which cal would you choose for turkey ?

[shademtman]

wanted to put together a turkey rifle..you can use one in the fall here in pa...32..36..45..? i'm hesitant on the .32 unless someone here has enough experience shooting turkeys with one..iv'e seen em take a 22 mag bullet and get away...so not sure on the .32 although it is a little larger slug... might need to take a shot to say 60yds or so

[eseabee1]

I got a 40 for hunting tree rats and turkeys this year figured it would be good for Fox and what ever else I may come across ..

[shademtman]

.40 sounds intresting...what load are you shooting out of it...did you buy it as a kit ?

[Gordon H.Kemp]

I think a .32 will work as well as the large calibers at reasonable ranges . 60 yards is a long range to hit the "instant deadzone" on a turkey. Regardless of the size cal. it's a chancey thing to shoot a turkey with a "body" shot. This is only my opiniion and I'm certain there are those who disagree .

[shademtman]

actually i have shot a number of turkeys with a rifle at ranges greater than 60 yds. not trying to brag but i shoot alot, and a turkey at 60yds is a fairly easy shot provided there not moving. we practice shooting soup cans at 50 to 75 yds if a 32 is enough rifle at 60.. hitting them shouldn't be a problem...thanks

[Uncle Russ]

I've never hunted Turkey with a "Rifle" muzzleloader.
The few I have taken with a muzzleloader was all with my .69 cal. smoothbore, and two of those were pretty close...probably less than 50 - 60ft.

Now, having said that, I "think" that if I were faced with this decision, I would choose the .45 cal....not just because I own one, and really like it, but rather because I have owned, at one time or another, all of the calibers listed, and I base this decision on the extremely flat trajectory you can get with a .45.
Like many others, I am terrible at telling you if something is fifty, or seventy five yards away.
If it's a Deer, or an Elk, there is a good chance I can tell you if it is more than 100yds,  but anything up to that 100 +/- a few yds. is up for grabs as far as I'm concerned.....and a Turkey, at 50, 60, 80 yds, I don't think I could come anywhere close, therefore I would like to have the flattest trajectory, with the least wind disturbance possible.

I have no doubt that the lowly "three-two" can take a Turkey out to 75 yds, or even more, as the .32 is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated little muzzleloaders I have ever owned and shot.

The problem with the .32, and the .36, is the "hitting", not so much the killing. The .40 may make up for that difference, but for sure fire longer range shootin, I would definitely choose the .45.

I envy you guys using your "Riflegun" to hunt Turkey, that has gotta be top sport.
Good luck, either way you go. I just know you're going to have a blast and I only wish I could be there with you.

Uncle Russ...

[eseabee1]

.40 sounds intresting...what load are you shooting out of it...did you buy it as a kit ?

I got mine from Tip Curtis at dixons it was in the white .The reason I went with the 40 is because as you well know here in PA.. A  45 is to big for tree rats to be legal and the way our seasons overlap each other small game and turkey and such .. AS far as load goes I have been shooting 35 grains out of it and doing very well as far as range goes got to do some more shooting to see if I will stick with it

[Gordon H.Kemp]

When I suggested the .32 would do the job , I was refering to the ability of the projectiles  to impart enouigh terminal energy to cause sufficient  trauma in the "killzone " to dispacth the animal ! I'm with Russ as to using a smoothbore because my ability at "sharp shooting " has diminished considerbly over the last few years. I have both a .45 cal. and a .32 cal. and a smoothbore , If I were to head out for turkey I'd grab the smooth bore. :lt th

[shademtman]

really appreciate the input, i'm leaning pretty hard toward the .36 or .40...one other thing i should say regarding my earlier statement on no problem hitting one at 60 yds, and practicing on soup cans at that range.....it is a big difference, them soup cans tend to remain pretty stationary, till i get the shot off...seems turkey's rarely do....they seem to stay moving, feeding along. and here in the mts of central pa often not in the wide open.....and yes as mentioned great sport,  and much better fare, than soup cans...lol

[Mustang]

You don’t want a gun the size of the one Glenn Campbell used in “True Grit”!

Too much gun was John Waynes’ comment.

[Hanshi]

Fall turkey season coincides with deer season here in Va.  This year I'll be hunting deer with a .62 flint fowler.  If I get a shot at a turkey you bet I'll take it!  I'll still take home more of that turkey than I would if I DIDN'T shoot.  While I own a .32, 36, 40 and .45, either the .36 or .40 is my choice if I go after them with a rifle.  The .45 is my favorite but a little much in this case.