Handgunning Turkeys???

[MNgunhead]

Okay, it's April, I'm heading out turkey hunting in a week and it's snowing. This has left me with too much indoor time to think. This is normally not a good thing for me, because I dream up new toys to spend my money on.
I live in Minnesota. We cannot shoot turkeys with a rifle or handgun. The only legal firearm for turkey is a shotgun. My question is, is there any reason I couldn't use my TC Encore pistol (purchased as a pistol) shooting a 20 gauge shotshell to kill turkeys? There is no mention of barrel length restrictions, just that the shotshells used must be at least 20 gauge. TC does not offer the shotgun barrels, other than the 410 in a pistol length barrel. Is there a legal reason why this is not an option? If not, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a longer barrel, chop it off and have a choke installed. It sounds like the ultimate ground blind gun for short range turkey shots. It would be easy to tote around in the woods and probably a pretty effective weapon. If any of you guys have input, I would love to hear what you have to say.

 

[randytrapper]

If it where me, I would contact your game commission or whoever governs your hunting laws.
If your law is written it must be a 'shotgun' or 'shot shell' I would think your fine.
If it specifically states no handguns then I would say no.

 

[Ironclad]

Wouldn't a 20 gauge pistol be an AOW? You would need the tax stamp.

 

[psyshack]

We use to take Turkey with 22's. Pop and they fell over in Arkansas. Then all the sudden you were a criminal if you didn't blow them into the next county. I don't even want to think about all the whitetail thats been taken with .22 mag. But by god and be darned you can take anything with a Bow. Don't even need cams and wheels. Primitive long bow is just fine off your knuckle. Heck I think you can bow hunt black bear in Arkansas now.

And it's even worse here in Oklahoma. Last year I was at the WMA range where I do my shooting. Deer season was starting the next week. So it was packed with once a year shooters. I was picking off clays at 100 yards off hand with my CZ-52 and a game warden rolls up and starts checking everybody's hunting lic. You have to have a current hunting lic. to shoot at this range. I ask him if I can hunt whitetail with my 7.62x25mm pistol and show him my XTP reloads. OK has some stupid laws, but there is a tad of a formula now that many don't understand. He looks at the ammo. Understands the caliber and he even measures the OAL length of the round and calls it in ballistic wise. He can't give a answer.

He did say I was good to go with .45 acp as long as my OAL was right. And two years ago they made it OK to take dear with a 4" .357 mag. I gave him some and went back to playing with my pistols at 100 yards off hand.

Darn over educated college boys in Little Rock and OKC need to go choke on one.

 

[Sunray]

"...there a legal reason why this is not an option..." A shotgun with a barrel under 18" and less than 26" OAL is a Class 3 NFA firearm. Get you arrested for making and being in possession of an unregistered Class 3 firearm without paying the tax and not having the approval.