Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting TSS facts verses fiction

Some of us actually enjoy trying new things. If I was a sustenance hunter, I'd find the cheapest way that works and stick with it. But the vast majority of my turkeys come from the grocery store. The ones I've hunted I didn't hunt out of necessity. I enjoy interacting with nature and owning guns and trying new things. Is there no merit to that? You're posting on a board that is really nothing but that.

That's your opinion, and you're more than welcome to it. And yes, your set-up will, and does work, no doubt. As stated, some of us like to try new stuff and mess around with it. I made a living as an electrician. I worked on voltages up to 15,000 volts. I appreciate new and improved tools. Nothing rises your situational awareness like working in 3,000 amp 480 volt live switchgear. Can it still be done with the old tools? Absolutely. But there's a place for the new tools too...

When I first started spring turkey hunting I used a New Haven Model 600 (A Montgomery Wards branded Mossberg 500) with a 28 inch plain barrel and a poly choke. I used #4 or #6 high brass lead field loads. That's all I had at the time. I used my Lynch World Champion box call and wore Army BDUs. I used that wax face camo stick the Army used to use that was light grean on one end and dark green on the other and that you had to heat with a lighter to put on, and scrub like hell to get off. I even had a couple of successful hunts. It worked. Glad I'm graduated from that, though.

It really boils down to this, Use what you like and be happy". I could care less if you use TSS, Hevi Shot, Heavy Shot, lead, bow and arrow, or rock and a sling shot. I found what works for me and make me happy. The good Lord has blessed me and allowed me to kill turkey and put them in the freezer to feed me and my family and friends.
Hunt with whatever gets you results that you are happy with. If you want to try something new, great try it, if not so be it.

If anyonbe is looking, MidwayUSA has 20 gauge Federal TSS #9 available and Natchez has 20 gauge Federal TSS #7 available. I ordered 2 boxes of #7 from Natchez. I also picked up some 20 gauge Winchester XX 3" #5. Will be interesting to see how they pattern.

It's -11° here this morning, just need a little bit better weather! Lol!

That's a little nipply. It's 36° here.

At 10:04 the temp is 19 degrees here

A couple of thousand turkeys are killed in Missouri with arrows every October. Some archery deer hunters buy turkey licenses in case one happens by while they are deer hunting. My wife's cousin arrowed a coyote that way once; the coyote was trailing a doe with a late season fawn and he did them a favor. Good times, if you like being in the woods in October (I do).

In Spring, though, turkey hunting is a shotgun sport.

In Missouri the archery deer/turkey permit is all one unit that gives two deer and two turkey permits at a $19 cost for residents. Additional antlerless deer permits are unlimited and cost $7 each. The fall bowhunter can kill two turkeys of either sex. The shotgun fall turkey season runs the entire month of October and a fall shotgunner can kill two birds of either sex. Again, $19 permit for residents. In the spring season a bowhunter may use a bow to kill spring gobblers, no problem there. The spring gobbler turkey season runs about three weeks, two gobblers may be taken and a $19 permit for residents is required. All permits are over the counter, no draw. Missouri's seasons and methods are pretty simple and inexpensive overall.

With that said, our turkey flock population has tanked and birds are becoming scarce and much harder to come by. Wet nesting seasons, nest raiding predators, increased wild hogs, timber management... it hasn't been good hunting for years now. I'm old enough to remember the late 80's-through the early 2000's when it was no big deal to go to public ground and hear a dozen gobblers sound off within walking distance and with little hunting pressure to deal with. Our hunting hasn't been like that for at least a decade and seems to be steadily worsening.

Here in Virginia, turkeys can be harvested with just about anything, except in sping. In spring, shotguns must be loaded with shot no larger than #2. But a hunter can still use other weapons if county ordinances allow it. In Virginia, turkeys are "big game" and a few counties are "no rifles for big game" counties. Others are "no rifles for deer" counties. And still others are "no rifles larger than .22 caliber for hunting" counties. All the counties I hunt, rifles and archery are perfectly legal for spring turkey. So are airguns.

It came early.

man you are set to go, get you some big paper and let it eat

At $10 bucks or more a bite......eating might get pretty slim.

The Indian Creek .555" is ready to go, just need a little better weather than what we've been having. For those 100 yard shots with the magic #9 fairy dust, I had a flat spot milled on the receiver to mount the Burris FastFire3, keeps it low and rock solid. I didn't like the Burris mount that goes between the receiver and stock.

If anyone is interested, MidwayUSA has 3" 12G #7/#9 Federal TSS available. 1 box limit.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1019776962?pid=564285#read-reviews

Midway also has 20G TSS available.

Mack's Prairie Wings has 20G Apex and Federal TSS available now.

https://www.mackspw.com/shooting/shotgun-ammunition/20-gauge

Natchex has Federal TSS 20G, too.

Macks has the best prices.

Spring is almost here.

Boy that's a heck of a deal....

Dean what happens when you battery dies on that toy site.

Always keep a fresh one along. And the front bead is co-witnessed with the sight! Lol! I do have an aversion to anything with a battery while hunting. Has to do with that Murphy's law thing...

This thread is about the fallacies of TSs....

In all seriousness, using a piece of electronics hunting does have its concerns. What if it goes out, stops working? At least with the Burris, the battery compartment is on top, don't have to remove it from the gun to change it out. Not all of them are like that. And I do practice shooting it without it turned on in case there is a failure. And just because, I am going to set up a 100 yard target and see what happens on paper