Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Favorite rifle and load for Turkey?

I know this is blasphemy to many but Turkeys are targets of opportunity most of the time here and we use rifles a fair amount. Also some shy Gobblers will hang up at about a hundred yards or more so it is handy to have a rifle along when calling.

My two current favorites are 17HMR and 17 Remington with tougher bullets.

My favorite fall Texas turkey rifle is a Ruger 77/17 chambered in .17 Hornet. I've shot them with 17gr V-max and 25gr HP's........Can't tell a difference, both kill turkeys well.


X-VERMINATOR

Just shot two with my Stevens Favorite in 17 HMR worked well not too destructive. I have always thought the Hornet, Bee and 25-20 were ideal for Turkey. Good to know those bullets work as I can't get anymore of the original bonded Remington's.

I only use a rifle on rainy days when the birds are in the fields, I snipe them from the edge of the field.

It's not the best choice, but it's what I have for the purpose: boat paddle stocked, Ruger M77 22-250. 55gr Remington PSP bullets. Gotta watch where you put them, as they are destructive. I usually take a broad side shot, breaking both wings and salvage the breast.

My oldest son successfully uses a 17HMR.

17 HMR or 22LR are not legal for fall turkeys here in Colorado. A 22 mag meets the requirements. For fall turkey I have a Savage 20gauge/222 Remington.

I have shot one each with the 17 HMR/17 gr CCI, 22 Hornet/45 gr Remington factory, 223 Rem/55 gr SP (whatever Ultramax used in their reman loads at the time), and 6mm Rem with 100 gr Core-Lokts. All were under 100 yards. They all worked well as would anything else properly placed.

I think that is the key, being able to hit the bird in the right place. I shot all but one at the junction of the neck and body and the bird went down right there. The exception was with the 17 HMR which I shot in the head as I was not confident in the round. It was the third creature larger than a ground squirrel I shot at and the biggest I attempted. The jake was looking at me too so aiming at the head would have spine him if the head was raised or lowered.

I've shot several with a 30/06 and one with a 30/30.

220 Swift and 63 gr. Sierra bullets work fine.

17 Rem

When hunting other game, whatever rifle I have with me.

When hunting turkey, .22 hornet from scoped Savage combination gun; .22 hornet over 12 ga .


The 3 inch 12 ga is good out to about 50 yards.
The hornet is good out to around 150 yards.

We can use rifles (or shotguns) in the fall, I've gotten a couple with a 22 mag, but picked up a 221 fireball last year because I wanted a little more zip than you could get from the 22 hornet but thought a 223 to be too much. The furball seemed to be the ticket. But a lot of hunters here use the hornet. Furball hasn't taken one yet though, maybe this year.

I'd never reduce the glory of a wild turkey by shooting it with a rifle - even if it were legal here. The sport is getting the bird into shotgun range. I bet if some of these rifle hunters ever got to do it the right way, they would put the rifles away forever.

Different strokes for different folks.

I have killed many, many Spring gobblers with shotguns and rifles, (111 at last count) most of My turkey rifles have been chambered in .223 Rem but I did have a Model Seven that was chambered for .222 Rem many years ago and it did a fine job....I dont currently own a rifle in a varmint cartridge as I quit coyote hunting a few years back but I have been considering another turkey rifle, I think I might try a rifle chambered in .22 Hornet This time. Hunting turkeys with a rifle is a fun change of pace, but in the hardwoods where I hunt turkeys a rifle can cost you sometimes if the woods are thick, I think a good 3.5" shotgun deadly to 60 yd's is My best weapon......Hb

Wow, 111 spring gobblers!

Where all do you hunt in the spring season?

Nothing unsporting about calling one in close and poking it with a "cleverly concocted rifle cartridge" as Jim Carmichel once said. Personally, I wouldn't shoot a Spring bird across a pasture like he was a big, feathered groundhog, but that's a personal decision.

Fall birds are a whole 'nother game.

Here in PA shotgun only in spring (starts this Sat.) and your choice of rifle or shotgun in fall.

I started hunting Spring Gobblers in 1987 ...I buy Virginia (3 Spring turkey tags) and Kentucky (2 Spring turkey tags) hunting license every year....I live on the State line so its just as easy for me to hunt either State....Im 52 yrs old now and have enjoyed many Spring Turkey seasons, its My favorite hunting season......I have a buddy who has killed 136 Spring gobblers in his hunting career, he is a couple years older than me but he has bought a Virginia, Kentucky and also a Tennessee hunting license every year for as long as I can remember......I dont hunt in Tennessee as its 35 miles to the State line from where I live and I have My hands full hunting in Va and Ky as is..lol...Hb

.222 or 223...


S & A if you ever called in a gobbler to with. In 50 yards and TRIED to shoot it with a rifle you could call yourself a hunt... I shot may gobblers with a rifle, until I fell for this crap about a shotgun being so sporting... Ha, what a crock... I went back to my rifles.. Killing a gobbler with a shotgun is about as thrilling as shooting Bud cans of a fence post with a shotgun..