I know how turkey hunters, including me, feel about taking turkeys at long range with scoped rifles. The fun is in the calling and getting them in close.

that said, I have a 8 3/4" bbl S&W 357 that is deadly enough on its own, to take a turkey with a head shot at 15 yds. This assumes me in a sitting position and the turkey holding still.

Just wondering if anyone else has tried this and would like to hear of your experiences.

And if you feel you just have to bust my ***** over this, have at it.

Charlie

Charlie, that would have to be one sensitive trigger on that pistol. Never heard of someone trying it with a pistol head shot before.

357 maybe overkill, maybe a 22 mag?


Earl

Its from the good ole days when they built them right. 1937, the second year for the 357 Mag. It is a sweet trigger and it shoots like a rifle.
I hand load for it approximating hot 38 spl/light magnum loads.


Charlie

Funny you posted this just seen on a realtree outdoors a guy using a Taurus Judge with .410 shell with #4s. He patterned it at 15 yards with only about 3 pellets in the kill zone then 10 yards with about 7 pellets then 5 yards with 15 pellets. Then he did the whole sneak and belly crawl with a turkey fan out in a field and shot one point blank maybe 2 or 3 feet away. Heck of a way to go about it. I don't know if it is just me are if people (not meaning any disrespect to anyone with the FANNING method) getting bored with the traditional way of doing things. I'm not judging I own top of the line decoys and been the consumer buying new stuff that comes out every year, but I still like seeing the gobbler come in strutting watching the show.

Have taken 3 with a .44 mag ! LOL Long shot was 70 yds.

I'm going something different this year - air rifle. Have a .357 PCP air rifle that will touch holes in a target at 30 yds. Head shot will easily take one out. It will go thru a 2x4 at point blank.

And yes it's a legal weapon. Just check the specific county laws on rifle use.

interesting on the air rifle and the 44mag.
One thing that got me started thinking about the handgun was a bow hunting video on TV where the guys were doing head shots only with the bow. You have to get them in pretty close and I know I can shoot the s&w better than I can shoot a bow. I have a shoulder holster for the smith, and will take it along with my ole double bbl fox and see what unfolds.

Charlie

interesting on the air rifle and the 44mag.
One thing that got me started thinking about the handgun was a bow hunting video on TV where the guys were doing head shots only with the bow. You have to get them in pretty close and I know I can shoot the s&w better than I can shoot a bow. I have a shoulder holster for the smith, and will take it along with my ole double bbl fox and see what unfolds.

Charlie

I read an article years ago about two guys in Virginia who only hunted with pistols. They used Colt SAA in .45 Colt and used a slow moving, lead bullet. I've never tried it myself.