Author Topic: Turkey hunting  (Read 12487 times)

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Offline wsdstan

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Turkey hunting
« on: April 12, 2016, 01:29:59 PM »
The season is three days old in these parts and the toms are gobbling pretty good.  So far I have passed on two, screwed up on three, and seen a few neat things.

Last night I sat along a small seep near a roosting area.  I have shot several turkeys in this area over the years but saw something I have not seen firsthand before.  A group of seven Jakes came in from back of me and crossed the seep about ten feet from where I was sitting.  They were making a few sounds, those little soft putts was about all.  Every few minutes they would gobble.  All of them at once.  No stragglers just one giant gobble.  The did it about fifteen times from right in front of me to about a hundred yards away.  There was another gobbler in the area who let loose a lot but only came up to about a hundred yards.  He was coming pretty fast and all of sudden made a big circle around the jakes. Last I heard from him. 

Saturday was cold early and Sunday it was raining.  I hunted in it for three hours, saw a few Toms but not much gobbling.  Monday early it was 25 F and the turkeys were gobbling on the roost but it was on another ranch.  Later in the day lots of birds were moving around but just the Jakes were close enough to shoot.   

We have a long season here so there is lots of time left.  After three days of getting up at 4:30 AM I recall that I am a geezer and worn out by all of this. 

I couldn't take a photo while they were there but I will get the camera out next time in case they come back.

Heavy cover........


My set up yesterday..........


« Last Edit: April 12, 2016, 03:17:53 PM by wsdstan »
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Offline wolfy

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2016, 01:50:31 PM »
That sounds like the turkey's version of the Vienna Boys Choir to me. :lol:
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Offline Unknown

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2016, 02:54:59 PM »
Happy Hunting.

Teamwork, Trying to sound big and bad? Peer pressure?

What's the meaning of the gobble-d-group Stan?
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Offline wsdstan

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2016, 03:14:26 PM »
Happy Hunting.

Teamwork, Trying to sound big and bad? Peer pressure?

What's the meaning of the gobble-d-group Stan?

My guess is that by all of them gobbling at one time the boss tom might think it is a big gobbler and not come over to kick some youngsters behinds.  It is that or if they all gobble then who is he going to go after first?  Maybe they can call a hen in with the collective effort and then all stand around and look at her since none of them are ready to mate.  Who knows?

I added a couple of photos I took of the area to the original post.
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Offline wolfy

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2016, 03:18:48 PM »
Kind of like typical boys behavior at their first school dance. :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[
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Offline OutdoorEnvy

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2016, 03:39:19 PM »
Good on you for getting out!  That is neat about the jakes all gobbling in unison.  Never seen/heard it myself.  Sounds like you are in a good place.  Just put the time in and it'll happen.  Looking forward to the pics!
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Offline Unknown

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2016, 03:51:02 PM »
Thanks for the pics.
Looks like Oklahoma
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Offline lgm

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #7 on: April 12, 2016, 04:26:19 PM »
Our season starts this weekend. I really wish I were hunting it.
Good luck to you have fun.
What a great day to be outside.

Offline Quenchcrack

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #8 on: April 12, 2016, 04:47:14 PM »
I remember shooting my first turkey.  Scared the hell out of everybody in the frozen food aisle at Krogers. It was awesome!
I guess he'd rather be in Colorado.
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Offline wolfy

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #9 on: April 12, 2016, 05:13:23 PM »
 :rofl: :hail:
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Offline wsdstan

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #10 on: April 12, 2016, 08:32:17 PM »
Thanks for the pics.
Looks like Oklahoma

I hunted down by Arnett one year and yes, it does look a lot like parts of where we were that time.
Quote from: lgm

 
Our season starts this weekend. I really wish I were hunting it.
Good luck to you have fun.
[/quote

Thanks.  Always have fun even when nobody shows up but me.  Not a gobble or a yelp tonight.   :-\

I remember shooting my first turkey.  Scared the hell out of everybody in the frozen food aisle at Krogers. It was awesome!

 Thanks, I just spit a mouthful of my dinner on the keyboard.  :-X   :cheers:
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Offline hunter63

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #11 on: April 13, 2016, 12:17:05 PM »
I remember shooting my first turkey.  Scared the hell out of everybody in the frozen food aisle at Krogers. It was awesome!

Yeah, well they really don't care for it at Walmart either....

Waiting to see how DW is as she is recovering from knee surgery...my season starts next Wednesday.

Good luck, Good hunting.
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Offline wsdstan

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #12 on: April 15, 2016, 08:45:37 AM »
Turkey  season has had some weather here in South Dakota.  Sunday it was windy, Monday it rained, and Tuesday I slept in.

It pays to have good neighbors.  My phone rang yesterday and my neighbor to south said he heard turkeys gobbling in the woods on his place.  I went over about 10:00 am and did see four birds of which three were toms.  They were way out in the pasture and there was no way to sneak on them and calls went unanswered.  I guessed they would be back in the woods in the late afternoon.  At 4:00 pm I went back and set up Sara Lee who is my trusty thirty year old decoy.  We set up where they usually roost and started calling.  It didn't take long to get an answer but it was about a quarter mile away and uphill from us.  I left the set up and went to the sound of the gobbling.  Peeked over a ridge and could see three toms about two hundred yards over and on the south side of the draw.  Called a few times and backed down the hill so if they came straight to the sound it would be a close shot when came over the ridge.  Layed there for about fifteen minutes waiting for them.  I heard something over to my left and when I looked there was a pretty good tom standing there looking at my decoy way down the meadow and paying no attention to me.  He is in the freezer. 

Here is a photo of him I took.  I did not use the flintlock in the photo to take him but wanted a photo of it.


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Offline MnSportsman

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #13 on: April 15, 2016, 08:51:52 AM »
Great!


:thumbsup:


:)
I love being out in the woods!   I like this quote from Mors Kochanski - "The more you know, the less you carry". I believe in the same creed, & think  "Knowledge & honed skills" are the best things to carry with ya when you're out in the wilds. They're the ultimate "ultralight" gear! ;)

Offline wolfy

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #14 on: April 15, 2016, 09:14:39 AM »
When I opened your post, my eye naturally fell on the nice photo of that northwest fusil resting atop the carcass of the mature gobbler.   Beautiful shot.....worthy of inclusion in a magazine! :thumbsup:   

Congratulations on the successful hunt and stalk.....you earned that one! :cheers:
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Offline Quenchcrack

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #15 on: April 15, 2016, 10:25:33 AM »
A nice bit of hunting, there.  Beautiful bird and a nice smoke pole.  Dang, I really need to get another one someday.  I can prolly use my work at the State Historical Site as a good reason.  OK, maybe not a good reason but it is the only one I got.
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Offline wsdstan

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #16 on: April 15, 2016, 01:16:42 PM »
Great!


:thumbsup:


:)

Thanks MnSprt, I appreciate that.

When I opened your post, my eye naturally fell on the nice photo of that northwest fusil resting atop the carcass of the mature gobbler.   Beautiful shot.....worthy of inclusion in a magazine! :thumbsup:   

Congratulations on the successful hunt and stalk.....you earned that one! :cheers:

Thanks Wolfy.   :-*

A nice bit of hunting, there.  Beautiful bird and a nice smoke pole.  Dang, I really need to get another one someday.  I can prolly use my work at the State Historical Site as a good reason.  OK, maybe not a good reason but it is the only one I got.

Thanks QC.  As somebody said in one of my favorite movies......... "Reason?  We don't need no stinkin reasons"   :P
« Last Edit: April 15, 2016, 03:06:31 PM by wsdstan »
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Offline Unknown

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #17 on: April 15, 2016, 01:29:02 PM »
Congrats on the harvest. Great story, sounds like real hunting.
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Offline wsdstan

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #18 on: April 15, 2016, 02:58:54 PM »
Thanks Unk, it was a good hunt.  When things go right it is very satisfying.  They eat pretty good too.
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Offline Moe M.

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #19 on: April 18, 2016, 10:54:02 AM »
Turkey  season has had some weather here in South Dakota.  Sunday it was windy, Monday it rained, and Tuesday I slept in.

It pays to have good neighbors.  My phone rang yesterday and my neighbor to south said he heard turkeys gobbling in the woods on his place.  I went over about 10:00 am and did see four birds of which three were toms.  They were way out in the pasture and there was no way to sneak on them and calls went unanswered.  I guessed they would be back in the woods in the late afternoon.  At 4:00 pm I went back and set up Sara Lee who is my trusty thirty year old decoy.  We set up where they usually roost and started calling.  It didn't take long to get an answer but it was about a quarter mile away and uphill from us.  I left the set up and went to the sound of the gobbling.  Peeked over a ridge and could see three toms about two hundred yards over and on the south side of the draw.  Called a few times and backed down the hill so if they came straight to the sound it would be a close shot when came over the ridge.  Layed there for about fifteen minutes waiting for them.  I heard something over to my left and when I looked there was a pretty good tom standing there looking at my decoy way down the meadow and paying no attention to me.  He is in the freezer. 

Here is a photo of him I took.  I did not use the flintlock in the photo to take him but wanted a photo of it.



  Hey Stan,

  I'm assuming that your flintlock fowler is a 20ga. (most are),  here's my turkey load for my Fusil de Chase,  give it a test drive, I think you'll like the way it patterns.

 . 85 grns. by volume of Goex 3FFFg.
 . one over powder card wad.
 . one fiber wad. ( I use those lubed with T/C bore butter)
 . one 20ga. shot cup.  ( I use 1-1/8th ounce 20ga. cushion wads with the cushion part cut off )
 . 85 grns. by volume of # 5 lead shot.
 . one overshot card wad.

  This load gives a consistently tight pattern and shoots point of aim out to 40 yds.,  but is most effective at around 30 yds.
                                             
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Offline OutdoorEnvy

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #20 on: April 18, 2016, 01:30:38 PM »
Congrats!
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Offline wsdstan

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #21 on: April 18, 2016, 04:16:58 PM »
Hey Stan,

  I'm assuming that your flintlock fowler is a 20ga. (most are),  here's my turkey load for my Fusil de Chase,  give it a test drive, I think you'll like the way it patterns.

 . 85 grns. by volume of Goex 3FFFg.
 . one over powder card wad.
 . one fiber wad. ( I use those lubed with T/C bore butter)
 . one 20ga. shot cup.  ( I use 1-1/8th ounce 20ga. cushion wads with the cushion part cut off )
 . 85 grns. by volume of # 5 lead shot.
 . one overshot card wad.

  This load gives a consistently tight pattern and shoots point of aim out to 40 yds.,  but is most effective at around 30 yds.
                                           

It is a 20 bore Moe.  I will give that a try as one of the reasons (besides it was raining on and off) that I didn't use it on this hunt was the loads I use are not going to kill a Turkey over about 25 yards.  The load I had developed uses a 1/2" lubed fiber wad and that pushes the shot I think to the point where there is a hole in the center of the pattern.  It patterns so that you have a better chance of a killing hit if you aim about 8 inches to the side of the Turkey's head.  Either side.  The addition of the shot cup might just be the ticket.  My load was 75 grs of 3 F, a card, a fiber wad lubed with olive oil, an equal volume of shot, and an over shot card.  It would do fine out to 25 yards except the center was pretty light.

I recently read about another load on a muzzle loading site that patterns really well.  Powder, over powder thin card, shot, over shot card, and last a lubed wad.  Sounds nuts doesn't it?  But several people who tried it said it patterns extremely well. 

I will try your load and this other one when it quits raining.  I have not seen Noah float by so it should be over soon.

Thanks for the suggestion.   :thumbsup:
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Offline wsdstan

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #22 on: April 18, 2016, 04:19:02 PM »
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns  something he can learn in no other way. 
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Offline Moe M.

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #23 on: April 18, 2016, 06:00:06 PM »
Hey Stan,

  I'm assuming that your flintlock fowler is a 20ga. (most are),  here's my turkey load for my Fusil de Chase,  give it a test drive, I think you'll like the way it patterns.

 . 85 grns. by volume of Goex 3FFFg.
 . one over powder card wad.
 . one fiber wad. ( I use those lubed with T/C bore butter)
 . one 20ga. shot cup.  ( I use 1-1/8th ounce 20ga. cushion wads with the cushion part cut off )
 . 85 grns. by volume of # 5 lead shot.
 . one overshot card wad.

  This load gives a consistently tight pattern and shoots point of aim out to 40 yds.,  but is most effective at around 30 yds.
                                           

It is a 20 bore Moe.  I will give that a try as one of the reasons (besides it was raining on and off) that I didn't use it on this hunt was the loads I use are not going to kill a Turkey over about 25 yards.  The load I had developed uses a 1/2" lubed fiber wad and that pushes the shot I think to the point where there is a hole in the center of the pattern.  It patterns so that you have a better chance of a killing hit if you aim about 8 inches to the side of the Turkey's head.  Either side.  The addition of the shot cup might just be the ticket.  My load was 75 grs of 3 F, a card, a fiber wad lubed with olive oil, an equal volume of shot, and an over shot card.  It would do fine out to 25 yards except the center was pretty light.

I recently read about another load on a muzzle loading site that patterns really well.  Powder, over powder thin card, shot, over shot card, and last a lubed wad.  Sounds nuts doesn't it?  But several people who tried it said it patterns extremely well. 

I will try your load and this other one when it quits raining.  I have not seen Noah float by so it should be over soon.

Thanks for the suggestion.   :thumbsup:

  If your pattern is still a little light in the center try using #4 shot,  if I'm expecting longer shots I move to #4's,  #5 usually works well for me,  I had the same problem with heavy loads blowing the center out of my patterns,  lighter loads like 60 grns. of powder under 1ounce shot loads pattern pretty well without shot cups in my fowler,  but that's too light for turkey if your shot is not perfect.
  A friend of mine who lives on the Priest River in Idaho is an avid mid 1700's primitive living history buff and Hunts all his game from squirrel to elk with his flintlock fowler,  he's the one who suggested the load to me and it works great in my 20 bore,  I use the same load for deer, I just leave out the shot cup and shot and load a patched round ball,  accuracy is dead nuts accurate. 
  Before using that load my fowler shot low,  I had to cover the target with the muzzle to get the ball near center,  with this load I shoot point of aim and it shoots clover leafs at 25 yds,  and about 2" at fifty.

  I think the combination of 3-F and the addition of the card wad and fiber wad gives a bit more velocity to stabilize the ball, and when using shot,  the shot cup holds the load together until it's well out of the bore and helps to keep the pattern tight,  It's been often noted that guns made for the old style paper shells and loaded with card and fiber wads shoot one choke tighter when shooting shells with modern plastic shot cups,  it's the same with muzzle loading smooth bores.
  Some folks won't use them because the say the plastic melts in the bore and leaves a residue that's hard to clean,  my experience is that it doesn't happen as long as an over powder card and fiber wad are used under the shot cup.
  I've since started using the plastic shot cups in my muzzle loading side by side percussion shotgun for hunting upland birds and the gun shoots like it's choked tight IMP. Cylinder,  I'm pretty sure you'll like it once you try it on a patterning board.
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Offline hunter63

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #24 on: April 18, 2016, 06:11:52 PM »
Going thru my vest and other gear today...loading it the truck.....
My little "2 shooter" thermos still had coffee in in.......no not still hot...but has been a 2 years.

I poured it out...kinda thick.....Hummmmm.. ...Guess I should have checked it earlier?
Geezer Squad, Evoking the 50 year old rule..First 50 years, worried about the small stuff, second 50 years....Not so much

Offline Moe M.

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #25 on: April 18, 2016, 06:14:17 PM »
Going thru my vest and other gear today...loading it the truck.....
My little "2 shooter" thermos still had coffee in in.......no not still hot...but has been a 2 years.

I poured it out...kinda thick.....Hummmmm.. ...Guess I should have checked it earlier?

  Sounds like a cleaning job for the pressure cooker.
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Offline wolfy

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #26 on: April 18, 2016, 06:24:48 PM »
I don't use shot-cups or thick fiber wads in the trade gun's shot column.....just two heavier over-powder card wads and a thin over-shot wad.  If I don't intend to wipe with a damp patch after firing (which usually never happens) I will include a dab of Crisco in the muzzle before I send the second over-powder wad home.  Keeps the fouling soft and I get fairly uniform patterns out to 25 yards.  Never shot a turkey with it, though. :[

I like heavier shot, too.....#2, #4 and mostly #5.  I don't know why you don't see much #5 shot around anymore.  It always seemed like a good all around shot size to me.  :shrug:
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Offline wsdstan

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #27 on: April 18, 2016, 06:25:12 PM »
Going thru my vest and other gear today...loading it the truck.....
My little "2 shooter" thermos still had coffee in in.......no not still hot...but has been a 2 years.

I poured it out...kinda thick.....Hummmmm.. ...Guess I should have checked it earlier?

Good luck............ hope you hear a lot of gobble gobble. 
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns  something he can learn in no other way. 
(Mark Twain)

Offline hunter63

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #28 on: April 18, 2016, 06:46:58 PM »
Yeah, thanks......last year I really didn't care I guess....and didn't hunt very hard...kinda getting the itch back.

Moe, what do you mean about pressure cooker cleaning?
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Offline wsdstan

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #29 on: April 18, 2016, 06:54:47 PM »

If your pattern is still a little light in the center try using #4 shot,  if I'm expecting longer shots I move to #4's,  #5 usually works well for me,  I had the same problem with heavy loads blowing the center out of my patterns,  lighter loads like 60 grns. of powder under 1ounce shot loads pattern pretty well without shot cups in my fowler,  but that's too light for turkey if your shot is not perfect.
  A friend of mine who lives on the Priest River in Idaho is an avid mid 1700's primitive living history buff and Hunts all his game from squirrel to elk with his flintlock fowler,  he's the one who suggested the load to me and it works great in my 20 bore,  I use the same load for deer, I just leave out the shot cup and shot and load a patched round ball,  accuracy is dead nuts accurate. 
  Before using that load my fowler shot low,  I had to cover the target with the muzzle to get the ball near center,  with this load I shoot point of aim and it shoots clover leafs at 25 yds,  and about 2" at fifty.

  I think the combination of 3-F and the addition of the card wad and fiber wad gives a bit more velocity to stabilize the ball, and when using shot,  the shot cup holds the load together until it's well out of the bore and helps to keep the pattern tight,  It's been often noted that guns made for the old style paper shells and loaded with card and fiber wads shoot one choke tighter when shooting shells with modern plastic shot cups,  it's the same with muzzle loading smooth bores.
  Some folks won't use them because the say the plastic melts in the bore and leaves a residue that's hard to clean,  my experience is that it doesn't happen as long as an over powder card and fiber wad are used under the shot cup.
  I've since started using the plastic shot cups in my muzzle loading side by side percussion shotgun for hunting upland birds and the gun shoots like it's choked tight IMP. Cylinder,  I'm pretty sure you'll like it once you try it on a patterning board.

I am shooting 5 shot and it has been my main shot size for turkey for thirty years.  My percussion double barrel liked 75 grns of 2F and 1 1/8 oz. of shot.  I used a variety of loads in that and the best was one that used a whole plastic wad with cushion.  It would kill pheasants at 35 yards all day long.

Turkey loads are newer to me in the muzzle loader but I am going to try a variety of things this summer and work the best load out of the flintlock that I can.  I appreciate the suggestions Moe.  Thanks.

I don't use shot-cups or thick fiber wads in the trade gun's shot column.....just two heavier over-powder card wads and a thin over-shot wad.  If I don't intend to wipe with a damp patch after firing (which usually never happens) I will include a dab of Crisco in the muzzle before I send the second over-powder wad home.  Keeps the fouling soft and I get fairly uniform patterns out to 25 yards.  Never shot a turkey with it, though. :[

I like heavier shot, too.....#2, #4 and mostly #5.  I don't know why you don't see much #5 shot around anymore.  It always seemed like a good all around shot size to me.  :shrug:

With that load Wolfy are you using an equal volume of shot to powder?  I don't like 2 shot much as there are not enough pellets in it in my opinion.  I like 4 and 5 for Turkey in a ML but in a modern shotgun 6 is terrific to 40 yards and 5 a bit further.  My personal preference is not to shoot over 40 yards with a 12 ga. but I have taken Turkey cleanly beyond that a few times.  With a ML I am unfamiliar with downrange velocity so stick to shots around 30 yards. 
shot size                 2                4                5             6
pellets (lead)           90              135            170         225

I don't have any copper plated or nickel plated shot left but might try to find some.  Nickel plated shot is really good for longer range shots, say 40 yards, in a ML.
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns  something he can learn in no other way. 
(Mark Twain)

Offline wolfy

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #30 on: April 18, 2016, 07:10:52 PM »
Yup....equal volumes of powder & shot.  I use the same deer leg bone measure for both.   BTW....I used the #2 shot on squirrels.  Works for me. :shrug:
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Offline wsdstan

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #31 on: April 18, 2016, 07:38:16 PM »
I can see 2 for squirrels.  Kind of hard on the trees though.   :-X
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns  something he can learn in no other way. 
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Offline Moe M.

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #32 on: April 19, 2016, 06:13:59 AM »
Yup....equal volumes of powder & shot.  I use the same deer leg bone measure for both.   BTW....I used the #2 shot on squirrels.  Works for me. :shrug:

  I've used #4 shot on squirrels with my M/L with good luck,  I got a deal on Win. #7-1/2 target & game shells last year for my 20 ga. side x side,  it works great on squirrel in the early fall when the trees are still thick with leaves,  but you have to check the meat over real good for pellets,  in my part of the state I can use .22 RF. rifle to harvest squirrel and rabbit, I prefer that better than a scattergun for meat quality,  but there's something special about hunting with the old front stuffers that you can't experience with modern arms. 
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Offline hunter63

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Re: Turkey hunting
« Reply #33 on: April 23, 2016, 09:18:52 PM »
Thanks for the .62 cal/20 ga loads guys....may try the my Fusil later this year if I can pick up a extra tag...have to wait and see if any tags are offered.



Killed a few pheasants with the 12 ga SXS percussion ML..........includi ng a one shot hunt....could only find one old, green, moldy cap, at the bottom of the bag ....but went boom.....all that counts.
Geezer Squad, Evoking the 50 year old rule..First 50 years, worried about the small stuff, second 50 years....Not so much