Turkey Hunting with a rifle?

[K3]

I can hit a turkey in the head with a rifle at 200 yards every time I shoot.

Wanna know how?

Nobody's asked, but I'll tell ya anyway. In fact, I can hit headshots at 300 yards every time!

What I do is fill a coffee can full of pebbles and feed. When the turkey sticks his head in the can to eat, I shoot the can. Dead turkey.

In truth, I've never done it. What's funny is, the person that told me this was my hunter's safety instructor several years back.

I have taken 2 turkeys with rifles. One was with a .25-06 at just over 120 yards. I hit him in at the base of the neck/top pf the body. A little damage to the meat, but not much. Most of the breasts were good.

My problem with turkey is cleaning them. I'd rather clean a gutshot deer than a turkey any day of the week and twice on sundays. I don't bother with turkey anymore. I stick to quail and dove for my bird meat.

 

[bang_bang]

They don't allow turkeys to be taken with a rifle in Virginia, but I have taken one with a 22 Mag and another with a 300 Mag. The 22 was a head shot on a nice Gobbler strutting around some hens, 1 shot kill. I took a large hen this year with my 300 Mag for Thanksgiving, 40 yard shot at the base of the neck. I was using 180 gr Federal Power Shok shells.

 

[Jeffreii]

There are so many turkeys at my parents place all you need is a pellet gun for head/neck shots!

 

[ldyates]

17HMR @ 80yds using 17gr Varmint Express. Nice shot at the base of the neck and Mr. Gobbler dropped in his tracks. This was a Rio Grande Turkey taken in Callahan County.

Rbernie is correct...... Eastern Turkey can only be taken with a shotgun or bow in Texas.

 

[Bitmap]

My problem with turkey is cleaning them. I'd rather clean a gutshot deer than a turkey any day of the week and twice on sundays.

I used to agree with that 100%. For some reason the last two I cleaned didn't bother me at all. Maybe the fact thay my two oldest kids killed them had something to do with that. The oldest two boys are 8 and 6.

BTW one was with a .30-30, the other with a 7.62x39. Both taken at about 30 yards while deer hunting. Both were shot from the side right through the split between the breast and the back. One took out both thighs, the other took out one thigh. When I say took out, I mean that the skin was holding the leg on below the wound. Neither one hurt the breast at all. Just pure luck that they both made the same shot.

 

[CoRoMo]

the turkeys... ...must be the size of black bears! 270????

I know, the .270 is a lot for a gobbler, but it is the most accurate rifle I've got, so it will do nicely with a head or neck shot.
Like I said, I prefer the .223, but failed to mention that I have to barrow it from my father in law who lives in Texas.
If I've got it, it is perfect. It's a little model 700 and can pop the top off a tom perfectly. I got to get me one!

 

[sammoh]

45-70... Actually, seriously I don't know. We're not allowed to take turkey with a rifle in Wisconsin. Never shot one with a rifle. Wouldn't mind trying to take one with a .17hmr in the head though... maybe I'll head out to a state that I can do that in one day.

Sam

 

[John4me05]

They don't allow turkeys to be taken with a rifle in Virginia, but I have taken one with a 22 Mag and another with a 300 Mag. The 22 was a head shot on a nice Gobbler strutting around some hens, 1 shot kill. I took a large hen this year with my 300 Mag for Thanksgiving, 40 yard shot at the base of the neck. I was using 180 gr Federal Power Shok shells.

Sure they allow it... Thats why Turkey is open on Thanksgiving, Early squirrel season, and late Mloader here... All legal to take with the gun your using...
Deer and bear are the only game that have a caliber restriction... (at least up here it is)... I even use a 22mag for spring gobbler... I hardly ever use a shotgun for anything anymore...

 

[ZeroJunk]

K3, I shot a turkey last year and stopped by the country store on the way home. I asked a chicken farmer who was in there that I new raised turkeys at one time how to clean him. He said scald it in 150 degree water.I had a 40 quart stock pot that I heated to 150 degrees , dipped the turkey in it a couple of times and the feathers literally fell off. Left the skin a nice white color.I cut his wings off with side cutters, pulled his guts out, cleaned out the craw and had him in the oven in 20 minutes.It was good too.

 

[lorddal]

have used successfully 22, 22 hornet, 243 , 270, 30-30, 30-06 and a 50 cal muzzleloader

 

[Andy M]

32-20 WCF out of a Winchester 1892 with peep sight - perfect way to spend a day in the fall colors in Pennsylvania

 

[bearmgc]

You can hunt turkey in Wyoming with a rifle of minimum 22mag caliber, and that's what I do.

 

[pernicus]

i wish alabama would allow turkey hunting with a highpower rifle...blowing a turkeys head off with a .308 is way more challenging than this deer hunting mess and and shooting turkeys with a shot gun is just cheating...shooting anything not running/flying with a shotgun is BS imo

 

[nathan]

I was told before that my .25 06 is perfect for turkey. This was after my friend and me found the right load for it, putting 3 shots touching each other at 100 yds. I would love to get a Tom Tom.

 

[FullyLoaded_FLBoy]

K3. That's hilarious. Just picturing a gobbler getting his head rattled. LOL

Cleaning a turkey is easy if you just want the breasts. Skin it with a knife and pop out the breasts. Simple. And it's not wasteful if you use the rest for coyote bait.

 

[nathan]

With turkey so cheap and abundant in supermarkets, I wonder if people care for turkey hunting today considering all the hassle and cost to get into the game. Cost of ammo, rifle, gas to the lease , tag license etc, the physical labor to clean and dress, etc. Of course, its a different story to experience the thrill of the hunt which no store turkey can give you.

 

[sarduy]

Just get a .408 or a .50 BMG




hehehe... just joking.... the .410 gauge or a .22LR with good ammo work great.

 

[moooose102]

i always thought a 22 or 223 would be the way to go as well, but here in michigan you HAVE to use a shotgun or bow. i do not understand thier rationing behind it. unless they are worried about hunters in full cammo getting shot by mistake at longer distances.

 

[koja48]

Can't do so here in WA State (the Land of Starbucks, the Department of Fish & Game Mismanagement, and Lots of Land, No Access), but if I could, at turkey range (out to 75-yards or so), I'd use a .17HMR (Marlin with an aftermarket trigger should work well, I think . . . oops, I know. I have one & it's deadly accurate on targets smaller than a gobbler's nob).

 

[Sunray]

"...will not allow hunting Turkeys with rifles..." Using military ball ammo for hunting anything is illegal in most places too. Shotguns only up here.

 

[Bitmap]

koja48

Can't do so here in WA State (the Land of Starbucks, the Department of Fish & Game Mismanagement, and Lots of Land, No Access), but if I could, at turkey range (out to 75-yards or so), I'd use a .17HMR (Marlin with an aftermarket trigger should work well, I think . . . oops, I know. I have one & it's deadly accurate on targets smaller than a gobbler's nob).

That is a good choice for a rifle, but I'd like to see you try to shoot a turkey in the head with it at 75 yards.

Sunray

Using military ball ammo for hunting anything is illegal in most places too.

I don't know about that. Especially varmints, predators, or whatever non-game animals are called.

 

[T.R.]

South Dakota actually wants each hunter to take a turkey home. Restrictions are virtually none. I use my heavy barreled prairie dog rifle in .223 with 52 grain Sierra varmint bullets.

I don't even wear camo or use turkey calls. Typically, I hunt along Hat Creek in Fall River County and watch ahead with field glasses. When a flock is spotted, I stalk to get within 225 yards or so. BANG. Turkey hunt is over. The money savings on turkey gear and specialty shotgun stuff is significant.
TR

 

[koja48]

you try to shoot a turkey in the head with it at 75 yards

If the head isn't moving, I have a couple .17HMRs that are capable of that accuracy. Problem would be in finding a cooperative turkey. A turkey's head is larger than that of depredating crows, and I've successfully dispatched them with head shots from a .17.

 

[Bitmap]

If the head isn't moving

and

Problem would be in finding a cooperative turkey.

My point exactly. My dad has done it. Killed one at 15 yards, then missed the one standing behind the first one. I've been trying to do this with an open sighted handgun and haven't managed to do it yet. Trying to do it at any kind of distance is going to be very difficult.

 

[koja48]

I don't disagree . . . I simply stated that the .17HMR is capable, of sufficient accuracy, and would be my choice if WA State allowed rifles to be used. That being said, if a gobbler were to give me 2-3 seconds, his strutting days would likely be over if it were my fingertip caressing the finely-tuned trigger on either of my .17s. As you stated & to which I concurred . . . getting those 2-3 seconds would be difficult at best, since turkeys seem to be in a state of perpetual motion; should a hunter be so fortunate to find such a sedentary bird, the round would do the job cleanly and out to that range. If a shooter has the skill and the firearm has the inherent accuracy, the feat is possible . . . hence the terms "hunting," "frequent time in the field," and "opportunity," the legality of using this tool of choice assumed to be an option.