Going on my first turkey hunt at the end of this month. I'll take my 22-250 along with my shotgun, since the birds may have to taken at longer than shotgun ranges. What bullet should I load up for the rifle?

55 gr FMJ's loaded down to about 2000

Wait 'til the last minute often?

Whatever you can hit a dime with since I'd reccomend head or neck shots only. Otherwise you'll be wasteing meat!

Rusty: I hunt turkeys exclusively with .22 Centerfires and 55 gr FMJ bullets. I just prefer treating them more like big game rather than simply bowling them over with a shotgun -- it always has seemed poor form to shoot a bird on the ground with a shotgun to me. Others differ and like shotgun hunting and I have no problem with that. Actually, I've also hunted them successfully with a handgun, and that's a hoot, too.

At any rate, I usually run 55 FMJs around 3000 fps, which provides plenty of range if you should have a turkey out around 200 yards that just won't come any closer. You can probably download a .22-250 successfully with 4895, but I've recently had great luck with "midrange" loads in .223 with Blue Dot. Look at some of the posts by Seafire for his .22-250 Blue Dot loading data and I'll bet you can find a 3000 fps load that will shoot accurately in your gun.

I agree, a chest shot on a turkey with an average varmint bullet or larger caliber will wast a lot of meat. If you can do a head shot, that would be great.

I am like Stonecreek in that I would rather hunt game with rifle then shotgun

Onefunzr2,
How far out do I need to get ready? In Brown County, Texas where I plan to hunt, the season doesn't open until March 29. Do you need to get things together sooner?

Thanks for the information guys!

My game farm turkey shooting with a rifle was done in Tennessee, with a 300 Weatherby and 200-grain Nosler partitions. That will take their heads right off at 100 yards, neck shot.

If rifle turkey-shooting was legal in Kentucky, I would cruise the farm fields and flock shoot them with my .223 Cooper Model 21 using 50 grain Nosler Balliatic Tips, since I have so many of them and could easily use turkey burger in many recipes ...

Head shots with any accurate load is the way to go. Give them a good gobble to get them to stick their heads up.

not much challenge to shoot a turkey with a centerfire. Snipe them from 250yrds??

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
Going on my first turkey hunt at the end of this month.

This month ends tomorrow. Or perhaps I'm reading my calender wrong? Hell's bells, if it weren't leap year the shortest month would be done with in 14 hours.

Shoot the bullet that is most accurate in your rifle. Head and/or neck shots are the order of the day; otherwise you will destroy too much meat. However, if you are lucky enough to get a facing shot the base of the neck is a larger target. GOOD LUCK and GOOD SHOOTING!!!!!!!!!!!!

quote:

the season doesn't open until March 29.

Pick a month, any month!

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
Going on my first turkey hunt at the end of this month. I'll take my 22-250 along with my shotgun, since the birds may have to taken at longer than shotgun ranges. What bullet should I load up for the rifle?

Why not use your standard "solids" in your 450/400 or 404?

AZ,
I will, if you will. And post pictures!

If RIP can have a 404 Sheep rifle, then I guess I can have a 404 Turkey rifle!

A solid in a 22-250 will in many cases disinagrate your turkey!

I would pick my most accurate load and shoot for the head or wing butt....

On broadside shots aim for wing pinion. Frontal shots low in the neck. These are bot reasonable sized targes and don't ruin everythin with a suitably hard bullet at modest velocity. The Win solid in 22 wmr actually works well out to 100 yards.

quote:

Originally posted by kgpcr:
not much challenge to shoot a turkey with a centerfire. Snipe them from 250yrds??

How much challenge is it to bowl them over with a 10 guage at 30 steps?

I suppose that you may regard calling in turkeys as the primary object of the sport, and that's fine if that's what you enjoy. But why would you bother to blow them away after you've achieved what you set out to do? Alternatively, shooting a turkey called in to 30 yards distance with a .22 Centerfire is a lot more challenging that blasting it with a shotgun.

As I said in my previous post, I have absolutely no problem with the vast majority of turkey hunters who prefer using a shotgun (or a bow, spear, net, or 16" naval ordnance). But please don't dismiss me as unsporting if my preference is for a rifle.

Rusty, use FMJs, aim for lower neck. I'd download to about 3200fps.

Rusty,

I have shot probably a dozen turkeys with a 53gr Barnes TSX out of 22-250 that runs about 3800 fps.

You will lose some meat, but I have easily ruined more meat with a shotgun at close range.

Ever seen what a 3.5 inch, turkey choke will do at 20 yards if you miss the head/neck on a running bird?

If you accidently make a body shot and load the turkey up with pellets?
I can tell you, it's not pretty.


One wound channel with more damage compared to a bunch of pellet wound channels.
Pick your poison.

From a sporting perspective, the shot is more difficult to pull off with a rifle at close range. I don't think I have ever shot a turkey with my rifle farther than 80 yards.

Shoot what you like, like what you shoot, but be safe and have fun.

quote:

not much challenge to shoot a turkey with a centerfire. Snipe them from 250yrds??

Ditto. To my mind the challenge of hunting a turkey is calling them in. In CA we have a choice of shotgun, air rifle, or archery. Real turkey hunters use a bow - I am not one of them. IMO, it's not very sporting to shoot a turkey with a CF, or is it very challenging. Might as well go to the store and buy one, it's just about as difficult, and it's already been cleaned. Lou

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
AZ,
I will, if you will. And post pictures!

If RIP can have a 404 Sheep rifle, then I guess I can have a 404 Turkey rifle!

Rusty,

I know you are a man of your word,so I'll take your "offer"..... your turkey season happens before mine. Go ahead and use either your 450/400 or 404 then ship it to me and I'll use for my turkey!!

I hope you use your double 450/400 as I have two tags and that quick second shot would come in handy!!

quote:

IMO, it's not very sporting to shoot a turkey with a CF, or is it very challenging.

No disrespect meant, but your opinion isn't based on actually having attempted it, now is it?

A 22 Hornet.......the perfect turkey round. Rifle or handgun......minimal meat damage.

My $0.02....

Kevin

My favorite Turkey gun has always been the 5MM Remington and the 22 magnum..A 22 L.R. HP is pretty darn deadly out to 75 yards...Most of the turkeys I shot as a kid growing up in Texas were with my Win. M-63 22.....

quote:

No disrespect meant, but your opinion isn't based on actually having attempted it, now is it?

You're correct, I have no experience shooting turkey with a CF, primarily because it's illegal in CA; however, I base my opinion on the fact that I can easily center punch or take the head off of a ground squirrel at 150+ yards and our turkeys are much closer. I use a 22 caliber pellet rifle with most shots at under 30 yards - after calling them in. Bottom line, it's whatever floats one's boat. Lou

quote:

Bottom line, it's whatever floats one's boat. Lou

I'll second that opinion!

Only reason to shoot a turkey is because no deer are showing up at the feeder!

I agree calling a bird in close is a challenge and half if not all the fun, however if a person chooses to harvest a bird in a different manner that is legal(key word being legal) why should I or you be judgemental. BTW my last bird 25-06 325yds. The one before that 38yds Super X2 3.5in.

Rusty

I have shot MANY turkeys with a rifle, usually a 223 or a 308, but I have shot them with a 300 Mag, 350 Rem Mag a 45-70, and a 375 H&H as well.

The "secret" is to hit them just above the beard.

On a Tom turkey all the breast is below the beard, so I you hit them in the body above the beard you do not mess up any meat.

Be sure to save the heart, liver and the gizzard, as that is the best eating on the whole bird.

PS. I have shot well over a hundred turkeys.

Most with a rifle.

Doesn't matter, if you plan to EAT THEM. Because if you do, only head/neck shots will leave enough meat to be worthwhile.

quote:

The "secret" is to hit them just above the beard. On a Tom turkey all the breast is below the beard, so I you hit them in the body above the beard you do not mess up any meat.

Correct you are. Depending on the angle presented, the root of the wing is a pretty good spot to aim for. Only if the turkey is facing away and you shoot it so that an expanding bullet will exit the mid-breast will you mess up any significant amount of meat. Even then, it is often less meat damage than is wrought by a charge of Magnum #4's at twenty steps, which can make bloodshot swiss cheese out of the breast.

I shot a turkey at the base of the neck with a 240 grain softpoint from my 44 mag once. It worked fine.