Gaps in specialized ammo

[Amos Keeto]

I think people have entirely over complicated what it takes to kill a turkey. Is it fun to tinker with and find the best absolute pattern? Sure. But it’s also completely ridiculous and unnecessary. You 100% can efficient and effectively kill turkeys with plain Jane birdshot loads all day long. The only way to get a 16 on the bandwagon is to get enough people to make it the next “cool” thing like the .410 and 28 have become.

Been preaching this a long time (20 years plus) and I've been raked over the coals more than once. Even by Phil Bourjaily of F&S and one of his adherents!
As long as gun & ammo manufacturers promise (advertise?) killing turkeys (choke, ammo, gun) in excess of the "Magic 40" yard range, hunters (shooters?) will embrace the new "magic" and ignore standard (40 yard) convention.

 

[Macintosh]

Been preaching this a long time (20 years plus) and I've been raked over the coals more than once. Even by Phil Bourjaily of F&S and one of his adherents!
As long as gun & ammo manufacturers promise (advertise?) killing turkeys (choke, ammo, gun) in excess of the "Magic 40" yard range, hunters (shooters?) will embrace the new "magic" and ignore standard (40 yard) convention.

Eh, I dont buy this. Turkey hunters have been chasing longer range for a LOT longer than 20+ years, a lot longer than the advent of tss shot. Go back in time and there was still custom loaded turkey ammo, the advent of 3.5” shells in the first place, 10ga shotguns, back-boring, chamber polishing, custom chokes, etc. If you think shopping for tss ammo is overly complicated, all that ^^ stuff has been happening the whole time and is magnitudes more complicated. If anything tss shot simply allowed more people access to that longer range, but the quest for longer range is not new or limited to ammo, its exactly what hunters have been asking for since turkey hunting was invented. The sentiment that turkey hunting “should” be a <40 yard game is simply an arbitrary preference that runs counter to what most hunters want, and ime its usually advanced by people with a high degree of skill and/or time on their hands. It is admirable, and I appreciate it much of the time. But its shouting at the wind. Its on you to set the example and make getting close appealing to people.

 

[RockAndSage]

Pretty spot on. Also you can’t be “good” at turkey hunting. They are so dumb they often come across as cunning rocket scientist. TSS is like shooting a rifle 350-450. It just adds some field lethality like having a scope that dials. I got into the safe last night and counted 18 rounds of apex tss. Made me feel old because I can probably kill turkeys for the next decade without buying anymore ammo.

Lol, similar - two years ago I stumbled across an online retailer doing an end-of-season closeout sale on 3.5" Fiocchi TSS turkey loads, for about $20 per box of 5. I bought 20 something boxes, and it fills up almost half an ammo can. Every time I open that can up, it feels like I found a treasure cave.

 

[Amos Keeto]

Eh, I dont buy this. Turkey hunters have been chasing longer range for a LOT longer than 20+ years, a lot longer than the advent of tss shot. Go back in time and there was still custom loaded turkey ammo, the advent of 3.5” shells in the first place, 10ga shotguns, back-boring, chamber polishing, custom chokes, etc. If you think shopping for tss ammo is overly complicated, all that ^^ stuff has been happening the whole time and is magnitudes more complicated. If anything tss shot simply allowed more people access to that longer range, but the quest for longer range is not new or limited to ammo, its exactly what hunters have been asking for since turkey hunting was invented. The sentiment that turkey hunting “should” be a <40 yard game is simply an arbitrary preference that runs counter to what most hunters want, and ime its usually advanced by people with a high degree of skill and/or time on their hands. It is admirable, and I appreciate it much of the time. But its shouting at the wind. Its on you to set the example and make getting close appealing to people.

"... You can 100% efficient and effectively kill turkeys with plain Jane birdshot loads all day long. ..."

THIS is what I've been pushing, "not chasing longer range"!
Heck! I've killed turkeys at 150 yards! ...with a .22 Hornet!
The longest kill I've made with a shotgun was 43 yards....and that was because I looked at the wrong marker.

 

[KurtR]

"... You can 100% efficient and effectively kill turkeys with plain Jane birdshot loads all day long. ..."

THIS is what I've been pushing, "not chasing longer range"!
Heck! I've killed turkeys at 150 yards! ...with a .22 Hornet!
The longest kill I've made with a shotgun was 43 yards....and that was because I looked at the wrong marker.

.218 bee was my go to turkey gun till they banned them here

 

[Amos Keeto]

.218 bee was my go to turkey gun till they banned them here

In Oklahoma, rifles, handguns and rimfires are only legal for a week during the fall season.
One turkey, tom only.
Archery (fall) season run Oct 1 thru Jan 15. One bird, either sex.

 

[DuckDawg22]

Im a CA public land hunter. Even at $10/shell, TSS is the cheapest part of my hunt. While I'd love to call a tom into my lap and take it with dove shot, that's not my reality. I'd rather have the ability to "confidently" kill one at 50 if I can't get it any closer than go back to the truck empty handed because some Rokslider said I didn't need them fancy shells. If you're hunting private in the southeast by all means, do shit the hard way. Finding a bird I can kill without dealing with the game warden is hard enough.

 

[Amos Keeto]

"... if I can't get it any closer than go back to the truck empty handed ..."

Well, bless your heart!

If you're hungry, go to the grocery store. It's much cheaper.