Minimum do turkeys
- Thread starter Makoda
- Start date
In Texas .30 Caliber at 215 ft/lb is the minimum. I do not know for Utah. Check your documents from your Game and Fish Department.
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Shot placement is more important but if I had to pick, .22 or above depending on distance
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state to state is different. but if in my opinion a .22 cal that is shooting no less then 20 ft-lbs. of course this is for head shot only obviously.
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As stated, state by state. In Pa. air guns are illegal for turkeys any time. In the fall firearms, both shotgun and rifle are legal but spring is shotguns only. This is JMO but if you are hunting an animal where you have to make a brain shot your rifle may be too light. You can kill a turkey with a brain shot with a 22 cal 20 fpe air rifle but a little off and you shoot his beak or windpipe off and he starves to death. Turkeys are not too keen on keeping their head in one place and a 22 cal 20 fpe is subject to quite a bit of wind drift. When I hunt turkeys with a rifle I always try to take out the spine/hip area. If you shoot a wing off he will run but take out the spine or the hips and he can't fly. A bullet through the lungs and you have a dead bird but it could fly quite a distance before dying. I have killed a lot of game with both air guns and powder burners and have taken turkeys with rifle and shotgun and I can tell you I would not use anything that does not have at least as much energy as a 22 magnum rimfire. Always remember that when guys say head shots they are actually saying brain shots because you can shoot an animal through the head, miss the brain and have a terrible result. Go with a 30 cal with at least 215 fpe and take a spine/wing or a spine/hip shot and he will not go anywhere.
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As stated above, it depends on range and shot placement. I bagged a turkey at 20 yards with a .177 in the eye.
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Question is not what’s legal, but just your personal opinions on what you think should be a minimum a state would require for turkeys.
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Of the three listed .22 as the minimum. I don’t consider myself a good enough shot to take one with a .22 PCP. They are tough birds...
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Of the three listed I would saw 25 cal with maximum fpe that the gun will shoot accurately.
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