head shot vs body shot
02-21-2005, 02:03 PM
#23
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 19,137
RE: head shot vs body shot
Mr. longbread after reading this
and this
please forget I ever said
Nothing personal but are ethics are too far apart to hunt together.
If I had a gobbler at 15 yards or less I would not hesitate to take a body shot if thats the only shot I had...
I want a wall full of beards and spurs like you private property guys but unfortunately that's never going to happen. I have to hunt my tail off just to have one chance at a turkey... Birds just don't come running in waving a flag saying shoot me shoot me So after you have a lot of your hard work getting flushed down the drain you just might reconsider you position on roost shooting. Were legal
Mr. Longbeard you ever decide to give NYS a try drop me an e-mail.
02-21-2005, 05:30 PM
#25
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 123
RE: head shot vs body shot
I learned the hard way when i was younger, Iwas new to turkey hunting and took my dads 10ga. I thought it would kill anything. I shot a gobbler in the body three times with 3.5 #4's at about 15 yds and rolled him all three times, as FAR AS i KNOW HE IS STILL RUNNING! I will shoot them in the head or not shoot at all.
02-22-2005, 07:10 AM
#26
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 19,137
RE: head shot vs body shot
How old are you and how many gobblers have you harvested over the years???
Hunting is not a competition for me. That's why I didn't get into the buck contests in the bow forum nor will I get into the Turkey hunting competition on here.
Like I said it's nothing personal, there's people I've known for years and I'm friends with that I won't hunt with.
02-22-2005, 10:52 AM
#28
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,716
RE: head shot vs body shot
I think this argument is silly.
Provided that you are using a good patterning gun, with 3" or 3 1/2" mag. hi velocity ammo, any hit at 10 yards or less is going to horribly maim your target.
A headshot at that range will result in a partially or completely headless turkey, you'll have to trust me on that. A body shot will blow BB's and feathers 4 inches deep into the bird's flesh. I have NEVER had a bird get away after a solid body shot of 10 yds or less. Further, I see nothing wrong with taking that shot - it is no different than placing an arrow in the same location.
Body shooting a gobbler at extremely close range doesn't make a guy a bad hunter, the sky won't fall, and no crimes have been committed.
I think we were simply making the point that at those ranges, pattern size can range from 1-4", which compromises your ability to hit a 3" target (head). If you don't wanna miss, shoot for the big part, plain and simple.
If your area has armor-plated turkeys or your shells are sissyfied or you have a moral dilemma with it, then by all means, don't do it. It's no reason to bash another guy for trying to get a bird in whatever way he's comfortable with (within the confines of the game laws).
Just to clarify, I'm not advocating breaking any laws, poaching birds, roost shooting, road hunting, stalking or any other illegal means of taking your bird. I'm simply saying that you can take a turkey with a high level of consistency by taking a body shot at less than ten yards.
If you only take headshots, that's your prerogative and I respect it. I only take headshots when my pattern is large enough to provide a little margin for error, but I'm not a very good shot, so I need to compensate. Lots of people are better marksmen than I.
Provided that you are using a good patterning gun, with 3" or 3 1/2" mag. hi velocity ammo, any hit at 10 yards or less is going to horribly maim your target.
A headshot at that range will result in a partially or completely headless turkey, you'll have to trust me on that. A body shot will blow BB's and feathers 4 inches deep into the bird's flesh. I have NEVER had a bird get away after a solid body shot of 10 yds or less. Further, I see nothing wrong with taking that shot - it is no different than placing an arrow in the same location.
Body shooting a gobbler at extremely close range doesn't make a guy a bad hunter, the sky won't fall, and no crimes have been committed.
I think we were simply making the point that at those ranges, pattern size can range from 1-4", which compromises your ability to hit a 3" target (head). If you don't wanna miss, shoot for the big part, plain and simple.
If your area has armor-plated turkeys or your shells are sissyfied or you have a moral dilemma with it, then by all means, don't do it. It's no reason to bash another guy for trying to get a bird in whatever way he's comfortable with (within the confines of the game laws).
Just to clarify, I'm not advocating breaking any laws, poaching birds, roost shooting, road hunting, stalking or any other illegal means of taking your bird. I'm simply saying that you can take a turkey with a high level of consistency by taking a body shot at less than ten yards.
If you only take headshots, that's your prerogative and I respect it. I only take headshots when my pattern is large enough to provide a little margin for error, but I'm not a very good shot, so I need to compensate. Lots of people are better marksmen than I.
02-22-2005, 03:56 PM
#29
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 125
RE: head shot vs body shot
i have read every word of every post and i thank all of you for your input.it seems to be a debate close to home.some say yes at close range with the right gun,most say no regardless.the way i see it this is why we have this excellent forum,so we can discuss this and other issues and make a educated choice at the LAST SECOND.i know this, none of us want to cripple a turk.thanx guys.
02-22-2005, 05:16 PM
#30
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 594
RE: head shot vs body shot
Body shots are a no-no. Turkeys r one tuff critter and will likely get away from you only to die unrecovered. Now after the first shot and the bird is escaping, perhaps from a less than perfect shot( it happens to us all from time to time), then shooting at all the bird becomes unavoidable!