.50 PRB on turkey?

[Nuthatch]

Anybody have any experience shooting turkeys with round ball? Some states it’s legal; some it’s not. Here, it’s legal as long as it comes out of a smoothbore. Just curious what kind of meat damage I’d be looking at with a lighter charge of about 60 gr 2F and a 144 gr bismuth ball to the vitals. Definitely would have the accuracy I’d need and that out much further than I’d need. But if it’s going to tear things up too much, it’s not worth it to me. Any experiences from the group?

 

[Brokennock]

Head shot.

 

[Nuthatch]

Certainly not impossible.

 

[slicjack]

I have shot several turkeys with both 40 and 45 prb. Try to shoot them in the “V” of the breast bone just above the beard. Instant killer! Side shots in the butt of the wing have afforded mixed results. Head shots on squirrels but never tried a turkey. You gotta play to win

 

[Robby]

Round ball, flintlock on turkey's, I can only wish, cuz NYSSR!
Robby

 

[hanshi]

It would likely depend on the gauge of the gun. A 20 through a 12, naah! a 410 ga. through a 24 ga.....probably good to go. The only time I would use a ball on turkey would be a .32 through .40 rifle. Up here it's shot only.

 

[appalichian hunter]

If not a head shot, might end up with a ball of wet feathers.

 

[TCMonts]

I'll start off by saying that I have no experience shooting turkey with anything, but it seems to me that 60 grains is a bit much for a turkey load. I would think half that would be enough for shots to the head or the wing butts or the Texas heart shots the archery guys use (center of the fan when he's facing away from you). I see a lot of the same talk about shooting small game with .36 to .50 rifles with people talking about how you would destroy all the edible meet or the hide. A .36 caliber round ball out of sling shot will cleanly kill a rabbit or a squirrel. But it's a lot easier to hit them with set of iron sights and a rifle length barrel. Load those larger bores down with pistol level loads maybe 1/2 bore diameter. Just my own opinion, I'm sure others may disagree.

 

[oldwood]

A full load in a .32 seems good. Have a friend that's killed 4 turkeys w/ his .32 , holding center mass. What's not to use ,is full load in a .40. That load vaporizes tissue. I'de back it down to a lower velocity.

 

[PastorB]

I killed a lot of small game with a .54 Investarms Hawken back in my ignorant days before the internet. Around 30 grains of whatever powder, usually Pyrodex P, and a PRB (using old t-shirts smeared with Crisco as a patch) did the trick. I imagine a .50 loaded similarly would do just fine for turkey.

 

[Bigpete]

I'll start off by saying that I have no experience shooting turkey with anything, but it seems to me that 60 grains is a bit much for a turkey load. I would think half that would be enough for shots to the head or the wing butts or the Texas heart shots the archery guys use (center of the fan when he's facing away from you). I see a lot of the same talk about shooting small game with .36 to .50 rifles with people talking about how you would destroy all the edible meet or the hide. A .36 caliber round ball out of sling shot will cleanly kill a rabbit or a squirrel. But it's a lot easier to hit them with set of iron sights and a rifle length barrel. Load those larger bores down with pistol level loads maybe 1/2 bore diameter. Just my own opinion, I'm sure others may disagree.

Depends what your rifle likes i guess. My Seneca will not shoot with less than 60gn of 2f,which granted is a big load in a 36 and not really what I wanted to use. But anything less results in terrible groups so its what I'm forced to use.

 

[Va Hunter]

Only turkey I killed with a muzzleloader was back in the 80’s using a TC Renegade with a PRB and 90 grains of pyrodex. That gun would only shoot good with a heavy charge. Neat hole going in with no meat damage at all.

 

[Loja man]

My 50 cal Kentucky will punch throught 2” rought cut hemlock with 30 grains of Tripple 7 FFFG out past 50 yards. Should be enough for turkey….

 

[Flanders]

I killed a nice turkey years ago with a .45 prb. Hit on wing bone , full pass through. Died about 30 yards from point of impact.

 

[dbo]

Shot one once thru the body w an old 38 caplock thats been handed down sev. generations....dead within a few yards,and wasn't tore up at all. Range about 20 or so yards

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Anybody have any experience shooting turkeys with round ball? Some states it’s legal; some it’s not. Here, it’s legal as long as it comes out of a smoothbore.

Here's it's legal during the fall season, but only shot pellets in the spring season.
The beauty of the ML is that you can tailor the powder charge.
I remember when Glen Campbell shot that turkey with his .54 Sharps carbine, in True Grit, and John Wayne remarked when they saw how tore up the bird was, saying "too much gun".

I have a .40 that I'd use, with about 30 grains of BP

LD

 

[Timbercruiser]

Ive shot them with numerius guns n even 58 with 60gr of 3f n prb did minimal damage. Not near the damage as thise ive shot with unmentionable rifles

 

[Nuthatch]

Well, I had a tom walking off at about 30 yards -- I think he saw me. I took the facing away shot. The last thing I remember seeing before smoke flew was my front sight centered on his back. Must have done some kind of Matrix move because the next thing I saw was his wings outstretched & then him walking away & watching me reload & muttering curses. Didn't even loose a feather on him. Oh well. That's turkey hunting. I'll have more chances before the season ends.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Certainly not impossible.

Possible on a stationary turkey head target, nearly impossible on a live bird. I've never seen a turkey keep its head steady for more than a couple seconds at a time.

 

[good ole boy]

You mean like only a fraction of a second at any one time.