TrapperReady
March 26th, 2003, 01:19 PM
Disclaimer: I have never been turkey hunting.
-------------------------------
This weekend, my wife and I were shooting at a local range, and there was a group of guys patterning their turkey guns next to us.
They set up a series of targets (large paper targets with life-size turkey heads printed in the middle) downrange, and then proceeded to blast them with 3" magnum 12ga turkey loads.
After each shot or two, they would look at the damage, make the obligatory "Yeehaw!" or "Wooohoooo!" (both are direct quotes) noise and clap each other on the back, proclaiming what a bad-xxxed turkey killing machine they had. They continued to do this until the targets (and the plywood backing them) were so thoroughly shredded that they hung in tatters.
Not to diminish their skills or equipment, but all of this was done at 15 yards. Seems to me that unless you are confident of your ability to call a Tom into that range, you'd be better off patterning at 35 or 40 yards.
Am I correct in this assumption, or is there something fundamental I'm missing? Additionally, if you come to the range and "pattern" your gun at that range, and continue blasting until you've reduced the target backing to nothing, should you offer to repair or replace it with a piece of your own plywood?
-------------------------------
This weekend, my wife and I were shooting at a local range, and there was a group of guys patterning their turkey guns next to us.
They set up a series of targets (large paper targets with life-size turkey heads printed in the middle) downrange, and then proceeded to blast them with 3" magnum 12ga turkey loads.
After each shot or two, they would look at the damage, make the obligatory "Yeehaw!" or "Wooohoooo!" (both are direct quotes) noise and clap each other on the back, proclaiming what a bad-xxxed turkey killing machine they had. They continued to do this until the targets (and the plywood backing them) were so thoroughly shredded that they hung in tatters.
Not to diminish their skills or equipment, but all of this was done at 15 yards. Seems to me that unless you are confident of your ability to call a Tom into that range, you'd be better off patterning at 35 or 40 yards.
Am I correct in this assumption, or is there something fundamental I'm missing? Additionally, if you come to the range and "pattern" your gun at that range, and continue blasting until you've reduced the target backing to nothing, should you offer to repair or replace it with a piece of your own plywood?