Turkey hunting with the big bore

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John1205

Member
Jun 18, 2018
47
1
Florida, United States
This is the second year I will be hunting turkeys in FL. One of the requirements is the air rifle has to be able to shoot a arrow to hunt in some WMAs. There is some discussion about wounded birds and small cal head shots and it seems more restrictions came with opposition to air guns. I'm hunting on private land and I am using the bulldog for turkeys and I have been 35yds or less . Using the grizzly at first and a pass through on a broad side shot and had a foot race to get him before he got to the palmettos and hid. The next one I was using the polymag. I shot him in the top left breast at a angle. It got both lungs and stopped in the pelvis and he jumped straight up and flew 30ft and fell out of air dead. It makes me wonder if there is anything to deliver the energy to knock down than pass through. Thank you for your help

It


 
I have done tons of research on the concept of knock down power of ammo using the Bulldog. In my research, it is a combination of which rounds have a high enough of a velocity to expand, but not pass through, the specific game you are harvesting.

I have dropped groundhogs with bodyshots using Polymags a dozen times, but I only dropped a groundhog once using 110gr slugs, because they are going too slow to expand in such a small animal.

I have never hunted turkey with my Bulldog, but I think the kill you got with the Polymags, was a good kill, and it would have been less effective if you ended up with a passthrough.

Get the Pitbull Power Spring for $25, and it will add 20-30 more feet per second to your ammo, which will definitely help you get better expansion. 

Take a look at my video using a variety of ammo out of the Bulldog in Ballistics Gel and on game so you can see my unscientific test. 



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVre4vvh1PQ


 
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This is the second year I will be hunting turkeys in FL. One of the requirements is the air rifle has to be able to shoot a arrow to hunt in some WMAs. There is some discussion about wounded birds and small cal head shots and it seems more restrictions came with opposition to air guns. I'm hunting on private land and I am using the bulldog for turkeys and I have been 35yds or less . Using the grizzly at first and a pass through on a broad side shot and had a foot race to get him before he got to the palmettos and hid. The next one I was using the polymag. I shot him in the top left breast at a angle. It got both lungs and stopped in the pelvis and he jumped straight up and flew 30ft and fell out of air dead. It makes me wonder if there is anything to deliver the energy to knock down than pass through. Thank you for your help

It

Click to expand...



@John1205 I’d still like to hear more about the use of .35 H&N Grizzly slugs shooting from a Bulldog. This is the second post you mentioned this and I’d like to see some photos (if you have any) and hear more about their efficiency shooting from your Bulldog in your experience (photos of the entry and exit wound on the bird, target groups, accuracy, chronograph strings, etc). 
 
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I have been using .30 for turkeys for a few years now, and I find it more effective than a shotgun. Head or neck only. My preferred shot is base of the neck with a .30. Prior to the .30, I was using a .25 and it was head shots only. Body shots on a turkey have not worked out well for me, and I don't even think about it. The vital organs are small, there's not a lot of blood to lose, and they tend to live in areas in which a bird that doesn't drop has a low chance of recovery. That said, with a good decoy, getting them to hold their head/neck still is quite possible, and if you hit them in the head or neck, it's over.
 
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MtnDragon
I have been using .30 for turkeys for a few years now, and I find it more effective than a shotgun. Head or neck only. My preferred shot is base of the neck with a .30. Prior to the .30, I was using a .25 and it was head shots only. Body shots on a turkey have not worked out well for me, and I don't even think about it. The vital organs are small, there's not a lot of blood to loose, and they tend to live in areas in which a bird that doesn't drop has a low chance of recovery. That said, with a good decoy, getting them to hold their head/neck still is quite possible, and if you hit them in the head or neck, it's over.
Click to expand...


Sounds like headshots are the best shots to take. Airbolts are likely most effective for a body shot shooting from a big bore on one of these birds. But I’m still waiting to hear some of OP’s feedback on these Grizzly slugs he’s been posting about. 
 
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MtnDragon
I have been using .30 for turkeys for a few years now, and I find it more effective than a shotgun. Head or neck only. My preferred shot is base of the neck with a .30. Prior to the .30, I was using a .25 and it was head shots only. Body shots on a turkey have not worked out well for me, and I don't even think about it. The vital organs are small, there's not a lot of blood to loose, and they tend to live in areas in which a bird that doesn't drop has a low chance of recovery. That said, with a good decoy, getting them to hold their head/neck still is quite possible, and if you hit them in the head or neck, it's over.
Click to expand...


Sounds like headshots are the best shots to take. Airbolts are likely most effective for a body shot shooting from a big bore on one of these birds. But I’m still waiting to hear some of OP’s feedback on these Grizzly slugs he’s been posting about.
Click to expand...

I guess that's going to be his little secret that he's not sharing with anyone. 😥
 
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Your video is great and I went with the predator polymag. Only had one come in this year and I didn't have the cameras set. The shot was recorded on a cell phone I will try to send thanks for the info and video

8035.1651243489.jpeg

 
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