Turkey with a handgun, suggestions?

[BKS]

I may have an opportunity to do a handgun turkey hunt next year, Im looking for suggestions on caliber/bullet suggestions.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I may have an opportunity to do a handgun turkey hunt next year, Im looking for suggestions on caliber/bullet suggestions.

If I could turkey hunt with a pistol in
My state I would be looking for a
22 hornet barrel for my Contender

[Tom W.]

.38 special wadcutter

[Kraschenbirn]

I'm with LuckyDawg all the way on the Contender but, at handgun distances, have found the .22 Hornet awfully destructive on crows and gopher-size critters. Looking at my on-hand barrels, I'd probably go with the 7TCU or 30-30, either one loaded with a PC'd flat point in the 120-130 gr. range.

Bill

[WebMonkey]

not on the allowed methods here so i've never really thought about it.

with what i have on hand, i'd follow an above suggestion and use a good weighted flat in a 38spl or 357mag case.

i don't have too much to choose from as far as handgun hunting.
:(

[Kosh75287]

.45 Colt with factory. Blows a large hole but doesn't destroy much meat. .45 ACP with a 200gr. LSWC, or LRNFP at ~900 f/s would also probably work.

[bob208]

a ruger single six in .32 mag. using .32 long brass with the 98 gr. semi wad cutter.

ruger Blackhawk in .30 carbine loaded down to .32-20 levels.

[Texas by God]

I've used the .32 H&R, .38 spl, .41 mag,.45acp, and.54 round ball on called in turkeys. My favorite is the .45/200gr swc it seems.

[T-Bird]

Only one I've killed was at 25ish yds with 45colt cast. Worked well, eat up to the hole. Not sure about which bullet I used, but it was in my RCBS 270 SAA days (which are not gone) so it was probably that one, but wt really is not an issue with 45 colt on birds- accuracy is.

[shorty500]

Nowadays would probably choose an accurate but tough for the caliber bullet in the hornet. Although once upon a time the grand old 30-30 did the job when a random opportunity came around and presented an unexpected shot at a nice goobler

[rintinglen]

of the guns I have. I think the 327. Single Seven would get the vote, but any mid power boolit of 100-200 grains should turn the trick.

[Bigslug]

Well. . .the British Commonwealth forces used the .455 Webley MKVI on enemies FROM Turkey. . .:mrgreen:

This really sounds like a job for a low velocity, low- or no-expansion flat-nose solid. Any accurate 4-6" duty revolver loaded soft, a 1911 with Bullseye SWC's, your .44 Mag loaded with Keiths and light charges. . .take your pick.

[DougGuy]

Turkeys can be hard to kill if you don't break their spine or neck. I would shoot for the neck pocket, right below the beard, head on shot.

I was deer hunting in Prince Edward forest in Virginia one year, and I saw a turkey flying dead level just above the treetops, a full 8" of his head and neck hanging down and swinging. I didn't hear a shot close by, watched it go out of sight several hundred yards away, still flying. Beats anything I have ever seen in all the years of hunting.

[chutesnreloads]

Ditto for the "neck" shot.Turkey are legal here with rifle...visualize where the neck is just inside the crop....a hit even close will normally put him down but you may need run and make sure he don't get up and run off....don't ask how I know this.Mostly used .223 with nonfrangible bullets but a .40 S&W carbine shooting a truncated cone bullet did in the last one.I'd say ANY handgun you can hit a small target with will get it done

[Thumbcocker]

Turkey with a handgun? Get a tag, shoot that sucker, and keep his pistol.

[trails4u]

Colt Walker with 60g FFg and a round ball..... Smoked turkey?? :)

[Outpost75]

Well. . .the British Commonwealth forces used the .455 Webley MKVI on enemies FROM Turkey. . .:mrgreen:

This really sounds like a job for a low velocity, low- or no-expansion flat-nose solid. Any accurate 4-6" duty revolver loaded soft, a 1911 with Bullseye SWC's, your .44 Mag loaded with Keiths and light charges. . .take your pick.

An accurate .455 would to the job ON turkey as well... Years ago I took one with a .457 round ball and 40 grs. of 3Fg from my Ruger Old Army and you could eat right up to the bullet hole.

[Larry Gibson]

If I didn't have a suitable handgun already I'd consider a 6 to 8 3/8" barreled .357 revolver (SA or DA, whichever you're comfortable with) with a Burris Fast Fire III mounted on it. I'd load it with well cast 158 RNs to 950 - 1050 fps looking for best accuracy at 50 yards. I'd zero at 50 yards and practice out to 100 yards using shooting sticks from a sitting position. I would want to put the bullet through the top of the breast area in the triangle formed by the base of the throat to the wing (shoulder if you will) joints.

I already know that works very well with standard 38 SPL LRN 158s out of a 5" M15 S&W. Marvelous on grouse too!

[mozeppa]

30 carbine.


or maybe 700 nitro express.[smilie=1:

[FergusonTO35]

I don't see myself ever becoming a turkey hunter unless we are allowed to use a rifle here in Kentucky. Maybe I'm lazy, but I just don't have any interest in getting camoed up and calling one into shotgun range. Seems like alot of work when I could take one rather easily with a .309 113 grain or .358 125 grain LFP from one of my lever actions. If I wasn't so darn law abiding I would have easily taken a big gobbler that I stumbled into while setting up a deer feeder last week.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I don't see myself ever becoming a turkey hunter unless we are allowed to use a rifle here in Kentucky. Maybe I'm lazy, but I just don't have any interest in getting camoed up and calling one into shotgun range. Seems like alot of work when I could take one rather easily with a .309 113 grain or .358 125 grain LFP from one of my lever actions. If I wasn't so darn law abiding I would have easily taken a big gobbler that I stumbled into while setting up a deer feeder last week.

There is nothing like the rush of calling in a Turkey into Shotgun or Bow range you should try it at least once

[FergusonTO35]

I'm sure I will sometime, it's just not a priority.

[richhodg66]

We're only allowed to use shotguns or archery on turkeys here. I have a very long barreled single six in .32 H&R I'd probably use if it were me. I would think a long barreled .38 revolver using wadcutters would be excellent.

[FergusonTO35]

Same here. I may give archery a try sometime as I just got a new bow I really like and our season for both deer and turkey is pretty long.

[ShooterAZ]

Back when my eyesight was still sharp, I would use my OM Ruger Single Six in 22 Magnum with solids for turkeys. I would need a red dot or something now.

[FergusonTO35]

Apparently, hunting turkey with rifles and pistols is pretty normal and accepted out west. Around here, most people equate it to the nineteenth century carnage of punt guns and shooting bison from trains.

[richhodg66]

Apparently, hunting turkey with rifles and pistols is pretty normal and accepted out west. Around here, most people equate it to the nineteenth century carnage of punt guns and shooting bison from trains.

I don't hunt turkeys, but may start sometime. Honestly, Kansas has so darned many of them, I can't for the life of me see how they can justify charging almost as much for a turkey tag as they do for a deer tag. A certain place on Fort Riley where I used to take my sons to deer hunt had a large flock that would come in and roost around us where we were sitting wearing blaze orange. I nearly stepped on a big tom walking in there once, flushed him like a quail. If I ever take it up, I bet I won't see one for miles, LOL.

[Brad Cayton]

Turkey with a handgun? Get a tag, shoot that sucker, and keep his pistol.

That's funny right there!

[Grmps]

blunderbuss [smilie=l:

https://i.imgur.com/5mJCh6a.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/xMqsm9N.jpg

[FergusonTO35]

I don't hunt turkeys, but may start sometime. Honestly, Kansas has so darned many of them, I can't for the life of me see how they can justify charging almost as much for a turkey tag as they do for a deer tag. A certain place on Fort Riley where I used to take my sons to deer hunt had a large flock that would come in and roost around us where we were sitting wearing blaze orange. I nearly stepped on a big tom walking in there once, flushed him like a quail. If I ever take it up, I bet I won't see one for miles, LOL.

As far as tag prices go, it's probably just what they think people are willing to spend. Whatever they spend on studying and managing a particular species figures in also. Here in Kentucky at least, you are exempt from most tag and license requirements if hunting on land where you reside.

[MT Gianni]

I think the statute of limitations is up but we ate well at an antelope camp when someone put 3 sage hens down with a 38 special. The bullet was the 358311 158 gr rn and the season was open, but it wasn't a shot gun. Where you shoot is much more important than what you shoot.

[FergusonTO35]

Strangely enough, it is perfectly legal to shoot non-migratory game birds other than Turkey with a rifle here.

[Texas by God]

Apparently, hunting turkey with rifles and pistols is pretty normal and accepted out west. Around here, most people equate it to the nineteenth century carnage of punt guns and shooting bison from trains.Hunting with a iron sighted handgun is as sporting as a scoped 3-1/2" 12 ga; maybe more so. Heavily populated areas tend to require shotguns. We all have hunting predjudices- around here hunting deer with dogs is considered bad form and illegal but in some of those shotgun/turkey circles- it's high sport.
My opinion.
Best, Thomas.

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