If you don’t know your gun and its limits, you are asking for trouble. Pattern your gun to see where the densest part of the pattern hits. Every spring, numerous turkeys are completely missed or hit poorly because a hunter assumed that his gun would hit where he aimed. You need to hit the turkey in it’s head or neck for a clean kill; body shots rarely work.
Bill Davis of Pure Gold turkey chokes advises every hunter to pattern his gun before the season.
“You need to place targets every 10 yards on out to a distance where you feel comfortable making a shot,” he said. “The target you shoot at 10 yards will probably only have a hole the size of a golf ball. Close shots are like you are shooting a rifle. Keep shooting targets until the pattern shows less than four to six pellets in the head and neck of the turkey; this is the maximum range you should take a shot. Take your gun to a gunsmith to get the point of aim corrected, or install a scope.”
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