Best Rifle For Turkey?

M

MAD DOG

New member
Seeing as how it is Turkey day and all, I thought that I would bring this up.
The only time I ever shot a turkey with a rifle, it was a .223 loaded with 55 grain hollow points.
The turkey was in Texas, and he was a smallish wild version of the breed.
I drew a careful bead on his head, and...
The turkey jumped just as I was squeezing the trigger, and I got nothing but a spray of feathers and shredded turkey meat for my troubles. DOH!


Methinks a .22LR would have been a better choice, but the .223 was all I had when the shot presented itself.
 
I'm thinking the gobbler is head-shot territory only. That way, you won't spoil the meant, and it's hit-or miss...no flopping around half-dead birds with torn-up innards. Shotgunners take the head off...I'm sure it could be done with a .22 LR too. That would be fun, and a great challenge!
 
Last year I was out with my wife riding in the woods and we spotted a few turkeys about 75 yards away. I had a 30-40 cal Krag rifle I just got and was going put a few rounds through it for the first time. She said if that is such a good rifle shoot one of the turkeys. I laughed and said ok, I shoot and to my surprise the one I was aiming drop. I hit him in the neck.... I told her to never ask me to do it again because I don’t like to show off. :)
 
I'd stick with the .223. Here in GA we are only allowed to hunt turkey with shotgun or muzzle loader ...:( In FL, a few years back, I saw some turkeys get hurt but not killed with .22 LR.
 
Unless you can get a head shot, a .22 rimfire is a bit small for turkey. A non-expanding bullet in Hornet-type stuff works well. As you get bigger or hotter in cartridges, there are only two shots: The head, or, sideways, the rear end. Shooting the rear out is sorta instant field-dressing, but it doesn't ruin the breast.

Well, what else wuz I gonna do at 125 yards, offhand? With an '06?

:), Art
 
Once upon a time when I only had one center fire rifle, a Ruger 77 in 30-06, I found that CAST 180grain flat point bullets cruising at about 800-900 fps (sub sonic) worked very well on turkeys. Very accurate if you go for the head or neck, and quite effective on the body without too much meat damage. The shock is enough to put it down anywhere they are hit.
Of course it's not great for long shots, but turkeys are usually found in heavy cover in southern AZ. (Mount Lemmon behid Tucson).
 
Although birds are not my cup of tea, I once went out on a turkey hunt with a friend of mine who was big into gobblers. He, of course, carried a shotgun. I, of course, a rifle.

Not caring too much for the meat (turket does not really do it for me - I almost gag every Thanksgiving!) I took with me a little Martini Cadet rechambered for .22 Hornet. The rifle is very accurate, sporting the legendary "cadet" fully-adjustable sights. That rifle started its life in .310 Cadet, then got rechambered for .32-20 (in which guise I acquired it), and was at that point extremely inaccurate, the bore being too large to stabilize the .32-caliber pistol bullets. At that point, I decided to have it rechambered, and, after much deliberation, opted for the good old Hornet.

As a big bore aficionado, I have a special fondness for that only rifle I have chambered for a small cartridge.

Although I did not get my turkey (oh, disappointment... I was really looking forward to gutting it and plucking it!...;)) I would not have hesitated using the little Hornet for that purpose.

If I had to tote a rifle on another turkey hunt and I did not have my Hornet, I would carry a moderate-velocity rifle (such as the 6.5 or the 303) loaded with solids. A body shot with such a cartridge would produce a tiny hole, a sure kill and little or no meat damage.

I also like the idea expostulated by TABING and others of using cast bullets. I personally never use them (the shells with which I do most of my shooting are WAY too big to accommodate the small powder charge :D), but I agree 100% about their suitability for this purpose!
 
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