Originally Posted by
falcon
OK turkey hunting rules are kind of different. In the fall we can use muzzleloader rifles, centerfire rifles, rimfire rifles and shotguns. In the spring it is shotgun only.
i prefer to hunt turkeys with a rifle where it is legal to do so. Have killed a truck load of turkeys using a .30-06 and military ammo. The .30 caliber military bullet drills a small hole through the turkey. The hole is often full of chopped up feathers.
http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/regs/turkeyregs.htm
In VA, you can use any legal (by county) firearm in both the spring and fall turkey seasons. I am going to give spring gobbler season a try (never done it before), but I have not been getting a great pattern out of my 870, so I have been considering using my M1A with Winchester 7.62x51 FMJ ammo. I HAVE shot two turkeys with that rifle before using deer ammo (was hunting for deer when the turkeys showed up…wrong place at the wrong time for them!!), and those bullets destroyed the birds. I figured the FMJ bullet would do the trick. Sounds like I was right. Have you aimed center mass or at the neck? I know you said the bullet hole was small, but what was the meat like? Was there much damage to the surrounding area?
Though my 870 wasn’t patterning well, I did decide to “test” it out after I was done patterning. I spotted a crow at 50 yards away, perched on the top of a tree. He is no longer alive. Was it a lucky hit? Not sure I wanna find that out on a turkey if I actually get one to come in to me that close.