Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting 22 Mag or 17 HMR for turkeys?

Va, I Turkey hunt in the big timber mostly, straight up and straight down kind of terrain, the ranges I kill Mr. Tom even with a rifle are usually no more than 60 yds or so, most have been killed within easy shotgun range, I just like to hunt with a rifle sometimes as I am truly a "Rifle Whore" at heart (not crazy about shotguns) I don't even use a shotgun to squirrel hunt the early season, I use a rimfire, I haven't hunted in the Spring with a rifle in several years and kinda miss it.................Hillbilly.

Hillbilly go with the hornet you will not be sorry. I have shot many turkeys with both the 22 mag and 22 hornet and I take the hornet hands down.

I know that feeling, very well.

The Hornet is your huckleberry.

One of those Marlin 1894s that they did a few years back in .218 Bee or .25-20 would EASILY fill the bill as well.

I gotta feeling I'm in the midst of many "Rifle Whores" like me on this site, we have to congregate in places like this cause nobody else really understands our sickness ..................Hillbilly.

You just now catching onto that?

I know a guy that swears by shooting them with the 22lr facing away between the wings(upper back/lung area), so either of the two you mentioned should do just fine.

I prefer the shotgun myself, but can't say I wouldn't try it if legal. I have a very accurate 22WMR that does a dandy job on wild hogs, so I can't imagine it not working on a tom at less than 50. It would be an insteresting challenge.

Yep, just now catchin onto it, I'm a little slow.....Grin..............Hillbilly.

You are right Reloader, it is an interesting challenge, instead of blasting away at a gobblers head/neck area when he gets within range of your shotgun, you have to wait for that precise shot and sometimes that ain't easy, especially if the first time you see the turkey is when he pops his head up 25 yds away, in the terrain I hunt this often happens and is a tough situation if your hunting with a rifle. I have had many more Toms get away in these close quarter encounters when I was rifle hunting than I ever had when carrying a shotgun, if a Turkey pokes his head up at 25 yds and I'm shotgun hunting 99% of the time he's going to turkey heaven where he can get his 15 virgin hens and live with Allah.................Hillbilly

Yep.

Had a similar argument with a pard.

He said I was "unsporting" to snipe gobblers with a .22 centerfire; he was "doing it right" with a shotgun.

I asked him how wide his pattern was at 25 yards and at 40 yards. The answer was about 18" at 25 yards and about 30" at 40 yards.

I asked him how wide my bullet was at 25 yards and at 40 yards....

He got quiet. Fast...

I was thinking that today at work. I was actually wondering how many people are like us in each town???

I have many friends that "like" rifles/guns, but I know of only one guy that is close to being as big a gun whore as I am, and between us I am probably the sickest, I think not many gun owners percentage wise are like us...................Hillbilly.