broke one wing and opposite leg...had to go get the Lab and when we returned couple hours latter there was quit a row before the tom was subdued...made for one of my favorite memories of my now deceased buddy though.

[J. A. EARLY]

Quote: Again I don't mean to be offensive just wondering why everyone simply HAS to use a cannon to kill a bird IF aiming at the head.

More of my 2 cents opinions. I will agree that one ounce of 6s center pattern 1200 f.p.s. plus to the head from a full choke will kill most turkeys out to 30 and maybe 35 yards. But more shot means more chance to compensate for my errors. I cannot tell you how many times I have shot only to see a turkey run off and then realize I had jerked the gun slightly or I could not remember even aiming at him, and had my head way above the stock and had just pointed in the general direction as if shooting a bird on wing. Until one learns to aim the gun as if shooting a rifle and squeeze and not jerk the trigger, you will miss a lot.

The 2 or 2.25 ounces of shot will allow for a large margin of error, and that is why they are so popular. They allow for mistakes. Having the bead a fraction of an inch to either side will make quite a difference at 30 yards. And in thick cover there is often an obstacle in your way that you do not see. I’ve shot at turkeys only to discover that a sapling that is impossible to see between you and the bird took up a large part of the pattern. And I watched them fly away.

Lastly, a three-year-old bird is far different from a hen in the fall or a jake. Like a big buck, their will to live and to get up and get away is far different than a younger animal.

You see the shells for big magnums now with blended Hevi-shot in 7, 6, 5, which is equivalent to lead 6, 5, 4. So there is agreement that these are the shot sizes to use. It is just a matter of preference and confidence in what you are shooting after patterning the gun. And each one will shoot differently with various shot sizes, and some not to point of aim. I am usually shooting a 10 when using a Parker, so I can get by with a larger shot due to a bigger payload.

The gobbler in the spring is too magnificent of a big game animal to be taken lightly. When I cripple one, which happens to every dedicated turkey hunter, I think about it for many weeks, and for longer if it is the end of the spring turkey season.