I can hunt turkeys with a handgun where I from, but I am wondering what everybody would use for a load. Are typical whitetail loads going to be overkill? Would you use reduced power loads?

I have a SBH hunter with a 2x scope and a GP100. My standard load for the SBH is a 250 WFNGC over 17.5 grains of Alliant 2400. Right now I do not have a good load for the GP100.


thanks

Fairly fragile animal for handgun loads. A good hardcast at a reasonable velocity should do the trick in either the 44 or 357. something around 900 to 1000 fps should work.

Here in Idaho we have to hunt turkey's with a shotgun. I'd always thought that any good varmint rifle capable of taking head shots out to a hundred yards would be very effective and not ruin any meat.

My first turkey went down to a .45 ACP loaded with a 255gr. SWC.

He had the bad misfortune of walking right past my stand on opening day of deer season.... finally couldn't resist and leaned out the window and shot him.

Ate really well and didn't tear up much meat.

Good luck and I hope you get one.

Good deal.

I hope I get drawn for a fall season tag. I managed to forget the spring deadline again...

I can hunt turkeys with a handgun where I from, but I am wondering what everybody would use for a load. Are typical whitetail loads going to be overkill? Would you use reduced power loads?

I have a SBH hunter with a 2x scope and a GP100. My standard load for the SBH is a 250 WFNGC over 17.5 grains of Alliant 2400. Right now I do not have a good load for the GP100.


thanks
Horrors!!! The thought of using a handgun on turkeys??? Heh, Heh! I breakfast with some retired wardens. I once broached the subject of Wisconsin allowing hunters to use a rifle (neck shots with a .223 REM). Man, I thought I'd get strung up! They are a different breed (the wardens, that is). Seriously, though, I would love to try hunting turkeys with one of my .44 Mag's, downloaded to say, 5 gr of Bullseye with a 250 cast bullet. This particular load was good for me, and accuracy was about 1.75" at 50 yards. Not a good stopper load, but plenty good enough for a turkey center-of-mass shot without destroying a lot of meat.

I'm with you. But I'd use a 22lr for head shots. I can't imagine the fun that would be. WI is loaded with turkeys. I really don't see the issue. You have guys using 3.5" mags to shoot a bird!?!?!?!?! I'd have to say a 22lr rifle or pistol would be much more sporting. Let the fun begin!:DHorrors!!! The thought of using a handgun on turkeys??? Heh, Heh! I breakfast with some retired wardens. I once broached the subject of Wisconsin allowing hunters to use a rifle (neck shots with a .223 REM). Man, I thought I'd get strung up! They are a different breed (the wardens, that is). Seriously, though, I would love to try hunting turkeys with one of my .44 Mag's, downloaded to say, 5 gr of Bullseye with a 250 cast bullet. This particular load was good for me, and accuracy was about 1.75" at 50 yards. Not a good stopper load, but plenty good enough for a turkey center-of-mass shot without destroying a lot of meat.

About any good handgun from 9mm up will do fine. I've taken them with 9mm, .44 Special, .44WCF, .45ACP and .45 Colt, usually with cast SWC's. From these you can tell that velocities from about 800fps to about 1000fps seem to be just right for body shots. A .22 RFM in a handgun has proven to be too light for body shots and will lose birds even at short range. You simply need more bullet weight (momentum) than the .22mag offers.

Centerfire rifles (other than pistol cartridges) are pretty much restricted to head or neck shots because you really don't want to see (or have to clean) the effects of most body hits.

I feel for you shotgun only guys. I was well past voting age when I first heard folks used shotguns on turkey. I had always thought that shotguns were just for doves, duck and quail.

I use a .22 LR on turkeys. I just shoot them in the neck/head. Rifles and handguns are legal in the fall here, shotguns only in the spring.