Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Best Budget Box Call

What is your opinion on a budget must have box call that sounds good. Primos or another brand. I noticed at the box sporting goods store that each maker has several different types.

It's not "budget," but it's one of the best:

Quaker Boy Grand Old Master


Dick Kirby put one of these in my hands back in 1984, and I'm still calling in turkeys with it. It's $40 on Amazon, but it is a consistently good performer.

Lynch has been a good one for me.

My turkey hunting mentor (~30 years ago when there were few turkeys to be found in my area) had very specific calls he would use. He let me in on it; whatever was on sale or clearance.

Hint: it ain't hard to call a turkey in.

Those are the 2 box calls I carry. The Lynch is the #101 Fool Proof 1 sider. The Grand Old Master is my go to call, I use it the most. Rios & Merriams love to gobble to it. I uses it in KS also for Easterns, I got 3/4 of the slam.

Ordered a Grand Old Master for $35 shipped. Thanks guys.

I have a few, including a Lynch's Fool Proof and a Lynch's World Champion...and I still like my cheap H.S. Strut Closer better than any of them.

That is a great deal. Get yourself some chalk and have at it. Penn's Woods makes a no-mess stick that will last you a lifetime.

The QB GOM is a good all-around call. It does not work well in rain without protection. Put it in a bread bag when the weather gets soggy and it'll be fine.

My 20y/o+ Fool Proof i always with me. As sweet a yelp as they come.

I have a vest full of calls, more than I need. If I ever narrowed it down, there would only be 2....a Lynch Foolproof, and a Johnny Stewart push pin. I'm on my third Lynch box call, and I wouldn't want to go turkey hunting without one, as I have that much faith in them. The little Johnny Stewart call is one I bought off a $1.00 table many years ago. It's ideal for finishing the deal.

A little Lynch Fool Proof or if you can find an older H.S Strut in the original Mossy Oak Bottomland you will be just fine. Nice small calls.

The Flextone Magnum Strutter sounds great, needs no chalk and works in the rain. I've called in several gobblers with mine.

Late to the party here, but check out the new Quaker Boy "Trigger Finger" push pin call. I bought one last season - the pin is internal - can't be accidentally pushed when you are moving about.

I've always enjoyed using the Lohman boxes.

If you can go $60 I'd contact SS Custom Calls and get one of their Field Grade boxes. Just an absolutely excellent box with customer service that you'll likely never get from a plastic wrapped store bought call.

If you have some pretty simple tools it's not terribly difficult to make your own. I recently experimented with some Sitka spruce I milled in my backyard and am really happy. I have a hunt planned later this month that I'm prepping for. There are a lot of resources online for making your own. But the basics I gathered were 1/8" this sound boards and 1/4" thick paddle. Make sure your grain for the sound boards is horizontal and the grain for your paddle is vertical.

Like someone said previously, Walmart after turkey season clearance!

The only box call I've come to like is the MAD Calls - Cherry Bomb. I think I paid around $30-40 for it.

i just picked up an older Lynch World Championship this past weekend. going to ship it up to my son at Mizzou for this spring. i wasn't about to let mine out the door.

I.ve gone to Paul Meek calls the last twenty years,