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Thread: Ready for Turkey season

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master

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    NC is shotgun only although it doesnt say you can't use a bow. I watched a Tom and 3 hens behind the house a few days ago and was thinking that $1200 check our government is sending would buy a Benelli Super 90 Montefeltro.
    I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled

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  2. #22
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by Texas by God View Post
    As long as I avoid the breast meat it should be ok. I’ve killed bunches with .222 through 8x57mm (watching placement).
    Love the breasts.

  3. #23
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    Nice shooting, I love my Jes rebore to 38/55. I managed to get a bearded hen turkey hunting here in KY about a week ago, any bearded bird is legal. I shot her with my favorite turkey gun , a Savage 24 o/u, .223 over 12g, 3" with screw in chokes. I have a Mossberg extra full in it, and it is death out to 50 yds, and then some. The .223 comes in handy when a coyote comes in to check out the decoys, I have taken 2 yotes during the fall season, and one bobcat, with the .223 and a 50 gr HP.

  4. #24
    Boolit Master RU shooter's Avatar
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    Our Pa season starts tomorrow , wish I could use my flintlock rifle but spring season forbids it so I'll be using my crossbow it's got more range than any shotgun I own so anything within 60 yds is dinner
    If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

  5. #25
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Not me. I skipped my first week. I went to the range to check my zero with the browning gold 10 gauge yesterday. I noticed a white piece of plastic that fell out of my magazine follower when putting it way. What I didn’t notice was the charging handle missing. After I got home I sure noticed. I drove a good 30 miles back and forth immediately to look for it. I spent a good hour looking in the grass with no luck. I went back home and stripped the gun to find out my plastic recoil spring follower broke. Bought the gun new in 90’ so I guess 30 years is about the shelf life for brittle plastic. I ordered a new follower for $5.50 and charging handle for $20 from Midwest gun works last night. I wouldn’t waste a call to Browning over it. I called them last year because the plastic buffer fell apart in my browning buckmark I bough new in 90’ and they charged $3 for the buffer and $9 for shipping. First of all I can’t believe they put plastic parts in guns and I also can’t believe they just don’t send out replacement parts at no charge like every other manufacture in the planet does. There are no free rides from Browning.

    The only thing I can guess what happed is the vibration from the breaking part must’ve launched my charging handle out of the gun? I did leave my gun unguarded at the range but I highly doubt somebody would’ve walked up and pulled out my charging handle.


    For never completely stripping that browning it came apart pretty easy. It was pretty dirty and grimy above and behind the bolt.










    I pulled out my Beretta silver mallard a 390 last night and mounted up one of those old-school saddle scope mounts on it and also mounted my Tasco PDP3 red dot. I’ll be heading to the range this morning to get that baby sighted in.



    I guess I probably would’ve made it through turkey hunting because I did shoot it four times before I lost the charging handle. The problem was is my POA was off at 25 yards. This is a target with federal number fives at 25 yards. First shot... Shot went right and wad went left in stock at the target.lol I could’ve almost killed it with the wad. Oh well I guess everything happens for a reason?



    It’s too bad after I adjusted the red dot they had look like Swiss cheese at 25 yards.


    I also had a visitor at the range while I was shooting and I had to run it off it was almost like it was tame it must’ve known I was there to sight in my turkey gun. She showed up after I shot my 10 gauge four times and my 336 three times and literally walked right up to me while I was shooting. I videotaped her for a while and yelled at her and tried to chase her off the field and it literally was coming towards me when I was shooing it. I fired another group of three for my 336 and it literally started walking towards the target. I finally left the bench and walked towards it till it went up into the woods. Maybe she saw my Tom turkey targets I drew and got all excited and came down to visit???






    She Musta knew you can only shoot Toms in the spring and somehow must’ve known that my shotgun was broke even before I did! Well season opens tomorrow...she better bring her boyfriend back.
    Last edited by Tripplebeards; 05-05-2020 at 08:22 AM.

  6. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dexturete View Post
    Love the breasts.
    Me too, I worded it wrong. As long as I avoid Hitting the breasts I should be ok. No matter I haven't seen or heard one since the day before season.
    The hen on the range cracked me up, I've seen that before.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

  7. #27
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    That’s the second time a hen has walked out in front of me on that range while shooting. I think they try to commit suicide but keep coming to the wrong place.

  8. #28
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    I think all of the 10 gauge semi autos have that plastic bolt buffer. The Ithaca mag 10, and Remington SP 10 do too. I'm not aware of anyone using another material. The buffer is the cost of performance. At least you can buy them. I had to modify an SP10 buffer to fit my Mag 10. No matter what shotgun you have, get out there. I shot a tom the first day of our A season, but they were still very much in winter mode. Last week it seemed like they were gobbling hard. They should be near the peak right now.

  9. #29
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Opening day of 4th week today. I hung it up a 1:30 pm. Was in the woods at sun up. No goggles and no birds. Almost got ran over by a group of deer that the neighbor spooked to me on his 4 wheeler at 10:30am. I could’ve touched one it was standing so close to me. Definitely a lull in the turkey woods today for gobbling. I figured I’d at least have a hen or two walk through silently like they always do but nothing.

    Saw three deer on the way in and had a wood woodcock within ten feet of me. Plenty of chimp monks, squirrels, bald eagles, crows, geese, and buzzards. Basically I saw a s heard everything except for turkeys.

  10. #30
    Boolit Grand Master
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    I shoot a 10 ga too
    I load heavy shot in mine # 4 ,2 1/4 oz.
    last tom I shot was at 62 yds 22#'r and the one before was 44 yds
    I can't believe the stuff expensive but it works
    I missed last year twice once with the 10 and once with the 12
    this first season I had one in at 40 but had the 12 and wasn't confident enough for a shot
    this next season I will be toting the 10 ga.

    Never heard a turkey goggle
    Hit em'hard
    hit em'often

  11. #31
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    The last turkey I shot scared the heck out of everyone in the frozen food section!!! it was awsome

  12. #32
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    I shot a 26.5 pound tripplebearder at 87 yards about 25 years ago with my broke down 10 gauge using number federal 2oz 5’s. I walked up to it and the bird jumped up and kicked me. Tore my pants with it spurs and gave me one heck of long bloody gash on my leg. I didn’t want to shoot it gain at point blank so I retaliated with my size 11...and won. I might have to buy some extra tags for the following weeks. My gun should be fixed by then.

  13. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tripplebeards View Post
    I shot a 26.5 pound tripplebearder at 87 yards about 25 years ago with my broke down 10 gauge using number federal 2oz 5’s. I walked up to it and the bird jumped up and kicked me. Tore my pants with it spurs and gave me one heck of long bloody gash on my leg. I didn’t want to shoot it gain at point blank so I retaliated with my size 11...and won. I might have to buy some extra tags for the following weeks. My gun should be fixed by then.
    Extra tags? You can get more than one in Wisconsin? Minnesota is so stringy. When in doubt, figure out where the turkeys are eating, and set up for the evening. Mornings are overrated.

  14. #34
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Yep, tons of extras. $10 a pop

  15. #35
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    My new parts came today. I’m all excited the replacement bolt handle is black.I never understood why Browning put a polished stainless bolt handle in a camouflaged national Federation turkey federation 10 gauge anyways. I’ll put it back together tomorrow. I might finish out this weeks season with my 12 gauge anyway since I’ve shot way more things with it. My Beretta silver Mallard A390 responsible for over nine or ten dozen coyotes called in out in Arizona along with a half a dozen bobcats, a few kit fox, unlimited amounts of quail and dove, Jacks, Ducks, crow, small game, and turkeys... And a nuisance raccoon on the way out of the turkey woods the other day. The 10 gauge has always been my turkey only rig. I have pounded quite a few called in predators with it but I don’t reload shotgun so it’s hard to find a good variety of ammo for it. Normally turkey loads are my predator loads for it. I do have one box of 25 discontinued federal Lead Wingshot BB’s I like using for predator calling. I also have a bunch of steel shot for it in BB and T. The 10 only leaves the house for turkeys now.

  16. #36
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    I went to sight it in at the range yesterday and my charging handle came loose the first shot. Somehow my be square scope mount mysteriously shifted after 23 years of being on the gun. The charging handle was hitting the frame of the B square mount. I looked at an old picture in post #25 when my original charging handle disappeared and could see that it scraped the mount as well. At least I figured out why my charging handle was coming out. I believe the old handle was designed to stick out farther from the receiver. I got the gun sighted in and the charging handle popped out every time. It fell out and laid next to the gun on the bench twice while doing so. I’m sure somebody picked up my old charging handle Off the bench before I got back to the range to look for it an hour later.

    I didn’t want to remove the mount after I sighted it in so I sanded down the angle and repainted. The I’m now good to go with plenty of clearance. B square does not make this mount anymore but I googled it and it looks like this amount is Listed for a 12 gauge gold and not a 10 gauge...I believe B square just redesigned the mount for the 10 gauge years ago after I bought mine.








    Either way didn’t make a difference what gun I took out because I haven’t seen a turkey close enough to shoot. First turkeys I saw was yesterday at 11 am at over 800 yards away...across the road in someone’s field. They had no interest in my calling. No gobbling the first day. The next three days a few gobbles before they flew down from the trees. I’ve seen more than enough deer they all came out from hiding. I’ve seen an average of nine deer a day. They all walk within 10 to 15 yards of me and stomp their feet trying to figure out what I am. I had a group of six walk up within 15 yards yesterday morning and four of them were bucks with velvet. The biggest one stood there and stomped his feet at me and bobbed his head for about a minute 15 yards away.Then the other three bucks joined in while the doe and fawn with them just watched. The doe was within spitting distance the whole time.
    Last edited by Tripplebeards; 05-12-2020 at 10:53 AM. Reason: Spelling

  17. #37
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Get out there Thursday if you can. Those warm up days after a cool misty or rainy day can be magic. Normally this would be starting to get into the late season, but it seems the turkeys are a week or two behind normal this year. I no longer worry about the gobbling either. It's nice to locate their roost, but after that, my best turkeys have all been silent. I will admit a vocal tom, or better yet, a pair, is a ton of fun.

  18. #38
    Boolit Buddy

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    Two years ago was my first turkey. I was in the shop early fall reloading and I noticed a group had come in pecking hoppers off the lawn. In the shop I only get reception from a small window as it is a metal building and the router is in the house. I texted my wife, who was shopping in the nearest big town an hour away if she wanted a turkey, I didn't. She replied, Yes please!

    I felt like a weight was on my back as I moved to the safe, opened it, pulled out my Winchester Super X Model 1 field gun, loaded two 12 gauge Walmart 7.5 shot pheasant loads and went out the back door. I walked up the blind side of the house from them and as I came around the porch, I noticed three up on the railing and a dozen more in the front yard. I continued around to the front of the house and around to the other side as they skiddadled away. I silently asked one to move away from the group so as not to hit more than one. A tom moved off to the left of the group as if ordered. I placed the double bead and fired at 25 paces and had my first turkey. While cleaning it I expected a horrible smell. I was surprised how pleasant the experience was. I took the liver, heart, breast and legs. The bone broth soups my wife made were so delightful I have nothing to compare. I have kept the feathers to tie muddler minnows with the hair I save from deer.

    Last year my wife and I took two turkey in the yard with a Henry 410 single shot with #6 shot. I took a hen and she took her first animal ever, a Tom. Of course it had a bigger beard than the tom I took the year before and I get to hear about it when we have visitors.

    This spring I bought a slate and decoy. We got up before dawn, dawned our camo and face masks, climbed a ridge by the house, set out the hen decoy 20 feet in front of us as we leaned shoulder to shoulder against the same bull pine and I started calling at first light. Shortly after I whisīpered, I heard one leave the roost. Ten minutes later, 80 yards to our front and slightly right I saw one leave the roost flying from our right to left. I whispered to look at the same time she saw it. It dipped it's left wing and came straight at us. We felt the wind of the wings as the hen landed within two feet of my feet directly in front of me. Neither of us moved. That hen pranced around us and the decoy for the next 30 minutes. When I retrieved the decoy and we walked away, the hen seemed to contemplate following us home. What simple pleasures.
    I Like Guns - Steve Lee

  19. #39
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    One tag filled. It weighed 27 pounds, 12” beard, and 1.5” spurs.







    Shot it at about 15 yards. It was gobbling it’s head off...till I tried to take it off with 3” federal #4’s. Broke the bottom of the beak in half and the front of it was missing. Popped an eye and and a BB went in right above the ear hole. When I shot the turkey stopped behind a vine and all I had has a head shot. Litterally all I could see was no neck and just head staring directly at me when I pulled the trigger. No meat wasted. One old bird down for the count.

    The bird flopped around a good 10 plus yards for a minute or two. I’m used to my 10 gauge flattening them without a wiggle.
    Last edited by Tripplebeards; 05-13-2020 at 05:58 PM.

  20. #40
    Boolit Grand Master


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    There was a lengthy discussion about the flop on another forum. What it comes down to is the nerves that drive the muscles are not in the brain. Apparently they come from some tiny part of the brain stem. If you don't hit it just right, they flop. I have yet to have a turkey not flop. I just stand on their neck so they don't beat up their tail too bad. I need that moment to let my heart settle anyway. I get a rush from a gobbler that no deer can match. Only a the whistle of unseen ducks circling can come close.

    We always had chickens, and we used to butcher them. Even if you cut their head off, they flop like crazy. I don't remember any that didn't.

    I saw two toms today, red as can be, ready to go at it. We are just coming into the peak of the season now, nearly a 3-4 weeks later than normal for some reason. Boy I wish MN allowed more than one. It sure isn't from a lack of birds. I firmly believe central MN and central WI are currently the hottest areas for turkey in the country right now. There are tons of them, tons of big ones.

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