I've hunted w/both rifle and shotgun. In VA you can't Spring Gobbler hunt w/arifle but you can in the fall. My two huntin' buddies and myself would use .223s (model 7s. (the short length is what appeals to me)) and would try to break their backs to keep from messing up too much meat. It worked and I enjoyed it. But like most of these guys have already said, once you have a big gobbler struttin' 25 yards in front of you and you blast him w/ashotgun you'll quickly realize there's nothing like it.

Either way you chose you're gonna have a ton of fun!