Gettin ready for opening day.

[deermanok]

I have an old Mossberg 12 gauge pump that has been setup for deer since I forget when. I decided to swap out barrels to my 24 inch ported smooth bore barrel. The gun has an old Nikon 2x7x32mm scope on it.
Yesterday morning, it took me about 7 shots to resight.
This is my last shot of the session, as I ran out of targets.
25 yards off the bench. I'm still hitting a bit to the right, I guess but I can live with it. If I can, I'll get more time in with it.

 

[Hausser1]

ow

 

[Hatchet Jack]

Looks like turkey breastsezez in the freezer to me.

 

[eekjellander]

Looks like turkey breastsezez in the freezer to me.

Might be all right shooting right cause if you made a mistake in elevation it would be turkey burger !@!!/Ed

 

[Ninering62]

I have an old Mossberg 12 gauge pump that has been setup for deer since I forget when. I decided to swap out barrels to my 24 inch ported smooth bore barrel. The gun has an old Nikon 2x7x32mm scope on it.
Yesterday morning, it took me about 7 shots to resight.
This is my last shot of the session, as I ran out of targets.
25 yards off the bench. I'm still hitting a bit to the right, I guess but I can live with it. If I can, I'll get more time in with it.View attachment 42302

Nice pattern there, just needs a lil sight adj.
I went out on the porch at daybreak this morn & birds were cutting up & gobblin like crazy & it was barely light. Within the last half hr there have been a huge gobbler with at least a 10” beard that came 50yds from the porch ( killin zone for the new TK2000 ) and he started strutting around gobblin his head off. Then they started coming from everywhere, there are a dozen or more in the front yard & at least that many more on the other side of the fence in the neighbors front field. There is a decent size bird with a double 8” beard in the front yard right now along with numerous other decent gobblers.
I’d sure love to bag that double beard this season. Anonymouscowherd & I are counting days & hours until next Sat morn when our spring season opens.
Good hunting brother

 

[Hausser1]

Good luck gents!
Hopefully, I can get out this April. Tomorrow at this time I'll be under the hot bright lights, ... getting a new left hip joint.

 

[retrieverman]

I’m a little OCD and would have to get it adjusted, but I seriously doubt a turkey is going to walk away after getting him with that pattern as it is.

How’s the turkey population in your part of the state?

 

[deermanok]

I’m a little OCD and would have to get it adjusted, but I seriously doubt a turkey is going to walk away after getting him with that pattern as it is.

How’s the turkey population in your part of the state?

There's birds but not in huge numbers, that's for sure.
The last couple years, I've hunted one particular WMA in the area that has been pretty good.
I've only taken one turkey since moving out here 5 years ago. Hopefully I can get number 2 next month.

 

[phalanx]

Looking good Jim! What shot/shell size are you using? I'll be using 3in Long Beard 5 shot out of my 3.5in Winchester SXP with a Carlson choke. Its what patterned best. I also have a .410 Mossberg semiauto that I'll be using with TSS shot. Plan on double checking everything the weekend of 29 Mar.

Our season here in VA doesn't start until April 13th and stops at noon until April 28th. From the 29th until May 18th we can hunt until sunset.

 

[ElDiablo]

Getting excited myself!

On the neighbors place a few days ago.

 

[Ninering62]

There's birds but not in huge numbers, that's for sure.
The last couple years, I've hunted one particular WMA in the area that has been pretty good.
I've only taken one turkey since moving out here 5 years ago. Hopefully I can get number 2 next month.

I got to go turkey hunting for Rio’s a cpl times with my brother when he was stationed at Ft Sill Ok.
I couldn’t carry a gun, but going with my brother & calling for him was awesome. That’s the toughest turkey hunting I’ve ever seen or done out there. I’ve turkey hunted in Md. Va. Wva. Pa. & now Fl. And it’s nowhere near as difficult as it was in Ok.
The massive flat open fields with thin rows of trees dividing them made it so every roosting turkey could see us coming from a very long way off & when they flew down, it wasn’t in our direction. Trying to call birds on the ground from across those massive open areas was not working either. We got skunked every time. Having good bino’s & covering a whole lot of ground out there was necessary.

 

[deermanok]

I got to go turkey hunting for Rio’s a cpl times with my brother when he was stationed at Ft Sill Ok.
I couldn’t carry a gun, but going with my brother & calling for him was awesome. That’s the toughest turkey hunting I’ve ever seen or done out there. I’ve turkey hunted in Md. Va. Wva. Pa. & now Fl. And it’s nowhere near as difficult as it was in Ok.
The massive flat open fields with thin rows of trees dividing them made it so every roosting turkey could see us coming from a very long way off & when they flew down, it wasn’t in our direction. Trying to call birds on the ground from across those massive open areas was not working either. We got skunked every time. Having good bino’s & covering a whole lot of ground out there was necessary.

I shot a Rio, my first year hunting here.
The Easterns that we have here are definitely tough to hunt, imo.

 

[deermanok]

Looking good Jim! What shot/shell size are you using? I'll be using 3in Long Beard 5 shot out of my 3.5in Winchester SXP with a Carlson choke. Its what patterned best. I also have a .410 Mossberg semiauto that I'll be using with TSS shot. Plan on double checking everything the weekend of 29 Mar.

Our season here in VA doesn't start until April 13th and stops at noon until April 28th. From the 29th until May 18th we can hunt until sunset.

John, I'm using Winchester XR's # 4 shot. I have a HS Strut Undertaker choke. Got it at Walmart quite a few years ago, marked down. I think I only paid a couple bucks for it. Works pretty good, I think.
I always liked the Remington 3 inch, 2x4 loads but they're not available any more.

 

[MrTom]

Good luck on the hunt Jim. Judging by the picture of the pattern, turkey will be on the menu if they show up.

 

[deermanok]

Good luck on the hunt Jim. Judging by the picture of the pattern, turkey will be on the menu if they show up.

Thanks Mr Tom, hopefully one will step out in front of the gun.

 

[phalanx]

Thanks Jim. I still have three 2x4's left in my box; olive drab color shell if i recall. I'll have to pull one out and see how it does in my spare barrel with a Jellyhead choke which I also got at Wally a few years back. Mught have a box of 4's around also. Never really tried them. 5 and 6 seem to be what all my friends use so I went with the flow for interchangeability. Your pattern looks darn good for 4's!

John

 

[GLenn]

I would say that is a turkey killing machine!! Looks very good Deerman!!

I used to shoot those 4X6 loads also and they were very good. Then a friend got me to try those Long Beards and I’m now hooked on them. I had not seen any for several years but Cabelas had them just recently so I picked up 4 boxes. And at my age, I’ll not be hunting and still have shells in inventory for the grand boys!!
Good luck to all this spring.

 

[phalanx]

Double checked, what I have is a 2x6's and not 2x4. But do have plain 4's. Gomna have to try them

 

[retrieverman]

I’ve been trying 6, 7.5, and 8 shot in my handloads, and I think any of the 3 will kill a turkey within my self imposed shot distance limit. There’s a pretty significant difference in pellet counts between the three.
With a 1 1/4 oz load…
#6-281
#7.5-437 36% more than #6
#8-512 14% more than #7.5 and 45% more than #6
There’s a very noticeable difference in pattern densities.

 

[eekjellander]

Good luck gents!
Hopefully, I can get out this April. Tomorrow at this time I'll be under the hot bright lights, ... getting a new left hip joint.

You will do well and the turkeys won't , they will wait (FOR YOU) !/Ed