An easy to follow guide for hunters detailing your best options for shot placement on turkeys.
Hunting wild turkeys is hard work. It takes a lot of skill and some luck to find a gobbler, sneak up on him, and then convince him that you’re a hot hen looking for love. The last thing you want to do is ruin all that hard work with a poorly placed shot. In this guide, we’ll demonstrate where to shoot a turkey with a gun or a bow for a clean kill.
Turkey hunters practice their calling skills for hours on end, but it will all be in vain if they make a bad shot. Proper shot placement is arguably more crucial to punching game tags than your calling prowess.
We’ll guide you through everything if you’re not sure where to put your crosshairs, bead, or sight pin.
Turkeys have thick feathers and heavy muscles that often work against decent shot penetration. Plenty of experienced turkey hunters have stories of their #5 shot bouncing off a big gobbler’s side like he was made of rubber.
Aiming for a longbeard’s heart and lungs is only going to leave you frustrated. Even worse, it will probably end with a crippled bird heading off to die a slow, agonizing death.
Rifle turkey hunting is a special kind of challenge; it requires accurate shot placement to guarantee a clean kill and prevent spoiling the expensive meat. This guide will examine the best places to aim for when shooting a turkey with a rifle, offering advice from knowledgeable sources and seasoned hunters.
Head and Neck: The Optimal Target
The head and neck area offers the smallest yet most vital target on a turkey. A well-placed shot in this region will instantly incapacitate the bird minimizing suffering and maximizing meat recovery.
- Aim for the base of the neck: This spot, where the neck meets the body, provides a clear shot through the spine, ensuring a quick and humane kill.
- Target the head: A shot to the head guarantees a clean kill, but it requires exceptional accuracy and should only be attempted by experienced hunters with a steady hand.
Body Shots: Considerations and Risks
While head and neck shots are ideal, circumstances may necessitate aiming for the body. However, body shots carry a higher risk of damaging the breast meat, the most prized portion of the turkey.
- Aim for the base of the wing: This location offers a good compromise between vital area and meat preservation. A shot here can damage the wing bones, preventing flight, while potentially striking vital organs.
- Target the high back, just behind the wing joint: This area provides a larger target than the head or neck, but still offers a reasonable chance of hitting vital organs.
Factors Influencing Shot Placement
When using a rifle to shoot a turkey, there are various factors that can affect your target location:
- Distance: As the distance increases, the target becomes smaller and more difficult to hit accurately. Consider your shooting skills and the limitations of your rifle when choosing your shot.
- Turkey’s position: A broadside shot offers the best target, while a quartering-away shot presents a smaller vital area. Adjust your aim accordingly to ensure a clean kill.
- Type of rifle and ammunition: The caliber and bullet type you use will impact the penetration and damage caused. Choose a combination that delivers sufficient power for a clean kill without excessive meat damage.
Additional Tips for Ethical and Effective Turkey Hunting
- Always prioritize safety: Ensure a clear line of sight and be aware of your surroundings before taking a shot.
- Practice regularly: Hone your shooting skills at the range to improve your accuracy and confidence in the field.
- Respect the quarry: Treat the turkey with respect and strive for a clean, ethical kill.
- Utilize proper field dressing techniques: Field dress the turkey promptly and hygienically to preserve the meat quality.
To ensure a humane kill and reduce meat damage, shot placement is crucial when using a rifle to shoot turkeys. You can improve your chances of success while still showing respect for the turkey by aiming for its head and neck whenever feasible, and modifying your aim according to the turkey’s position and other factors. Keep in mind to put safety first, rehearse frequently, and show respect for the turkey at all times when hunting.
Patience is a Virtue
Turkey’s have amazing eyesight. Unlike deer, they see in vivid colors. They can also see a full 270 degrees and can spot even the slightest bit of movement. It’s no wonder it is so darned hard to put one on the dining room table.
To ensure a clear shot, wait until the turkey’s head is obscured by something, such as his flapping tail, a tree, or a thicket of brush, before repositioning your shotgun.
Wait to pull the trigger until his head and neck are extended. Shooting a broadside gobbler in full strut is a bad idea. When a tom struts, he pulls his head and neck tight against his body. He pulls in his head and puffs out his chest to make an impression on the ladies, which can keep your pellets from going where you want them to.
It is still possible to take out a strutting longbeard with a shot to the head and neck. However, be prepared to break some teeth on pellets in your meat. There’s also a good chance you’ll ruin that boss tom’s beard.
It is almost always better to wait until the gobbler falls out of the strut. If you can’t wait for it to happen, you can get him to stop by giving him a few “putts” on a mouth call. Usually a tom will lift his head to see what made the sound, providing the perfect shot opportunity. To avoid the gobbler discovering that it wasn’t his new girlfriend who called, all you have to do is move quickly.
Before opening day, it’s a good idea to pattern your scattergun. This will validate your aim and demonstrate to you the precise way in which your pellets will impact the turkey’s head and neck.
When choosing a turkey load, don’t just grab whatever brand your buddies shoot. To get the best performance out of your shotgun, try a few different loads at various distances. Patterning your shotgun will also help you determine your maximum effective range. You might even consider checking out a few shotgun chokes.
Shooting a Turkey with a Rifle
Some states have fall turkey seasons that allow hunters to take both toms and hens with a rifle. If you are lucky enough to see a flock of turkeys approaching your deer stand, it will be very tempting to pull the trigger on your rifle. If you do, decide to take a shot, aim for the base of the turkey’s neck. Although a turkey’s body is a much larger target, hitting a turkey square in the midsection with a . 30-06 isn’t going to leave you with enough turkey for your Thanksgiving dinner.
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