Are pcp shotguns effective on turkey 35yds and closer? And what shotgun would be recommended? Thanks
Other Pcp shotguns
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Pellets are effective. My buddy took this with 22 hades pellet and knocked a vertebrae out from under its skull like a jenga block.
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I agree w 6gun. Not that I'm an authority, but think that a precision head shot would be totally achievable and the way to go @ sub 35 yds. Humane and instant...
Serpent Arms (I like the idea of snakes with arms BTW) is probably your only option for shot shells No?
Serpent Arms (I like the idea of snakes with arms BTW) is probably your only option for shot shells No?
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The problem is they hardly ever stop moving their heads 
That's my experience everytime I'm shooting in the yard and they come across the range.
That's my experience everytime I'm shooting in the yard and they come across the range. Upvote 0
I have the Wing shot .50, and the Serpent Arms 550 Shotgun, the Serpent can take them out to 35 for sure using T shot. the wing shot I trust out to 25. The Primal 20 just came out MR hollowpoint will be testing it with shot next up.
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Just because you live in a state it is legal in does not mean he does. Are you suggesting he breaks his state laws and use a pellet gun?
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Boy, you sure imply a lot there. I typed what I meant exclusively.
Knowledge of, and adherence to your own local rules is the readers problem and I won't be bothered with it.
I mentioned a real world experience because air shotguns are anemic and I wouldn't even think about trying one on a tom, let alone a body shot with even the pellet my buddy used. Many people don't think of an airgun as capable for turkey with pellets so I shared one where it was highly successful in case they were thinking jelly necking a bird with an air shotgun was a thing or even a preferable tactic.
I put air shotguns in with 22lr rat shot from a pistol for performance or lower. If you're restricted there's always archery.
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Out of sheer curiosity what difference does it make?
Both are air guns ...so if the rifle is not legal how would an air shotgun be OK in the eyes of game enforcement?
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PBBA 20 gauge is the only real PCP shotgun I have ever seen. I owned one and would have no issue shooting a turkey with it at 35 yards. No different than a PB shotgun. Tight choke and shoot for the head. I shot quite a few mallards with mine out to 35 yards on the wing
The man who made these has passed recently. Terry was a great person and there is nothing like the PBBA in the airgun world that I am aware of.
The video speaks volumes
The man who made these has passed recently. Terry was a great person and there is nothing like the PBBA in the airgun world that I am aware of.
The video speaks volumes
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Good question. I’m pretty sure in Michigan you cannot use a rifle of any sort for turkey. I would think the law would see an air shotgun as a shotgun but would def be something to check on. I have personally never considered it. In my mind this is an area where the air powered platform is just so far sub par to a PB one I’ve never considered an air shotgun. A 100 dollar single shot is going to be sooo much more effective it just doesn’t make sense to me.
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I haven't tested it in a hunting scenario, but I purchased the AEA Zeus and converted it to a regulated smooth barrel 12-gauge shotgun with a choke. I didn't like the shotshells sold online. The shells and their contents are anemic and expensive. Instead, I make my own shot shells using standard shotgun wads and steel shot of my choosing. It probably costs me around .20-.25cents per shot. On paper it looks pretty affective @25yards.
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Knowing this thread would generate a lot of responses based on conjecture and opinions, the subject matter being SO esoteric, I actually wondered when/if there would be any qualified respondents. Thank you for your well-qualified and beautifully-succinct response that answers the question without BS, BR.
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I totally get the effectiveness of air guns in hunting applications but personally / honestly if I were hunting turkey I'd just use a shotgun if I weren't allowed a rifle (was never much of a bow hunter)
It just wouldn't check the boxes for me. Probably as loud and as expensive for hunting apps as PB shells minus the convenience. Really thais can be said about all aur guns...so no hate intended
That said it would be cool to shoot shotgun if the cost and hassle could be spread out over many shots. How do these things do for clay pigeon shooting? That would be a hoot.
Serpeant Arms shot shell kits for other big bore guns might be worth messing w on a budget
It just wouldn't check the boxes for me. Probably as loud and as expensive for hunting apps as PB shells minus the convenience. Really thais can be said about all aur guns...so no hate intended
That said it would be cool to shoot shotgun if the cost and hassle could be spread out over many shots. How do these things do for clay pigeon shooting? That would be a hoot.
Serpeant Arms shot shell kits for other big bore guns might be worth messing w on a budget
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99% of forum content is based on conjecture & opinions.Knowing this thread would generate a lot of responses based on conjecture and opinions, the subject matter being SO esoteric, I actually wondered when/if there would be any qualified respondents. Thank you for your well-qualified and beautifully-succinct response that answers the question without BS, BR.
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It'd probably be a pretty undynamic place if it weren't so.
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I tried Serpent Arms shotshell for Zeus. $3 + shot each is not budget friendly. They were decent though, but you can still get more shotshells that hold more shot for much cheaper if you take the time to make your own from standard shot wads.
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Without doing the math it didn't look like it to me. Plus the time factor. PCPs are spare time killers as it is.
It would be fun to do from time to time. Maybe w F& F.
Did you recover/ reuse your shells? I recall reading that w the smooth bore that they are reusable but a rifle probably eats them up pretty bad I would imagine
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They are for the most part reusable. That said I use a small amount of glue for a foam cap above the shot, reuse would have some glue residue. But since you can get 250 wads for $22, it comes out to about 12c each plus shot, no big deal if you don't reuse
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The question to consider is if an air-shotgun can deliver enough energy per pellet to deform and cause shock to the target. 100+ holes does not mean a clean kill without energy transference.
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On muzzleloader forums, many posters talk about using a tunafish can (approximately a turkeys head size) to answer the question at a specific distance....will enough pellets hit the can diameter and penetrate it....kind of a real world type of test. If I remember right, they talked about 4 - 5 penetrations on the can was enough to kill a turkey.
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I think that some of the bird shot I have is too small to penetrate much of anything. A lot of the tiny balls barely penetrated the surface of wood. Maybe it’ll work for clays. The larger sizes closer to bb size should work better in my case, but since neighbors here complain about my gun being too loud, I can’t really test it here
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