.22 caliber For Turkey Hunting

[DirtTime]

I know it's not legal in NY. But a few states do allow rifle for turkey hunting. 

 

Would you use a .22LR or Mag for turkey hunting? 

[Lawdwaz]

Not a chance........

[Buckmaster7600]

Hell yea, as long as I could use a pistol.


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[fasteddie]

Gee , I thought the 22LR was only good for deer ........ 

[stoneam2006]

I'd use almost anything legal as I like to experiment. But I'd rather use a crossgun🤣

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[TACC]

If you are only shooting 40 yards like a shotgun then 22lr is plenty, if you are stretching it out to 75+ yards 22WMR is needed in my opinion to make that kind of head/neck shot

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[turkeyfeathers]

Gee , I thought the 22LR was only good for deer ........ 

That's only at night


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[Uncle Nicky]

No, way too easy to just cripple one and not find it. Some guys use a .22 mag in PA here in the fall, but again, not enough firepower and you'd have to hit one just right. People say "aim for the head", but I'm not that good that I could hit a bobbing & weaving target the size of child's fist at 50 yards without a solid rest. I'd rather shoot one in the head with a shotgun, but if I was going to shoot one with a rifle, I'd use a .223 or 22/250 and aim for the lower neck area. 

[DirtTime]

On 5/1/2017 at 5:18 AM, Uncle Nicky said:

No, way too easy to just cripple one and not find it. Some guys use a .22 mag in PA here in the fall, but again, not enough firepower and you'd have to hit one just right. People say "aim for the head", but I'm not that good that I could hit a bobbing & weaving target the size of child's fist at 50 yards without a solid rest. I'd rather shoot one in the head with a shotgun, but if I was going to shoot one with a rifle, I'd use a .223 or 22/250 and aim for the lower neck area. 

Good point. Lower neck area or the area you would aim at using a bow for turkey hunting.

Not enough firepower? Again I go to the elite few who hunt turkey with a bow. If you can kill a turkey with a bow, surely you can get it done with at minimum a .22lr. A .22lr has more "fire power" then any bow.

 

Was just a question.

 

 

 

[ATbuckhunter]

I know someone that did it a long time ago (20+ years) when money was tight and a turkey walked through his back yard and he needed food. It worked for him then, but there are better options than a .22 mag. 

[Uncle Nicky]

1 hour ago, ....rob said:

Good point. Lower neck area or the area you would aim at using a bow for turkey hunting.

Not enough firepower? Again I go to the elite few who hunt turkey with a bow. If you can kill a turkey with a bow, surely you can get it done with at minimum a .22lr. A .22lr has more "fire power" then any bow.

 

Was just a question.

And I was just giving an answer,

It's an apples/oranges comparison. With a bow, you are hopefully either breaking the bird's neck or spine, or more realistically, shredding vitals with a broadhead, at a probably short distance. And realistically, MANY birds hit with an arrow aren't recovered, they fly or stumble off into a thicket and die without being found. Of course, nobody will brag about this when it happens, but it happens a lot.

I'm no expert on ballistics or kinetic energy, but a .22 at any distance greater than 30 or 40 yards is not going to have enough shock or knockdown power or even penetration on a turkey unless you get lucky and break it's neck, spine, or get a head shot (at least that's what I've found with woodchucks, and I'm assuming this would hold true on a turkey). 

You can probably kill a bull elk with a .22 if you hit it right, but I'd rather just use the right tool for the job.

 

 

Edited May 4, 2017 by Uncle Nicky

[Buckmaster7600]

I think it would be fun to at least try. I wouldn't be to worried about one getting away especially if you had a semi.

I have killed a few with my bow and have yet to have one make it out of sight. The problem is if they do you're screwed because they don't bleed well.


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[DirtTime]

My thought on asking was other states allow rifles. Not sure I would head out turkey hunting with a 7mm Mag.
I was also thinking about the airgun phenomenon some are swept up in. If an airgun can kill deer.......
It is about shot placement, I agree 100 %.

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[Uncle Nicky]

You don't need a 7mm mag, any varmint load should do the job effectively, and shouldn't ruin much meat, provided you don't put the shot through both breasts. A .22 or .22 mag will kill a turkey, it's just not the best gun for the job (IMO). Too many things can go wrong, and all the turkeys I've seen in the woods are herky-jerky creatures, their head and neck never really stops moving. in my mind, it's similar to catching a swordfish on 10# test line, it's cool to say "look what I did", only with a fish he'll just break the line & swim off if things don't go right, with an animal and a bullet (or airgun and pellet if anyone wants to try that carnival trick), if something goes wrong, the animal suffers and becomes coyote feed.

Here's a picture of one I shot in Texas with a .22-250, aimed for the crop/gizzard area, about  a 100 yard shot, and that is where I connected. NO meat wasted whatsoever.

Anyway, if you do decide to hunt in a state that allows rifles for turkey, good luck to you. 

 

[Uncle Nicky]

I wanted to edit the last post, but I guess it's too late....anyway, last thought on the topic is, if the only gun you own or have access to is a .22 LR or mag, no reason why you can't kill a turkey with it...only advice I have is take your time, get a good rest, pick your shot, aim for the head/neck, and shoot straight. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[airedale]

I would have no problem using an accurate rifle chambered in 22 mag for hunting Turkeys where it is legal. Some years ago I purchased a pair of Merriman wild Turkeys, they are native to the western mountain states and are similar to the eastern version except their tail and back feathers have white tips. When the hen Turkey made a nest and laid a clutch of eggs I gathered them and put them under a couple of sitting game chicken hens. The chicken hens hatched them out and raised the poults with great success and after a couple of years I had a whole bunch of Turkeys.  When raised along side domestic fowl these Turkeys became remarkably tame especially the Toms, they could become quite evil and ornery.  Problem with these Turkeys is when I wanted to catch them for processing for dinner or the freezer, they did not follow the other fowl into coups at night, they roosted in trees. Even if I did manage to run one into a pen where I could catch it by hand you had a battle, an adult Tom would beat the hell out of you with his wings while trying to subdue him.

So I found the easiest way to put one in the pot was to just go out and pop it off with a gun and this is where the 22 Mag comes into play. I never let the the Turkeys see me when it became time to harvest one as I did not want them associating me with their demise and becoming wary of me. I would take them out concealed from inside the barn. I would  use the solid nose 40 gr Winchester ammo aiming behind where the wing is attached to the body similar to a heart lung shot on a Deer. This is a much easier shot to take than a head shot which always seems to be moving. The range was usually 75 out to 100 yards and all birds dropped pretty much where they stood. The solid bullets went clean through and meat damage was minimal. I knocked off at least a couple of dozen big Toms with the 22 Mag.  The last birds I took out I used the 17 HMR which I liked a lot also because the bullets did not pass through and kill just as well.

Below is the last of the Merriman Toms and he was one mean SOB that loved to blind side you, he tasted good.

Al

 

Edited May 5, 2017 by airedale

[DirtTime]

7 hours ago, Bill Schmidt said:

I don't think rifles should be used for turkey hunting-Spring or Fall. I know PA allows rifles during Spring and that was always in the back of my mind when I hunted PA from 1994--2013. When I read Wayne Bailys book-- 60 YEARS OF HUNTING--he cited at least 3 examples where turkey hunters were killed by turkey hunters shooting rifles.

    

Only 3? I have heard and read about plenty more hunters being killed by a shotgun while turkey hunting.  Any other reason to object Bill? Not arguing, just asking. Guns don't kill other hunters ( guns rarely go off on their own ), stupidity and a lack of knowledge usually play a huge part in hunter related fatalities or injuries. 

 

 

I agree with the pro's and cons brought up so far. Seen videos of a basic .22LR going through some hefty plywood ( might be equal too going through the feathers/wings of a turkey ? ). So a mag, or yeah, a .17 HMR would be a better choice. Heck, I can get ammo for my .25-06 that wouldn't be over kill on a turkey.  Just seems that rifle would a bit big IMO, and I wouldn't use it.

Some fine rifle calibers out there that would be great for turkey in the right hands.

 

 

 

[Buckmaster7600]

I don't think rifles should be used for turkey hunting-Spring or Fall. I know PA allows rifles during Spring and that was always in the back of my mind when I hunted PA from 1994--2013. When I read Wayne Bailys book-- 60 YEARS OF HUNTING--he cited at least 3 examples where turkey hunters were killed by turkey hunters shooting rifles.
    

If I was offered the option of taking a mag load of number 5's or a single .22 bullet I'm taking the .22 bullet every time.


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[Lawdwaz]

8 hours ago, Bill Schmidt said:

. I know PA allows rifles during Spring and that was always in the back of my mind when I hunted PA from 1994--2013.

    

Rifles are not legal in the spring in Pennsylvania.

[DirtTime]

19 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

Rifles are not legal in the spring in Pennsylvania.

http://www.pgc.pa.gov/HuntTrap/Law/Documents/2016-17 Hunting Trapping Digest/Turkey.pdf