A few weekends back, I was fortunate enough to participate in another National Wild Turkey Federation Turkey Hunting 101 class, where I had a chance to share a few words with young hunters learning the sport, while at the same time preparing for the Youth Day Turkey Hunt on April 27.
In this eight-hour day, where seasoned sportsmen and women shared their knowledge and passion of hunting wild turkeys with new hunters, these youngsters learn more about wild turkeys and wild turkey hunting than I learned in my first three years in the sport. Everything from the history of how the birds got here, their behavior, hunting strategies, calling, shooting instructions, camo and set-up tips to planning a successful hunt.
Under the leadership of Ron Gleason, who brings in some of the best turkey hunting talent in the region, how can you possibly go wrong? Ronnie packed that place with new hunters and their parents along with a few others who were there to just pick up some tips. And when you get turkey hunting talent involved like Jason Deane, Randy Gleason, Joe Miraglia, Jimmy Recore, Mitch and Paula Behilo, Joe Warger and Ken Luetta all in a setting like the Conway Sportsman’s Club, you’ve got quality people instructing these youngsters, which is simply priceless.
That kind of instruction combined in a one-day session, that many of us would have begged for when we first started turkey hunting, is awesome. To top it off, some of these people are acting as mentors to these same kids for this one-day youth day, which is an immeasurable gift. My only regret was that I had to leave shortly after my presentation to be in Concord, N.H., for another turkey hunting event later that day. What a day it was, and I wish I could have stayed longer. Congratulations to everyone who helped make it a success.
With turkey season looming, I want to linger a moment in that mentoring mindset – especially for people just starting out in the sport – by focusing on a topic that’s definitely important to turkey hunters everywhere, but is often overlooked by hunters all over the country. That topic is choke tubes. If you hunt with shotguns, and most people do, one of the most important things you can do as you go through the process is to get out on a shooting range and pattern your shotgun. This will ensure that you’re ready when a gobbling tom walks your way and is standing out there at 20, 25, 30, or 35 yards.
Most New England turkey hunters might not know that the inventor of the choke tube came from New Hampshire. Over the decades, turkey populations have increased beyond imagination, which has brought the spring turkey hunting season to the forefront in the past 30 years. Camouflage, turkey calls, shot shells and other gear evolved tremendously. Maybe none so much as shotguns and choke tubes for hunting turkeys.
I believe a lot of this can be attributed to the fact that we shoot a true turkey shotgun very differently than other upland game shotguns. We shoot them more like a shotgun set up for deer hunting.
In turkey hunting, you’re generally shooting at a (hopefully) stationary target. We are aiming the shotgun, not swinging on a moving target like clays or a passing mallard. Nor are we pulling up on a rising pheasant or a looping Pat’ridge. Experienced turkey hunters know the best way to take a bird is by delivering a clean shot to the head and neck area. And to do this, you need to have a decent rest … along with good front and rear sights on the gun or a scope, which many hunters are going to these days for turkey hunting. Tied into that, some would say that the best scenario is to have as much shot as possible in a very small circle to cover the head and neck of the turkey at the range we hope to shoot him. But here is where it starts to get tricky:
Once upon a time, the standard for shotgun patterns was the 30-inch circle, and what percentage of the pellets in a shotgun shell was delivered inside that circle. The idea was to have an evenly distributed pattern inside 30 inches. Modern turkey hunters discovered that they wanted something tighter than that. To accommodate them, literally dozens of choke tubes started showing up in the marketplace from different manufacturers.
Today, there are so many that trying to choose one can be a daunting task. In my early days of turkey hunting, I did things the same way any average hunter would do. I’d go to a gun shop for advice or I’d read everything I could on the subject, which back then was very little. Or, I’d rifle through as many hunting catalogs as I could find, looking for the perfect choke tube. Once I found one I liked, and eventually was able to purchase it, I’d put the tube in the gun and go shoot at a 30-inch target and I would use the same shotgun, with the same ammo, and same target type with each new tube I acquired.
The concept of this test was to be a simple, quick test of how the tube was patterning. But, as time went on, I became aware that, to really understand how to get the most out of a turkey shotgun, you really need to do some down and dirty comparison of different brands and shot sizes, while also shooting them through the many different choke tubes that are available today.
Different guns pattern differently, even with the same load and choke, and the only way to know for certain how a choke tube/load combination will perform from 40 yards and in is to pattern-test it on paper. And that’s something you simply must do to be confident as a turkey hunter.
But, because there’s so many different choke tubes to choose from, for people just starting to turkey hunt, where do you possibly begin? I’m here to tell you that I have a whole stable of choke tubes and I’ve taken wild turkeys with just about every one of them. I have tubes made by Bansners, Tru-Choke, Carlson’s, Remington, Nu-Line, Redhead just to name a few.
They all work great, however, since 2015 I’ve been using a tube called JEBS Chokes and I absolutely love them. First, they’re well manufactured and 100% made in the USA. In my Remington’s, which is all I shoot whether it be shotgun or rifle, they pattern exactly the way I need them to all the way out to 40 yards and a little beyond. I could punch that out even further if I wanted to, but my rule of thumb has always been, “40 yards and in.” I simply won’t shoot at a turkey beyond 40 yards.
That said, I have two JEBS choke tubes and they’re called, “Headhunters.” But they have others to choose from as well. I settled on a .655 constriction for early season with #6, 3-inch Federals, with two ounces of shot. As the foliage thickens and the season progresses, I switch over to a .665 #4, 3-inch Federals, with two ounces of shot. Both choke tubes are used on my Remington SPS 870 Turkey Gun and will deliver between 65-85 pellets in the head and neck area at 40 yards. You can just imagine what they do if a turkey is closer.
What I really love about these choke tubes is the interior-bore design, which not only produces distinctly tighter patterns, but also provides for great recoil reduction. It’s just amazing how noticeable the change in recoil is when using these tubes. It dramatically cuts down on jumping the shot or flinching. And remember, your turkey hunting shotgun is only as good as the choke tube you use. This little added incentive makes it even better.
Whatever you decide to use for a choke tube, you need to get out and pattern it. You have plenty of time left to do it before opening day. I’ll leave you with a few extra tips, which I hope will help in making your patterning session more productive and enjoyable.
When it comes to buying a choke tube, you’re better off considering the amount of constriction you think you need for the range you want to achieve, than just buying a turkey hunting choke tube that says “Turkey Slayer” or whatever on the package. A good middle of the road for this is to match the choke constriction to the size shot. An example would be: #4 shot -.665 or greater, #5 or # 6 shot -.650 or greater. This is where your local sportsman’s shop can really be of help.
With turkey hunting choke tubes, the pattern is the key factor to how far you can shoot and still be lethal. The best way to pattern is to use an actual turkey target. There are many out there on the market that will work just fine and will illustrate key areas of the head and neck. Make sure you shoot several times to confirm your pattern. Use the targets at 20, 30 and 40 yards to be confident in knowing what the pattern will do consistently. Study those targets carefully. This is a good habit to get into for when it really counts.
Watch for point of impact changes, holes developing in the pattern, and the pattern suddenly falling apart. Don’t be afraid to adjust your sights if the center of the pattern mass is off. Change that sight to a scope if you feel you need to. Fix any holes and stay patience to solve problems. Remember, trial and error with shot sizes, choke tubes, and sights is always the best option. Eliminate human error during your patterning session by using a solid rest if you have one. A permanent in-ground shooting bench can really help. Otherwise a portable bench, or in a pinch, a small table or anything that will help you remain stable.
Finally, wild turkeys are intelligent creatures that are wary of humans. Their keen eyesight and hearing make up for their lack of smell, and they can detect even the slightest amount of movement, so hunting them is challenging. I encourage you to keep learning all you can, as your turkey hunting adventures begin, or continue. Because a fun, safe, and successful hunt depends on it.
Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and outdoorsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, consultant and active member of the New England Outdoor Writers Assoc. Joe is also a member of the Quaker Boy Game Calls, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Pro-Staff.