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View Full Version : Going to a Turkey shoot this weekend. Shotgun advice.


was_peacemaker
10-30-2014, 11:06 PM
been a while sense I have done some competitive shooting of any sort. I thought this would be fun, its one shot shell at a time. Those get popular in these parts around this time of year, they even have it at the state fair still. The prizes are pretty cool. Turkey's, hams, and other stuff. Me and a buddy are going to go shoot together. So I need some shotgun advice. A vintage Winchester pre-64 model 37 single shot 12 gauge, or a Winchester model 12 Ranger (vintage) with adjustable modified, improvised, and full chokes.

What should I go with for a turkey shoot. I want to win some holiday food for my family.
Schuetzenman
10-31-2014, 04:58 AM
Well isn't the winner the one with the most holes in the middle of the target? On that premise as tight a choke, (full) as you can get is the one to go with.
Richard Simmons
10-31-2014, 06:27 AM
The Turkey shoots that I saw were fired with rifle or handgun at targets. A hundred years ago they actually used live turkeys as the targets but even then they didn't use a shotgun. You might be better off to ask someone who has gone to this one before unless you know for a fact they use shotguns. If it is shotgun I'd go with the Model 37.
AKTexas
10-31-2014, 06:47 AM
I'm hunting real turkeys tomorrow with a .38 lever action.
was_peacemaker
10-31-2014, 11:06 AM
The Turkey shoots that I saw were fired with rifle or handgun at targets. A hundred years ago they actually used live turkeys as the targets but even then they didn't use a shotgun. You might be better off to ask someone who has gone to this one before unless you know for a fact they use shotguns. If it is shotgun I'd go with the Model 37.

Pistol, and rifle at turkey shoots? All I have ever seen at turkey shoots is shotgun. Never heard of pistol or rifle at a turkey shoot.
was_peacemaker
10-31-2014, 11:07 AM
I'm hunting real turkeys tomorrow with a .38 lever action.

That is awesome! Let us know if you get any.
was_peacemaker
10-31-2014, 11:08 AM
Well isn't the winner the one with the most holes in the middle of the target? On that premise as tight a choke, (full) as you can get is the one to go with.

True, but I am trying to figure out what kind of choke my pre-64 model 37 has on it. It just says choke on the barrel and my buddy said some of the pre-64 shotguns had full chokes and some had improvised.
AKTexas
10-31-2014, 03:06 PM
6 seasons on this lease I've taken a turkey or more each year. 38 special is the perfect round for these birds.
FunkyPertwee
10-31-2014, 03:08 PM
Pistol, and rifle at turkey shoots? All I have ever seen at turkey shoots is shotgun. Never heard of pistol or rifle at a turkey shoot.

The TARGETS were pistol/rifle targets. They shoot at them with shotguns. They will also provide you with the shotgun shell. Bring your tightest patterning shotgun.
FunkyPertwee
10-31-2014, 03:09 PM
6 seasons on this lease I've taken a turkey or more each year. 38 special is the perfect round for these birds.

That sounds odd. Why not .357? I thought turkeys were tough som bitches.
Richard Simmons
10-31-2014, 03:16 PM
Pistol, and rifle at turkey shoots? All I have ever seen at turkey shoots is shotgun. Never heard of pistol or rifle at a turkey shoot.

Must be different in this neck of the woods. Back in Nebraska the "Turkey Shoots" were like this one.

http://www.neighborsgunclub.org/events/turkeyshoot

Or they were muzzleloader events. Guess you could say "Turkey Shoot" was or "Target Shoot" where I grew up.
FunkyPertwee
10-31-2014, 03:33 PM
Must be different in this neck of the woods. Back in Nebraska the "Turkey Shoots" were like this one.

http://www.neighborsgunclub.org/events/turkeyshoot

Or they were muzzleloader events. Guess you could say "Turkey Shoot" was or "Target Shoot" where I grew up.

Shit.

I was the one who misunderstood your post. :dammit:

Never heard of pistols or rifles at turkey shoots either.
AKTexas
10-31-2014, 04:49 PM
That sounds odd. Why not .357? I thought turkeys were tough som bitches.

We've tried .357 and it just blows them out. Factory Remington fmj .38 punches a nice small hole. Clean out.
Schuetzenman
11-01-2014, 03:22 PM
Prior to living in the Carolinas all Turkey shoots usually were; muzzle loaders and rifles. Never saw a handgun Turkey shoot. I did the NC state fair turkey shoot and won a 10 lb. frozen turkey once. Tooke me 2 tries to win. First one was to see where the pattern fell, second one was for the win. Evidently with FunkyP's post S. Carolina also does the shotgun turkey shoot thing.

Richard's explanation of Turkey Shoot fits with my knowledge of them. They did originally use muzzle loading weapons, rifles to do them. They did use real live birds. Bird was in a box and only his head stuck out. Basically you had to shoot and hit it in the head / kill it to win the bird. In my youth I shot at muzzle loading Turkey Shoot events. I had a lot of success, so much so they put a cap on 5 wins and you're done.
weevil
11-02-2014, 01:01 PM
Been to one Turkey Shoot and that was about 30 years ago out by Rocky Ford.

Paper targets at 100yds, rifles with iron sights only. Just about everyone, including myself, had lever-action 30-30s.

Except the guy that won he had a bolt-action 30-40 Krag. Tall skinny old-timer that looked like he fell off a Mountain Dew bottle.