Turkey season starts tomorrow so I plan on setting up my decoys and trying to call into bow range one of the Tom's I have been seeing on the game cam. If I cannot get them to come in close I will try the 45-90 on one. I think the 540 grain cast bullet will just poke a .458" hole through it.

Has anyone on here every hunted birds with there Sharp's rifle?

Not in this state. No rifles allowed.
Why does your 45-90 make only a .451 hole? If so, you are either using PP bullets, or have a small bore.

I did it once for kicks,I was shooting my Shiloh sharps 45-70,it was loaded with smokeless & a 300 gr,range @100yrds when I shot the bird,never did it again because there was'nt much left of the bird,besides the hole,most of the meat was destroyed from the shock.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dpcd:
Not in this state. No rifles allowed.
Why does your 45-90 make only a .451 hole? If so, you are either using PP bullets, or have a small bore.[/QUOTE

Typo it now reads .458"

Well my plan kinda worked.

I did call in four Jakes and a hen. I called them in from several hundred yards and from the neighbors place, that was cool. I had them come into my decoys at 25 yards. Here is when my plan started heading south.

My first shot was with the cross bow, low and a miss, strike one.

My second shot was with the 45-90, low and cut feathers and bird limped away. Strike two.

Third shot was with the 257 Roberts, low and cut tail feathers and butt feathers. Second bird hauls rear down and out the creek. Bye, Bye. Strike three I'm out and done.

I have the other two Jake's hanging out at the fence line at 100 yards. This makes me think one or both birds are down and they are hanging around and waiting for them. I wait about an hour and then get out of the blind and start looking. Nothing. I start walking trails and looking under trees and brush. The other two gobbler are still hanging out and I walk up to within 10 yards of them a couple of times. This only reinforces my belief I have a bird down close.

I finally set my gun down and push through the thick stuff along the creek and find nothing. As I am coming out of the creek, I walk up on I think, the third bird, which is setting at the base of an oak tree eye balling me at 10 feet. Well crap, not even a stick close by that I can club it with. After about an eternity. The bird flushes and runs off like a sprinter. There were two drops of blood where it had been setting, I don't think any of the shots were mortal shots. Maybe I should start bringing the shotgun as well.

Seriously?

quote:

Originally posted by Brent:
Seriously?

Why yes, seriously.