Originally Posted by JoeA

Would Tom Turpin have used one if he had the option?

***Who cares what he would have used?

Is it the choketube or the range that makes it "unfair"? What if it were a familiar turkey choke with one of the "extended" range shells like Longbeard XR, Hevi-Shot? This issue reminds me of the arguments that raged when compound bows, and more recently crossbows, entered the scene. Did they ruin the sport?

***Turkey hunting has always been a sport where you try to call the bird in as close as possible for the sport of it, as well as to insure a clean, humane kill. The use of equipment, even though legal, that takes away from the sporting aspect IMHO takes away from why we go hunting. Using the technology, whether it's a choke, a better shell, or a combination of the two to insure a clean kill is fine, but to extend ranges out that IMHO takes away from the sport just to get a kill lessens the experience of the hunt if a person just has to get a kill to be happy. This goes the same with these long range systems for big game where people are now potting away at game at ridiculous ranges where the animal is so far out that it can't rely on it's senses for survival.

If someone thinks it's "more proper" to keep shots to 40yds or less, then do so. If this helps draw more folks into hunting, whatever the game, strengthen support for hunting and all it requires, great.

***I would hope that what it will do is insure humane kills at decent distances and not increase long range distances that may lead to more crippling than already happens. I sure can't see how it will have anything to do with bringing more people into the sport.

As the average age of hunters increases, more participation not less is what the habitat, game animals and the hunting community needs.