Rifles for Turkey Hunting

[RangerGord]

I live in one of the states that allows rifles for spring and fall turkey seasons. For the past three spring seasons I have used low-power Trail Boss handloads in my 30-06, 24" barrel, Rem 721. My bullet of choice is the Hornady 165gn. BTSP interlock. I've never chronographed my loads, but I know they are between 1100 and 1400 fps. Accuracy is quite good. I've shot many 3 shot groups at 50yd under 3/4". This load works quite well and destroys little meat. However, I will switch to a Ruger mini-14 223 with either Trail Boss or Blue Dot handloads for next season. This will lower my cost per shot and further reduce meat damage. I always aim for the forward-chest area/base of the neck when taking down a tom. My birds have all been shot under 45 yards.

Some hunters would claim someone who hunts turkeys with a rifle is "un-ethical" or "un-sporting". Well, I believe that rifles(if chosen and loaded correctly) are the best tools for harvesting turkeys in many situations. They kick less, make less noise, and are often cheaper to shoot than a shotgun. I still rely heavily on my calling skills.

I would like to hear from others who use rifles for turkey hunting. Especially in regards to their caliber choice.

 

[Dog Soldier]

I agree with you. The accurate rifle and learned stalking techniques are much more demanding than a 12 gauge at 15 yards. I like the CZ 527 .22 Hornet and a custom Flint lock rifle. We rifleman are a special breed. I will share our Wyoming thoughts on rifles and turkey. Please read. Thanks

http://thesheridanpress.com/rifle-choice-key-in-wyoming-turkey-hunting-success/

 

[MCgunner]

Texas allows turkey hunting with a rifle only on Rio Grandes which is what we have here. I shot my spring Turkey this past spring with my .22 magnum Remington M597, 70 yards square in the chest. He ran about 40 yards and dropped. Seemed to do the job. My grandpa used his .257 Roberts on fall turkey while deer hunting with full on deer loads and I still have that rifle, but I think I'll stick with the .22 mag or use my new Bushmaster M4 in .223 from here on out. I love shotguns, but don't care much for 'em on turkey, personally.

I really think .22 Hornet is probably ideal, .22 mag being a little light and .223 being a little much. But, hey, the .22 mag did the job.

 

[Paul7]

Texas allows turkey hunting with a rifle only on Rio Grandes which is what we have here. I shot my spring Turkey this past spring with my .22 magnum Remington M597, 70 yards square in the chest. He ran about 40 yards and dropped. Seemed to do the job. My grandpa used his .257 Roberts on fall turkey while deer hunting with full on deer loads and I still have that rifle, but I think I'll stick with the .22 mag or use my new Bushmaster M4 in .223 from here on out. I love shotguns, but don't care much for 'em on turkey, personally.

I really think .22 Hornet is probably ideal, .22 mag being a little light and .223 being a little much. But, hey, the .22 mag did the job.

McGunner, did it ruin much meat? Not that a shotgun can't do that too.

 

[Sunray]

"...ruin much meat..." Head shots. No rifles allowed up here. I think it's because the unelected civil servants making the decisions don't know what they're talking about. Seem to think there'd be carnage in the woods if a guy with a match grade .22 or the like took a shot at a bird's head.
"...Trail Boss handloads..." Find that in a proper manual or make it up? I'd be thinking much lighter bullets, like a 110 or so. One 115 grain TB load on Reloader's Nest running 960 FPS.

 

[RangerGord]

"Find that in a proper manual or make it up? I'd be thinking much lighter bullets, like a 110 or so. One 115 grain TB load on Reloader's Nest running 960 FPS."

I use the 70% volume rule for a starting charge with Trail Boss. So yes, my loads came for the IMR/Hodgon website. My start charge was 13.3, my regular loads were 14.5-16.7, Max would be about 19grains(100% volume).

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Some hunters would claim someone who hunts turkeys with a rifle is "un-ethical" or "un-sporting". Well, I believe that rifles(if chosen and loaded correctly) are the best tools for harvesting turkeys in many situations. They kick less, make less noise, and are often cheaper to shoot than a shotgun. I still rely heavily on my calling skills.

I would like to hear from others who use rifles for turkey hunting. Especially in regards to their caliber choice.

I don't care what other people say...rifle hunting sure beats picking lead shot out of the meat any day.

 

[MCgunner]

McGunner, did it ruin much meat? Not that a shotgun can't do that too.

Nope. I shot it square in the chest and there as a hole with about a third of an inch of bloodied meat at most in diameter through it. The bullet expanded nicely and left a nice exit hole in the back.

Next time I get a shot at a tom, I'm thinkin' I might need to place the shot around the base of the neck. I could have done that with this bird, but went for the big target. He didn't go far, though. That little Remington is enough of a tack driver, will shoot 1 1/2 MOA with CCI maxi mag all day long at 100 yards. Base of the neck seems more sure fire than trying to hit a possibly bobbing head on a turkey.

 

[Sam1911]

I used to know a gunsmith who had a special turkey hunting rifle setup he did as kind of his trademark thing.

If I recall correctly, he used old Mauser actions that he got cheap and weren't up for full power loads, and I believe he put a .30 barrel on it. The trick was he used a simple round lead ball #0 buckshot, and a trick bolt face that held a 209 primer with no powder. Said it was great medicine for turkeys, almost silent, no worry about riccochets or bullets carrying too far. I never got to shoot one but it seemed really cool. A bit like a super beefed up .22 CB colibri load.

 

[buck460XVR]

I don't care what other people say...rifle hunting sure beats picking lead shot out of the meat any day.

I've only hunted Turkeys for a little over 30 years, both spring birds and fall. Had to pick very few shotgun pellets from any of the many birds I have been fortunate to harvest. Maybe I'm just lucky. While I have never shot a turkey with a rifle, I have shot them with a bow/crossbow. I'd assume meat damage would be similar. Cut it out and move on, similar to what I do with shotgun pellet trails.

 

[FL-NC]

Its just a bird. I have legally taken 2 with 223 Hornady 75 grain BTHP match, in the neighborhood of 100 and 150 yards. Drilled a neat hole in the chest, minimal damage, and anchored both birds. As far as what is "ethical", I believe that is in the eyes of the beholder and largely a useless conversation-assuming your method and equipment are legal in your location, and you are operating within the limits of your abilities and equipment to mitigate loss of game or excessive suffering. Remember that there were no laws until they were written. Otherwise, its just opinion akin to "are blondes prettier than redheads". Just my 2 cents.

 

[alsaqr]

For many years i hunted turkeys with rifles in West Virginia. Used a .30-06 with military ball ammunition. The bullet left a tiny hole and the turkey was usually DRT.

 

[eastbank]

i use a old remington 722 in .222 with a old weaver k-8 in the fall rifle season loaded with fnj bullets at 3000 fps, aim for where the neck joins the body. eastbank.

 

[Patocazador]

I shot a fall turkey in west Texas with my .257 Roberts AI with a 100 gr. Nosler partition (I was deer hunting). It blew that gobbler up. I couldn't find all the pieces. Non-expandable bullets are the way to go.

 

[sage5907]

Several years ago it was legal to hunt spring turkeys in Oklahoma with a rifle and I shot more than a few with a rifle. What I quickly found out that if you shoot a turkey with any kind of rifle is to only shoot them from the side so the bullet passes through the upper 1/3 of the body. This leaves the breast in one piece and the bullet will enter and exit without expanding very much. I wanted a small entry hole and a small exit hole. I would never shoot one from the front or the rear with a rifle.

 

[MCgunner]

Several years ago it was legal to hunt spring turkeys in Oklahoma with a rifle and I shot more than a few with a rifle. What I quickly found out that if you shoot a turkey with any kind of rifle is to only shoot them from the side so the bullet passes through the upper 1/3 of the body. This leaves the breast in one piece and the bullet will enter and exit without expanding very much. I wanted a small entry hole and a small exit hole. I would never shoot one from the front or the rear with a rifle.

I hurt very little breast meat with my .22 mag and I shot it head on square in the chest with a 40 grain hollow point CCI maxi mag. Shoot the turkey with something less than a 7mm STW with 140 soft point and you'll have no problem. This is probably the point of this thread, to figure out WHICH caliber below 7mm STW is perfect. I kinda think the ol' .22 Hornet is near perfection, but I don't have one. I have a .22 mag which works and I'm going to try a .223 with a 62 grain Barnes or maybe just a 55 grain FMJ should do just fine with minimal meat damage to the breast meat. I loaded the Barnes for hogs, but it's a limited expansion bullet with lots of penetration.

 

[Reuben McCoy Rankin]

I have an old Lyman reloading manual that lists the 25-20 as an excellent turkey rifle.

 

[FL-NC]

I wouldn't hesitate to shoot one with an accurate 223 FMJ. The 75 grain BTHP match I used I'm sure isn't expanding and it works just fine.

 

[SoonerMedic]

I'll end this thread with a .17 hornet. You're welcome lol

 

[jmr40]

We don't have a fall season here and most rifles aren't allowed. This goes back to the days when turkeys were a rare sight. The woods are full of deer hunters in the fall and it would be too easy for one to be taken just by chance while deer hunting. I can deal with that, it works here but I have no issues with places where it is legal.

We only have a spring season where turkey are the only legal game. Most everyone uses shotguns, but muzzle loading rifles are legal. I've only ran across one hunter using one.

 

[deerhunter61]

This was my first year to actually Turkey hunt and I decided going in that I was going to hunt with a rifle. Then I just researched a bit and decided to go with a .17HMR. I've killed two with it this season. One a neck shot at 20 yards and the second was in the chest at 125 yards...no meat damage on either one.

When I posted on another forum that I would be hunting with a rifle I got a little grief about it being unethical but after debating the "whys" of their unethical claims they seemed to understand a little better and didn't see it as unethical.

I believe as long as it is legal and it's up to the job whatever Gun you choose to use is fine. I would say you need to practice, practice, practice so that you have the ability to make the shot required to kill the animal as quickly as possible so there's no suffering.