Turkey loads kick!!!
 

This will be my first year to turkey hunt so I bought some Winchester Supreme 3" shells for my 12 guage 870 to pattern my gun. Prior to shooting the 3 inchers I was bustin a few clays with some light dove loads and then went to patterning my gun with my turkey loads. I wasn't really expecting the gun to take a punch at my eye like it did. It caught me off guard having just shot 50 light loads. Well, 3rd shot with the 3 inchers and the gun somehow knocks my contact off my eyeball. At first I thought it might have just pushed it under my eye lid, but no, it knocked it right off my eye! I had to drive all the way home with some messed up vision. I've never driven drunk but I think that was a pretty close experience.

RE: Turkey loads kick!!!
 

Yep!!

RE: Turkey loads kick!!!
 

Wait till you try a 3-1/2"

Sure is fun though.

RE: Turkey loads kick!!!
 

The worst is over. You won't feel a thing when you are shooting at a turkey.

RE: Turkey loads kick!!!
 

One reason I shoot an automatic,it helps to reduce that recoil some.

RE: Turkey loads kick!!!
 

Your shoulder will probably be an interesting shade of purple tomorrow :)

RE: Turkey loads kick!!!
 

YYYEEESSSIIRRRRRR-EEEEEE

Automatics do help alot. I'm completely new to turkey hunting, but my state requires shotgun slugs for deer. (Besides, I've had some fun handloading for 'dem really big squirrels, and for the 10,000 black birds that fly 60yds above, just out of range.) So I've been there. I find it very interesting that dedicated turkey guns are sold in pump action configurations; it makes absolutely no sense to me. One of the biggest/easiest things you can do to calm the kick is either add as much weught to your gun as you can and reduce the weight of you're load( 2oz down to 1.5) as much as you're willing. From what I've read, certain guns will actually shoot better with less lead being pushed through the barrel.

RE: Turkey loads kick!!!
 

Try a 10ga some time

RE: Turkey loads kick!!!
 

When I was 13. I was shooting a 12 ga 2 3/4 in mags. So I decided to try to shoot 3 inchers, I thought I was tough. Well I shot the 1st one and because I was sitting on a bucket shooting downhill, I got me nose to close to the stock and busted my nose. So I just stuck with 2 3/4 inchers, until I was 14

RE: Turkey loads kick!!!
 

I won't ever shoot turkey loads in 10 guage or a 12 gauge 3.5 incher.

Hal