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| Pattern for perfection before hunting for gobblers |
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| It is still a little early to scout, but there are other things of importance to which a turkey hunter should attend.
One of the biggest mistakes a turkey hunter can make is not taking the time to pattern his shotgun.
Every gun will throw a slightly different pattern, even guns of the same model and make. Knowing the center of a gun’s pattern can be critical when it comes time to shoot.
Try these helpful hints from the experts at the National Wild Turkey Federation to make sure the next time the opportunity presents itself, you walk out of the woods with a turkey over your shoulder.
Does size matter? When choosing a shotgun for turkey hunting, choose a gun that’s comfortable to shoot and one in which you have confidence.
Shooting magnum turkey load can lead to a bad case of “the flinches.” More than one long beard has lived to gobble another day because of the flinches.
Chokes and such. A key element to a good turkey gun is a good turkey choke. A turkey choke has more constriction than a Full choke, and are often labeled Extra Full or XX Full.
Tighter chokes are designed for smaller pellets such as No. 6 or No. 5 shot. The more open constrictions are better suited for larger pellets such as No. 4.
Can you have too much constriction? Yes, you can. Depending on your gun and the ammunition you’ve selected, you can overconstrict the shot to the point where the pattern diminishes.
It is possible for the pellets to bounce off each other or become deformed, leaving large holes in your pattern. The solution is to go to a more open constriction or to a smaller shot size.
Ammunition. The ammunition you choose can drastically affect a gun’s pattern. Each gun-choke combination will shoot a specific round better than others.
The only |
| 4/18/2007 |
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