SHE MAY BE 88 years old, but Old Betsy can still do her job. I decided to take Old Betsy out of the gun case and go to the weekly turkey shoot hosted by a local civic club since I had a rare Friday night free.
My family usually reserves Friday nights for football and basketball games during the fall and winter, and it had been over 25 years since I had gone to a turkey shoot. I was anxious to see if Old Betsy could still do her stuff.
Additionally, I saw this as the ideal chance to introduce my son Jake, who had never attended an event of this kind, to a little bit of country culture.
I tried to talk a Thanksgiving house-guest into going with us but he declined. Upon his inquiry, “What do they shoot at, old turkeys?” I realized he would be more comfortable staying at home.
The women of the house were sorting through clearance stuff at Central Park and Spotsylvania Mall, so when I announced my plans, I didn’t get the typical “You shouldn’t shoot at those poor little animals!” lecture.
Are you ready to test your shooting skills and bring home some delicious turkey? Then you need to know how to win a turkey shoot!
The Secrets to Winning
While there’s no magic formula for guaranteed victory, understanding the key factors that influence your success can significantly improve your chances. Here are the four crucial elements to master:
- Understanding Pattern Movement:
- Every shotgun shell creates a pattern that can shift up to 2 inches in any direction due to the wad’s behavior as it exits the choke. This movement is unavoidable and cannot be controlled.
- Overcoming Flinching:
- Flinching, the involuntary jerk or tightening of your grip as you anticipate recoil, is the biggest enemy of turkey shooters. Mastering a smooth trigger squeeze and accepting the recoil is essential for accurate shooting.
- Cleaning Your Barrel:
- While cleaning your shotgun barrel isn’t crucial, many competitors feel compelled to do so. However, be aware that aggressive cleaning with brushes can damage the wad stoppers in the choke, negatively impacting your pattern quality.
- Finding the Perfect Hold:
- Due to pattern movement, there’s no single “magic spot” to hold your shotgun. You need to find the exact spot on the target where your specific pattern consistently lands.
Expert Tips for Dominating Turkey Shoots
- Invest in a Top-Quality Competitive Barrel:
- A high-quality barrel designed for turkey shoots will provide the best possible foundation for accuracy.
- Develop Rock-Steady Hold:
- Mastering a steady hold is essential for minimizing movement and ensuring consistent shot placement.
- Locate the Perfect Hold Spot:
- Take the time to identify the exact spot on the target where your pattern consistently lands.
- Practice Smooth Trigger Squeeze:
- Learn to gently squeeze the trigger without flinching, ensuring a clean and accurate shot.
Setting Your Sights for Success
- Shoot 7 Times at the Center of a Large Paper Target:
- This will help you identify the average movement of your pattern and determine where to adjust your sights.
- Focus on Centering the Pattern:
- Aim to have the centers of your individual shots evenly spaced around the center of the target.
- Adjust Your Sights Based on Pattern Center:
- If your pattern center is consistently off-center, adjust your sights accordingly to compensate for the movement.
- Repeat the Process:
- Continue shooting and adjusting your sights until your pattern centers are evenly distributed around the target center.
Mastering the Bead Sight:
- Identify the Perfect Hold Spot:
- With a bead sight, finding the exact spot on the target where your pattern consistently lands is crucial.
- Hold Steady and Adjust for Pattern Movement:
- Maintain a consistent hold and adjust your aim based on the known pattern movement to ensure accurate shots.
The Growth and Evolution of Turkey Shoots
Turkey shoots are a growing sport, attracting competitors of all skill levels. From entry-level factory shotguns to custom-built 36-inch modified barrels there’s a place for everyone to compete and enjoy the challenge.
Additional Resources:
- Turkey Shoot Targets: https://www.turkeyshoottargets.com/turkey-shoot/
- John Bengel, Master Shotgun Barrel Builder: https://www.turkeyshoottargets.com/turkey-shoot/
Remember:
- Practice regularly to improve your accuracy and consistency.
- Stay focused and maintain a positive attitude.
- Have fun and enjoy the camaraderie of the sport!
With dedication, practice, and the right strategies, you’ll be well on your way to winning turkey shoots and taking home those delicious prizes!
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SHE MAY BE 88 years old, but Old Betsy can still do her job. I decided to take Old Betsy out of the gun case and go to the weekly turkey shoot hosted by a local civic club since I had a rare Friday night free.
My family usually reserves Friday nights for football and basketball games during the fall and winter, and it had been over 25 years since I had gone to a turkey shoot. I was anxious to see if Old Betsy could still do her stuff.
Additionally, I saw this as the ideal chance to introduce my son Jake, who had never attended an event of this kind, to a little bit of country culture.
I tried to talk a Thanksgiving house-guest into going with us but he declined. Upon his inquiry, “What do they shoot at, old turkeys?” I realized he would be more comfortable staying at home.
The women of the house were sorting through clearance stuff at Central Park and Spotsylvania Mall, so when I announced my plans, I didn’t get the typical “You shouldn’t shoot at those poor little animals!” lecture.
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But if they had been at home, I would have had to tell them—as I did with my houseguest—that at a turkey shoot, you don’t really shoot AT the turkeys. Instead, you shoot FOR turkeys–as well as hams, beef and bacon.
When we got to the turkey shoot, there was only one other competitor, and after seeing this man’s gun, I started to worry that Old Betsy might not belong there.
This man owned a large, antique pump shotgun with a barrel that seemed to stretch as far as the distance between Post Oak and Partlow. To exacerbate the situation, he carried a small sandbag which he used to steady his gun during the shot.
I placed Old Betsy on a table and observed the other gunmen wandering in, staring at my ancient “relic.”
“Thats a pretty old gun you got there,” one fellow said. “My grandfather used to have one just like it. It wasnt much good for turkey shoots but it was fine for hunting rabbits and squirrels. “.
The man smiled and went over to buy his card for the first round of the shoot.
For those unaware, you purchase a 4 x 4 inch card target and fire a 12-gauge shotgun shell loaded with No. 9 shot.
No. 9 shot is about the size of the head of a ballpoint pen. I estimate that each shell contains between 60 and 80 pellets, though I’m not sure exactly how many there are.
You get one shell and you fire at the target 30 yards away. The closest pellet to the center of the target is the winner.
Target shooting with a shotgun differs greatly from target shooting with a rifle. Placing a single bullet in a bulls-eye with a rifle requires a steady hand and an acute eye.
With a shotgun, however, a blind man with a full snoot could hit a turkey shoot target because the numerous shot fragments spray out in an ever-widening pattern. At 30 yards, many shotguns will throw a pattern a yard wide.
The trick is to get one of those little free-flying pellets in the center of that target. At a turkey shoot, it is the gun–not the shooter–that is being tested.
And there were some fanciful guns at that shooting match. There were pumps and automatics (one had a scope) and even a few single-barrel 12-gauges like Old Betsy. But there were none whose birthday (printed on the top of the barrel) dated to Aug. 12, 1913, like my old Stevens.
Every gun throws a different pattern, so the shooter’s only task is to predict where his weapon will produce the greatest concentration of shot and aim accordingly (you don’t aim a shotgun; you point it).
I remembered that, even though it had been a while since the last turkey shoot, Old Betsy had thrown a concentration of shots low and to the left. I knew I had to shoot high and to the right, but I didnt know how much. The first several shots would be experimental.
One by one, we all went to the firing line. Splinters from the plywood board that the targets were attached to would fly into the night after each blast.
A voice would cry out, “Clear!” following five shots, and then the workers would set up new targets for the next five shooters.
Everyone, it seemed, was eyeing Old Betsy. And after I fired, I couldn’t help but give it a little hammering by flicking my right wrist to shut the sleek little gun chamber and then giving it a John Wayne spin. Let those boys try to do that with their big, fancy shotguns.
Although I lost the first round’s sausage and bacon competition, I very nearly won the second shoot’s beef cut.
I thought I understood exactly where to aim my gun by the third round to get the most pellets in the center of the target. Old Betsy didnt let me down. One of my shots (you get three targets for $5) was dead center, and another was extremely close, when the cards were checked. I got first place and a big old frozen turkey.
In the subsequent round, I lost by a hair’s breadth, but I was still in the running to win two pounds of sausage and one pound of bacon.
“Shes a meat producer, aint she?” a man said as he admired my old Stevens.
Suddenly, the turkey shooters were paying almost as much attention to Old Betsy as they were to the attractive blonde who was shooting with her father.
The next prize was a country ham, which I really wanted, but it was taken home by either her father or the blonde. He had invested heavily, and between the two of them, they had nine chances to win.
But that was all right. I had done well and was pleased with Old Betsys performance.
I told Jake that years ago, following a similar winning night, a turkey-shoot regular had come to my house the following day and attempted to purchase Old Betsy as we drove home.
When I explained that I would have sooner sold my wife, he shook his head and left.
We came to the conclusion that we could have won it for about $1 less than what we had spent on the turkey, bacon, and sausage. But that wouldnt have been half as much fun.
As we drove along, we also considered the downside to our shooting accomplishments. How do you explain to the woman of the house, who is trying to figure out how to get rid of the last turkey, that you are bringing home a 22-pound turkey on the day after Thanksgiving?
Oh, well! Christmas is coming.
DONNIE JOHNSTON is a staff writer with The Free Lance-Star. He can be contacted by mail at The Free Lance-Star,.
616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401;
by fax at 373-8455; or by e-mail marked
to his attention at [email protected].
How to win a Turkey Shoot
FAQ
How far do you shoot in a turkey shoot?
What is the best choke for shooting turkeys?
What is the best shot size for a turkey?
Why do they call it a turkey shoot?
How do you win a turkey shoot?
Before you feel defeated without even trying, a turkey shoot in ten-percent skill, ten-percent equipment, and eighty-percent luck. All it take is one pellet in the right location to win so anyone from beginner to veteran can win any game at any time. While not all games are identical, they have some common rules:
What is a turkey shoot?
A turkey shoot in many cases is just that, a shooting contest to win a turkey. In many cases the club or organization also gives out hams, sausage, roasts, and other cuts of meat. Occasionally they award cash prizes. Before you feel defeated without even trying, a turkey shoot in ten-percent skill, ten-percent equipment, and eighty-percent luck.
How do you judge a turkey shoot?
The judging area needs a counter that is large enough for the judge to be on one side and room for all the shooters who want to see the targets being judged can. The runner brings in the stack of shot cards, gives them to the judge and goes back out to hang a new round of turkey shoot targets.
Do you shoot real turkeys?
At our modern turkey shoot we don’t shoot real birds, but we still win them. Prizes for this match are always frozen turkeys, with most shooters going home with a bird for Thanksgiving.