Interesting responses. I dunno about how everything is so much better than 20 years ago.
I few years ago I made the mistake of taking a shot at a turkey that was 80 yards out. There were 3 of them coming for me down a fence line. I got my gun up as the lead bird went behind a tree. He must have seen me and run out into the middle of the field. All I know is that when he emerged from behind the tree he was 70 yards further out in the field. My eye was pressed to the scope, so I couldn't tell.
Those old useless antiquated Federal #4's knocked him down. I'm not saying they did the best job, but they worked. It was a dumb mistake.
Last Tag Filled. . .20 years ago I still had a turkey hunting buddy. Poor old Kip was a lousy shot, and a bit of a dolt, but he was a turkey hunter when there weren't too many turkey hunters around and he'd follow me wherever I'd try to go, and outside of drinking every drop of liquor I had, he was good company. It was right around 20 years ago Kip's drinking started to get the best of him and his health and his judgment started to wane. It was about that time one April, sitting on a picnic table close to our tent that I offered to take him to an AA meeting, and he declined. The next morning he forgot how the safety of his Browning Citori worked and managed an accidental discharge about 10 yards behind me as we were walking out to hunt.
I stood there for the longest time thinking to myself that a) I was still thinking so that meant I was still alive and b) I really didn't want to see what was behind me.
As it turned out Kip had at least had the sense to have the gun barrel pointed in a good direction. He was scared and embarrassed, but that was all. We had a bum hunt and then came in. That was it for Kip and me.
Now you'd think that when I'd been so afflicted, the last thing you'd expect I'd do is choose Kip's load when I finally treated myself to a new turkey gun, However, I'd seen everyone most Kip's family shoot those #4 Federals. Kip's family were legendary turkey hunters. They hunted off a 1,000 acre plot that used to be a turkey hunting mecca. Sadly, it is now a gaming casino.
Kip died this past year of complications from a life of falling off the wagon. He did finally get to AA and got sober, but he died of a heart attack at the family duck camp down in Arkansas. I hear they just put a blanket over him and went out for the morning hunt before calling anyone. The widow has been giving my sons Kip's hunting gear. He was their godfather, as I was to his kids.
The world has turned a lot in 20 years. I've gotten good enough as a turkey hunter that I really hadn't noticed that my #4 Federals weren't doing the trick. In the intervening years, I've blown plenty of shots, but it was usually because I missed close in. I can't remember those #4 Federals ever being the problem.
