Turkey Shoot

[WALKERs210]

It has been a few years since the last time I attended a Turkey shoot. This morning I actually felt good enough to leave the house before noon so off I go to a local shoot. Don't know about other areas but here they look for the closest shot to the center lines for a winner. The only 12ga I have is a Maverick 88 and I swapped the choke out for a super full. My first shot was fair and was really surprised that I actually hit the paper at all, second was much better and the man that decided who won had to pull out his mic's and I lost by 1000's of an inch. The extra full choke did so good I have decided to make a 4'x4' paper target set at 90ft and see how it patterns, something I should have done prior to trying the shoot. I was curious as to what type gun others used for the Turkey shoots, at this one the vast majority was Winchester red letter 37's and one that was tearing the center out was a 37 in 20g.

 

[loose noose]

I can remember going with my Dad when I was knee high to a grasshopper, and watch my Dad shoot his 30", full choked, Remington Model 11, in 12ga. I can definitely recall him walking away with Turkeys, Hams, and Chickens. The idea was basically the same a 4" piece of paper was placed down range at 35 Yards, if I remember right, with a big X on the paper. They would put his name on it, and give it to him after he shot. What a hoot! Too bad they don't have more of those shoots out here.

 

[rcmodel]

Interesting stuff here on card shooting barrels.

http://www.billsaccuracy.com/shotguns.htm

http://www.cardshootbarrels.com

rc

 

[CoalTrain49]

We have what they call "turkey shoots" here. They aren't the same as what you described. Here it's just trap with the line shooting at missed birds until someone hits it. If you miss you're out of the running. They have three classes, novice, intermediate and expert. You get to decide which class you shoot in. I decided that I wasn't expert so I started shooting in the intermediate class. I won myself several hams in about six shoots. I then thought I would try expert and was reminded why I shouldn't try to run with the big dogs. I'd starve to death there.

 

[WALKERs210]

Most of the Turkey shoots I went to in years gone by were a circle and the one with the most shots inside the circle won. The way these shoots don't require a lot of accuracy more luck than anything else. But I enjoyed it so much I defiantly will start looking for others in the area. RC thanks for links you posted, bring back to mind a man that I knew and he would take a horrible shooting gun and do his magic then it would tear the center out of targets. Got the pages bookmarked and if I start shoots again I might have to invest in these barrels and chokes.

 

[Browning Guy]

I currently own my Grand-father's old 16 ga single shot. It is a store brand sold in West Va. It was bought by him in late 19-teens or 20's My dad recalled for me when he was a kid and tagged along to watch. The gun became so well known for shooting tight that they "outlawed" it at all the local matches. Grandpa couldn't use it unless he made it available to anyone else who chose to shoot it. lol Wish I could go back to watch those times.

 

[cat_IT_guy]

We have what they call "turkey shoots" here. They aren't the same as what you described. Here it's just trap with the line shooting at missed birds until someone hits it. If you miss you're out of the running.

I think we call that Annie Oakely around here. Lots of fun to watch and always attracted an interesting crowd at a club I used to frequent.

I shot an old 16ga single with a fixed choke (mod, iirc) in a turkey shoot. Didnt take but a couple of rounds to realize I was outclassed with that gun and that the $5 entry fee was a poor investment considering the competition was shooting turkey-full 12guages.

 

[rswartsell]

Hey rc,

How many turkeys does it take to pay for one of those $ 800.00 Card Buster barrels?

 

[WALKERs210]

How many turkeys does it take to pay for one of those $ 800.00 Card Buster barrels?

I have seen men pay $600 - $800 dollars for a Winchester red letter that this one man would sleeve, and this was as far back as 17 yrs ago. Turkey shoots here takes on a whole new meaning no matter how much it cost. The man that did the work could do two shotguns a week using a wore out lathe that was powered by a squirrel in a wheel. He is gone now but he did train a man to carry on his skill set but he is still not as good as the master.

 

[rcmodel]

Hey rc, How many turkeys does it take to pay for one of those $ 800.00 Card Buster barrels?

I doubt you can pay for one in frozen turkeys you win!

On the other hand?
How many Atta Boys and slaps on the back does it take to pay for a $6,000 bench-rest rifle with a $3,000 scope on it when you win your first match?

Same thing!

rc

 

[kBob]

When I was younger we did a cross on a bit of paper around our bit of north Florida. Closest shot to intersection won. The shoots provided the ammo to prevent folks from making up special loads and so level the playing field a bit. My best bud and I went to one with his Mossberg 500 around '83. We cranked the C-lect-a-choke down past full until it stopped moving and after the fourth win they insisted we shoot both on the same flight. After two more wins the grumbling got to be such we took our winnings and left.

-kBob

 

[DaleCooper51]

I have my father's H&R with a Topper Deluxe Classic barrel and a Hastings Turkey choke.

It wasn't fancy, but he had a great time and brought home his share of prizes.

I will have to get out to one this fall.

 

[drcook]

Here in Ohio people win substantial amounts of money at "turkey shoots". Guns with scopes and very long barrels are the norm. A buddy of mine builds turkey shoot guns. They try and slow the wad/cup/shot column down, try to keep the wad/cup/shot column intact all the way to the target so it blows the center out.

At his shop I have seen old pumps with the mag tube removed, an adapter machined for the front of the receiver for the barrel to attach to and the left side milled up to have a psuedo bolt installed to work the action.

Did I say they use barrels blanks that are so heavy that when it feel, it seriously injured my buddy's foot ?

They use chokes with linear grooves to allow some gas to escape and slow it down, with different diameters to try and shave the plastic cup and on and on and on.

I had another acquaintance that had in essence a "bench rest" gun built on one of the old bolt action shotguns. All that was left of the original gun was the action itself. If I remember correctly, it had a barrel that was well in excess of 30", a fiberglass stock, built for stability and was scoped of course.

At one of the local shoots, a guy wanted to get into turkey shooting and went to one of the local box stores and bought a single shot 12ga. My buddy told me he showed up, took it out of the box and proceeded to win in excess of a $1000.00. Quite a payback. People were trying to buy it from him.

My friend has made significant income fitting chokes, building barrels, rebarreling, rechoking, on and on as the folks look for the holy grail. He has a choke that won him 1000's, got swapped to another gun, didn't do squat, go lent to a friend that won big money and now sits in the drawer waiting for another gun to go on.

Turkey shooting is a serious business around here.

 

[rswartsell]

Every one of these posts is a comment on the shooting sports and human nature.

Even as informal, backwoods and amateur as the quintessential turkey shoot started (a bring what ya got and run what ya brung event) it soon gets "gamed" and before long it's "race guns" out of all proportion to the prize.

Ego seems to be our greatest motivator even though I don't get how owning the most tricked out gun recommends you.

I'd rather do a Sgt. York black powder rifle "beef critter" shoot that is all shooter with rudimentary po' folk equipment and see someone win something that to him is substantial. Never will remain that way though. Such is life.

 

[CajunBass]

Here in Central Virginia, as best I can remember, most turkey shoots used about a 4x4 card with an X on it, with a small circle around the X. Eyeball judge advanced cards to second judging, where shot in the circle were scored, with closest to the X being the final tie-breaker. It's been a long time. The match supplied the shells.

I've got my Fathers old Sears-Roebuck Model 200, 12 ga pump gun (Made by Winchester) that was his turkey shoot gun. Just a plain gun he probably paid about $100.00 for, it has a 30" full choke barrel. He won a truckload of turkeys, hams, and slabs of bacon, as well as "side bets" with it. He even rented it out to people who wanted to shoot it.



I guess it's about 40-45 years old. Still looks just like that.

 

[drcook]

Every one of these posts is a comment on the shooting sports and human nature.

You are 100 % correct. My buddy (he actually is a licensed gunsmith) doesn't even go shoot in the matches anymore because the folks that he built guns for, worked on guns, etc, will accuse him of "holding back" if he wins anything and they are shooting there also.

Once simple prizes, such as a turkey, ham [whatever] are replaced by money and the prospect of significant money, the "best" of human nature just seems to come out.

I was told that there are folks that travel the Ohio, Indiana, WVa, Pa money shoot circuit that work in "teams" and split up the winnings.