ci "One of the greatest problems in using a rifle sacceskfully on wild turkeys is getting a good shot. The Barned things so often won't hold still and when they do stop, it is likely to be behind a tree or some other cover. +t close range, a turkey can so easily be spooked wheft tjie hunter is trying to line up his sights. A shotgun can bq *own to the shoulder and fired almost instantly. This hardly gives the bird a chance to duck behind a tree or bush;, ', . "Therefore, it is usually'necessary for his rifle shouldered and be prepared to ger as soon as an open &ot is presen it is almost impossible to get even a h waving, dodging target in thick cover." One of the chief objections to the rifle has been that in the hands of the ordinary hunter it can go from.ane extreme to another. By that I mean it can either blow the turkey into a worthless mass of flesh, feathery and blood, or it can nick the bird, merely crippling. Most hunters using rifles have them mounted with scopes. Needless !to say, when light conditions are poor and thick brush ist in the way, it is almost impossible to get the bird in thesight. When it comes to shotguns, practically ' al1,of ,fh(^ ,things said against the rifle are in favor of the scpttergun. There is no need to aim: just point it in the right .idbegti,+ and fire. Dense cover, poor light, or birds on the' ~ipg'~dre nqt so troublesome as when using the rifle. The. one drawback with the scattergun is its limited range., But for the beginner who, unless he is an exfrpely good woodsman, will not get within smoothbore rangte.pf a wily wild turkey, a rifle is the right weapon. the^ &i&q acquires experience in hunting the turkey and can suo~~fully lure the bird to a closer approach, he can use the shgt ad. The choice is pretty much left that way, unless the I , pter is fortunate enough to be the owner of any of the shotgun- k often used by more expert scattergun hunters for turkeys. Bu~the -410 is unquestionably too light a load and the Savage combo was dropped from the line. Today Savage still makes a similar .22/.410 combination, but the .22 rimfire is too light for turkeys, too. However, the European combination gun exactly fills the bill. There are three-barrel guns, LLdrill- ," and four barrel guns, the "vierbut the most practical is the er. They come in all comof gauges and calibers by Austrian .and German makers. Heinrich Krieghoff in Suhl, and the gun- Aakers of Ferlach, Austria, build "turkey guns." While there are no turkeys in Ger- ~merican turkey hunting. Thus the combination guns have evolved abroad which prove so well suited to hunting the wild turkey in Pennsylvania. Recognizing the growing popularity of wild turkey hunting on this side of the Atlantic, the Ferlach gunmakers have turned out a lightweight, racy, finely-engraved over/under. Weighing only 6% pounds, the Ferlach "turkey gun" has 24" barrels, with the upper either 12 or 16 gauge, and the lower bored-for a series of calibers: .22 Hornet, .22 Remington, 257 Roberts, 7- and .30/06. In turkey-hunting and calibers, the standard is the 12 for the shotguml- with preference for full-choke in the barrel. Under certain conditions the 16 or 20 gauge will prove adequate. Even the 28 and the little .410 have made their kills, but when it comes to giving an account of itself, the 12-gauge will come out in the lead. For the shot size, No. 4, 5 and 6 are recommended. Heavier or lighter pellets lack the killing possibilities. The heavy are not good because of the thin pattern, the light shot lack the shocking power. A wild turkey is a large bird, able to absorb punishment and usually is some distance from the shooter. The rimfires are taboo in the rifle calibers, unless put into the head, neck or backbone or through some of die vital organs. Few gunners are able to reliaKtfip* their shot, particularly under most of the conditktns'ie~atkntered 7 :-. Others in this class s and .270 Winchester - -
Raig's Austrian-made rifle-shot combination guns have become popular among eastern wild turkey hunters. Scope sight's light- gathering power has value in dark woods. Wild gobbler may weigh less than tame birds but hunting is more re- warding way to get Thanksgiving dinner. This bird weighed 10 pounds.
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