I patterned for #5 shot (2 3/4) into a piece of plywood at 3 yds.....pretty small pattern..easy to miss the head/neck...in close, no shame in that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Oddmott
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps336905ae.jpg
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I patterned for #5 shot (2 3/4) into a piece of plywood at 3 yds.....pretty small pattern..easy to miss the head/neck...in close, no shame in that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Oddmott
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps336905ae.jpg
This is another one that requires a "Like" button.Quote:
Originally Posted by pmannat
I make sure to shoot at close range, shot my jake last year at 8 yards and watched my shot almost miss him, we all know how things slow down when you pull the trigger.
At 10 yards a 4" pattern is tiny, they can move their head that much between your brain telling you to pull the trigger and the shot getting to the spot the head was supposed to be, no fault on your part, just reality, even if you have a red dot and have it sighted in centered on your pattern.
If you want to use the old full choke just know your range and stick to it. Put yourself in a situation where you know based on the terrain where your range is, turkeys are big and look closer than they are. Last year we placed ourselves so that any bird between us and the fence was in range, (40 yards for my 12ga) we had lots of birds that close I shot 2 and we had to let 5 pass as they were too close together to safety shoot only 1 bird.
Remember, the birds can see you very well, stay in the shadows. In the morning put your back to the east against your backdrop, this will hold you in the shadows longer. Nothing like glowing as the sun comes up, no matter how much we try, we light up like a flashlight at the worst possible time.
This year I want to get my fiancee a bird, she will be the first shot and she is taking the first 2 days off with me.
I already have gobbler stalker calls and 4 decoys but this year I will arm myself with either a bow or one of 2 of my grandpas shotguns. One of which is a 16ga single shot with a cylinder bore, yes I know it will have to be close, but when I go with the fiancee I will bring it just because, if we happen to get 2 to come in close I will take a shot. The other shotgun is a 1928 Winchester 1897 in 12ga, it has a full choke and it will be fun to pattern it once I get it back from the gunsmith.
Pretty good visual.Quote:
Originally Posted by MikePal
Firing shotguns (at fast moving, aerial targets) is such an instinctive thing... you do enough of it and it just comes natural, you don't even feel yourself aiming.
But when you slow things down, and you're focusing down that barrel at the head and neck of a turkey... the whole dynamic changes and I can see how it would be easy to over-think the situation and miss at close range.
Funny you should say that, cuz ive also been pondering the truglo gobble dot, which is just that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Oddmott
Universal, easy removal for the other seasons. One bead on the end and two at the rear.
You right i never dreamed my first year I'd get one up close. Never practiced closer than 20 yrds. Lol
The 12 yrd shot i was able to sit a secluded field edge in tall grass where i had patterned there routine. And wouldn't you know like clockwork the came out beside me 30 yrds to my left on their trail and walked past me towards my decoy.
Whether it matters or not, I've always second guessed aim with the single bead elevation wise.
My best guess is wasn't aiming middle neck with the excitement. And with the kick it was enough to go over. Will never know lol.
There were a few harsh words that hit em though! :)
I haven't needed it, but a surprising miss is the reason i have the semi, for a quick follow up. They do tend to stand around a couple seconds after a shotgun booms, before slinking off to the nearest bush.
Shoot with your cheek in the same spot on the stock every time and pattern the gun. Single beads use your eye as the rear "sight", even though technically you never really aim a shotgun for wing shooting that is what you are doing.Quote:
Originally Posted by pmannat
If your cheek weld is always the same and you practice then you will know where your pattern will hit down range.
I do like clamp on sights though, I used williams sights on the vent rib as they double for smooth bore slug sights.
Consistency is the key to accuracy, you can be consistent with just a bead if you work at it.
As for aim, I would aim for the middle as you said, the top of the head moves a lot faster than the middle or the bottom of the neck.
Adding a third decoy, a breeder hen laying in the grass. http://media.midwayusa.com/productim...449/449935.jpg
I've got tru-glo sights on my 12 gauge and they're fantastic. Work well in low light too. Put the beads together just under the head.Quote:
Originally Posted by pmannat
A low power shotgun scope eliminates all the guesswork. I was pointed in the scope direction 25 odd years ago while turkey hunting in New York. I've been using one since.Quote:
Originally Posted by mbhunter
I have used a cheap red dot for years on my turkey gun ,and it has worked very well ,very fast on target and you can center your pattern ,I was always wondering what would happen if my battery died well hunting so I always got a new one just before the season opened but you can always get a bad one and this always bothered me ,so after many days searching for a scope with a red dot as well as crosshair I found the luppy VXR ,went to the dealer to price them and wow 700$ and change .way to much heck it is more then my gun ,lol ,so I started to watch all the web sights for scopes for sale and one day there it was a brand new vxr 3to9 by 40 still sealed in the box brand new I was looking for the 2 to 7 vxr but a 3to9 is better yet ,I put her on my turkey gun and it will also be a slug gun with the rifled barrel .It still cost more then the gun but I can get two seasons out of it each year so why not ,I will post my tests this spring when I get it out to the range ,Dutch